5 Common Problems Overlooked By Business It Networks.

Computer networks, although simple, require careful planning to ensure stability, but we often come across companies that know the network plays a vital role in the efficient operation of their business.

Savvy entrepreneurs often choose to upgrade their networks based on their organizational structure. While upgrading is a long and expensive process, its benefits are multiplied. Although some small businesses insist on having a Windows XP workstation act as a network server, this decision can ultimately lead to reduced efficiency and productivity of the entire computing environment.

Network consultants should always analyze the nature of your business to recommend the best network/information technology system for your business. IT consultants should assess hardware and software requirements to guide your business through the pros and cons of the various networking options your business may consider.

From a network consulting perspective, here are 5 common issues that businesses ignore or are not included in the overall network infrastructure planning.

Disaster Recovery: Although contractors are risk takers, they plan for all eventualities. While they insure their stores and properties against fire, theft, natural disasters, and more, in many cases they overlook the need to implement a disaster recovery plan for the record. finance, payroll and customer data. Loss of valuable customer information due to fire will cause temporary chaos and financial drain.

Therefore, a data recovery system must be in place to restore normal operation within 2 to 8 hours. There are several options for evaluation depending on the size of the business. A good technology consulting firm should be able to assess the need and recommend an appropriate IT recovery plan at a reasonable cost.

Redundancy: While businesses are advised to maintain backup or replacement power for critical servers, many entrepreneurs overlook this simple loss prevention method to save several hundred dollars .

For example, servers that process customers’ credit card transactions are not immune to failure, and if they are not backed up with backup power, it can lead to significant financial losses. The point I’m trying to get over is that critical network equipment should be identified and a contingency plan in place to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

Cybersecurity: Viruses are no stranger to the world of computers and the Internet. When scanning and testing technology, we come across companies with servers on the DMZ that don’t have network security measures like simple firewalls in place. We’ve seen cases where employees with full access to network servers are running virus invite programs like Limewire. One obvious result of this would be a slow network.

In most cases, passwords for workstations, servers, etc. identical and shared. Hidden cybersecurity plans should be in place, especially when a company’s IT infrastructure contains confidential personal or customer information that could become a risk as well as an embarrassing situation if lost.
or stolen.
Network Speed: Businesses have always been focused on maximizing efficiency and productivity at the lowest cost, and what better way to achieve this goal than by minimizing wasted employee time? The speed of a computer network depends on a variety of factors, from simple network security policies that limit P2P software to smart switching hardware. You may be surprised, but network infrastructure cabling (Cat 5, Cat 6, and fiber) also makes a significant difference to overall network performance.
Scalability: Changing the network topology is an option that is always open to customers. It’s important to plan ahead, because a business doesn’t need to overhaul a large portion of its network to generate a negligible benefit. A simple example is predicting the need to store data on a network.

Clients often overlook the importance of discussing options with a consultant to ensure that their IT systems remain fully operational for at least 3-5 years. The goal should be to minimize the amount of dollars spent without affecting the quality of the employee’s work.

Consultants are professionals and while their recommendations should not be ignored, they should not be blindly accepted either. As a customer, you have the right to know the “why” and “how” of each proposal made. Ask the layperson to explain each problem encountered. Most importantly, make sure that the 5 main and fundamental areas are covered in the initial audit reports or recommendations issued by any technology consulting firm.

Onsite Chicago is a technology consulting firm for businesses in the Chicago area. Featured in major newspapers, they are considered as one of the best business networking consulting firms. For a complete list of Network Management IT Services, Cyber ​​Security and Data/Telephone Cable, please visit the Chicago Enterprise Network Consulting page.