How To Fix Common Business Network Problems

Business networks are more challenging than setting up the internet at home, so the issues cropping up become tough to diagnose and fix. Troubleshooting in the companies is the main thing to find the issues and fix them. But, even highly well-designed networks need help with workflow and productivity. In our guide today, we can explore common business network issues and offer practical solutions to bring your network right back on track.

What are network problems?

Irrespective of experiencing internet network issues with the WiFi or internet connections. The common issues would include slow application load times, lagging videos, and errors with uploads and downloads with the highly dreaded video buffering icon.

Network problems would lead to unwanted difficulties in businesses and affect VoIP systems, which in turn cause issues with general business activities like conference calls, video meetings, payment terminals, and POS systems. Many things can affect the internet connection of your business. As a business owner, it is often a good idea to continue learning about common network issues. This way, when issues arise, you will be better equipped to deal with them.

Common Business Network Problems

Slow Internet Connection

The sluggish internet connection has become a common issue since the internet started. Although there is an entire range of superfast broadband packages available on the market, slow connections now and continue to become inevitable. It is generally the fault of the network, however, due to the various reasons that include the new applications, larger downloads, and even the increase in the number of employees while making use of the network.

A slower internet connection can put down the brakes on the entire business operations, freezing the systems and generally affecting the amount of money you are making. If the network is not able to cope with the employee demands, then it would have been due to the maxed-out capacity of the bandwidth and the need for upgrading it.

Solution

• Ensure analyzing the bandwidth to identify the main cause of the slowdown.
• Start upgrading the internet plan while considering the implementation of the Quality of Service while prioritizing the main business applications.
• Try investing in network monitoring tools for addressing and identifying the congestion points.

Intermittent Connectivity

Frequent disruptions in network connectivity create major hurdles to daily operations. Issues like faulty hardware, loose cables, or interference from other electronic devices often cause them.

Solution

• Try performing a complete inspection of the connections and cables.
• Consider replacing or upgrading networking hardware that causes intermittent connectivities.
• The different networking equipment out of the potential sources of the interference like the heavy machinery or electronic devices.

Security Breaches

Security is of great importance across different business networks, and breaches have serious outcomes. The common issues that are included here are malware infections, data leaks, or any unauthorized access.

Solution

• Regular updates and patching of every firmware and software addressing the known risks.
• Implement robust access controls that include secured passwords and multi-factor authentications.
• Conduct security audits regularly while educating your employees on the best practices for cyber security.

WiFi Issues

A weak WiFi is noted to disrupt your workday whenever you are working in an office. The strength of the signal would often make or break the productivity of your office. It can happen as an outcome of the interference to your WiFi. The Wireless printers, cordless phones, and your employees would interfere with the WiFi, eventually leading to a drop in the signal. The location of your premises will lead to issues if you are located in a densely populated city area or somewhere rural with hilly landscapes.

Solution

• Try optimizing your WiFi channels to reduce interference.
• Upgrade to the latest WiFi standards and equipment for enhanced performance.
• Implement robust encryption protocols while regularly changing the WiFi passwords to prevent unauthorized access.

Network Congestion

As a business grows, network congestion becomes the hurdle that leads to degraded performances and slowdowns.

Solution

• Try upgrading the network infrastructure to accommodate increased traffic.
• Implement the load balancing for efficiently distributing the network traffic.
• Use traffic prioritization to ensure the complex applications are getting enough bandwidth.

DNS Issues

The DNS, or the Domain Name System, is, ironically, a book of the Internet. It is the manner in which people are accessing the websites with the help of the domain names. The primary role of the DNS is to take up the domain name and turn it into a unique IP address to help the website browsers load the web pages, which is essential in the DNS 'lookup.'

Generally, these lookups are instant and would consume around 20 and 120 milliseconds. If they are taking a longer time, then it would slow down the series of events that should take place for loading the internet. Whenever your DNS slows down, it might need to be configured adequately.

Solution

• Make use of reliable DNS servers while you consider implementing redundant DNS services.
• Check the performance of the DNS, addressing any form of delays instantly.
• Try configuring the DNS settings in the right way, avoiding misdirected traffic.

Outdated Hardware

It is always best to pay attention to any issues with equipment or hardware. The issues related to your business network are down across a couple of the devices you are using. This is specifically true if you are running a microbusiness with a couple of computers or laptops along with payment software using the internet connection for operations.

Solution

• The regular assessment of the age and capabilities of the networking hardware.
• Consider the rapid adoption of cloud-based solutions and the virtualization of offloading a couple of tasks through the physical hardware.

Inadequate Backup and Recovery Systems

Data loss is catastrophic for networks and businesses, leading to data loss or corruption. Inadequate backup and recovery systems exacerbate the effects of these incidents.

Solution

• Try implementing the regular and automated backup for the offsite and onsite data.
• Test for the backup and recovery systems periodically, ensuring their reliability.
• Try to develop an extensive disaster recovery plan, including the steps for the restoration of data and recovery of the network.

Inadequate Network Monitoring

Proactive monitoring is the key to identifying and addressing potential issues before they start escalating. The inadequacies in the network monitoring tools or practices lead to delayed responses and prolonged network downtimes.

Solution

• Try investing in robust networking monitoring tools to track the performances, identify the anomalies, and generate alerts.
• Try establishing extensive incident response plans addressing the issues instantly.
• Try to review regularly and update the monitoring configurations to adapt to the growing network requirements.

