New Data Networking Playbook for Smbs (1)

March 2012Expert : James E. Gaskin

SMB Networking Buyers Guide

Ziff Davis Research 2012 All Rights Reserved

SMB Networking Buyers Guide Ziff Davis Research All Rights Reserved 2012 2

Introduction

You know you need computers, and you also know you need them to

connect with each other and the world to be truly useful. Choosing the

needed technologies can be confusing, and choosing the right equipment to

implement those technologies can be mind-numbing.

Our SMB (small to medium-size business) Networking Buyers Guide can

help you start saving time, money and frustration. The guide is designed

to help decision-makers quickly identify their specific needs, a critical step

to take before contacting vendors and comparing product options. The

guide includes a discussion of buyer types, product requirements, cost

considerations and vendor relationship needs for several areas of networking

technology, including:

Physical layer (including cables, switches, and wireless networks)

Routers (wired and wireless)

Internet Service Providers, and other important service providers

Shared storage and peripheral hardware

Server hardware and operating systems

Backup, network management, and client security

For a detailed explanation of these areas, please refer to the Focus

Networking Market Guide.

Table of Contents

1 Essentials Top products, cost and vendor considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

2 Top Advice from Other Buyers Top buying advice directly from buyers like you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05

3 Buying In-Depth Detailed needs, products, cost and vendor considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06

4 Worksheet Finding and working with a local support company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16


The most salient points to consider when beginning the purchase of SMB networking

solution are:

Buy from a reseller who will provide installation, configuration and support.

Find a trusted network adviser, whether that be a local reseller, independent

consultant or service company. Let them help you plan and implement your

network correctly to keep it invisible to your users.

Plan for 100 percent growth. If you need 500GB (gigabytes) of local storage

now, get a shared storage system that provides 1TB (terabyte) to be ahead

of your growth curve. And when buying file storage, buy or upgrade your data

backup system to handle the files being shared and stored.

Think of security first when considering network additions. Thinking of security

after the fact leads to lousy security.

Buyer TypesUnderstanding our Buyer Types concept will help you quickly ascertain your core

requirements. Focus divides buyers into three categories: Basic, Intermediate and

Advanced. Companies often have basic buying needs in some areas and intermediate

or advanced needs in others.

Basic Buyers look for network products to support a smaller number of users, a lower amount of network traffic, and a non-complicated network configuration such as one

or two locations to support.

Intermediate Buyers look to support a larger number or users, and applications that require higher amounts of bandwidth or several locations.

Advanced Buyers look to support a large user base with complicated and high performance requirements, including multiple locations.

Product ConsiderationsThe more advanced your buying needs, the more likely you will need dedicated

devices to handle a networking task. For instance, a company with basic needs may

be perfectly happy with a router that includes spam filtering and a firewall as part of

the package. Advanced networks may need three separate devices or services to

1 Essentials1

SMB Networking Buyers Guide 4Ziff Davis Research All Rights Reserved 2012

accomplish the same job because of higher volume, faster networking speeds, and

complicated configuration requirements. Or your router and firewall may be inside your

office, but your spam filtering is done by a hosted service.

Cost ConsiderationsAs with cars, the faster you want to the more you must pay. Entry level devices, and

those bundling multiple functions into one device can often meet basic networking

requirements. For instance, a company of 10 users may be fine with a single router

that includes wireless networking support, while a company of 100 users will likely

need a separate router and multiple wireless access devices, along with separate

security gear. The faster and more flexible devices cost more.

Vendor ConsiderationsSmaller businesses rarely if ever deal directly with networking product vendors. Your

contact will almost certainly be with a local reseller able to provide products from

multiple vendors. Since the network products market is stable, there is little vendor

churn. Usually, a company disappears only when acquired. Continued vendor existence

is necessary for products like software and hardware appliances that require firmware

upgrades to maintain security protection. Long term warranties are not a large part of

the network product landscape.


