Are you the do-it-yourself type? This works for and against you. On the one hand, you can teach yourself how to tackle virtually any problem business or life throws at you. On the other, you can end up taking on too much and stressing and burning yourself out.
If you’re doing your computer, IT support, server repair and network maintenance on your own, you should be performing these relatively simple tasks:
-
- Regular Backups: You probably are doing these. But are you doing them daily? And do you test them out every month or so to make sure they actually work? Technology is great, but sometimes it can be a little unpredictable. It’s wise to fully restore your backup regularly to make sure everything works as expected. There could always be an unanticipated wrinkle in the process. Best to test your backups out to make sure they work first.
- Ensure Your Bandwidth Requirements are Met & Exceeded: What’s your network infrastructure currently look like? Do you know how your employees are actually using your computer network? This changes over time, even if you don’t significantly add or reduce the number of employees you have. Make sure you constantly monitor your network’s usage. Get about 10-20% more bandwidth than you actually use so that you never experience performance bottlenecks and a resulting loss in productivity.
- Plan Equipment Replacement Ahead of Time: And ideally you’ll do it when your customers don’t need to use your network. A single piece of network equipment going down, like a router or server, can knock you entirely out of business for a day or two (or longer). Rather than waiting for the worst to happen, proactively monitor the age and performance of your computer network equipment. Replace it before the triggering event occurs.
- Listen & Address the Issue When Employees Complain: If your employees start complaining that your network’s running way too slow, there’s clearly an issue going on somewhere within your network. There are many computer network products that continuously analyze network performance over time. They automatically let you know when something’s not quite right, and give you an idea of what to do about it. Just know that if your employees spot an issue, it’s time for you to take action.
Network Maintenance Isn’t Easy!
These are just some of the more basic computer and network maintenance tips. If they sound too complicated for you, then maybe it’s time to consider outsourcing your IT support services to a vendor. That way, you can leave your IT processes to the pros and focus on doing what you do the best and enjoy the most.
Learn more about the author Bob Martin
