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Choosing the right networking equipment for your business can present several pain points, particularly when balancing functionality with budget constraints. This article provides actionable tips and insights to help you navigate these issues for informed decision-making.
Key takeaways
- ideal networking equipment should align with your business goals and requirements.
- networking equipment security should be a major focus when choosing appropriate hardware.
- Your networking equipment should scale with your business, perform optimally, and align with your budget.
According to a recent Gartner report, 91% of businesses are engaged in some form of digital initiative. This means increased demand for networking equipment, which, fortunately, is easy to find. The challenge comes with selecting proper hardware.
The ideal networking equipment for any business, regardless of size and industry, should align with the business’s objectives, ensuring scalability and addressing security concerns.
While many available options meet these qualifications, most are pretty expensive, making it challenging for businesses to balance functionality with budget constraints. However, being difficult doesn't make it impossible.
To make your selection process less overwhelming, we've created tips to help you choose the right networking equipment for your business.
1. Assess your business requirements.
What does your business need to succeed? Networking equipment comes in many types, sizes, and configurations. Choosing the ideal solution depends on what you're trying to achieve.
Start by evaluating your business's networking requirements, from network traffic and the number of users to services like voice and data connection.
2. Consider scalability
As your business grows, so does the number of potential users, devices, and network demands. Choose hardware that can scale alongside your business by considering the purchase, installation, and implementation costs.
For instance, your preferred hardware should offer expandable solutions for easy additions and upgrades. It should also be futureproof, with seamless integration of current and future technologies. This way, you'll quickly scale up your network without extensive upgrades or replacements.
3. Prioritize security
Cyber threats and data breaches are becoming increasingly common. In 2022 alone, more than 73% of small businesses in the U.S. reported a cyberattack. Of course, preventive measures like mandatory strong passwords and multifactor authentication could reduce the possibility of succumbing to cyber-attacks. However, they may not provide adequate protection if your hardware doesn't support these capabilities.
When choosing the right networking equipment, consider hardware with built-in security features like firewalls, encryption, and VPN support. The hardware should also align with your business's security policies and constantly update with regular patches and security upgrades to address potential future vulnerabilities.
4. Focus on performance and reliability.
While you may prefer to choose aesthetically appealing networking equipment, focusing on performance and reliability makes more sense. Unreliable and poorly performing hardware could cause downtime, resulting in significant revenue and productivity losses.
By focusing on performance and reliability, you can effectively ensure that the equipment can handle your business’s operational demands with minimal chances lags or crashing.
5. Consider your budget and total cost of ownership.
The total cost of implementing networking hardware into your business runs much higher than the initial cost. While it may be tempting to purchase cheaper options, consider other factors contributing to the total cost of ownership.
For instance, everything from energy consumption and support to maintenance and upgrades could heavily increase the hardware's operational budget. Cheaper options could cost you more long-term.
Be safe; focusing on balancing company needs with cost-effectiveness. Do this is thoroughly analyzing the initial investment cost and how much it would cost to maintain it. This will enable you to choose networking equipment that completes the job and aligns with your budget.
6. Consider your short and long-term goals.
Where will your business be in five to ten years? When you ponder this, realize chances are your networking equipment will be pivotal to reaching these goals.
For instance, choosing networking hardware with wireless access would be incredibly beneficial if you plan to move to a larger office. This will enable effective operation, even when the different network devices are spaced further apart. It will also minimize cable clutter, allowing a cleaner, more spacious working environment.
7. Choose a reliable vendor.
The vendor you choose can play a pivotal role in streamlining your experience with network equipment. The ideal vendor should provide reliable technical support during installation and ongoing maintenance, with a wide range of networking solutions to facilitate future system upgrades.
For instance, at Unisol International, we offer a wide range of network switches and broadband systems to facilitate seamless connectivity. We also have a team of qualified technicians who can help you manage emergencies.
8. Consult an expert
Researching the different available options and evaluating their alignment with your business's overall goals and strategies may help narrow down your choices. But there’s still a possibility of uncertainty, especially if you don’t have much experience with networking equipment.
The best option? Seek professional assistance. Experts, such as IT and network engineers, have extensive experience with networking equipment. They will assess your needs and advise on appropriate networking equipment.
Revolutionize your business operations with the right networking equipment
Choosing the right networking equipment can be challenging. But, by carefully evaluating your business’s needs and focusing on networking equipment solutions, you can significantly increase your chances of finding the most appropriate equipment.
Unisol International offers a wealth of experience in the distribution and turnkey deployment of IT networking solutions. Our catalog features state-of-the-art equipment from many reputable brands.
If you're ready to streamline your networking solutions with high-quality, futureproof hardware or need advice finding the most suitable option, contact us today.
