Network tune-up
By John Draper, Second Vice President, AMS Technology Research
Over time, it’s easy to take your computer network for granted. Generally, we worry about our software running properly and whether our computers and servers perform to our expectations. However, by ignoring your network, you may be affecting the performance of all the computer systems in your business. Here are a few basic steps you can take to tune-up your network.
- Network cabling – If you have had your network cable installed for some years, you may need to replace or patch it. Of particular concern is cable that runs under desks where someone may kick, step on it, or run it over with a chair. In addition, if you move your computer and the cable gets stretched or roughly unplugged it can cause damage. Today’s networks should use the equivalent of Cat5e or better cable (this is a cable industry standard designation). While 100Mbs networks will operate on standard Cat5 cable, newer networking speeds will not. In particular, you will need to update your cable if you install newer “gigabit” type network switches. The 1000Mbs service that these devices provide will only work properly with Cat5e or better type cable. If you decide to install new cabling, you should consider Cat6, designed specifically for newer faster networks.
- Home class network appliances – If you use the Internet for your primary connection to your business applications (users of AfW Online, AMS 360 Online, Sagitta Online) another critical part of your network is the device (or devices) that connects your local area network (LAN) to the Internet. We call these devices routers and firewalls. In many cases, the router and firewall components are one physical unit. In other cases, the two functions are in separate devices. For business use of the Internet, you need to look closely at this hardware. The processor in the router/firewall must route network traffic to and from your office workstations to the various servers on the Internet. The more Internet traffic you have, the more the processor in the device is a potential bottleneck. In particular, router/firewall devices designed for home networks, like the inexpensive LinkSys and NetGear models, are not good choices for a business class solution as they have slower less capable processors. AMS recommends the use of business class routers equivalent to the Cisco brand 800 or 1800 families of products for businesses that make heavy use of their Internet connection.
- Fine-tuning – Once you have your network hardware performing properly, look at the network software. Often you take these steps only if you are experiencing network performance concerns. Network software includes the type of network protocols you are using, the settings on those protocols and the driver software for the network adapters in your computers.
- Modern networks interact with the Internet based on the TCP/IP protocol. If you have had your network running for a while, it is possible that you had a Novell network installed at some time in the past. Novell used a protocol called IPX to communicate. If you have removed Novell from your network, as most have, you may not have removed IPX. Your workstations may still have the IPX protocol loaded and you may not need it. If your network design no longer has any IPX based servers or devices, make sure you remove it from all computers on your network. IPX takes “space” on the network and can affect performance – and if you are not using it, there is no reason to have it on your network. Please note that normally, modern Novell software uses TCP/IP and no longer requires IPX.
- Setting your TCP/IP network to run smoothly is not difficult. However in some cases the hardware and software have problems when “auto detecting” the speed and duplex settings of your network. Consult your network technician to determine whether your hardware can be set to a specific speed and duplex. If done properly, this can make a big difference in network performance. Duplex “mismatches” can make any network perform poorly.
- If you have had your computers installed for a year or two, you should consider checking whether the network software (drivers) installed is the most current available. Your network technician should check and update these drivers as they become available so that you get the advantage of any fixes or performance improvements that the manufacturer of the network hardware has made.
Network tuning can make a big difference in how your applications perform, particularly for those that are Internet based. Consult with your network expert and see if a tune-up is appropriate in your office.
