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By Alberto Jessurun / September 22, 2021 / Blog

9 Signs You Should Upgrade Your Network Equipment

Is it time to upgrade your network equipment? These 9 signs will help you identify whether your infrastructure needs to be brought up to speed.

Key Takeaways

There are many signs that your network equipment might need to be upgraded
They include page loading errors, issues with streaming videos, inability to save to the cloud, complaints about dead spots, and more
An unreliable network reduces productivity for your workers
Connectivity issues can also hurt your reputation with clients and colleagues

During the pandemic, many businesses were just hanging on while others were switching their IT focus to support a remote workforce. As the world gets back to normal, businesses need a strong internal infrastructure to support remote working, ever more e-commerce shoppers, and digital transformation. That’s why now may be the time to upgrade your network.

A strong network is critical for your business's growth, productivity, and data security. Unreliable connectivity can negatively impact your business's ability to integrate with essential technology and damage company-wide productivity.

Is your network meeting your organization's needs? To help you decide, here are nine signs your business needs to upgrade its network:

1. Excessive page loading errors

When many people see a page loading error, they assume the issue lies with the website's server. While that is often the case, excessive page loading errors can also indicate performance issues with your network.

If the people in your business are seeing page loading errors on a regular basis, try to restart your router or get closer to your wireless access points. If those changes don't help, you may need to upgrade your router. Similar signs of poor network infrastructure include long loading times for websites and the need to refresh pages frequently.

2. Crashing and disconnects

Another sign that you need to upgrade your network is when apps refuse to work. If business applications are crashing or data-hungry programs are constantly disconnecting, your network may not be able to support your current needs.

At first, you may notice these issues during the busiest times of the day when everyone in your organization is online. As your network continues to degrade, this issue will happen more frequently and hamper business at all times.

As a short-term solution, you can free up bandwidth by telling your employees not to connect their personal devices to the network or consider staggering when employees are in the office, but all of these measures are unpleasant and will impact productivity and morale. Ultimately, you need to upgrade the network technology to handle today’s increased connectivity needs.

3. Inability to access real-time data

An increasing number of business applications are moving to the cloud. This reduces the burden on your hardware, saving organizations money on PCs and servers, but cloud-based solutions require you to have a strong network for constant connectivity.

Cloud applications provide real-time data on a vast range of business processes, but if you cannot access the data in real-time, it becomes virtually useless. If your dashboards are crashing, refusing to load, or not performing as they should, that's another sign you need to consider an upgrade.

4. Issues with video conferencing or streaming

In that same vein, you may notice lag when you are streaming videos or using video conferencing applications. Signs of trouble include freezing or dropping the connection. These issues reflect poorly on your organization, especially when you're trying to have a virtual meeting with important clients or associates.

5. Challenges saving to the cloud

If your network is struggling, your team won't be able to save data in the cloud, and instead, they may resort to saving data on local devices or external hard drives. This increases your risk of cybercrime, but it's also a sign that your network needs to be improved.

6. Complaints about dead spots

Ideally, your network should support everyone in your organization who needs to use it. If you're hearing a lot of complaints about dead spots, your network is not doing its job. In some cases, you may just need to move the access points.

The number of access points and their ideal position varies drastically depending on the size and shape of your facility, the materials of the walls, and multiple other factors. An IT specialist can help you determine if your access points are in the optimal spots and if you need to make upgrades to your network.

7. Productivity issues due to network lag

A lagging network often seems like a small inconvenience to individual workers. If your network isn't working correctly, your employees may have to wait a minute or two for an application to load, they may have to repeatedly request a connection to a printer before it works, or they may be dealing with other technology lags.

Many employees may not think much of this wasted time, but those seconds and minutes add up, especially if they're happening to all of your employees multiple times per day. This damages your productivity and costs your business money. A network upgrade will help you eliminate the issue.

8. Desire to expand your technology

If you want to expand the technology you use, you may need to invest in your network. In particular, if you're investing in the Internet of Things (IoT), your network may need to be upgraded. These devices will not function as designed if they cannot connect to a strong and reliable connection.

9. You have plans to hire more PC users

Similarly, if you plan to expand the number of PC users in your facility, you need to ensure your network can handle the extra strain. Increasing the amount of floor space you use or giving more employees access to mobile devices can also necessitate a network upgrade.

A network upgrade is an investment in your business. It safeguards your organization's productivity, helps to protect your reputation, and keeps your data as safe as possible. If you have noticed these issues, it's time to reach out for help.

Contact Unisol International to talk about your new network today

At Unisol, we help our clients select, install, and implement the technology they need to thrive and survive in today's busy environment. Whether you need new servers and routers, Wi-Fi equipment, security surveillance solutions, or other technology, we can help you. To learn more, contact us at Unisol today.

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