Clinics and medical practices have network needs different from cafés or offices. Not because they're larger, but because two kinds of data live side by side in one place: patient medical records, and visitors' phones in the waiting room.
The two must never meet.
Separation isn't a refinement
In many businesses, separating the guest network is good practice that can wait. In a clinic, it's the starting point.
The reason isn't merely caution. Health data counts as specific personal data under Law No. 27 of 2022, and it's held to a higher standard of protection than ordinary data.
| Network | Contents | Reachable by guests? |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical | Medical records computers, prescription printers | No |
| Operational | Reception, till, office computers | No |
| Patient | Waiting room Wi-Fi | Internet only |
| Devices | Cameras, temperature sensors, connected equipment | No |
For a clinic with one router, the built-in guest network feature already handles the most important separation, how to do it is in the guide to separating a guest network. Once there are several access points on different floors, the separation needs to move to the cable level, and the concept is covered in the guide to what a VLAN is.
Client isolation must be on for the patient network. Without it, one patient's phone can reach another's in the same waiting room. It's a single checkbox that's often overlooked.
Stability beats speed
Online queueing, electronic referrals, and insurance claims don't demand great speed. What they demand is a connection that doesn't drop mid-process.
Estimated needs for a small clinic:
- Reception and medical records systems: under 5 Mbps, but must be stable
- Telemedicine: 2 to 4 Mbps per session, in each direction
- Patient Wi-Fi: 1 to 2 Mbps per active device
- Security cameras: 1 to 4 Mbps per camera if monitored remotely
A clinic with five staff and ten patients waiting rarely exceeds 50 Mbps at peak. A more detailed calculation method is in the venue Wi-Fi capacity guide.
Backup that's genuinely necessary
This is what sets clinics apart from most small businesses. When the internet fails in a café, visitors are disappointed. When it fails in a clinic, patients already present can't be served and can't be sent home.
Prepare a genuinely different second line
A mobile modem on a different carrier from your main subscription. Two subscriptions from the same provider, over the same cable, will fail together.
Make sure the switchover has been tested
A backup never tested almost always fails the first time it's needed. Try it once while the clinic is quiet.
Provide battery backup for network equipment
A power cut mustn't mean the reception system stops. Network equipment draws very little power, the guide to a UPS for your router.
Prepare a manual procedure
Paper forms for registration when the system is unavailable. This isn't a step backwards but a safety net rarely prepared until it's too late.
The obligations that come with it
Clinics collect personal data on two fronts at once, and each has its own requirements.
Patient data is the core of your work and subject to stricter provisions because of its specific nature. The basic principles are the same as for other personal data, a lawful basis, notice, safeguards, and retention limits, and are covered in the guide to customer data collection rules.
Visitor data from a Wi-Fi portal is an addition people often don't notice. If your portal asks for a name or phone number, you're collecting personal data for a purpose different from medical care, and that needs its own basis.
The simplest way to avoid it: collect nothing. A portal that merely shows terms of use and a continue button already gives you session control without creating a retention obligation. How it works is in the captive portal guide.
Security cameras in a clinic
Some areas must never be recorded at all, examination rooms, treatment rooms, and toilets. This applies regardless of any security justification.
For permitted areas, the notice and retention requirements are covered in the guide to CCTV and privacy rules. One thing specific to clinics: consider turning off audio recording in the waiting room, since patients' conversations with reception staff often contain medical complaints.
A sensible order
- Separate the patient network from clinical and reception computers.
- Turn on client isolation for the patient network.
- Change the router's admin password from the default, the guide to securing a router.
- Set up a backup line and test it once.
- Install battery backup for network equipment.
- Check camera angles and footage retention periods.
These six steps can be completed in a day, and close most of the risk that usually only becomes apparent after an incident. Hardware cost considerations are covered in the guide to guest Wi-Fi costs for businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Can medical records computers share a network with patient Wi-Fi?
They shouldn't. Patient data counts as specific personal data, and putting it on the same network as unrecognised visitor devices creates risk out of all proportion to the cost saved.
What speed does a small clinic need?
For a clinic with five to ten staff, a 50 to 100 Mbps subscription is adequate. What matters more is stability, because an interrupted online queue or referral system stops service rather than merely slowing it.
Do I need backup internet?
For clinics using online queueing or electronic insurance claims, yes. The loss from a single day without the system almost always exceeds a year of backup subscription, and patients already present can't simply be sent home.
