Network Monitoring to Optimize SMBs
There are many aspects to consider when running an SMB (Small and Medium-sized Business). The most important tasks, such as network management and monitoring, are often neglected.
Many SMBs do not realize that it pays to monitor your network. It is not an unnecessary expense but a necessary investment that helps to:
- Optimize your IT infrastructure with minimum effort
- Prevent network outages and faster troubleshooting
- Maximize network uptime by mapping and alerting software
Small businesses should deploy diagnostic network tools as the need for reliable network performance and security threats increases. However, many SMBs believe that network monitoring helps save only time and money. But that is not the case.
This blog post explores why SMBs must prioritize network monitoring to sustain and grow for years.
Network Monitoring for SMBs: 8 Reasons to Get it Done
1. Documenting the device infrastructure
In the process of setting up the business, SMBs often overlook the process of mapping out their network topology right from the outset. Over time, this minor slip-up can make it challenging to track all the devices added to the network as the business grows. Investing in a network monitoring software that automatically performs device inventory gives you a real-time snapshot of your IT infrastructure. That way, you always know what your network topology looks like rather than depending on guesswork.
This gives you the advantage to:
- Identify weak points and bottlenecks
- Understand your network’s physical connections
- Implement best practice network design
- Act on opportunities for improvement
- Identify individual IPs by a switch, vendor, and VLAN
- Find strategic locations for wireless access points
2. Working with a small team
Did you know that network monitoring requires only a small team? Yes, that’s true! In fact, you don’t even need full-time employees to man your network, thanks to modern network monitoring software. Your team will receive real-time notifications only when there’s a breach or when preset thresholds are exceeded.
The software does all the tracking and monitoring, giving your team the much-needed time to concentrate on other aspects of your business. It couldn’t get any better than this!
3. Monitoring Anywhere, anytime
One of the sensible and pragmatic things SMBs can do is to manage everything from a single console that runs on cloud-based or on-premise networking tools. This tactic will ease the burden on your pockets when you expand your footprint across multiple locations.
Remotely accessible network monitoring empowers you to keep an eye on things from wherever you are. You can receive custom alerts via sound or email when a critical network event occurs. With these alerts, you can respond quickly to network performance issues and minimize the impact of any malfunctioning equipment on your network. And the benefits don’t end here.
Monitoring your network from anywhere and anytime is also made possible by mobile web-based dashboards and maps. Furthermore, cloud-based solutions ease the deployment of monitoring tools, making it easier to access monitoring information on the go.
4. Planning for expansion and growth
Expansion and growth are exciting and also demanding. The business you started with just a few desktops will require more effective IT systems and more staff for your everyday business operations. The network is utilized more often, calling for more bandwidth and devices to keep up with the demand.
SMBs face one more challenge: Keeping up with digital transformations like the Internet of Things and Bring Your Own Device requires proper IT infrastructure. Therefore, future bandwidth capacity needs to be planned proactively. Monitoring bandwidth levels will also ensure that the IT infrastructure can accommodate future growth.
5. Staying on track with networking trends
To understand a device’s historical performance, it is essential to chart trends to diagnose network problems and take corrective action. Identifying intermittent issues and taking corrective measures should be done by reviewing basic reports regularly.
6. Upgrading network security measures
Even for SMBs, the amount of business data collected will be extensive, and keeping this data safe will be one of the prime concerns. Moreover, SMBs are ripe targets for hackers who bank on their flimsy security measures to gain access to this data.
To keep peripheral security threats at bay, your network should have the following:
- Real-time monitoring of devices in your network topology
- Detection of anomalies and immediate alerting mechanism
- Insights about the source and nature of internet traffic on the network
- Visibility to identify malicious network activity
7. Troubleshooting with ease
Packet loss and Increased latency are common issues with high network traffic. Latency affects VoIP call clarity, and packet loss causes data leaks. When end-users have a negative experience because of slow networks, business is lost.
The solution? To have a tool that would monitor the performance of your network with the ability to set thresholds and send timely notifications. You can also invest in software solutions that allow you to click the device and gather information like:
- Packet loss
- Response time
- Traffic
- Error rates
Using this information, you can identify the root cause of a network problem before it worsens.
8. Improving the bottom line
When SMBs resort to cost-cutting measures and exclude paid network monitoring tools from your budget, they have many disadvantages:
- Lack of round-the-clock support
- Lack of development
- Lack of timely product upgrades
- Time-consuming configuration work
Instead, network monitoring pays you handsomely with benefits. It allows you to:
- Address IT concerns before they hamper your work process
- Helps you save unnecessary operating costs
- Helps avert downtime and allows your staff to work productively
Network monitoring software is essential for helping IT professionals at SMBs optimize performance because of these reasons. Network monitoring solutions need to be feature-rich. With the right software, you can accomplish these high-level goals with a minimal investment of resources.
Achieve Network Security with CMIT, Tempe
Defend your network perimeter with CMIT‘s network security solutions. We will help you mitigate risks and power ahead to rise from an SMB to a fully-established global conglomerate. Talk to us today!
