"This Internet connection is too fast!" said No One Ever. In fact, 'slow Internet' is one of the top employee frustrations, according to a recent study by Deloitte. Is there anything worse than arriving at work, all motivated to tackle an important work project, only to discover the Internet is down? Slow Internet can be detrimental to your dealership's productivity, profitability and employee morale.

Sometimes the problem does lie with your ISP. But in many cases, a slow Internet isn't actually the problem. The real culprit may your dealership's wireless network. In my experience (which includes evaluating networks at hundreds of dealerships), I would say that currently 99% of dealerships' wireless networks are insufficient for the ever-increasing data demands.

Here's how to determine if you have an Internet problem or a wireless problem:

Call Your ISP. The first thing to do is call your ISP and run a speed test to determine if you're getting the data speeds promised in your service package. If you are, it may be time to upgrade your service. Many dealerships sign up for the "small business" package with their ISP, which is not much better than residential service. Small business service is meant for offices with no more than five to six computers.

If your dealership has more than a dozen computers, you definitely need an enterprise level Internet package. In many areas, this means your Internet connection will be provided via fiber optic cables, which can deliver speeds from ten to 100 times faster than other Internet connection methods.

Upgrade Your Wi-Fi. The next thing you'll want to check is your wireless network. In the last few years, Internet usage in dealerships has exploded. Many software applications--including your dealership's DMS and CRM--are cloud-based, which means they connect with your computer network wirelessly.

A few years ago, two or three $60 routers from Best Buy may have been sufficient to handle your dealership's data demands. In today's dealership, those same routers don't stand a chance. To satisfy the explosive growth in data usage, your dealership needs enterprise-grade routers, and probably quite a few of them.

Think about the amount of data that gets transferred over your dealership's wi-fi on a daily basis:

• Software Applications: including DMS, CRM and third-party service solutions such as vehicle inspection or service scheduling software
• Cell Phones: both employees and customers connect to your wi-fi with their cell phones to surf the Internet, watch videos and play games
• Emails and files: received and transmitted via mobile devices
• DMS and Computer Back-Ups: to the cloud requires wireless
• Vehicle Computer System: many vehicles require periodic computer system updates from the manufacturer, which are transmitted wirelessly in the service department
• Mobile Tablets: many dealerships have adopted or soon will adopt mobile tablets into their service, sales and F&I processes. All of these applications require large amounts of data to be transmitted wirelessly
• Smart Appliances: If your dealership has recently purchased a coffee machine, refrigerator, oven range or water heater, chances are it's a "smart appliance." The reason these appliances are smart is because they transmit and receive data over the Internet, via your wireless network

Enterprise-grade routers are available starting at $200 to $300. Not only do they deliver data at two to three times the speed of residential routers, they offer additional benefits such as increased security, signal optimization, noise reduction and roaming optimization.

Other potential causes of a slow Internet include firewall and malware breaches. If it turns out that neither the ISP, nor your wireless network are the issue, then investigation into your security system may be warranted.

A fast Internet is critical for both dealership productivity and employee morale. Having sufficient wireless bandwidth is an essential piece of the Internet speed equation, yet it's often overlooked. So the next time your employees are complaining about a 'slow Internet,' don't blame the ISP! Check out your routers instead. Adding a few more wireless access points and replacing your residential routers with enterprise-grade routers may be a simple and inexpensive solution to your Internet problem.