Technologies covered by network support: an overview
One of the crucial aspects of choosing an IT services
company is to ensure your network is kept running smoothly, and
with it the services that the network provides.
This article introduces the basics: an overview of the
technologies that your network support company can (and should)
cover.
1. Your Routing and Switching Hardware
IT networks are the 'circulatory system' of an organisation's IT
systems, as vital as veins and arteries are to the human body. They
carry all the communications between computers, laptops, servers
and the Internet.
The foundation of these networks are switches, which route the
communications and handle traffic. Whether your switches are fast
ethernet, Gigabit or 10 Gig., copper or fibre optic, it's important
that your network support technicians know how to troubleshoot, and
how to correctly specify any upgrades to your network switching
hardware.
2. LAN and WAN links
Local area network (LAN) and Wide area networking (WAN) use
different types of links to provide connectivity to individual
users. A WAN is a group of devices in different geographic
locations, connected via electronic links. This incorporates
individual LANs which make local connections between the end-user
PCs, file servers, printers and so forth. From small scale ADSL and
VPN links up to MPLS clouds, your network support should be able to
cover your specific connectivity requirements.
3. Network Firewalls
Every business is rightly concerned about security, and a
network firewall can be a vital component to ensure this. Firewalls
at the network level are designed to block unauthorised access.
However, they need to be configured correctly in order to allow all
the traffic that needs full access to your network. Choosing the
right network support company is important to avoid access problems
of both kinds.
Chorus IT has been providing Bristol companies with network
support for ten years and can answer any questions you might have
about the technology you need covering. Please contact us on 01275
398900 for more information.
