How to Increase Network Speed
by Anna Trenary
Is your network slow?
Slow networks cost time, resources and money. Besides that, it’s frustrating! No one enjoys waiting for an application that takes forever to run, freeze or fail to respond. Frustration mounts when this occurs several times a day, when against a deadline, or when you just need that one application to do just one thing in front of the one person you needed to impress. Sound familiar?
Businesses today need speed!
Today business happens around the clock, and relies on applications to perform tasks quickly and efficiently. Applications, in turn, rely on a capable network. Networks need to be capable of supporting their organization’s demands. Slow networks, built on under provisioned, legacy or slow servers and storage systems cannot support business applications effectively.
If your network is slow, it is a sign of an internal problem.
Why so slow?
A slow network can the symptom of a myriad of issues. The most common of which, however, are related to storage, security and servers.
The technology leaders at i-Tech Support ask these three questions when diagnosing slow networks:
1. Is there enough Storage?
Storage quality is a big component of network speed. Fast networks need quality storage to perform well, and they need a lot of it. Poorly designed, or legacy storage systems can bring the fastest applications to a slow, slow crawl.
“If your storage cannot support the number of users and the volume of information transmitted by your organization,
you will experience slow network performance.”
-Daniel Stockman, President and COO / i-Tech Support
Think about it, a typical organization creates and transmits hundreds of emails, documents, images and videos daily. These files need need space, away from the storage dedicated to application performance, so they don’t slow down your network.
Thankfully, storage technology has evolved to support the need for speed. Storage solutions, such as NetApp’s Enterprise Grade All-Flash Arrays, were designed specifically to increase application performance.
Storage leader, NetApp, recently announced their 3X Performance Increase Guarantee: 
“Users can expect a guaranteed 3X performance increase in enterprise database applications compared to traditional non-flash disk-based systems when they move to NetApp’s Enterprise Grade All-Flash Arrays
Learn More: https://sites.elasticgrid.com/netapp/3xguarantee/itechsupport/
NetApp guarantees that Flash Systems will provide an IOPS performance for Microsoft SQL Server 2010 or 2014 and Oracle 11g or 12c enterprise database applications that is at least three times faster than Traditional Storage Systems. Specifically, Flash Systems will enable these enterprise database applications to achieve three times more IOPS at one millisecond latency during sustained usage for IOPS-intensive workloads for Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and SAS protocols” – NetApp, 2015
2. Is the Network Secure?
Undetected threats can affect your network speed. A deluge of viruses, malware, spyware and hackers attack business networks daily to steal confidential information. Many succeed.
Threats can enter your network from eMail attachments, unprotected websites and even personal mobile devices that are introduced to your network environment. Undetected threats may lie dormant, disrupt applications, or slowly siphon information out of your network, all of which slow down your system.
To improve cybersecurity, i-Tech Support recommends performing bi-annual penetration tests, installing security policies, and going beyond a firewall and anti-virus software. Instead, layer security across your wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN). This “defense-in-depth” approach includes Continuous Monitoring, Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IPS/IDS), Mobile Device Management (MDM), Network Access Control and Next Generation Firewall defense. Learn more.
3. How old is the System?
Talking about age may be inappropriate at times, but not when it comes to your network equipment. Servers approaching end-of-life performs slower, and have less support available.
The average lifespan of higher-end technology equipment brands, such as Cisco, is 5-7 years. Expect lesser brands to last 3-4 years. Cisco technology is designed to last, require less upkeep and performs better. Overall, this lowers your total cost of ownership and keeps your network speed up.
To learn if your server is approaching end-of-life, get a network assessment. Network assessments provide useful insight on equipment-related and other issues that are slowing your network down. It also lets you know if your equipment is approaching end-of-life and needs replacement. Learn more.
Take the first step…
If your network is slow, contact i-Tech Support, for a network assessment.
i-Tech Support is a Total Technology Support firm dedicated to Managed IT Services, Telecom Services, Advanced Technology, Cloud Services, Software and Consulting and Information Security Business Services. Their team of certified engineers are experts at diagnosing issues and improving network speed, storage and security. As certified Cisco and NetApp partners, they supply and support technology for faster network performance. In addition, their 360-degree cybersecurity solutions are designed to detect, stop and respond to threats that can slow your network down.
