Network Connectivity
Network Design & Implementation
At the heart of any good I.T. solution is good network infrastructure. By this we mean Cabling (CAT5/CAT5e & CAT6), Hubs, Switches, Routers, WAN links etc. At NETprotocol we have long-term experience in designing such infrastructure, to not only meet existing requirements, but also future requirements, by designing flexible modular solutions.
Cisco Solutions
Our solutions are primarily based around Cisco networking equipment, although we are aware that this can be prohibitively expensive in some cases and so alternatives are available.
Cisco is the world’s premier manufacturer of networking equipment and manufactures a broad range of products to suit every size of organisation and every need. NETprotocol utilises this technology to design and build high speed, highly efficient networks with built in resilience to failure.
In a typical high-performance LAN scenario, a Gigabit backbone would be built for all servers and data would be delivered to work-group scale switches, servicing approximately 20 users. These workgroup switches are then uplinked at GigaBit speeds to the network backbone and on to the core data servers. Delivery of data to individual desktop PCs from the workgroup switch would be at 100Mbit. This design theory provides more than adequate throughput from desktop to switch and a core infrastructure capable of handling extremely high volumes of data, therefore providing a bottleneck-free LAN construction.
The above design is a simplified overview of a high performance LAN, and Cisco technology allows NETprotocol to build in additional efficiency and security features along with LAN redundancy to protect against loss of service in the event of a link failure.
The same technology benefits that allow high performance LAN infrastructure to be implemented also allow highly efficient and redundant WANs to be implemented, maximising the use of expensive WAN links.
What are the alternatives?
Although Cisco technology provides the best network infrastructure we are aware that in some cases it can be prohibitively expensive. This is why NETprotocol provides Allied Telesyn networking equipment as an alternative. Although Allied Telesyn does not provide the same level of cutting edge technology, it does provide highly cost effective robust LAN & WAN solutions to the more budget conscious clients. The same Gigabit type infrastructure can be designed using the Allied Telesyn equipment
To further back up our network design and implementation, NETprotocol can also implement Packeteer’s PacketShaper units, which allow total management of WAN & Internet links giving greater control and reducing the total cost of ownership year on year.
A Case Study Reference of high performance LAN & WAN infrastructure will be available shortly.
