The Savvy CIO

This is part 4 of a series on IT Self-Assessment for small businesses. We’re providing information and guidelines for a simple IT check, giving you the ability to gain free insights into how your technology can serve your  business better. Each post covers a critical area of technology.

Communications: Physical Network

Function & Value

A physical network is the circulatory system of your technology infrastructure. Switches and Ethernet cables help information circulate between users, servers, databases, and applications. Poorly configured switches and cables can cause your network to run slowly or lose connections.

The physical network is often overlooked in IT evaluations, in favor of “cooler” technology than cables, switches and wall jacks. But if the physical network isn’t rock solid, you’ll see recurring problems over and over again, as wall jacks fail to work, connections are dropped and speed suffers. Poor configuration can also lead to a network looping back on itself, bringing your entire infrastructure to a screeching halt.

How can you be sure your business isn’t at risk?

Common Problems

(1) Using only a wireless network. Many small businesses begin with a wireless-only network. Wireless is inexpensive and flexible, but it is also less reliable, has slower speed, and is exposed to security risks. Wireless network cards aren’t standard on most desktops, so expanding a wireless-only network can be a hassle.

(2) Poor switch configuration. If you have multiple switches, avoid “daisy-chaining” switches together. A daisy chain is a line of devices, each connected to the one in front of it. This can create multiple “hops” for data to travel through your network. If a PC is connected to the fourth switch in a chain, data coming to that PC would have to take 5 hops (through all 4 switches and then to the PC). Every piece of hardware in the chain has to go to work each time data moves, creating tons of excess traffic.

(3) Insufficient cabling. Wall jacks for Ethernet cables are far too often connected to nothing. A user plugs in and…zip.

(4) Servers and switches in the “danger zone”. Critical network equipment is often stored right out in the middle of the office. People regularly walk by, each one with the potential to bump the equipment and jiggle a cable or power cord lose. Critical equipment set on or under a desk where people can stop to talk and set down their drinks? Yes, it happens.

Best Practices

(1) Investing in a wired, physical network is almost always a worthy capital expense. Make your cables as short as possible. If you have a really big space, 100 meters is the maximum a cable should ever run.

(2) The best practice when setting up a multi-switch environment is to designate one switch as a core switch and to connect other switches to the core switch in a hub-and-spoke layout. Endpoints such as PCs, servers, printers, etc. can be connected to the core switch or secondary switches. This guarantees there are no more than two hops between any two switches and no more than four hops between any two devices.

(3) If you have more wall jacks than users, wire all the jacks and connect them to switches. Purchase switches based on your number of wall jacks. This allows you to grow into your network, and avoid juggling jacks on your switch.

(4) Designate a closet or out-of-the-way place as a space for your network equipment, including server, switches, firewall, etc. A wall mount rack is a small investment that will help secure, organize and safeguard your valuable equipment.

Physical Network Self-Assessment

Is your primary network wired or wireless?

Are switches configured correctly?

Is every wall jack active?

Are cables the correct length and properly organized?

Is your server in a “danger zone”?

Issues to be addressed:

1.

2.

3.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 2:09 am and is filed under IT Assessment, IT Support. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.