I guess the first thing Im looking for whenI speak with a vendor is a high-level review of

how their systems will integrate with ours. Jonathan Network Administrator, Pipe Distribution Plans to purchase within a year

Id like to get more information that is less vendor-specific and more generic that doesnt support any one vendor. I like to know who are the players in this or that market. Give me unbiased information or have some comparison charts; a proper apples to apples. Joe IT Engineer, Manufacturing Company Currently comparing vendors

For me, its not so much marketing mate-rial that I look for, its more about the technical detail. Show me real savings, real work applica-tions, real examples. I cant stand some of the marketing hype. Chris IT Analyst, Agricultural Equipment Company Expects to purchase a mix from two vendors

When I first speak to vendors, I like to try to get an idea of what their services entail includ-ing all of the components. Thats the one thing Ive been having problems with: people specifi-cally identifying all elements of this. Patrick IT Engineer, Health Care Company Anticipates purchasing within three months

We have enough closed system products that only work well with other boxes with the same logo. Show me your equipment can play well with others, because vendor lock-in has cost me too much money in the past. Alex CFO, Temporary Help Staffing Company, Expansion planned in six months

Dont forget patch cables behind the serv-ers and switches. When I took over my new job, I didnt realize the guy before me had used noncertified wire for all the patch cables. Turns out they were low-end phone patch cords, not data patch cords. When the network got a little bit bigger, the noise in the cheap patch cables choked the network speed down to nothing. Mark N/A, Insurance Company, [response withheld]

Every vendor has charts and charts of num-bers, the famous speeds and feeds. That just confuses my managers. How about you help me convince them of the value to the business of the technology you sell? Laura System Administrator, Restaurant Chain, Developing budget for new locations

2 Top Advice from Other Buyers


3 Buying In-DepthNow is the time to drill down through your networking needs in each technical

area to help choose the right products for your situation. As always, there are

no perfect answers but several good ones, plus a few bad choices. The critical

component in your decision process is finding the right products to support your

specific networking needs.

That assumes, of course, you understand your networking goals. This is an area

where a trusted network advisor really earns their fee, or a reseller earns your

business by guiding you to the products you need rather than the ones they

receive an extra commission for pushing out their door. The more you know about

what your network must do, the better network you will build to do it.

Buyer Types and Your Requirements It is not uncommon for companies to range across several buyer types basic,

intermediate and/or advanced - when looking at all the areas of their network.

Generally, smaller companies with fewer users and less complicated networks fall

into the Basic Buyer range. But a company that has only a dozen employees but

makes constant use of VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) telephones may need

an Intermediate or Advanced router to better handle the throughput volume and

management tools necessary to ensure high quality phone connections along with

high speed data access.

A company of a half-dozen users selling primarily through an e-commerce Web

site will likely need a high-powered application server or three to run their Web

site, inventory, order placement, and shipping applications. A company next door

with a half-dozen users running a day care center will likely be perfectly happy

with a $100 Network Attached Storage device for sharing what few files they

have. Define the task, then choose the tool.

Product ConsiderationsThere are three primary areas used to judge network equipment: features, capacity,

and management. The more features and more capacity, the more expensive. The

more management tools, especially when products can be managed as part of

a larger remote management system, the more expensive. However, the ability

to manage multiple devices through a single management interface saves time

There are three primary areas used to judge network equipment:

features, capacity and management.


and provides a better management experience than individually configuring multiple

devices through separate control interfaces.

Judging equipment cost by features alone can be misleading. Networking products

for smaller companies, especially routers, tend to add multiple security and connection

features, often called unified management and, for security utilities, unified threat

management or UTM. Smaller companies tend to search for all-in-one products that

provide routing, wireless, firewall, spam filtering, and other security tools in one box.

Vendors satisfy that desire, but the features dont have the capacity or management

options available on more advanced devices.

You can tell which products are for basic, intermediate, or advanced uses by

examining:

Features: Each vendor has a family of products in all lines of their networking equipment. Compare the models and see which has the most features (those

are for intermediate and advanced uses). Pick the models with the features

that match your needs and avoid overpaying for features you dont understand

or cant use.

Capacity: Within product families, more capacity will increase for intermediate and advanced equipment. Switches may have 5, 8, 16, 24, 48, or 96 ports.

Routers may support 10, 25, or 50 VPN (Virtual Private Network) connections

linking remote users to your network. A Network Attached Storage appliance

may hold 500GB, 1TB, or 4TBs of shared data (or more). Choose the capacity

level you need, plus at least 100% for file growth.

Management: All servers, storage units, servers, and backup systems have some type of management. The better the management interface, and the

more ability for the device to be managed remotely by high end management

consoles, the more advanced the intended use.

Price: The more features, capacity, and management, the more expensive the item. However, that only works within vendor product families. An

intermediate unit from one vendor may be less expensive than a basic unit that

is equivalent in almost every way. A basic router from one vendor that adds

multiple software licenses to enable features may be less expensive than an

intermediate router that includes those features in the price.

The following lists group common networking products by buyer and use type.

The numbers arent exact, because various products delineate their product lines

differently. Your needs may cross over between groups, such as a small number of


users with a single location (Basic Buyer) but the need for creating, storing, and

modifying huge data files for video production (Advanced Buyer). Judge each product

in each section to your needs today, with a 100% margin for growth.

