What Are Network Infrastructure Services?

Keeping your IT network secure and well-maintained is vital to business operations. The effectiveness of your IT infrastructure depends largely on its structure, and there are various things that you need to keep in mind when developing and maintaining it.

Having a strong and robust network infrastructure can provide increased productivity, improved communication, and enhanced security for your organization. There are two main types of network infrastructure: physical and logical components.

Networking Hardware

Network hardware encompasses the actual physical components of an IT network. This includes everything from routers and switches to firewalls and access points. It also extends to the cabling that connects each of these devices. This infrastructure enables communication between all of your internal IT systems, as well as with external networks and the Internet.

Without this network infrastructure, your organization would struggle to operate. This is because it provides the essential backbone for all other IT services. It’s what allows employees to access important data and communicate with one another, as well as with customers and clients.

In addition to this, a robust Network Infrastructure Service enables companies to better protect their data against cyber threats. This is because it includes various security services, such as intrusion detection and prevention. These services are designed to observe a network, detect and defend against malicious activity, and report any issues.

However, even though the term “network infrastructure” is quite common, many people do not fully understand what it entails. Typically, the first thing that comes to mind when discussing this topic is networking hardware. This is because the most visible components of network infrastructure are routers and switches.

However, this does not mean that they are the only pieces of equipment that make up this category. There is a lot of other technology that falls into this category, including servers, storage devices, and cable infrastructure.

Networking Software

Whether it’s the network hardware that keeps your business up and running or the software that supports growth and productivity, a well-functioning infrastructure is an essential component of your company. Without a strong, reliable network foundation, your employees may experience slow access to data and applications. This can prevent them from accomplishing important tasks and slow down the overall workflow of your organization.

This is why it’s so important to integrate the right network monitoring platform into your infrastructure. The best platforms provide broad visibility across your entire network infrastructure, so you can detect performance issues and security threats faster. This can also help you eliminate blind spots within your network, which are often the source of cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Examples of network infrastructure software include software-defined networking (SDN) controllers, which are software platforms that manage network devices using a centralized approach; network security appliances, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems; access control lists, which allow or deny users and devices from connecting to your network; and network bridges, which connect different segments of your network. These components help your organization stay connected and secure in an ever-changing IT landscape.

As technology continues to evolve and change, your business needs a reliable network infrastructure to support it. This is why a partnership with a trusted managed service provider can help you keep your IT infrastructure up-to-date and future-ready.

Network Security

The IT systems that support an organization’s technology must be secure to protect its data and prevent unauthorized access. Network infrastructure security involves several processes and tools, including implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), managing privileged access, performing out-of-band management of infrastructure devices, separating user traffic from network administration traffic, and validating the integrity of hardware and software.

A centralized traffic routing system is another important component of network infrastructure. This system can help to optimize bandwidth utilization by directing data to the appropriate applications and servers. It can also help to eliminate duplicate data, which is common in large networks.

An increase in demand for remote and hybrid work environments is requiring organizations to update their existing network infrastructure. These types of environments require more bandwidth than traditional networks that were designed for onsite users. This means that a business must upgrade its network infrastructure to improve speed and performance while maintaining data security.

Keeping your network up-to-date with new technologies and capabilities is critical for staying competitive in the marketplace. Having the right network infrastructure in place will ensure that your company can take advantage of new innovations and maintain productivity. If your network isn’t up to par, it can hinder the growth of your business and negatively impact your bottom line. By partnering with an MSP that provides network infrastructure services, you can rest assured that your IT network is ready for any business challenges that may arise.

Network Cabling

Network cabling is the medium through which data travels between network devices. It may consist of wires, ethernet cables, or fiber optic cables. The type of cable selected depends on the network's needs, such as bandwidth, distance between devices, or electrical isolation. The most common network cabling technology is unshielded twisted pair, also known as UTP, although other technologies such as shielded twisted pair and coaxial cable are used in some applications.

Regardless of the type of cabling chosen, it is important that it is properly installed by an experienced technician. Failure to do so can result in poor performance or even data loss. Having a robust and clean network infrastructure is essential to ensuring business success, as well as enabling growth.

A company's agility and efficiency depend largely on its IT system, which is supported by its network infrastructure. When this is not well-supported, it can lead to poor performance that detracts from employee productivity and damages the brand's image. To avoid this, a company should invest in an effective network infrastructure that can support its current and future IT initiatives. To do so, it should partner with a company that can methodically assess its existing infrastructure and create a future-ready network architecture. This will ensure that the network is ready to handle new initiatives while reducing risk and minimizing downtime.