Networks are great. Awesome in fact! They provide communication for all your computers, printers, phones, and anything else that can be plugged in and receives an Internet signal.
But with more and more devises being connected together, a physical strain on your networks becomes a real thing.
Fortunately there are ways to minimize this strain and to speed up your network!
- Break up your network using VLANS
Different devices require different amounts of data to operate. Separate them accordingly! If you are using a Cisco switch, you have the ability to have it configured for your specific needs.
For example:
- VLAN dedicated to VOIP phones
- VLAN dedicated to all printers or non computer devices
- VLAN specifically for a group of heavy data users
- Implement Dynamic VLAN assignment- have new devise automatically connect to a preset VLAN based on their MAC address
- Check to make sure WIFI Signal’s aren’t conflicting
- Everyone in today’s buildings uses wifi. Using an application such as “Wifi analyzer” check to see what channel your and surrounding wifi use.
- In addition devices such as GHz cordless phones may use the same frequency as your wifi signal. In many cases one or the other may be adjusted.
- Move your WIFI transmitting device
- The best location for your wifi transmitter is the middle of the office, where most users are equal length from it. Objects such as complete walls may obstruct the signal, so be sure not to place the device in an enclosed area.
- Clean up your network!
- Often the reason for a slow network is due to the number and or the type of devices that can be found on it.
- Check to see what kind of interconnectivity devices your network is using!
- Switches are devices that break up collision domains and allow each connected device to not conflict with any other device on that switch.
- HUBS are older variants of switches that create one collision domain and force all connected devices to compete for data.
- HUBS are obsolete and must be disposed! If the device says “HUB” anywhere on it, throw it away!
- While switches are great, too many will also slow down your network.
A good rule of thumb is:
Your network is only as fast as the slowest device on it.
Get rid of duplicate and unnecessary switches and invite a network engineer to inspect your network and suggest what can be done to make it more efficient.
