Five Ways to Improve Your Network on a Tight Budget

A company network infrastructure has become the core of any business operations. In fact, companies have little room for errors and the global reality of a 24/7 business climate requires the network to perform optimally and securely. Furthermore, companies need to prepare for future company growth without affecting the present.
There are a couple of ways to avoid the IT headache and keep networks humming without breaking the bank. By implementing some of these best practices, you’ll notice that your network will be manageable even in the downturn.
 
Assess your current investments in people and products
Today, companies need to ensure that IT departments are stocked with the right tools and people. IT environments need to be comprised of smart individuals who are dedicated to the “critical” tasks that are fundamental to the success of the company. By deciphering between the critical and non-critical tasks, IT administrators will be able to identify which tools aren’t doing much for your network and which tools (with short-term ROI) you need to integrate.
Bottom line: everyone needs to do their homework. No company wants to overpay for tools or services. And, if the upkeep of tools takes too much manpower or if the ROI just isn’t there, chances are it’s not ideal.  Now is not the time to gamble on new resources.

Analyse in greater depth to improve problem solving
Tools with superior breadth and depth of reporting capabilities are something every network administrator needs to have in their back pocket. Any technology that allows administrators to dig further into the network, like NetFlow or IP SLA, provide great advanced reporting capabilities, shedding light on why your network is bogged down or running smoothly.

The ability to analyze how your network is running gives you a competitive advantage. With the right tools in place, you could have a 360-degree view of performance, allowing you to identify which tools are working and which tools you need to implement to enhance the network performance.

Previously, when implementing network tools with advanced features, administrators were faced with two barriers: performance and cost. Today, these barriers are unheard of - administrators need to turn on the advanced features and begin working with the cheaper (and free) tools in order to problem-solve your network setbacks.

Automate wherever possible
This year, we’ve seen that more and more companies have embraced configuration and automation. With the major cutbacks on spending and decrease in headcount, now is a good time to focus on automating and re-configuring the machines you’re currently monitoring. When you can’t add people quickly, automating tasks is a low-cost way to make sure your current workforce is effective.

Truth be told, today we’re almost at the point of automation overload. Don’t be scared by the millions of tools that allow you to automate and manage new devices; find a few and use them well.
 
Augment your environment with free tools
Speaking free, make sure you are up-to-date will all the free tools that are out there. Take advantage of community sites and forums, which offer free tools and templates making your life easier so you don’t have to recreate the wheel each time you add a new tool to your grab bag. Look for the tools that are open source, meaning they are more likely to be updated since developers have access to the source code without copyright, trademark or patent restrictions.

Some good one’s I’ve found are:
Wireshark, a network protocol analyzer for Unix and Windows
Putty, a telnet/SSH client, also for Windows and Unix platforms
Snort, an open source intrusion detection and prevention system that is now so widely deployed its actually the de facto standard for the industry
       
Approach cost cutting wisely
Everyone’s scaling back, but if I can give one piece of advice it would be: don’t cut your service level agreements (SLA’s).

Your SLA’s allow you to be in a prime position when faced with product issues. With good SLA’s in place, you can ensure that your network is running smoothly since it’s continually being updated. Another major benefit of SLA’s is the support commitment from providers when faced with severe bugs. You can think of your SLA as a warranty – it’s just another way to ensure that your critical projects are backed up, helping you to achieve both your long and short-term goals.
 
Obviously, getting through the recession is top of mind for everyone. Companies are keeping a close eye on assets and have no room for mistakes. These tough economic times allow you to get back to basics. View this is as an opportunity to build a company-wide vision of what’s important to your business and what needs to be in place for success.