There are numerous reasons to keep your SMB network in top condition. Security, efficiency and productivity are just a few. Here are 5 tips to ensure better network management.
By Team Savant
Image: Josh Duke
Upgrade Your Cabling
In modern networks, speed is very important. All of the data between connected things, like PCs and printers, is sent through the cables. But if one thing goes wrong, the whole network can stop. So, you should have backup plans, of course. But fast and reliable wiring solutions like fibre optics cabling (www.4cabling.com.au) will help improve network integrity, speed up productivity, and cut down on network downtime, meaning an improved office overall.
Back Up Data Often
It's smart to back up your data often. This includes information about the company's procedures, finances, employees, and customers. Data loss happens often. Hackers are one of the leading groups to blame. But power outages occur often and could be terrible for your data and network. It's easy to back up data, which is good news. You can upload your data to the cloud to keep it safe. Or you can use a USB drive for cold storage and built-in network backup tools.
Hire a Network Admin to Look After Your SMB Network
There are many things that could go wrong with your data centre, network, or hosting. And these include things like hurricanes and other natural disasters. An administrator can help you:
A dedicated administrator will maximise your network efficiency.
It's a solid long-term investment as your admin will get to know your network.
A dedicated person means increased network security.
There's always someone available to resolve issues.
A qualified admin is able to attend to problems very quickly.
As your business grows, you'll need someone who knows how to run servers. An admin can look for anything out of the ordinary that could mean a problem is coming up.
Outsource to a Managed IT Service
If you don't have the time, skills, or money to manage your servers, network, and data, you can hire someone to do it for you. IT services have become very popular to outsource. You won't have to do anything to get help from a skilled and trained professional. There are different price levels, but network monitoring, data backup, and security are all included as standard features. You can save a lot of money in the short term by outsourcing instead of hiring a full-time admin.
Implement a Maintenance Plan
One of the easiest ways is to stop disasters from happening in the first place. It will take some time, but that's nothing compared to what will happen if you don't do it. Surprisingly, though, just over half of businesses around the world have a plan for what to do in case of a data disaster. First, of course, it's a good idea to make sure you update your software regularly. But it's also important to plan regular inspections of the hardware to protect against backdoor access.
Summary
You don't need to spend tons of money on your SMB network. But there are some things you can do. Upgrade to faster cables, hire a full-time admin techie and come up with a solid plan.