Basic Features

Switch: 5, 8, or 12 ports, with simple or no management

Router: 10-25 user capacity, 10 VPN connections, integrated security

functions

Network Attached Storage appliance: 1TB storage or less acting as the

primary shared file storage location

Server Hardware: None, or lightweight server hardware or a repurposed

desktop

Server Software: None, or a Small Business version of the software

Backup System: Separate section of shared storage set aside for backup, or

hosted backup

Management: Free network management tools for occasional troubleshooting

Client Security: Individual software packages for each user

Intermediate Features

Switch: 12, 24, or 48 ports, management utility included

Router: 25-50 user capacity, 25 VPN connections, perhaps one external

security device such as a spam filter or firewall

Network Attached Storage appliance: 2TB-8TB storage, may be managed

Server Hardware: One to four light to medium duty servers with redundant disk

drives

Server Software: Small Business version, or one or two full server versions

Backup System: Disk to disk backup, some type of offsite backup

Management: Server and network management utilities

Client Security: Workgroup editions of client security software suites


Advanced Features

Switch: 24, 48, or 96 ports, management both locally and remotely

Router: 50-100 user capacity, 25-50 VPN connections, one or more external

security devices, remote management activated and used regularly

Network Attached Storage appliance: 8TB or more with ability to integrate with

storage management utilities and Windows file servers

Server Hardware: Multiple heavy duty servers with redundant disks and power

supplies

Server Software: Full versions, virtualization used to host multiple software

servers on each physical server

Backup System: Separate storage server, organized disaster recovery offsite

backup

Management: Server, client, and network management systems

Client Security: Centrally managed client security suites with extra

management features

Premise-Based Versus Hosted Services

Hosted services of all kinds have been making great market gains, especially in

the small business market. For instance, many businesses, small and large, have

outsourced their e-mail services to hosted providers and can thus avoid paying for and

maintaining physical servers, server software with updates, and the security headaches

of managing a modern e-mail server. Outsourced e-mail make is much easier to use a

Network Attached Storage appliance as your shared file storage device, delaying the

expensive step up to the world of physical servers.

Backup service providers, companies hosting backup storage for companies, have

become a large business market. Using a hosted backup service eliminates the cost

of extra hardware on premises, and offers automatic disaster recovery protection

since the data files are in another location. Some backup providers even make it easy

to share files between remote employees using a synchronization or access service,

reducing the complexity and cost of accessing the company network remotely.

Beyond these areas, however, the majority of your network infrastructure remains

too hardware and location dependent to move to a hosted model. The wires to your

desktop computer must be physically attached to your desktop computer, for instance.

Wires must attach to your switch ports physically, and so one.


Client security software is moving toward a shared local/hosted model, but the

process is in the developing stages now. Keeping the huge malware database in the

cloud as a hosted service eliminates the need to download huge definition files to

each and every client, saving the software vendors millions of dollars. But each user

will still need locally installed software on each personal computer to protect that

computer.

A new breed of managed service providers now include the cost of some hardware

bundled in their service contracts. More on that later, but the included in management

fee notation will appear in some of the costs considerations in the next section.

Cost ConsiderationsOne reason hosted services have become so popular with small and medium sized

businesses is the lower cost of entry and the avoidance of capital expenditures.

Payment options break down as follows:

Physical Layer Cabling and Infrastructure Additions:

Operating expense, some of which may be covered by landlord when moving

to a new location

One-time expense, usually between $100 to $200 per cable run

Routers and Wireless Routers:

Capital expense for the hardware

Operating expense when hardware included in management fee

One-time expense for small business routers; may need help configuring and

securing the router during installation

Higher end routers will require maintenance contracts and/or software module

updates. Figure 20 percent of the initial cost for ongoing maintenance.

Routers cost between $50 to $200 for small business versions. The next step

up runs between $250 to $500 to purchase

Internet and Network Service Providers:

Operating expense, may be bundled with network management fees

Pay monthly, some offer discounts for prepayment by six- or 12-month period

Shared Storage and Peripheral Hardware:

Capital expense


One-time cost; rarely do peripherals require ongoing maintenance or service

(except for printers and especially copiers, which require regular service)

Medium and larger shared storage systems usually require a maintenance

contract

Server Hardware and Operating Systems:

Capital expense

Servers start at $600 or so for beefed up PCs, but run into many thousands

of dollars for specialized servers that can support larger workloads. Operating

systems cost between $500- $2,000 and between $75 - $125 per user with

some versions of Microsoft Windows Server software.

