> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.florists.digital/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Broadband and Wi-Fi
> How to size your broadband, pick the right connection type, and get Wi-Fi to reach the back of the shop.
Your internet connection is the one thing we can't fix from our end. Orders, payments, relay, the Companion App, and the till all reach the cloud through the same line, so a slow or patchy connection shows up everywhere at once.
This page covers how to size your broadband, what type of connection to buy, where Wi-Fi tends to fall over in a flower shop, and what to do about it.
## How much speed you need
A simple sizing rule: **10 Mbps per device** that's connected to your network at the same time.
Count up everything that uses the connection on a busy day.
* Every computer and till
* Every tablet
* Card payment terminals
* Network printers
* Your staff's phones (the Companion App keeps a connection open while in use)
A shop with 3 computers, 2 printers, a card reader, and 8 staff phones is roughly 14 devices, so **140 Mbps** is the floor. Round up to the nearest tier your provider offers.
A 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) full-fibre line is usually only £20-30 a month more than a basic package. Sizing this way means you don't have to think about speed even on Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, when every phone, till, and card reader is in use at once.
## What type of connection to get
Full fibre (fibre-to-the-premises, or FTTP) is the right answer where it's available. The fibre runs all the way into your shop instead of switching to copper at the cabinet, which means consistent speed and equally fast upload. That matters if you run relay orders or upload product photos.
| Connection type | Typical speed | Suitable for |
| --------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Full fibre (FTTP)** | 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps | The preferred option. Fast, reliable, and the upload matches the download. |
| **Part-fibre (FTTC)** | 36-80 Mbps | Adequate for a very small shop. Noticeable slowdown on busy days, especially for uploads. |
| **5G broadband** | 100-300 Mbps | A reasonable alternative where fibre isn't available. No engineer visit, just plug in a router. |
| **Starlink** | 50-200 Mbps | Best for rural shops with no fibre. Self-install with a dish on the roof. |
| **Copper ADSL** | 10-17 Mbps | Not suitable for running a shop. Look at 5G or Starlink instead. |
On a 10-17 Mbps copper line, expect slow page loads, payment timeouts, and frustration when more than one person is using the connection. Upgrading the line is often the single biggest improvement you can make to how the shop feels on the busy days.
### Checking what's available
To find out what's wired up to your postcode.
1. Check your current provider's site, or run the postcode through a comparison site like Broadband Genie or Uswitch.
2. Ask about full fibre specifically. Coverage is expanding, so a "no" from a year ago is worth re-checking.
3. Look into UK government support for rural and harder-to-reach premises through Project Gigabit, which subsidises gigabit-capable connections in areas the commercial market hasn't reached. Schemes change, so check the current programme and eligibility on [gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/project-gigabit-uk-gigabit-programme) before you plan around it.
## Wi-Fi coverage
Fast broadband doesn't help if the signal doesn't reach the back of the shop. Coverage tends to fall over in three places in a typical florist: the workroom behind a cold store, an upstairs office, and the loading area at the back door.
| Shop shape | What usually works |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Single room, under \~40 sqm** | Your provider's router is normally enough. |
| **Front shop plus a back workroom** | A mesh Wi-Fi system (a set of small Wi-Fi boxes that pass the signal between them) of 2-3 units placed across the premises. TP-Link Deco and Google Nest Wifi are common at £150-250. |
| **Two floors, or a separate building** | Dedicated ceiling-mounted access points wired back over Ethernet. Ubiquiti is the brand most shops end up on for this. |
Flower fridges and cold stores block Wi-Fi almost completely. The metal walls stop the signal getting through. If your workroom sits next to or behind a cold store, plan for a separate access point on the workroom side. A mesh node placed inside the cold store won't reach the room beyond it.
### When to run Ethernet
Mesh systems are fine for laptops, phones, and most printers. For anything that has to stay online during a busy service (the till PC, a network receipt printer that several staff print to, a card reader on a fixed counter), a wired connection is more predictable. A short run of Cat6 from the router to the till is usually cheap to add when you're already fitting out the counter.
## Common questions
Run [speedtest.net](https://www.speedtest.net) from a computer connected to your shop's Wi-Fi. Test a few times across the day, including a busy period. Numbers in the morning before anyone arrives aren't a fair picture.
For a small shop with no fibre option, yes. Place the router near a window facing the mast for the best signal. Performance can vary through the day as the local cell gets busier, so it's worth a 30-day trial period if your provider offers one before you commit.
A business contract typically buys you a faster fix when something breaks and a static IP if you ever need one. The line itself is usually the same wire as the residential product. For most florists the support response time is the reason to pay for business, not the speed.
Yes, but put guest devices on a separate guest network. Most consumer and business routers can do this with a tick-box. Keeps tills, printers, and card readers isolated from anyone walking through the door with a phone.
## What's next?
The companion app that drives receipt printers, cash drawers, and label printers from the till.
Orders, deliveries, and proof-of-delivery photos on your team's phones.
WhatsApp, email, and scheduled call: the right channel for the situation.
The spec floor for the till PC or laptop that sits behind everything else.