The beauty of the network is that everyone in the team can easily enjoy and access information and applications. Consider the following questions: How to connect to the Internet to watch important demonstrations? Through the internet. Where is your company's software installed? On the internet. How do many members of team * * * enjoy important presentations? Through the internet. How can important information be conveyed to your employees and partners? Your network! What is routing and switching? How do enterprises use routing and switching technology? About this solution, you need to ask your partner five questions: What is routing and switching? The network works through two devices: switches and routers connect computers and peripheral devices. These two tools enable devices connected to a network to communicate with each other and with other networks. Although routers and switches look very similar, their functions in the network are completely different: switches are mainly used to connect multiple devices in a building or a campus to the same network. For example, a switch can connect your computer, printer and server to form a * * * resource sharing network. A switch is equivalent to a controller, allowing different devices to share information and communicate with each other. By sharing information and allocating resources reasonably, switches can help you save money and improve work efficiency.

There are two basic types of switches: managed and unmanaged.

Unmanaged switches can be put into use after unpacking, and no changes are allowed. Therefore, home network devices usually use non-management switches. The managed switch allows you to program it. This provides greater flexibility, because you can monitor and adjust it locally or remotely, and then control the network traffic and the access rights of network users. Routers are mainly used to connect multiple networks. For example, you will use a router to connect networked computers to the Internet, so that multiple users can enjoy one Internet connection. A router is equivalent to a dispatcher. It will choose the best routing path to transmit information so that you can receive it quickly.

According to your company's specific needs and network planning, choose routers with different functions. These functions include:

Firewall: a professional software used to check the received data and prevent the company network from being attacked. Virtual Private Network (VPN): A way to allow remote employees to access the network safely from a remote location. IP telephone network: Using voice and teleconference technology, your company's computer and telephone network are integrated, thus simplifying and unifying the company's communication mode. How should enterprises use routing and switching technology? Whether it is data, voice, video or wireless access, routers and switches are indispensable components of all enterprise communications. They can promote the solution of the company's key problems, help the company improve productivity, reduce business costs, and improve safety and customer service quality. Specifically, routers and switches support the following contents: * * Access applications allow employees to access the company's applications and improve work efficiency. Through routing and switching technology, employees, even employees working in different locations, can access all applications, information and tools in the company network equally. Ensure that all employees connected to the same tool are more efficient. Routing and switching technologies also provide access to advanced applications and available services, such as voice over IP, video conferencing and wireless networks. Speeding up information access, effectively managing information, reviewing what happened in the company, and accurate and timely information are the keys to ensure that enterprises make winning decisions. Routing and switching technology enables employees to intuitively access and understand the company's real-time information, and also lays a solid foundation for the company to make effective decisions. Improve customer service quality, obtain customer information at any time, and improve customer response ability. Nowadays, whether by phone, email or website, customers want quick response and personalized service when dealing with your company. If employees want to get customer information quickly and solve customer problems more quickly and calmly, they must have a fast and reliable network. Reducing operating costs * * * Sharing office equipment helps to reduce costs, and providing high-speed Internet access routing and switching technology will have a positive impact on the economic benefits of enterprises. Enjoy services such as printers, servers and Internet access to save money. In addition, a reliable network will grow with your enterprise, so even if your needs change, there is no need to change the network. Improve security, reduce risks and protect important company information.

Because the high-speed Internet connection is always open, you may face various security threats. Viruses, spyware, Internet attacks, e-mail attacks and other security issues are all real dangers. By installing a network solution consisting of switches and routers, your company's important business data will be effectively protected. For example, routers can rely on built-in firewalls and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to protect your network. IPS is a professional software, which is used to check the received data and prevent attacks. Realizing remote connection, providing safe remote access for mobile employees, and being able to complete work anywhere, the trend of globalization has changed our working mode. Virtual teams, mobile employees and telecommuters who work from home all need to enjoy information at any time. Therefore, modern enterprises need a network that is not limited by location, so that employees, suppliers, partners and customers can contact each other both locally and on the other side of the world. Through VPN remote connection, employees can safely access the company's resources and tools, further improving work efficiency. Back to the top Introduction to Routing and Switching Technology When you understand how routing and switching technology can promote enterprise development, the next step is to determine whether your company has the corresponding infrastructure to meet the company's needs. The following is a list of things to consider before starting the operation. The quality of existing equipment or home network products cannot solve various problems encountered by enterprises in the development process. For example, these products may not be able to handle traffic or add voice, video or wireless services at will, and you need to manage each device separately. Enterprise routers and switches can provide reliable communication methods for your company and improve the economic benefits of enterprises by sharing equipment. Invest in flexibility and build a network that can grow with time, so as to add corresponding functions when the company needs it. New functions may include new applications, such as video surveillance, IP telephony, integrated messaging and wireless technology. Easy connectivity ensures that your routing and switching equipment is easy to install, use and manage. For example, you can install devices such as wireless access points and IP phones anywhere with network jacks through switches with built-in power supplies. This can not only reduce a lot of trouble, but also save the cost of installing external power sockets or wires. Many situations of reliability will make enterprises unprepared and want to cry, such as power failure, hurricane and so on. If you want to keep the business running normally in an emergency, you must have a stable network. Only a reliable redundant network can make you sit back and relax and ensure the continuous operation of the enterprise. Go back to the top five hot questions you need to ask your partners about this solution. Here are five hot questions you must ask potential partners who are responsible for providing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises: Do you specialize in serving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMB)? Cisco has a huge network of certified partners to provide technical solutions and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. Many of these partners are SMEs themselves, so they can fully understand your problems and your business goals. Cisco certified partners have proved their qualifications in the field of professional technology. They provide training, support and services to help your company design, deploy and optimize network solutions. In addition, they will learn about the latest software and hardware trends and upcoming Cisco products and solutions. What kind of after-sales service and support will you provide? Ask the partners in detail about the after-sales support they provide. For example, does the partner provide after-hours or emergency support? If so, what are the service hours? The specific level of support should be detailed in the service level agreement (SLA). Please also note that many Cisco partners provide excellent technical support services, and Cisco engineers are always at your service and provide a lot of technical resources. How to integrate the new solution with the existing IT environment? Cisco partners will discuss your company's specific requirements and evaluate your current system and network infrastructure. Therefore, Cisco partners will introduce a variety of solution options that not only meet your current needs, but also grow with your business over time and meet your budget requirements. How will the new solution help me save money and control costs? Compared with multi-vendor solutions, Cisco's end-to-end solutions are easier to maintain and support. Moreover, when making the network upgrade budget, we should also consider the following costs: all software costs that were not provided when purchasing hardware, maintenance costs, training costs, support costs, additional personnel (if necessary) costs and other factors. According to the statistics of Gartner, a professional market research company, these indirect costs can reach up to 60% of the total technology expenditure of enterprises. Therefore, through Cisco partners, you can achieve the best total cost of ownership. What preparations do we need to make? Before installation, please ask partners what specific information they need to know about the company's network, users, business processes and security requirements in order to successfully complete the network upgrade. In addition, you need to ask your partners: What are the most common mistakes or problems that companies like yours make in the process of network upgrade, and the countermeasures. Question? Contact a Cisco partner to learn more and get the help you need. Return to the peak