How to Design Your Network Infrastructure

Your IT Infrastructure Could Be Outdated and Leaking Valuable Resources

Your company's network infrastructure is essential to remaining competitive in such a data-driven world. It connects computers and other mission-critical devices to global digital infrastructure, allowing your employees to work more effectively. 

Therefore, your network infrastructure can’t be considered as an afterthought as it’s the foundation that sets you ahead of the competition. Sure, you could take some shortcuts and survive on your employee’s ingenuity. 

But, this could translate into the loss of thousands of valuable man-hours. So, it may be wise to get your network infrastructure set up correctly to maximize your company's potential. 

Please read along as we share the basic building blocks of an adequate IT infrastructure.

Network Design: The Essentials 

Building anything requires detailed planning before the implementation phase. Network design gives you a blueprint for how all the routers, computers, printers, and other core IT devices connect and communicate with each other. 

This phase also allows you to evaluate your company goals to align them to the machines and employees at your disposal. A well-designed Network Infrastructure increases your efficiency while keeping the overhead costs low for a maximum ROI. 

However, this is often easier said than done because it can be a strenuous process. Effective network design involves auditing all your company’s hardware devices and digital assets. 

Then you can map out the most effective way to connect everything. Such a task involves your entire It department, and you may have to enlist experienced IT engineers and trustworthy vendors. 

Many small and mid-sized companies usually have limited resources and IT staff. Fortunately, you can outsource your network infrastructure design at a fraction of the cost.

Outsourced IT service providers will help you create a roadmap to a network design that has a clear:

• Hierarchy in IP address structuring 

• Networking cable layout  

• Company-wide data security protocols

• Location of all networked devices 

• Blueprint of your entire network 

• Up/downscaling model

• Backup and disaster recovery plan

Best Practices in Network Infrastructure Design 

An effective network design needs to be as easy to scale up or down as it should be adequate to your company's needs. However, sometimes company directors may be too frugal, and your consulting engineer may take shortcuts to meet such expectations. 

Here are a few critical considerations to meeting such expectations: 

1. Workout Everything in the Design Phase 

Network design looks deceptively simple, especially for small enterprises. You may be tempted to see it as a series of cables connecting all your hardware to the internet.

Granted, that’s true when you don’t have many employees and devices to consider. However, each component that’s connected or disconnected has a direct effect on your network’s performance. 

The problems arise when you add more devices to the network and you have cables lying everywhere. So, it helps to have a physical plan that's enhanced with a detailed structural diagram. 

Such a big picture mentality ensures efficiency while allowing you to deploy new devices as your enterprise expands. 

2. Accommodate  Future Tech Disruptions 

Today’s digital landscape looks so different from how it did five years ago. It keeps evolving to a point there's new software, hardware, and networking technology every 6-9 months. 

And, each innovation comes with higher processing power or internet connectivity demands. So, it may be prudent to create a network infrastructure design that can accommodate each new technology. 

After all, swimming against the tidal waves of change is pointless. Therefore, you need to envision such changes to create an IT infrastructure that can accommodate future tech disruptions. 

3. Add Adequate Layers of Security 

Hackers and other malicious cyber attackers come up with new tricks every day. So, your cybersecurity initiatives can't be an afterthought; you need to remain proactive as there's no such thing as overkill these days. 

This is because anything from phones to even coffeemakers are IoT devices, hence a chink in the proverbial armor that’s your IT security. The best way to ensure your cybersecurity remains invulnerable is to think of it during the design phase. 

It also helps map out all the company's digital assets and create various tiers of security privileges for your staff, vendors, and clients. 

4. Be Proactive In Monitoring the Network  

Monitoring your network is key to ensuring it remains effective at all times. This allows you to fix any minor tech issues before they present any challenges. 

Leave nothing related to security and performance to chance. So it may be wise to have such intuition in place even during the design phase.

5. Think of Scalability  

The best thing about building your network infrastructure from scratch is that it allows you to play with various scalable models. Your company may need to hire more employees as it expands.

It may also experience seasonal downturns where it needs fewer employees. Therefore, your Network infrastructure design needs to account for such periods. 

Design Your Network Infrastructure Today

Are you thinking of changing your company's Network infrastructure design? Outsourcing such an initiative to an IT Support Services Company ensures you get it right on the first try.

House of I.T can deliver the goods within a reasonable timeframe and at a fraction of the cost. Contact us today, and we'll help your company stay in lock-step with the latest in networking technologies.