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With the pace of change in the networking industry and the evolving ways organizations are utilizing office spaces, it’s not surprising that we’re being asked for network design guidance and best practices on a daily basis. IoT devices, hybrid work, and the increased use of cloud based applications have IT organizations wondering if there’s a better way to plan for the following:
- Users roaming more frequently as cubicles are not the best option for taking Zoom or Teams sessions while in the office,
- IoT/OT devices generating a larger amount of primarily Internet-bound traffic
- Inviting looking huddle spaces that avoid potential Wi-Fi dead spots due to creative design choices, and
- Poor endpoint to wireless AP coverage that leads to performance issues.
Beyond these challenges, there’s a decision regarding which Wi-Fi standard to implement (Wi-Fi 6, 6E, or even 7) and where to deploy newer standards for optimal end-user performance. Additionally, factors such as Power over Ethernet (PoE), redundancy, and security are vital. All of this contributes to the complex task of designing a network that meets today’s organizational needs while remaining flexible enough to scale and adapt in the future.
The fundamental problems
While most network vendors provide some level of design assistance, the responsibility of determining requirements, choosing network components that best satisfy a given budget, and creating a detailed network design that meets end-user needs is left to the customer. Too often, the lack of experience, knowledge, and time leads to networks that are deployed haphazardly.
Various tools are available to aid in design and deployment considerations, but their effectiveness depends on the user’s ability to operate them correctly and accurately interpret recommended design choices. For example, wireless and physical site survey tools can determine the best placement for wireless APs or reveal the need for switch upgrades to ensure sufficient PoE and throughput performance. However, if these tools are not utilized by skilled practitioners, the resulting network design often leads to a suboptimal deployment.
The elephant in the room is that there has never been a standardized model for planning and designing an enterprise network. Results often differ based on the experience of those using the tools and how they interpret the results into the network design.
The need for an enhanced model
At Nile, we believe that using a standardized network design model that provides consistency and eliminates guesswork is a far better option. Your network vendor should also partner with you and stay involved throughout each step of the way to ensure that your network design comes together with precise accuracy using validation checks throughout the entire design process.
The following are modern considerations designed to simplify and standardize the network design process and eliminate the snowflake environments that many organizations find themselves dealing with all too often.
- An AI-enhanced network design and lifecycle application that helps define a network design from Day -1 to Day 0. It offers built-in wireless RF design guidance, and deployment assistance that points out which port an access point should be plugged into on a wired node and more.
- An auto-generated BoM that includes very high-performance wired and wireless infrastructure for every deployment, designed to operate seamlessly, utilizing common firmware to eliminate interoperability issues
- Wireless coverage planning that ensures reliable connectivity in fixed locations and while roaming – even in the event a wireless or Ethernet node goes offline.
- Layer 3 segmentation with per-host isolation that eliminates VLANs and the inherent lateral movement tied to cyber attacks and threats
- Automated configuration of infrastructure that leverages site-specific environmental context that ensures a high level of operation and consistency
- A step-by-step verification and validation process
- The industry’s only performance, capacity, and coverage performance guarantee
The result is a standardized network design approach where Nile or our qualified partners are involved with a customer’s IT staff throughout the entire process. The mobile app provides contextual data that helps determine how many APs are needed, where they should be located, and how they should be connected to Ethernet nodes for optimum performance and reliability.
Ultimately, you end up with configuration consistency across your sites based on collective best practices and network experience that leverages AI-generated context and baselining. You’re no longer stuck piecing together access points and switches from traditional vendors that may work better together, only to find that their firmware releases aren’t completely aligned. Even better, you won’t need to rely on help desk calls to verify if your design is functioning as intended. Most of our customers report that they no longer receive help desk calls after going live.
There’s so much more to consider when designing a network that it’s difficult to address everything in a short blog. For more information, we’ve included the following links:
- Using AI to eliminate surprises in an enterprise network design
- How I survived a network refresh
- Tr1X deploys Nile network design. No help desk tickets
Please don’t hesitate to contact Nile or click here to submit your questions or suggestions.
