# Better WiFi Please > Residential and small business WiFi design and installation across the > San Francisco Bay Area. We fix dead zones and set up four separate > networks so a home business, kids and guests, and smart devices never > share a lane. Built on Ubiquiti UniFi hardware. Based in Palo Alto, California. Serving San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties. Contact: Hello@BetterWiFiPlease.com | 878-888-2587 Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm. Evening appointments on request. ## What we do - **Wireless site survey.** We walk the property and record signal strength room by room, including yard, garage and outbuildings, plus how congested the airwaves are from neighboring networks. The customer receives the readings marked on their floor plan, before and after. - **Coverage design and installation.** Access points placed where the survey says they belong, Ethernet run through attics and crawlspaces, clean ceiling or wall mounting, labeled terminations. - **Network segmentation.** Four separate networks configured: Home, Business, Kids & guests, and Smart devices. Each has its own name, password and boundaries; devices on one cannot reach devices on another. - **Ongoing support.** Optional remote monitoring and firmware updates. ## Key facts - Four networks maximum, by design. The hardware supports eight, but each additional SSID adds radio overhead and past four it consumes the bandwidth wireless access points need for backhaul to the gateway. - Guests connect on the kids' network, which is already internet-only with client isolation enabled. No separate guest SSID is used. - Design target is -67 dBm or stronger everywhere the customer cares about, the threshold for reliable voice and video. - Equipment is Ubiquiti UniFi. Ubiquiti is a US-headquartered, publicly traded manufacturer. Relevant because the FCC maintains a Covered List restricting communications equipment from certain foreign vendors. - Customers own their hardware outright. No monthly hardware rental and no subscription required to keep the system running. - Surveys are free. Quotes are fixed before work begins. ## Common questions - **Does the customer need to change internet providers?** No. We work behind any existing provider, including Comcast, AT&T, Sonic and Astound. - **Is it a subscription?** The installation is not. Ongoing monitoring and support is optional and priced separately. - **Can parents cut off internet at bedtime?** Yes, per device, on a schedule, or instantly from a phone. - **Will there be drilling?** Sometimes. We show the customer where before doing it, and use existing attic or crawlspace paths where possible. - **Can existing UniFi gear be reused?** Usually. We check model numbers at the survey and say plainly if a piece is too old. ## Typical pricing - Apartments and condos: around $450 - Whole home with home office: $950-$1,800 - Small business: quoted per site Labor and configuration only. Hardware is itemized separately at cost plus a flat markup. ## Why UniFi The founder tried most consumer WiFi systems sold at big-box retailers over the years and was consistently frustrated by weak edge coverage, apps that hid useful settings, and no way to diagnose whether a problem was the router, the building or the internet provider. After working through the brands used by installers and IT departments, he settled on Ubiquiti UniFi. Reasons given on the site: 1. Business-class range — access points built to cover an office floor, and additional units cooperate rather than compete. 2. Configuration that is actually reachable — separate networks, schedules and device rules in one clear app. 3. Remote help with the customer's permission, revocable at any time; most problems resolved same-day without a site visit. 4. No recurring fees required to keep the system working. 5. Deep information available on demand, but the app opens on a simple status view for people who don't want detail. 6. Expandable — add one access point or switch rather than replacing the whole set. 7. Long security-update support, unlike consumer routers that are quietly abandoned after a few years. 8. Cameras and door access join the same system, with local recording. 9. Ubiquiti is a US-headquartered, publicly traded manufacturer, which matters given the FCC Covered List restricting certain foreign communications equipment. 10. Serviceable by any competent network installer, not proprietary to this company. Stated honestly on the same page: UniFi costs more up front than big-box equipment, needs proper configuration to be worth it, and is overkill for a one-bedroom apartment with three devices — where the site says a cheap router is genuinely fine. ## Guides Plain-English articles for households and small business owners. Undated, evergreen. - [Why your WiFi dies in the back bedroom](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/why-wifi-dies-in-the-back-bedroom.html): building materials that block signal; 2.4 vs 5 vs 6 GHz; sticky clients; the -67 dBm design target. - [What dBm means, and how to measure your own WiFi](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/what-dbm-means.html): the dBm scale explained; how to run a survey walk; reading channel congestion; speed testing at extremes. - [Four networks, one building: what actually goes where](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/four-networks-explained.html): how to divide home / business / kids and guests / smart devices; why four and not eight; client isolation; the printing and casting trade-offs. - [Running a business from home: what to separate and why](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/running-a-business-from-home.html): protecting client data and payment systems; wiring the desk; traffic priority; internet failover options. - [Mesh or cable? How access points should connect](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/mesh-vs-wired-access-points.html): wireless backhaul halves throughput per hop; when mesh is right; cable routes; access point placement. - [Guest WiFi without giving away your house](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/guest-wifi-done-properly.html): why guests should ride the kids' network; client isolation; QR codes; what not to bother with. - [Parental controls that actually hold up](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/parental-controls-that-work.html): why device-level controls leak; schedules, category blocking, pause on demand; the VPN limitation. - [Your smart devices are the weakest thing on your network](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/smart-devices-are-the-weak-link.html): unpatched IoT firmware; what isolation breaks and doesn't; camera passwords and footage storage; the FCC Covered List. - [Before you upgrade your internet plan, read this](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/do-you-need-faster-internet.html): distinguishing a plan problem from a coverage problem; realistic bandwidth needs; why upload speed matters. - [What to ask before you hire anyone to fix your WiFi](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/what-to-ask-a-wifi-installer.html): twelve vetting questions; warning signs; what good answers sound like. - [All guides](https://betterwifiplease.com/blog/) ## Pages - [Home](https://betterwifiplease.com/): full service description, hardware options, pricing, service area and request form.