It is difficult for a business to exist today without a strong online presence and computer network. Computers provide so many services automatically and instantly that would take humans hours of manual labor to perform, so if you are not operating on a strong network, it is time to upgrade. Here are six tips to making your internal computer network as safe and strong as it can be with limited knowledge of computers.
1. The Basics
If you are not particularly tech-savvy, you may still be thinking, what is network infrastructure? That is easier asked then answered, but luckily, you do not need to know many of the specifics pertaining to how a computer network works. Network infrastructure is simply how the computers that an organization uses interact with each other and connect to various places, such as the internet. This helps immensely with communication between the people and computers on the network. Some of the common components of network infrastructure are internal and external servers, wireless internet routers, and shared computer applications.2. Data
Data is the foundation of how computers work, and computers can process incomprehensible amounts of data per second. Proper network infrastructure means that all of the data your system is processing gets sent to the correct place. There are several programs that can help clean your data by ridding it of unnecessarily duplicated information, and that will make it easier for the whole system to figure out where everything should go. It is nearly impossible to get rid of all this extra data manually, so leave it to your computers to clean up your computer's flow of information.3. Speed
In conjunction with the point above, less data clogging your system means your system will run more quickly and smoothly. There is nothing that is more frustrating than slow-moving computers that take forever to process the data you input. An unclogged system also means that your computers and servers are expending less effort which can combat problems with overheating. Computers are like humans in that if they work too hard for too long, they get tired, and if they get too tired, they crash. Do not let your computers get to the point of crashing. Lessen the load as much as possible.4. Organization
Everyone has a slightly different system for organizing things on computers, so someone within your company needs to create some sort of organization system on your shared drives that everyone understands. Create a folder with distinct names that could not be confused with anything else. Put those folders in different drives or locations depending on which department opens them most frequently. Make sure that people do not get lazy with where they save their files. An organizational system only works if no one gets lazy and everyone adheres to where everything should be at.5. Centralization
Centralizing is similar to organizing, but there is a distinct difference. While organizing mostly deal with saving physical files, centralization refers to where all data is sent. You have to organize the path that your data takes so that it is all saved to one central hub that everything else draws from. For example, instead of creating copies of important folders and pasting them around all over the place on drives and individual computers, make one master copy of the folder and put it on one central drive that everyone can access to avoid cluttering your system.6. Security
Perhaps the most important part of making sure that your infrastructure has a strong base is making sure that it cannot be infiltrated by outside threats. Purchase and install antivirus software on every computer on your network. You can also set up restrictions so that the computers on your network are blocked from accessing certain sites that are either inappropriate or suspicious. Having your private data infiltrated or stolen is one of the worst events a company can endure, so educate yourself and your employees about how to use your computers and set up your infrastructure in the safest manner possible.For many people who were born before the digital revolution, computers seem like a scary world that is impossible to navigate. While they can be complex at times, computers are generally the most useful tools you have at your disposal. You do not need to know how computers work to know what you need them to provide for you. Trust in others to build a system that works for you and all of your employees.
