» TIP #3

INCREASING NETWORK SPEED

Three ways to significantly improve your network performance

#1 CABLING

Your network cables can have a huge amount of network traffic flying through them every day. When everyone in your office is saving files, sending email, loading data and surfing the net.

These cables are like a main corridor in a busy office. When scores of people are walking through the corridor simultaneously it takes longer to get from A to B. This is exactly why busy network traffic can slow down the speed of your network, sometimes dramatically.

The solution? Install Cat 5 cabling. Cat 5 effectively widens your �corridors� to allow more data to travel without loss of performance. This significantly speeds up your network because Cat 5 cabling handles 100 megabits (mb) of information at any one time � 900% more than standard network cabling which handles only10 megabits. There are 4 other improvements you must make to allow Cat 5 cabling to work effectively.

Check these 4 pieces of hardware for Cat 5 compatibility:

• 1 Your server can run on 10 Mbits or 100 Mbits. Ask your engineer to confirm that your server is configured to run at 100 Mbits to match the speed of your Cat 5 cabling.
  
  If it is only running on 10 Mbits then it may be necessary to purchase a new network card (to give you the 100 Mbits speed) and/or update the software drivers for the server (to allow the card and your operating system, for example windows NT or Windows 95, to communicate).



• 2. Your hub - A hub links all the networked components via the cat 5 cabling. If you have an older hub this may only be able to link your servers, workstations and printers at 10 Mbits It is now possible to replace it with a 100 Mbit hub at a reasonable price.



• 3. Your network adapter cards - These are installed in workstations, servers, printers and any other network attached device. They allow all the hardware to communicate on your network. Since early 1998 virtually all new PCs and servers are fitted with network cards that support both 10 and 100 Mbits speeds.
  
  Check each piece of hardware to ensure all network components are running at 100 Mbits and are therefore operating at maximum speed.



• 4. Your software drivers � (These allow your hardware to talk to your operating system.) Update your software drivers for this important reason. All software can contain bugs. Updated versions have solved and eliminated many of these bugs and therefore the software runs more efficiently.

#2 INCREASE THE NETWORK PERFORMANCE SPEED BY INCREASING SERVER CAPABILITY

As you add more PC�s to your system you may find that network performance deteriorates. Why? Because you are asking your server to handle a high volume of traffic with only one network card and only one hub.

Here is how to easily solve the problem. Simply install an additional network card in your server, and an additional hub. Then route one half of your PC�s communication through the new hub and the other half through the original hub.

You have now effectively doubled the volume of network traffic the server can deal with; just the same as building another corridor to your office (your second network card) with its own entrance door (your second hub).

This effectively divides your PCs across two separate networks. This reduces the congestion on each one therefore enhancing performance. An added bonus: It will also minimize network problems caused by hardware faults in hubs or on client PC�s because only half of your users will be affected.

#3 HOW IS YOUR NETWORK COMMUNICATING?

What language is your PC network communicating in? PC�s can talk in three different languages�NetBEUI, TCP/IP and IPX/SPX. These protocols are the language used by PCs to transmit and retrieve data over the network cabling. In addition, it is also the information that enables your PCs to browse the network and attached to remote services is also passed using these protocols.

A default installation of most Microsoft networking products will install several protocols. In most cases and with modern software only one protocol is required. In running more than one protocol you will increase the network traffic and overhead incurred by your systems.

This basically means that your network repeats a lot of its communications more than once. It will also have to wait up to three times as long, or longer, to boot up, print, open or send your documents to another user.

To speed up your network just use one language. With the growth of the internet, TCP/IP has become the main protocol in use.

A further benefit of TCP/IP over NetBEUI and IPX/SPX is that it adds useful trouble shooting tools for your engineer. But only when installed on a Microsoft operating system.