10 things to help maintain Internet bandwidth

TipsMake.com - As more and more businesses move services to the cloud, it is important to ensure that we have effectively used Internet bandwidth. Here are some technical methods you can use to preserve network bandwidth in your enterprise.

1: Block access to websites that transmit multimedia content

If the business allows employees to use the Internet for personal use, the first thing you should do is block access to media streaming sites, such as Netflix, YouTube, and MetaCafe. Occasionally running a YouTube video file may not affect your Internet connection, but video streaming will take more bandwidth than any other service on the web.

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2: Adjust cloud backup applications

If you are backing up data to the cloud, check if the backup application you are using has an adjustment mechanism. An unregulated cloud backup solution will consume the most bandwidth if possible. This will not be a big problem when you are backing up small files (such as office data). However, the first time you embark on backing up data to the cloud, you will have to create an initial backup. We have seen this process happen for months and if it does not monitor it, it can have a big impact on your Internet bandwidth.

3: Limit the use of VoIP

VoIP is another protocol that requires a lot of bandwidth. If you are planning to use VoIP, you need to make a clear policy that the phone is only used for business transaction calls. We have to admit that sometimes employees need to make some unrelated calls, but today, most people own at least one phone. So it is not too difficult to restrict the use of office phones only for business.

4: Use a proxy cache

Proxy cache can help limit the usage of each web browser. The basic idea is that when a user visits a certain website, the content of the page is cached on a proxy server. The next time this person accesses the site, the content of the page will not be downloaded again because it is already in the cache. Using a proxy cache not only saves bandwidth, but it also gives users the impression that an Internet connection seems to be much faster than usual.

5: Centralize application updates

Today, almost any application is designed to download periodic updates over the Internet. Users can save a lot of bandwidth by centralizing the update process. For example, instead of connecting all the machines in the office to Microsoft Update Service, you should set up a WSUS server (Windows Server Update Services) to download all updates and share them to all computers. remaining individuals. In this way, an update will not be downloaded repeatedly.

6: Use server filters

If you use an internal email server, the best way to save bandwidth is to take advantage of the server filter. With the server filter, the MX record will point to a cloud server instead of your mail server. This server will receive all emails for your business. The server will filter out all messages containing malware or spam. The remaining messages will be forwarded to the business. Users will save a lot of bandwidth (and resources of mail servers) because businesses will no longer have to receive spam.

7: Identify the most bandwidth users

In any organization, there will certainly be more people using the Internet than the rest. So you need to determine who is the most user to know what they are doing and spend so much bandwidth. We have seen cases that occur in the fact that a person has been detected using a peer to peer network file sharing software even if the administrator has locked this user's desktop to limit it. Everyone does the same job.

8: Actively scan for malware

Malware can occupy a huge amount of bandwidth by turning computers into automated machines. Please actively keep the computer on the network clean.

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9: Use QoS to limit bandwidth

QoS means quality of service. This is a bandwidth restriction mechanism that was first introduced in Windows 2000 and it is still used today. If you are using applications that require a specific amount of bandwidth (such as a video conversation application), you can configure QoS to limit the amount of bandwidth needed for that application. Bandwidth restrictions are only effective when this application is used. At other times, the limited amount of bandwidth for the application will be shared for other applications or uses.

10: Make sure you are using the right amount of bandwidth purchased

There are many factors that affect Internet bandwidth, so you can't hope that you can connect to all websites at full speed. Even if the goal is reached, the Internet connection provides only the connection speed that matches the level you purchased.

We have not seen any case where an Internet service provider serves users a slower connection than they have purchased, but have seen many cases of people sharing the same connection. In the case of connection sharing, the 'neighbor' online activity can directly affect your existing bandwidth. If the Internet connection is not as fast as in the contract, tell your ISP provider and find out if the connection is shared. You can pay a little extra to get unconnected connections, and what you get is worth it.