1. It’s
not just 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 megabytes (Mbytes) of information at any one time – 900%
more than standard network cabling which handles only10 Mbytes. There
are 4 other improvements you must make to allow Cat5 cabling to work effectively.
Check these 4 pieces of hardware for Cat 5 compatibility:
1. Your server can run on 10Mbytes
or 100Mbytes. Ask your engineer to confirm that your server is configured
to run at 100Mbytes to match the speed of your Cat 5 cabling.
If it is only running on 10Mbytes then it may be necessary to purchase
a new network card (to give you the 100 Mbytes 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 Mbytes. It is now possible to replace it with a 100 Mbyte 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 Mbytes speeds.
Check each piece of hardware to ensure all network components are
running at 100Mbytes and are therefore operating 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 volume
of traffic to handle 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 minimise 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.
CLICK HERE
if you think this is why your network is slow and would like us to check
for you
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