MSPNetworks Blog

That’s an interesting question, as there are many things that can create some form of lag in a business’ network. Let’s go into some common causes of this slowness, starting with one clear indication that something is up.

Causes of Lag

Insufficient Bandwidth

You may be demanding too much of your Internet service at a given time, leaving too little bandwidth for your desired process to complete efficiently. If you consistently encounter issues, you may consider investing in a greater bandwidth for your business. Before doing that, check to make sure nobody is misusing the company network. If employees are streaming video content, uploading a lot of data, or other things that might not be a part of their everyday job responsibilities, you might experience bottlenecks due to this overwhelming amount of unnecessary traffic. Setting up a content filter is a good way to block a lot of this.

Hardware and Software Issues

This one is straightforward: out-of-date software and older hardware simply won’t work as well as the newer stuff, which could lead to network issues.

Malware

Many examples of malware can tax your network, hindering its performance and holding you back, among other detrimental outcomes to your data security and efficiency.

Network Misconfiguration

The issue may really be within your network in the form of poor configurations. An internal audit can help you identify if this applies to you.

Issues with the ISP/Website

On the off chance your Internet service provider is experiencing issues, your performance will see some detrimental impacts. There isn’t much you can do about this other than reaching out to your ISP. The same goes for those times that you’re accessing an online tool or cloud-based database. If things aren’t working right on the provider’s end, you will also have difficulty.

Latency

Latency is just one side effect of a greater issue; and, is also one of the most frustrating for a user to experience.

When your computer reaches out to another part of a network, like a website, it sends a small data packet (known as a ping) to confirm that there is a connection made through call-and-response. Latency is the delay in the time it takes for the ping to be sent out and returned. The higher the latency, the longer it takes, and the worse the user’s experience is.

Like we said, frustrating.

There are many reasons that you may be experiencing high latency, which can impact the operation of your entire network and each of your processes.

Reach out to your IT resource for more assistance with your network’s performance, or give the team here at MSPNetworks a call. We can be reached at (516) 403-9001.

Wi-Fi has swiftly become one of those amenities that we just expect to have, including in the workplace. While it does make work around the office more convenient, it should not be at the cost of your security. To help prevent this, we’re reviewing a few key Wi-Fi security considerations to keep in mind.

Don’t Rely On It For Your Security

Regardless of how secure your network purports to be, it doesn’t hurt to continue subscribing to best practices when it comes to maintaining your security -- in fact, it could very well hurt you not to do so. Wi-Fi in particular isn’t the most secure method to use out of the box, so you should always be sure to support what you use with additional protections and security measures. For example, you should always incorporate encryption to help protect your traffic, something that you need to make sure is done, because your traffic won’t be secure otherwise.

You should also follow general browsing best practices at all times, just as an added precaution. Avoid websites that lack the ‘s’ in https, as that ‘s’ stands for secure.

Protect Your Wi-Fi With Good Passphrases and Practices

At this point, most people are at least aware of what makes a bad password: the usual suspects, including:

• Simple and common words and letter combinations being used
• No variation in character type
• Reusing the same password for different sets of credentials
• Passwords written down on scrap paper or sticky notes

This is just a small sample of all the little habits and shortcuts that users will understandably start to pick up to make sure that they can remember all of the different passwords they need to maintain (not to mention the idea that they should use a different password for each account).

While your employees certainly shouldn’t be shortchanging your security measures, they are only human. One way to compromise with them (without compromising your security) is to use passphrases instead of passwords, creating a very bland sentence and using that as your authentication proof instead - something like “ipourthemilkintothecereal.” Memorable, yes, but certainly not well-known. Naturally, these should be kept confidential, and it will probably help to use a password manager to keep track of them. On top of that, add numbers, symbols, and capitalization.

Consider Your Wi-Fi Network

There are many ways that you can help increase the safety of your wireless network. Here are some quick highlights:

• Change your SSID away from the factory default to a unique but unrevealing alternative, even if you keep your network hidden.
• If a device has Wi-Fi capabilities that you are not actively using, make sure that the device is off to help truncate the amount of access points you have into your wireless network. If a device can be connected to your network via ethernet, consider doing so.
• Keep business use of the network separate from any guest use of the network with a dedicated guest network, protected by a simple passphrase that you update periodically. Turn off the guest network whenever it is not needed for added security.

Want extra help with any of these security considerations? Trust the experts at MSPNetworks! We can help keep your technology safe for you to continue your business operations with it in your corner. Call (516) 403-9001 to learn more.

Wireless Internet access for a user’s devices isn’t just a luxury these days--it’s expected. If the Wi-Fi drops out for any reason at all, chaos strikes, rendering any ability to stream content or access the Internet a moot point. This is particularly the case for businesses that have technology solutions reliant on wireless access. How can you make sure your wireless network is as strong and reliable as possible?

A More Flexible Workplace
Take a moment to reflect on the devices used by your business. If it’s like more modern offices, you have employees using mobile devices or laptops more often than you see them using their desktop workstations. Employees simply like to have their options open in the office, and a strong wireless connection helps to make this possible. If you give your organization’s employees the ability to get work done on their own terms, you can empower them to be more productive with their time in the workplace.

Uptime is Maximized
Losing an Internet signal isn’t just annoying--it can be a major detriment to your organization’s success. Any situation when your business isn’t functioning as it’s supposed to be can be considered downtime, and it can be a major setback for any organization hoping to improve their bottom line. Think about it this way: if your business’ employees can’t work because the Internet is down, and they are still in the office waiting for it to return, then you’re paying them to do nothing--not exactly the most effective use of your operational funds. Ensuring a strong connection can reduce this risk considerably.

Distance from the Router Won’t Matter (As Much)
Sometimes an office is so big that it needs multiple wireless routers to ensure all employees have access to the network. Therefore, a solid connection can go a long way toward minimizing the influence that your office’s setup has on your employees’ Internet connection. There are issues that can get in the way and cause interference, but if your connection is strong thanks to a solid wireless router, you won’t have to worry as much about it.

To find out how MSPNetworks can help your business maintain a steady wireless connection, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.