Network Design

Okay, I’ll admit it.  I’m a bit of a network design snob.  And in all my years of providing technical consulting for law firms I’ve seen quite a bit – good design, bad design and everything in between.  In order to spare you my long winded diatribe (which I’m sure would please nobody but me), I thought I would throw out a few do’s and dont’s for those firms thinking of deploying a new network in 2007.

Do’s

1. Do utilize tier-1 equipment (HP, Dell, Cisco, 3Com, IBM, etc.).  Unless you’re a very small firm, the costs associated with downtime are far greater than the extra expense of quality equipment.
2. Do design your network with your specific firm’s workflow in mind.  Feature-rich networks are great.  Ultimately, they provide your firm with efficiency options that can translate into a real competitive advantage, but they’re only good if your staff uses them.  Don’t waste money on things your staff won’t take advantage of.
3. Do deploy a SPAM and Spyware solution along with your antivirus software.  SPAM probably costs you far more money than you realize and Spyware is here to stay.  Protect yourself.

Dont’s

1. Don’t skimp on your backup.  Yes, backup is stupidly expensive, but it’s worth every dime if you ever need it.  And you are storing a backup tape or drive off-site, right?
2. Don’t let staff members install anything they want on their desktop systems.  Desktop systems require the most support time from your IT staff or consultant.  The more programs installed on a desktop system the greater the chance that something is going to go wrong – especially if staff installs the program themselves.  Limit the programs on your desktop systems and watch your support costs drop.
3. Don’t forget about maintenance.  Networks are a lot like cars in the fact that they need maintenance to run properly.  You’ll also increase the longevity of your system when properly maintaining it.  After your new network is installed speak to your IT staff or consultant about a maintenance schedule.  Some consultants will even give you a break for entering into a maintenance agreement with them.

Okay, the do’s and dont’s above aren’t earth-shattering, I know.  But, you’d be surprised at how many firms fail to follow even these basic rules.