Software Compatibility Issues

The businesses are using various software applications with the arising compatibility issues leading to disruptions in the network. The incompatibilities arising between varied software versions or the conflicts within the configurations impact the entire network's performance.

Solution

• Try ensuring that every software application gets updated to its latest versions.
• Try to check for compatibility issues mainly while introducing the latest software right into the network.
• Test for the software updates under a controlled environment before the deployment of them across the whole network.

IP Address Conflicts

The IP addresses would conflict, as is the case, whenever two devices on a similar network have the same IP addresses, leading to issues with communications, connectivity, and general device functionality.

Solution

• Try implementing the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or DHCP for automatically assigning the unique IP addresses right back to the devices.
• Auditing and managing the IP address allocations can prevent potential conflicts.
• Use the IP address management IPAM tools for monitoring and controlling the IP address assignments.

Overreliance on a Single Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Depending on the single ISP for the internet connectivity poses a significant risk to the business operations. If the main ISP experiences an outage, it would result in a complete loss of connectivity for the whole company.

Solution

• Implementing a redundant internet connectivity with the secondary ISP regarding the failover.
• Make use of the load-balancing mechanism for the distribution of the network traffic across numerous ISPs.
• Monitoring the performance and reliability of both ISPs, ensuring a seamless transition in terms of the outages.

Lack of Scalability

Businesses evolve with the changes in the network requirements. The network is designed to scale with the growing demands of the companies that become overwhelmed, leading to issues with network performance.

Solution

• Try designing the network infrastructure with greater scalability in mind while you consider future growth.
• Try implementing scalable and modular hardware and software solutions.
• Try to review and update the network architecture regularly while accommodating the greater demands.

Power Outages and Infrastructure Failures

Networks possess the vulnerability to power failures and outages across the physical infrastructure. The sudden loss of power or the failure across the major components like the switches, routers, or servers would bring down the whole network.

Solution

• Try to implement the uninterruptible power supply systems offering temporary power in times of outages.
• Ensure the main network components that are connected to the backup of the power sources.
• Try testing the UPS systems regularly and replacing the batteries whenever required.

Inefficient Network Documentation

The outdated or insufficient network documentation leads to greater confusion in times of troubleshooting, hindering the resolutions to the network issues. The lack of clear documentation resulted in prolonged downtime with the technicians who needed help to identify and address issues.

Solution

• Try to maintain the updated documentation of the network configurations, the location of the devices, and the IP addresses.
• Use the tools for network mapping tools to visually represent the topology of the network.
• Train your IT staff on the essence of the accuracy of documentation and establish robust protocols for regular updates.

Inadequate Remote Access Security

The increasing trend of remote work ensures security in access to the network, which is important. Inadequate measures for security for remote access expose the network to unauthorized users, potentially breaching security.

Solution

• Implementation of the VPN or the Virtual Private Network solutions for securing remote access.
• Enforcing robust authentication measures for remote users.
• Try to review and update the remote access policies regularly, aligning with the rising security standards.

Insufficient Bandwidth Management

When bandwidth is an essential resource, management inefficiencies lead to performance and congestion issues. It is important to allocate bandwidth appropriately to avoid a slowdown in network latencies.

Solution

• The implementation of the tools for bandwidth management prioritizing the main applications.
• We are monitoring the use of bandwidth and adjusting the allocations on the basis of the growing needs.
• Consider the implementation of the CDNs or the content delivery networks for offloading the traffic and boosting performances.

Voice and Video Conferencing Issues

During remote collaborations, issues with voice and video conferencing tools can affect collaboration and communication. Bad audio quality, video lags, or dropped calls can start disrupting virtual meetings, impacting productivity.

Solution

• Ensuring the network bandwidth gets allocated in the right manner for the applications of real-time communications.
• Prioritize the voice and video traffic by optimizing the Optimize quality of Service or the QoS.
• The regular updates and maintenance of conferencing software benefit the performance of the improvements and the bug fixes.

Vendor-Specific Compatibility Issues

Using various networking equipment from varied vendors would lead to compatibility issues, especially when implementing the latest updates or features.

Solution

• Emphasizing the interoperability while opting for the networking hardware and software.
• Test for the latest updates and new features under a controlled environment, identifying the issues with compatibility.
• Establishing a link with the vendors to stay informed about the compatibility and update recommendations.

Inadequate Network Redundancy

The lack of redundancy across critical network components often results in single points of failure, which would cause network downtime in the event of hardware failure.

Solution

• The implementation of the redundant elements like the dual network paths and the dual power supplies.
• Using network redundancy protocols like the RSTP or the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocols offers automatic failover.
• The regular testing redundancy mechanisms ensure they would function as required.

Data Packet Loss

Packet loss often takes place during the transmission of data, leading to delayed or incomplete communication among the devices.

Solution

• Monitor the network traffic related to the packet loss with the use of diagnostic tools.
• Identify while addressing the main cause for packet loss, like faulty hardware or network congestion.
• Try optimizing the network configurations and implementation of the error-correcting mechanisms for reducing the packet loss.

Consult With The Experts!

Maintaining efficient and healthy business networks requires proactive measures, regular monitoring, and strategic problem-solving approaches. Addressing common network issues instantly and implementing preventative measures where the businesses ensure stable and reliable network infrastructures that foster smoother operations and sustainable growth.

Our experts at Metro Wireless are aware of the issues with the internet network and are on hand, offering advice whenever required. If you consider your broadband is slower or you continue experiencing outages of broadband, it is time to upgrade your business broadband. Speak to our team today for the ideal deals we present to you!