Our client’s business grew rapidly within a short space of time. This meant that expanding networks was required to match their growth. Our experts were able to provide a solution to cater for their needs.
The challenge Cambridge Support faced
Being in the construction industry, our client experienced a high level of growth since their network was first created. Therefore, they developed a larger user base and greater device usage on the network which led to problems with IP utilisation. Expanding networks was needed. This is a common challenge which our Technical Consultants have faced before. This happens when a business transfers from a small setup to a setup of a medium/large business. The small setup caused a lack of free IP allocation for network devices. This meant that the network was unable to accommodate any further due to the number of devices that were connected. The network became quickly saturated with a mixture of business devices and non-business devices (such as personal phones and guest user devices).
The solution we provided
Our client’s original network was a basic single subnet network, meaning it only has one IP address range. For a small business this is sufficient, but for a growing business, expanding networks would solve this. So, with increased growth and strict security requirements we face in today’s age, a change was needed. We agreed that the best fit would be to migrate from a single network setup to multiple split networks.
When undertaking such a move we always work very closely with our clients and ensure communication is always open. Our teams created new networks to act as both a Guest Wireless network and a Bring your own device or BYOD Wireless network (for personal phones/devices). This was achieved by implementing VLAN’s on the network to separate these networks from the corporate network. Then we applied rate limits to restrict the overall internet usage seen by devices on these networks. Lastly, we added firewall controls to limit the access in and out of these networks, adding a layer of additional security.
All this work was deployed outside of business hours with minimal impact to the client.
The outcome achieved
The client was incredibly happy with the work we carried out. They saw a significant drop in the corporate network IP allocation. This freed up IP address space for additional corporate devices. It also removed the likelihood of running into problems caused by running out of usable IP addresses.
The security of the network was also greatly improved. This was through providing a network for devices that are out of business control and limiting what access they have. The challenge our team faced was that there was no simple way of finding out if these devices were clean from malware. Neither if these devices were up to date and protected against modern security threats. Therefore, the best course of action was to isolate these devices onto a separate network. A layer of protection was also implemented to prevent unmanaged devices from moving sideways in the environment.
Lastly, by rate limiting the connections for these networks we can reduce the effect on the internet line caused by non-business device usage. Additionally, by reducing overall usage on the internet circuit and ensuring the internet is being prioritized for business use cases. Whilst still enabling the userbase to have trustworthy internet access on personal devices, and reliable connectivity for guest users in their network. Expanding networks helped our client maintain their growth for the future.