Originally posted on ITPro Today

This article is written by Mike Underdown, president and CEO of Crosstown Fiber.

As businesses increasingly depend on digital infrastructure for seamless day-to-day operations, the resilience and reliability of their networks become progressively crucial. Network disruptions can paralyze operations, impact customer satisfaction, and lead to substantial financial losses. To confirm your network can support your operational demands and future growth, you need to dig deeper into what your provider offers and ask these five critical questions that can guarantee uptime and performance.

1. How diverse is the network route?

Your data’s path to its destination is fundamental to the network’s reliability and performance. Ask whether the network employs diverse routes or relies on a single pathway. Networks with multiple redundant paths offer greater security and uptime, minimizing the risk of a single point of failure. As Gartner highlights in its “Top Trends in Cybersecurity for 2024” report, the high likelihood of disruptions stresses the need for resilience-oriented investments.  Understanding the network’s routing and redundancy capabilities is essential in maintaining continuous service even during unexpected disruptions. Companies can also request a KMZ map, a zip-compressed file that stores map locations viewable in various GIS systems, to ensure network routes are truly diverse from one another.

2. Is the network designed for optimal efficiency with redundant capabilities?

The architecture of a network can greatly influence its efficiency and robustness. Topologies such as ring, star, or mesh designs provide varying levels of redundancy and fault tolerance. For example, a ring topology can provide an automatic rerouting capability if a connection fails, whereas a mesh topology offers multiple paths for data, enhancing reliability. Discuss with your provider how their network design aligns with your operational needs and how it can support high-volume traffic with minimal latency to ensure optimal performance and reliability. The availability of 5G wireless backup at the access points also ensures continuous connectivity and reduces the risk of costly network outages.

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