Many businesses rely on technology. From enhancing communication between teams to enabling faster, smarter, efficient, and productive business operations, your network infrastructure has your business's success at its core. Therefore, it's critical for your business to have a reliable business network with robust software and hardware components like servers, modems, firewalls, routers, switches, network cables, etc.
Unfortunately, natural disasters, human error, power outages, server vulnerabilities, hardware failure, etc., can cause network outages and interruptions that can spell disaster for your business. Data loss, delays, lost revenue, reputational damages, and more are some of the crippling effects of network outages and downtime. Fortunately, you can prevent this from happening if you prepare well. Here are some fundamental steps you can take.
Consider Network Redundancies
Redundant connections are networks that use different carriers and providers. They serve as a backup plan for when one network is down. While spending extra on additional network carriers and providers may seem expensive up front, it can pay off significantly down the line when you need it.
Some of the solutions worth considering as part of your redundant networks include cellular internet access, satellite connections, wireless connections, and fibre-optic internet connections. However, when selecting your redundant network carrier, ensure it has enough bandwidth to meet your business network demands and ensure business continuity when there's a network outage.
Think About Power and Data Backup
Aside from having a backup plan for your network, it's critical to consider the same for your power source and business data. First, power interruptions are some of the top reasons your network fails. Therefore, having a backup plan for your power can go a long way in preventing the related network outage costs. Generators are the standard solutions for most people. However, not all types will switch on immediately when the power goes out unexpectedly, creating a lapse in your network (even if only seconds). Using a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) can be an excellent solution here. Generally, a UPS will come on immediately when there's a power loss, powering your IT systems continuously. However, UPS systems typically run for only a limited amount of time, so having a backup generator is still critical, especially for large-scale power failures that may last for several hours or even days.
It's also critical to backup your data. Doing this helps prevent data loss, which can significantly impact your business.
Monitor Your IT Infrastructure Regularly
Monitoring your IT infrastructure frequently is another practical way to stay ahead of network issues and prevent network downtime. It allows you to identify current and imminent vulnerabilities in your network systems that can result in network failure. Overall, you will be able to deal with network issues before they happen, eliminating any downtime that may otherwise have originated from them.
Reach out to a company that provides network administration solutions for more information.
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