Report: Aging network equipment can affect performance

01/28/2011

Network performance issues caused by aging or faulty equipment can sometimes be mistaken for software problems, according to a recent Computerworld report.

Network equipment such as data cables, network routers and Ethernet ports can go bad with age, slowing down network performance, the report said.

The report cites a recent case in which a company's LAN experienced consistently slow response times, despite no significant change in data loads. The problem was eventually solved by replacing an aged Ethernet switch.

Network expert Richi Jennings told Computerworld "I've lost count of the number of routers where the Ethernet ports have gone bad" with age. According to Jennings, "this usually manifests as only being able to negotiate a 10Mbit/s connection, then becoming intermittent, before giving up the ghost entirely."

Network performance issues can be avoided by purchasing high-quality network equipment, reliable network routers and dependable data cables. The report corroborates a recent Network World report, which suggested a slow router can cause a bottleneck for an entire network.

INDUSTRY NEWS:

Optical networking becoming more prominent 01/19/2012
10 G Base-T can work with CAT 6 cabling infrastructure 01/06/2012
Fiber channel supremacy driven by 10 GbE 12/30/2011
Home networking advances on horizon 12/23/2011
More bandwidth needed for storage arrays 10/06/2011
More companies deploying optical networks 10/04/2011
Ethernet infrastructure key to support the cloud 09/26/2011
Advanced WAN deployments becoming more prominent 09/21/2011
Detailed IPv6 security risks emerging 09/07/2011
WAN optimization key to support desktop virtualization 09/02/2011
WAN management key for application delivery 08/23/2011
Understanding IPv6 security 08/18/2011
Packet optical switching market climbing 08/12/2011
Ethernet offers operational versatility 08/09/2011
Unified communications fueling network upgrades 08/05/2011
Companies emphasizing network performance 07/20/2011
IPv6 security implications go beyond network issues 07/18/2011
Sustainability can be achieved at the network level 07/07/2011
Data center network equipment market still growing 06/27/2011
Fiber optic equipment testing market on the rise 06/23/2011
File transfer industry making progress on IPv6 migration 06/13/2011
Addressing IPv6 security issues 06/07/2011
Network traffic set to quadruple by 2015 06/06/2011
Growth ahead in networking tool market 05/23/2011
Structured cabling becoming more critical for intelligent building design 05/17/2011
IPv6 getting a greater sense of urgency 05/09/2011
Complexity hampering IPv6 upgrades 05/04/2011
UPS consolidation can fuel green IT initiatives 04/29/2011
Liquid becoming critical in green IT initiatives 04/28/2011
WAN virtualization can improve network performance, report says 04/27/2011
WAN optimization fueling the cloud 04/21/2011
New Ethernet standard a boon for data centers 03/17/2011
New IEEE standard coming on heels of 100G 03/11/2011
Data centers getting their tiers confused 02/09/2011
New Ethernet standard creating testing challenges 02/07/2011
Cable management still critical when dealing with patch cords 02/04/2011
Network and data security market on the rise 02/03/2011
Cisco to acquire Pari Networks 01/31/2011
Report: Aging network equipment can affect performance 01/28/2011
New standard and guide for interoperability of networking equipment and Smart Grid technology coming from the IEEE 01/21/2011
IT spending patterns set to change in 2011 01/21/2011
New green technologies may change network equipment needs 01/14/2011