Hardware networking is an integral component of any business as it creates an efficient way of communication and can aid scalability while improving business standards.
Technicians need full visibility into multiple-vendor hardware devices in order to effectively operate networks. That is where the top 10 practices for hardware monitoring come into play.
Networking Devices
Networking equipment connects computers, servers, devices and other components in order to enable sharing of data among them. The layout of these devices, known as its topology, determines its operation. Hubs, switches and routers are among the many forms of networking hardware commonly found today.
At first, all devices connected to an Ethernet network were interconnected through hubs – basic devices that function on the physical layer of OSI model and allow electrical signals from one device to all other devices in a local area network. While hubs don’t perform packet filtering or address functions themselves, they do increase signal strength coming in through them.
Repeaters operate at the physical layer to amplify signals to extend their range over longer distances; they’re particularly helpful in large facilities like warehouses, schools and offices. Gateways work at both transport and session layers of OSI’s model to connect networks that use different protocols to transfer data between them; additionally they may convert digital to analog signals for efficient transfer.
Routing Protocols
Routing protocols used by network routers are responsible for choosing which path a data packet takes from one network to another, taking into account factors like bandwidth capacity, hop count and load when making their decisions.
An example of such an approach could be for a router to select a route with fewer hops (the number of devices needed for packet delivery to reach its final destination) and consider each link along its route and select one with higher bandwidth capacity and thus speed.
EIGRP was developed by Cisco to operate more efficiently within connected networks. It minimizes the time needed for updating its routing table and has a maximum hop count of 255 – making it suitable for larger networks than protocols such as RIP. Furthermore, EIGRP uses an administrative distance value as a basis for selecting routes based on trustworthiness.
Traffic Overload
Traffic overloads can negatively impact hardware networking by diminishing device performance, particularly those responsible for routing and switching tasks. They may also adversely impact services that rely on network bandwidth – like emails, videoconferencing calls, cloud backups and software updates – including emails, videoconference calls, cloud backups and software updates. Excessive bandwidth use may incur overage charges from Internet service providers or require upgrading to higher tier plans.
Sustained traffic surges or sudden increases in data volume can quickly overtax CPUs of network switches, routers and other devices, leading to latency, jitter, packet loss or other complications in operation. Addressing these issues as soon as they arise will ensure smooth business operations and boost user satisfaction.
Legitimate traffic spikes include large file downloads, videoconferencing sessions and software updates requiring bandwidth consumption; traffic management tools can identify patterns of congestion to limit these activities during peak hours. Malware or illegal activities that use up more bandwidth should also be detected using security monitoring tools in order to isolate infected devices quickly.
Fault Resolution
As a network administrator, it is your duty to be ready to address any problems on your network as they arise. Knowing what caused an issue to arise as well as who it affects and when it began is key for troubleshooting more efficiently while saving time by eliminating unnecessary fixes.
An effective fault management system should automatically identify and report any problems that arise, as well as allow administrators to remotely control network devices from a single console – an invaluable asset for organizations that depend on providing high levels of service.
Network fault management systems can detect events that interfere with or degrade network performance, including hardware failure, connectivity loss and port status changes. They can group alarms related to these events together for root cause analysis before automatically executing programs and scripts to restore services – which could include anything from simple fixes to more complex solutions requiring manual intervention by network administrators.
