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Network Optimization Made Easy

December 15, 2024
5 min read

A slow network costs time, money and nerves. Yet many problems can be fixed with simple measures. Here are practical tips for optimizing your network performance.

Symptoms of a Weak Network

  • Slow file transfers
  • Video conferences with dropouts
  • Cloud applications respond sluggishly
  • VPN connections drop
  • Printers are unreachable

Basics: Understanding Networks

Bandwidth vs. Latency

Bandwidth is like the width of a highway:

  • More lanes = more cars at once
  • Measured in Mbit/s or Gbit/s

Latency is the response time:

  • How long a packet takes from A to B
  • Measured in milliseconds (ms)
  • Critical for real-time applications (VoIP, video)

Cable vs. WiFi

| Aspect | Cable | WiFi |

|--------|-------|------|

| Speed | Consistently high | Variable |

| Latency | Low | Higher |

| Security | Very high | Medium |

| Flexibility | Low | High |

Recommendation: Always connect critical devices via cable

Quick Fixes for Now

1. Restart Router

  • Sounds trivial, often helps
  • Memory leaks are cleared
  • Recommendation: Weekly restart

2. Optimize WiFi Channel

  • Crowded channels cause interference
  • Use tools like WiFi Analyzer
  • 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz where possible

3. Update Firmware

  • Update routers and switches
  • Often stability improvements
  • Security gaps are closed

4. Enable QoS

  • Quality of Service prioritizes traffic
  • VoIP and video before downloads
  • Available in most routers

Professional Optimizations

VLAN Segmentation

  • Divide network into logical areas
  • Separate guests from production network
  • Reduce broadcast domains

Use Managed Switches

  • Better control over data flow
  • Port monitoring possible
  • PoE for IP phones and access points

Check Cabling

  • Cat5e for up to 1 Gbit/s
  • Cat6/6a for up to 10 Gbit/s
  • Replace old or damaged cables

Optimally Place Access Points

  • Central in the room, not in the corner
  • Not behind metal or concrete
  • Multiple APs instead of one strong one

Set Up Monitoring

Why Monitoring?

  • Detect problems before users notice
  • Analyze long-term trends
  • Enable capacity planning

Important Metrics

  • Bandwidth utilization
  • Latency to critical services
  • Packet loss
  • CPU/memory of network devices

Tools

  • PRTG Network Monitor
  • Zabbix
  • LibreNMS

Avoid Common Mistakes

1. Too little bandwidth: Cloud usage underestimated

2. Consumer hardware: Unsuitable for business

3. No monitoring: Problems only detected on failure

4. Flat network: Everything in one segment

5. Old firmware: Known security gaps

Network Optimization Checklist

Internet speed matches contract
Critical devices are wired
WiFi is on optimal channels
Firmware of all devices current
QoS configured for real-time services
Network segmented
Monitoring set up
Documentation available

Conclusion

A well-configured network is the foundation for productive work. Most optimizations can be implemented with little effort and show immediate results.

Professional Network Check

We analyze your network and identify bottlenecks. Contact us for a non-binding consultation.