Ongoing maintenance will be a constant, with larger servers supporting more

than a couple dozen users. Its common for medium-size businesses to monthly

pay many hundreds of dollars each to maintain servers and their software

package

Backup Systems:

Capital expense for on-premise hardware

Operating expense for hosted offsite backup providers

Network Management:

Capital expense for purchased software

Operating expense when included in network managed services fee

Client security:

Capital expense for purchased software

Operating expense when included in client managed services fee

The rise of Managed Service Providers (see Vendor Considerations in the next

section) has shifted many capital expenses for hardware to operations expenses. Price

schedules include a negotiated number of dollars per month per managed device and

managed user.

Focus not on the hardware or software or the proposal, but on the ways

a system will improve your business.


Vendor/Reseller ConsiderationsWhere SMB networking equipment is concerned, you will often do business not with

the manufacturing vendor, but with a reseller. Resellers (including integrators) typically

represent multiple vendors offerings and sometimes offer added-value services such

as consulting. The advice in this section applies equally to vendors and their resellers.

In many ways, your network is only as good as the group that specified the

components and performed the installation. Rarely do networks get installed by a

single group, so juggling the recommendations of two or more vendors can sometimes

be difficult. Your best bet is to always focus not on the hardware or software on the

proposal, but on the ways a new system will improve your business.

Selection Process

Often, customers call and say things like, I need a faster router. This is a mistake,

because the customer has tried to guess what their problem is and the best way to

fix it. That rarely works. Call in your resellers and outline the business problem to be

corrected and let them recommend the products and services to give you the results

you need.

Every vendor has a sweet spot of services they perform well, and a much larger set of

services they perform adequately. Finding the vendors who perform best on the things

you need for your network takes a bit of investigation.

Check references: Not just the three references at the top of the client reference list, but check customers who have had similar projects performed. How well a company

installs wireless access points may not matter if you need expanded shared storage

options. Ask for references covering your situation. If vendors have no references in a

specific area you need, keep looking.

Ascertain vendor relationship status: The more business and the more training a reseller does with a vendor, the higher the expertise level with that vendors products.

Any reseller can claim to be a special partner of a vendor, so check the vendor to see

if they consider that reseller special.

Check for employee certifications in appropriate areas: If you need a new Windows Server installed, using resellers with technicians who have passed Microsoft

certification courses will increase your odds of success. Apply that thinking to all major

systems.


Resellers should listen far more than they talk: Those who talk too much tend to ignore your needs and focus on what they sell most profitably. Resellers who

listen and ask questions give you the best chance of a successful project. You will

likely need to speak to the owner of the reseller, or the technical manager to get the

answers you need, so dont eliminate a reseller because of a poor salesperson.

Implementation Process

Rushed projects become botched projects. Give your trusted network advisor, and the

other partners involved in your project, time to do the job correctly. If you force them to

rush, you will pay in ways both subtle and significant.

Your reseller will work with your schedule, but meet them halfway. If you demand work

be performed after work hours, prepare to pay extra. You may discover a few hours of

downtime for a few employees is much cheaper than installing a new system on the

weekend.

If your project is complicated and requires many steps, ask to see the Project

Management chart being used by the reseller. If they dont have one, keep your own

notes carefully to track what should happen when, and who is responsible.

The single largest cause of projects running way over budget? Changes demanded by

the customer during implementation. Every change you make costs time and money,

so be sure the system being installed has been configured correctly and approved by

everyone involved before starting.

Support Process and Managed Service Providers

Almost all network hardware comes with a one year warranty. Coverage does not

include services, although replacement unit shipping is usually covered. Warranty

coverage the second and subsequent years comes as part of a continuing

maintenance contract. Hardware and software modules will often both require support

contracts.

Many resellers now offer managed network services to support, maintain, and update

network hardware and software. Routers, switches, storage units, and servers are

some of the products now available to be managed remotely. Resellers use various

remote management utilities to monitor equipment, keep up with security and software

patches, and provide the first line of support in case of a problem.


MSPs (Managed Service Providers) may include the cost of equipment in their

monthly price, especially for routers and security appliances. Since small and medium

businesses rarely require special features from routers and security appliances, most

are willing to accept any brand of hardware as long as the MSP commits to managing,

supporting, and, when necessary, replacing the units.

Even relatively small local resellers, with the backing of upstream support companies

and their primary vendors, can successfully provide a managed solution. The appeal

to customers is the pricing model: a fee per month for each managed device or end

user. There are no capital expenditure fees involved if the MSP provides hardware.

