We all know technology moves fast. The next big thing is coming, arrived then making itself the standard at an ever-increasing rate. Business practises change, working culture evolves and this all brings extra demands on ever squeezed  IT departments. The advent of AI is just accelerating this process even further.

New applications, new systems, new processes are all under pinned by a key part of a business’s IT systems that often goes overlooked, the network.

How is five year old Wi-Fi, or ten year old switches and twenty year old cabling going to stand-up to a fast moving, highly mobile, data hungry, AI driven future that has already come through the door and looking to make itself comfortable?

Network Evolution.

In the networking world we went from cables directly connecting PCs, to hubs and switches, Command Line (CLI) configuration and manual troubleshooting to Local Web interfaces and on-premise management platforms. We then moved into the cloud, with platforms like Cisco Meraki, AeroHive and Aruba Central. We’re now in the era of Software Defined Policy Driven Access, AI-infused operations and self-diagnostics.

AI-driven networking is shifting IT teams from reactive fault-finding to proactive, self-optimising infrastructure. Platforms from the major networking vendors use AI to slash troubleshooting time, reduce finger-pointing and act as a virtual extra engineer for stretched IT teams.

Teaching the Network What “Good” Looks Like.

The likes of Juniper, Aruba, Cisco to name a few, have years of network telemetry data gathered from their extensively used cloud management platforms. They used this to train AI engines on what good network performance looks like, how to detect anomalies and what the likely causes of issues are.

These platforms now continuously baseline network performance. They don’t just report problems, they can explain them and provide the best resolution. Mean Time to Innocence is dramatically decreased, killing the ‘It’s always the Network’ myth to identify where the real fault may lie.

Coupled with native language AI Assistance, Network Administrators now have a tool that frees them from firefighting, allowing them to become more proactive, focused on longer term business objectives.

No longer just connectivity but a key business enabler.

In this new faster moving world the network is a key strategic enabler. Not only does it need to reduced downtime and drive faster resolution of issues, it needs to provide the best digital experience for hybrid work. The network needs to be adaptable enough to quickly enable new high performance services and devices whilst maintaining security at the highest level.

Designing for Wi-Fi 7 and 8.

A key part of any modern network is Wi-Fi. The current iterations, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, have focused on increasing bandwidth and the speed of connections, as well as improving security. With Wi-Fi 8, coming in 2-3 years, the focus will be on reliability of connection.

With the increase in speed and capacity available with Wi-Fi 6E and 7, the wireless bottle neck has actually started to shift back to the wired layer. The need for Multi-gig switching to support these new wireless Access Points (APs), especially in heavy use areas, is no longer a nice to have but is becoming a must. In turn this leads to more capacity requirements needed on uplinks from access switches to core, with 10Gps a minimum and 25Gbps (or more) increasingly required.

Alongside the data bandwidth requirements, many modern APs require more power, with 60W PoE (PoE++) being needed to fully support many of the latest wireless Access Points.

Security Security Security.

In the modern network it’s important to remember that Security is no longer sat at the edge, it’s integral throughout. Users and devices can connect in many ways, from different locations, some of which may not be under IT’s full control. Applications and Data can also be in different locations, on-premise, public or private clouds, etc.  Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a must for anyone and anything that accesses the network. Do you know the Who, What, Where, Why and How regarding access to your network? If not, what risks does that pose to your business?

And don’t forget Cabling.

Now it’s all well and good having the best and brightest new switches and wireless Access Points, but they’re waisted if the cabling is outdated. Reliability issues on a network can often be traced back to a cabling problem. Cat5/5e has reached it’s practical limits, new speeds and power requirements demand Cat6/Cat6a or better. For longer distance higher speed uplinks, OM3 Fibre is a minimum with OM4 the modern standard.

Cabling isn’t something to take lightly, as it can be the most disruptive network upgrade and the one expected to last the longest. Therefore, when doing cabling upgrades put in the best available to support current and on-going needs, saving costs and a lot of hassle in the future.

First Steps: A Network Modernisation Checklist.

Here are 6 points to help you think about where your network is today and where upgrades should be focused.

  • When were switches, access points and cabling last refreshed?
  • Can your current infrastructure support higher network speeds and the requirements of Wi-Fi 7?
  • How proactive does your current network management platform allow you to be today? How much time is spent firefighting vs improving?
  • Do you know the Who, What, Where, Why and How for access to your network?
  • What security policies need to be applied across the network, wherever and however it is accessed?
  • Do you have a 5–10 year network strategy?

How Bechtle Designs Future-Ready Networks.

At Bechtle we are  a trusted partner for our customers. We have a pool of experts and consultants who can help with any network modernisation programme. Our specialists can provide.

  • Assessments of current switching and cabling
  • Wireless surveys
  • Security Assessments
  • Advice of vendor technology/roadmaps across all major vendors, Cisco, Aruba, Juniper and others.
  • Aid with platform selection with hands on workshops and Proof of Concept trials
  • Design, Install and Support/Management Services
  • Strategic planning, helping to balance short-term pragmatism with long-term vision, helping to realise maximum value from any solution.

Final thoughts.

It might not be the most exciting part of your IT systems, but the network is the heart and the nervous system of modern IT in any business. Every other system relies on a high performing, reliable, secure network.

A smarter, policy driven network, supplemented with AI, that frees up a resource tight IT team, is a must have for any future ready business.   

Bechtle are here as the partner of choice to help a business build that Smart network needed for that future that is already here.

Just a note on the HPE acquisition of Juniper.

So, I mentioned Aruba and Juniper as two of the biggest vendors delivering this technology. One of the biggest stories of the last year or so in the networking world has been the purchase of Juniper by HPE. What is this going to mean for the future of these leading providers?

Bechtle are working closely with HPE to stay up to date with developments. If you’d like to know the latest, how this merger my effect your business or what technology advancements it may bring, then please get in touch.