Resources for Wide Area Network (WAN) Maintenance

You have installed a wide area network (WAN) in your office. Your employees appreciate the flexibility of working in different areas of the building as well as outside. However, you’re concerned about maintaining and possibly expanding the wide area network. You know it's not a task that can be done in-house.

Hiring the right WAN consultant can be challenging. Initially, you will want to ask two questions: Can the consultant manage your WAN infrastructure (especially if you are a medium or large company), and does the consultant have partnerships with major companies such as HP, Cisco, or Dell?

When looking for a WAN consultant, other factors you need to consider are the following:

1. Knowledge and expertise in WAN maintenance.

2. Availability for WAN network maintenance service.

3. Reliability in wide area network (WAN) maintenance.

Find out what is the WAN consulting company's availability time

Availability is key when it comes to wireless network maintenance consulting services. Questions you want to ask: Is the WAN consultant available 24 hours a day/7 days a week? What devices does it manage - e.g., will it monitor your router or firewall? Does it offer server network maintenance? Does it manage your employees' use? Does the company have a wide area network specialist you can call in case of an emergency? In addition, you want to check the specialist's credentials.

Find out the WAN consulting company's maintenance agreement

Determine the length of time for your WAN network maintenance agreement. Some Wide Area Network (WAN) companies have half-year or full-year SLAs (Service Level Agreements). Does the company offer after-hours service? What are the services included? The amount paid and the term of service will determine the level of service. For example, if you commit to a year's service, the consultant may offer weekly maintenance service at no additional charge. Or if you have an emergency where your employee cannot access the network, the consultant must have your system up and running by a specific time or incur fees or penalties.

Agree on a plan for WAN network maintenance

If you decide you want to expand your WAN network, how will the WAN consultant approach and implement your plan? The plan should assess your current computer WAN networking infrastructure. This should include documentation of everything that makes up your network - software, hardware, protocols, and security. A project plan should break down the phases of the work to be completed, indicate the professionals who will work in these phases, and also show the costs associated with each phase.