Even if your company elects to buy the hardware and place it under the control of an

MSP, your network budget will stay the same each month rather than rise when issues

occur. A reliable, predictable network budget line item makes many small businesses

more comfortable than the budget ups and downs when maintaining their own

equipment.

Important Vendor Attributes

Your priorities may vary, but small businesses rate these items as important vendor

attributes:

Vendor reputation

Fair and well-explained pricing levels

Delivering on promises

Product reliability

Product ease of use

Rapid ROI (Return on Investment)

Responsiveness to service outages

Up to date with latest security issues

Certifications from important vendors (for local resellers)

How you rate these items depend on your needs and your past bad experiences. .

Those who have replaced products that failed may feel that product reliability and

vendor reputation top their list. Those who have been disappointed by unfulfilled

promises made by resellers may put dependability at the top. Rate these attributes

according to your needs.

Word of mouth remains the

best source recommendations


Word of mouth remains the best source for recommendations. Talk to other

businesses of a size similar to yours and in a similar market. Talk to competitors during

conferences or business networking events about their approaches to solve some

of the problems you have in common. See which resellers and vendors support local

business groups and the Chamber of Commerce. Not every technology reseller pays

attention to those types of business networking, but those who do strive to perform in

order to leverage their success for more business.

The highest praise from a referral is that the product or service in question worked

as advertised, then became invisible after installation. When your users notice the

network, you have a network problem. Develop relationships with local resellers and

the national vendors they represent, as much as possible, before you need support.


Finding and working with a local support company The world of technology service has split into two philosophies: break/fix and MSP

(Managed Service Provider). All support used to be break/fix because you called for

help when something broke, and they came and fixed it. Now many of those break/

fix companies are becoming MSPs. Currently, about 30 percent of network support

companies can honestly advertise themselves as MSPs. Larger support companies are

almost always primarily MSPs.

Why stick with the break/fix model?

You only pay when something breaks

You have a support company you feel comfortable with, and they only do

break/fix

Your network is fairly simple, local, and rarely changes

You have a tech on staff who can coordinate your break/fix vendors

You can budget for equipment upgrades yourself

Occasional downtime isnt a big problem

Why move to an MSP model?

You prefer a support monthly budget amount that doesnt change

The service company you trust has moved to the MSP model

Your company needs support in multiple locations for a dynamic network

You dont want to pay for a tech on staff, or you want to augment your staff

Part of the monthly fee goes toward replacing the equipment when time

Downtime must be avoided

The decision boils down to one question: do you want a company to react to your

network and technology failures, or one that proactively works to avoid technology

issues? As MSPs become more adept, both technically and more attuned to your

network, they will identify potential network errors and eliminate them before you

notice.

My goal is not to close your help desk trouble tickets quickly. My goal is that you never call with a trouble ticket in the first place. - Chris, owner of an MSP in Houston

4 Worksheet


About Ziff Davis

Ziff Davis, Inc. is a leading digital media company specializing in the technology market, reaching over

40 million highly engaged in-market buyers and influencers every month. Ziff Davis sites, which feature

trusted and comprehensive evaluations of the newest, hottest products, and the most advanced ad targeting

platform. Ziff Davis B2B Focus, Inc. is a leading provider of online research to enterprise buyers and high-

quality leads to IT vendors. More information on Ziff Davis can be found at ziffdavis.com.

More and more providers will move to the MSP model over the next few years

because monthly service contracts smoothes out their revenue streams. But many will

still do break/fix work when required, because they use those same skills in project

work for their customers. Smaller break/fix support groups will always be around, so

your company doesnt have to move to the MSP model.

Finding a support company you trust is just like finding a reseller you trust: check

referrals, experience, certifications, and responsiveness. The better the MSP, the

more involved the discovery process, often called onboarding, as they inventory your

complete network prior to taking over management. Painful as it might seem at first,

if you embrace the discovery process, your MSP will provide you a wealth of best

practices information to improve your network.

Many MSPs, for example, refuse to take on clients that do not have an adequate

and tested file backup and recovery process in place. They cant be held responsible

for lost files if they dont monitor and manage the backup process, so they demand

their customers put these processes in place. This upgrade will only help the many

small businesses that have yet to implement an adequate data backup and recovery

process.

Smaller companies will likely stay with their break/fix provider because they feel that

approach is more cost effective for them. Larger companies often find the predictable

budget impact, and proactive support and maintenance, make an MSP the best

support option.

If my customers see me because of a support issue, that means I havent done my job. - Ryan, owner of an MSP in Boston

Documents

New Data Networking Playbook for Smbs (1)