Technology is great! It can make life a lot easier in the office, as well as make your life more enjoyable outside the office. That doesn’t mean everything about technology is great. It comes with plenty of problems, too.
One of the biggest when it comes to business is having your network equipment replaced. Although you can easily sell your used network equipment, going to the trouble of having it replaced can be a hassle. You don’t want to have to go through all that unless you have to.
The question is, how do you know it’s time to update your network equipment?
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An Inspection Fails
There are a lot of things you should monitor when it comes to tech. You should measure and monitor your broadband consumption, cybersecurity, and logins on essential systems, and it turns out, you should also monitor your network equipment.
Sometimes it’s obvious. That’s the case if you look at network cables and see they are damaged. However, there’s a lot more to inspecting your system, so it’s a good idea to call in a professional.
They can inspect your system and tell you whether or not it’s time to update your system. Having advice from a professional on replacing your system is a surefire way to discover whether or not your system needs to be replaced.
Maintenance Costs Are Increasing
No matter how old or new your system is, it will need regular maintenance. A few things you’ll need to maintain include:
- Troubleshooting network issues.
- Configuration of hardware and software.
- Monitoring and improving network performance.
- Keeping network documentation up-to-date.
- Ensuring compliance with company policies and legal regulations.
- Securing the network against cyber threats.
At first, it will require very little interference, but over time, you’ll notice you’re spending more and more time and money maintaining your system. If you’re spending a lot of time troubleshooting network issues, or you’re spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to improve the performance of your network, the network itself could be the problem.
Replacing your system may cost a bit upfront, but it will save you time and money once it has been installed.
You’ve Come to Expect Network Downtime
Network downtime is a huge problem for businesses. You can’t be too hard on yourself if you experience downtime every once in a blue moon. It happens! But, if it’s happening so much that you roll your eyes whenever your network fails, you should spend more time thinking about it because downtime can cost your business some serious money. It means your employees can’t get any work done until the system is back up and running.
It’s important to determine exactly what’s causing the problem. In some cases, like security problems, you’ll probably need a software update. However, if your systems can’t handle the load of your devices, it’s definitely time for a new networking system.
You Can’t Do What You Want with Your System
When you first had your network equipment installed, your business was probably a little smaller. It’s normal, and exciting, to watch your business grow, but it can cause problems for your network if it isn’t scalable.
A scalable network is one that enables you to adjust to higher workloads. It also means you can maintain meaningful content calendars, enabling you to post blog articles, images, and videos online regularly. If you can’t do either of those things, it’s well worth your time to look into selling your current system and installing a new one.
You’ve Replaced Multiple Devices, but Have the Same Network
Updating gadgets is the norm. Major improvements in technology are rolled out every three or four years, so many businesses replace computers and another tech every five years or so. Unfortunately, networking hardware doesn’t get the same attention.
It’s hard to recommend a rule of thumb for replacing your network hardware. Instead, you should look at whether or not you have replaced all the other devices in your office. If you’ve replaced computers and cellphones once, but especially if you’ve replaced office devices twice, it’s definitely time to consider replacing your network hardware.
When you’ve got so many other things on your mind, the replacement of your network hardware will likely fall to the bottom of your to-do list. Just don’t let it stay there for long! Look for these signs that your network hardware needs to be replaced and update your system if needed. You’ll be glad you did!
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