How to avoid network downtime for your business

The word ‘downtime’ can send almost every business owner into panic mode, and rightfully so. Discover four ways you can avoid it.

Downtimes alone are responsible for businesses losing about £5,000 (about $5,850) per minute, depending on the business size. Network disruptions and challenges are one of the most common causes of downtime in most businesses.

The main causes of network downtime include loss of power, internet connectivity, or data, which can send your business to its knees. Here are four ways to avoid any network downtime for your business

1) Employ a backup power connection

Power loss and unplanned outages always pose a massive threat to network stability. Of course, depending on your location, power outages may not be rampant.

However, even the most infrequent outages should offer enough reason to employ a backup power connection. That’s because studies show businesses can lose as much as £8,500 per hour from a single power loss or outage. And that’s what you don’t. Plus, unplanned outages always take businesses by surprise, and you cannot be sure how long such outages will last.

Your safest option is to have a reliable backup option at all times. For example, you can consider investing in a UPS power supply that will transfer any power loss to a battery supply without interrupting business proceedings. 

2) Examine your network system for internal and external weaknesses

Network downtime does not always result from power outages, as weakness in your system can also cause such downtime. If you’ve already experienced network downtime from internal causes, take the time to examine your entire system to spot the weaknesses.

For example, did a damaged fuse plunge your entire office into a blackout? Or did it happen because of a wiring problem? Even if you haven’t experienced any internal outage yet, it’s best to prevent it by examining your network system. An experienced and certified commercial electrician can assess your office’s entire wiring system to ensure no red flags.

3) Create a redundant network connection

If you run a business where a continuous connection is critical, you can use a redundant network connection that will serve as a support system or alternative connection. Consider it a bit like a spare tire for your network system.

A simple and cost-effective way to achieve this is to select an IPS through which you can route network traffic. Building redundancy into your building connectivity will prove crucial if you experience excessive network slowdown or downtime that lasts more than 30 seconds. 

4) Consider full collocation or switch to cloud servers

Some businesses may need full collocation from which they can serve their business needs. Collocation here means renting space for your servers and other computing hardware at a data centre facility of a third-party provider.

You’ll, however, need to ensure that your servers get regular maintenance services to keep them in perfect working condition when you need them. You can also use colocation centres to store critical company data outside your office premises. This way, you can prevent data loss in case of an unexpected disaster. 

Photo by Štefan Štefančík