For a small to mid-sized business, your Internet connection is no longer simply a way to browse the web. It is the highway connecting your employees to Microsoft 365, cloud applications, VoIP phones, websites, payment systems, customers, vendors, and critical business data.
So when the Internet or Wi-Fi is not working properly, your employees are not just inconvenienced. They may not be able to work.
That raises an important question:
Is your business network designed to keep your employees productive, secure, and connected?
Fast Internet Does Not Always Mean a Good Business Network
Many businesses assume that upgrading their Internet speed will solve network problems. Sometimes it does. But if your Wi-Fi equipment is outdated, improperly positioned, overloaded, or poorly configured, adding more Internet bandwidth may not solve the problem.
A properly designed business network considers:
-
How many employees and devices are connected
-
Where wireless access points should be located
-
Which devices should be hardwired
-
How much bandwidth your applications actually require
-
Whether guest Wi-Fi is separated from your business network
-
How your network is protected from Internet-based threats
-
What happens if your primary Internet connection fails
What Happens When Your Internet Goes Down?
Consider how much of your business depends on the Internet.
Can your employees work without Microsoft 365? Can they process payments? Make VoIP calls? Access cloud applications? Communicate with customers?
For many businesses, the answer is no.
That is why Internet failover can be an important part of business continuity.
Keep Working Even When Your ISP Goes Down
SkyViewTek can add an Internet failover solution to your business network.
With a properly configured primary and secondary Internet connection, your business can automatically switch to the backup connection if your primary ISP experiences an outage.
The goal is simple:
Your primary Internet goes down. The backup connection kicks in. Your employees keep working.
In many cases, the transition can happen automatically through your business-grade firewall, meaning your employees may not even realize there was an Internet outage.
That is the difference between simply having Internet service and designing your network for business continuity.
SkyViewTek can evaluate your current Internet service and determine whether a secondary connection, such as another wired provider, fiber, cable, or wireless/5G solution, is appropriate for your location and business needs.
Do Not Forget the Firewall
Your ISP provides your Internet connection, but that does not mean its equipment is providing the level of security your business needs.
A business-grade firewall sits between your business network and the Internet and helps control and inspect traffic entering and leaving your network. It can also provide network segmentation, secure remote access, threat protection, monitoring, and other security capabilities.
Think of it as the security guard at your network’s front door.
A properly configured firewall can also be the key component that makes automated Internet failover possible.
Wi-Fi Should Be Designed, Not Just Installed
A few wireless access points placed around the office may provide Wi-Fi, but that does not necessarily mean you have a well-designed wireless network.
Your office works only as well as its network infrastructure, including cabling, jacks, Internet speed, firewall, switches, and Wi-Fi. Networks that are patched together instead of properly configured can experience quality and connectivity issues. Access-point placement, coverage, capacity, interference, device density, and network segmentation all matter.
Your business should also have a separate guest Wi-Fi network so customers, visitors, and personal devices are not sharing the same network as your business computers and systems.
Is Your Network Ready for Your Business?
If you are experiencing slow Wi-Fi, dropped VoIP calls, inconsistent connections, Internet outages, or unexplained network problems, it may be time to look beyond your Internet speed.
At SkyViewTek, we help small and mid-sized businesses evaluate their Internet service, firewall, wired and Wi-Fi infrastructure, and Internet failover options.
Your Internet provider sells you Internet. SkyViewTek helps you build a network designed to keep your business running.
Contact SkyViewTek to schedule a network review and find out whether your infrastructure is supporting or slowing down your business.