You’ve probably been working with your internet service provider (ISP) for a few years, and in the beginning, it successfully met all the challenges your business threw at it. But times have changed and so has your business. So, how do you know when your ISP is no longer flexible enough to meet the demands of your enterprise business?
Here are three warning signs to watch for:
- Not Enough Speed.
Your business is a lot bigger than it was when you first started, so your internet speed needs have changed. The key to getting the internet speeds you want is to understand the amount of bandwidth your business needs from an ISP. There are different ways to figure this out. If your business does a lot of video conferencing and shares or downloads large files, for example, you’re looking at upwards of 50 Mbps or more.
- Restricted Bandwidth.
True: data sharing is the lifeblood of modern businesses, and that means having enough bandwidth to support the amount of data shared and downloaded daily. But did you know that ISPs impose bandwidth caps that restrict your usage? Find out if it’s happening to your business network by running a speed test.
A speed test lets you determine if there are changes in your bandwidth instantly, and gives you performance data on your network in your location. Try running a speed test program like SpeedTest by Ookla over one month to determine if your speeds have changed. If your bandwidth speeds decrease, your ISP is likely restricting your bandwidth.
There are many other ways to test and see if your ISP is doing more harm than good to your internet speeds, both at the office and at home.
- Security That Isn’t So Secure.
There are a lot of things you expect out of your ISP, and security is one of the most important. An ISP is the first line of defense against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on your network. And those types of attacks are happening more frequently and are growing in scale.
However, the stock security package your ISP offers likely isn’t capable of handling a sophisticated attack on an enterprise business. Your ISP should offer your business the option to purchase additional protection against this type of attack, especially if your business has a bring your own device (BYOD) policy.
And there are so many other indications that your ISP isn’t working with you. But how do you find one that does?
Get an ISP That Understands You.
Plenty of ISPs will sell you a package of services and products they claim your business needs to grow. But the truth is you’ll end up paying for something you either don’t need or won’t use. An off-the-shelf purchase like that isn’t designed specifically to meet the goals and demands of a business, or scale with it as it grows. It’s a temporary solution. That’s why you need to find an ISP that understands your industry and your business, and feels less like just another provider and more like a partner.
At Frontier Business, we take the time to get to know our customers inside and out—whether they’re in the education, healthcare, hospitality, finance, or government industry. That’s how we’re able to deliver a tailored solution that’s Custom(er) Fit™ to meet your business needs. If you need always-on connectivity, better bandwidth, security, or a cloud-based VoIP phone system that works anywhere, anytime, we’re the experts in getting you what you need.
How? Because we understand your business. It needs a network that can scale with it as it continues to grow with access to some of the leading telecommunication technology on the market. So, let’s start the conversation. Tell us more about your business needs or watch how Sandy and Steve from the Custom(er) Fit Makeover crew turn business networks from shabby to chic with breathtaking IT renovations.
SOURCES:
https://www.howtogeek.com/165481/how-to-test-if-your-isp-is-throttling-your-internet-connection/
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/utilities/how-to-decide-what-internet-speed-you-need/
https://www.atlantech.net/blog/7-things-businesses-require-from-their-internet-service-providers
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/answer/How-ISP-services-can-improve-enterprise-cybersecurity
https://www.cyberscoop.com/ddos-attacks-growing-arbor-networks/
https://business.frontier.com/solutions/by-need/managed-it-security