There are multiple pieces that need to be put together properly for everything to function well when constructing a building. There are electrical connections, pipes and plumbing, an HVAC system and many other necessary components.
If those pieces are put in without consideration for each other, you could end up with rooms that don’t have enough heat or pipes that end up running into solid walls.
Your business IT network is similar. There are many different parts that need to be considered when planning your technology infrastructure. These can include things like:
- Computers & other devices
- Wireless router
- Local area network (LAN)
- VoIP phone network
- Email network
- Remote workers
- IoT devices
If you are purchasing computers and other equipment piecemeal and adding it as you go to your office, you could end up with a business network that doesn’t serve you well and is disjointed.
Some of the problems you can run into with a poorly planned network are:
- Slow connections
- Constant drops of your internet connection
- Devices that can’t share data
- Endpoint security problems
- Lost business data
- Inability to properly serve your customers
Creating a Strong Technology Backbone for Your Company
Your business network is really the backbone of your company. Your network supports communication with your clients, vendors and the team within your organization. It ensures you can connect to cloud applications when you need them and, basically, just keep your business running in this technology-driven world.
When our experts at Sound Computers work on strategic network planning for Connecticut businesses, we look at the entire network structure and how each piece connects to the other.
Here are some of the important considerations when planning a great business network that will not only support you today, but also your growth for tomorrow.
Decide What Should Be Wireless & What Can Be Local
You can connect everything to your wireless network if you like but that is not very efficient. A local connection is faster than wireless and you avoid slowdowns due to network congestion that might come from a co-worker uploading or downloading a large file.
If computers in an office need to access an onsite server, that is something that you will want to connect locally where possible.
A strategic mix of wired and wireless networks can improve the speed and quality of all your network connections overall.
Plan an Efficient Communications Network
Your network is what enables you to communicate with your customers from anywhere. It plays a big part in your overall level of customer service.
Are you able to answer calls just as easily when you are on the road as when you are at the office?
Do you have an email system that can alert you when an important customer message comes in?
Customer service is one of the most important factors when people decide to do business with a company. 90% of surveyed consumers rate an “immediate” response as important and 60% of them define that as 10 minutes or less.
Parts of your communications network that you should optimize with help from an IT professional include your email communications network and VoIP phone system.
Enable Efficient Remote Server Access
Your remote network is especially important now due to stay at home orders because of the pandemic. It is also an important part of your business network strategy that can enable easy access to programs and files whenever and wherever you need them.
Optimizing your remote access network can ensure security of remote connections so hackers can’t exploit them. It can also facilitate fast connections so you are not waiting ages on a cursor to move when logged in remotely.
Have Your Networking Done Properly
When a network is not installed properly, you can end up with a tangle of cables, inefficient connections and safety issues.
Networking should be laid out and installed by a professional. This provides several important benefits such as:
- Your network is installed according to safety standards
- Your network is optimized for high-quality communications
- Easy to expand your network in the future without major cost
- Reduces the risk of dropped connections
- You have the support you need when you have a question.
Look at Different Types of Wireless Router Devices
As your office grows, so do your wireless network demands. If you are using a single wireless router, you can end up with traffic congestion and problems like weak spots or signal dead zones in certain areas of your office.
You want to explore your options as you grow by looking at other solutions like mesh networks. Mesh networks are like having an army of tiny routers placed throughout your building. They give an overall blanket of strong Wi-Fi connection and make it easy to extend your network farther when needed.
Get Help with Your Network Strategy from Sound Computers
Sound Computers can help you ensure all parts of your business network are installed securely and running efficiently to support your company’s needs.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call 860-577-8060 or reach us online.