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Root Causes
Network downtime failure is caused by:
- Infrastructure issues
- Information sent to and from servers
- Security threats
Mitigation Measures
How to survive a partial internet shutdown
With the increasing frequency of internet blackouts around the world, users are forced to find ways to circumvent them. Here are a few ways to remain online if you get caught in a situation where your internet access is greatly restricted (such as with widespread censorship)—but still existent.
1. Use circumvention tools like Tor
Tor is a free and open-source software that will protect you from people who may want to spy on your browsing habits. When it comes to achieving anonymity on the internet, it is virtually unbeatable.
2. Get a VPN
With
a good VPN you can secure your access to the internet in its freest and most unrestricted form.
Using
Tor over VPN will increase your privacy further. Simply connect to your VPN, then open the Tor Browser.
3. Stock up on tools and apps that protect your privacy and security
Make sure you’re using a browser that
puts your privacy first; Tor is our firmly recommended favorite, but Mozilla’s Firefox also works well. Whatever browser you’re using, set it to connect you to the HTTPS version of a site whenever it’s available.
You’ll also want to start
using more secure communications if you haven’t already, such as by messaging with
Signal.
After following these three steps, you’ll be able to survive in most countries implementing an internet shutdown. Just make sure to exercise caution when using these tools, as you may be living in a country where such use could be penalized.
How to survive a total internet shutdown
If you fear that you’ll lose online access altogether, study these tips and download the relevant services
before you lose the internet. Print out various instructions and save important files offline.
1. Establish a smartphone ad hoc network
Gather several people together and use all available smartphones to create a localized
wireless ad hoc network that relies on Bluetooth. This works by establishing a peer-to-peer network that can be used to swap valuable information. Apps like
Bridgefy are great for this as they focus entirely on providing a framework for offline messaging.
2. Establish a sneakernet—or sneaker network
Sneakernet is essentially an offline form of the internet that runs on human movement. The name denotes the fact that the delivery of information relies on humans to deliver information through physical devices like USB sticks and external hard drives.
3. Hoard all the data that you can, when you can
Data hoarding—also known as digital hoarding—is the collection of excessive amounts of data. If you feel that a period of political instability looms on the horizon, it may be time to back up as much of the internet as you can. This can include important information such as historical documents, operation manuals, operating systems, cultural media, and anything that thwarts oppression or censorship.
How Do You Avoid Service Downtime?
The best way to avoid service downtime is to:
- Plan ahead
- Build a simple network that’s easy to manage (when possible)
- Invest resources in areas that keep internet connectivity strong and secure
To effectively eliminate network downtime.
1. Use Enterprise-Level Network Infrastructure
Network infrastructure must be up to the task, especially if your business is growing quickly or already large.
In the startup phase, businesses can and often do get away with running their network on personal servers to keep costs low. Eventually, you’ll need to upgrade to an enterprise network, which connects all users and systems to the same local area network (LAN).
2. Always Have a Backup Plan
Regardless of your current infrastructure, having a plan B already written (as well as a plan C, and possibly even plan D) in moments of crisis can help eliminate—or at least reduce—network interruptions.
For example, environmental factors, especially in areas where hurricanes or storms could knock out the internet, should be accounted for (i.e., have a backup power connection and implementation plan).
3. Keep Things Simple
As the number of devices we use in the workplace grows, it’s only natural to see network complexity grow with it. However, keeping your network simple makes it easier to manage, more resilient, and even more cost-effective.
This tip speaks to both your physical and logical network—and might be a good question to ask your
managed IT services provider about.
4. Monitor Frequently
Monitoring helps you identify vulnerabilities within the system, eradicating network failure issues before or shortly after they happen.
Real-time monitoring also helps you keep tabs on incoming cyber threats, which should be taking place around the clock. Computer network failure can leave your system exposed to hackers and data thieves. Even a few minutes can make a massive difference in terms of the extent of a breach.
5. Test and Retest
As the saying goes, what gets measured gets managed. Testing and retesting software and hardware regularly can help you decide when items need to be replaced or updated for optimal performance across a network.
A growing business may also use these insights to determine if it needs to expand its IT staff or move to a more flexible,
managed cloud services provider.
6. Deploy Network Redundancy
Businesses that require a constant internet connection to run should strongly consider a redundant network connection. This way, if one provider or link fails, a backup will automatically kick in.
This is a good strategy for businesses in industries that are notoriously at risk of cybercrimes, such as financial institutions or
healthcare providers.
7. Regularly Update Systems
Cybercrimes grow in strength and complexity by the day, if not by the hour. Unfortunately, what causes network problems is sometimes outdated software trying to diagnose or stave off the latest security threats—and failing to do so.
Updating software and (educating staff on why this is important) helps reduce the number of vulnerable access points across a network.
8. Prioritize Communication
If a system goes out, knowing who is responsible for what is critical. Swift communication across departments can help check out threats and mitigate network downtime. Training multiple staff, if an employee is sick or leaves their job, is also a good idea for consistency.
9. Avoid Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks in IT are areas where data flow slows down due to insufficient computer or network resources. These hidden culprits are often the result of network misconfigurations or faulty hardware. Look for interface errors and reduced speeds in specific areas of your network.
10. Commit Adequate Resources to Your Network
As network volume and complexity grow,
managed network connectivity can help simplify and protect the backbone of any business. It’s one area where devoting resources makes sense, especially if you run a business exclusively online.
Advantages of Fiber Internet Connectivity
1. High speed
Fiber optic offer you the best available speed within the current internet landscape. Fiber optic provides upload and download speeds ranging from 100 MB to as high as 10 GB (business) per second. These speeds are much higher than what ADSL can offer. Are you in the higher range of the high speeds that Business Internet can deliver? If so, you will be able to easily download a stack of high-resolution photos during ongoing HD-quality video calls to colleagues or customers.
2. Reliability
Fiber-optic connections offer reliability along with speed. Fiber-optic connections always have a direct, uninterrupted link to your business premises thereby eliminating or minimizing external factors that hamper or delay data transfer and reception. Distances from local exchanges and the internet behavior of the neighbors are immaterial.
3. Zero difference between upload and download speeds
Traditional wired internet always offers higher download speeds than upload speeds. Thus downloading large files onto your device takes you much less time than it takes you to upload or send them online.
Fiber optic eliminates the difference between download and upload speeds. You can upload or download documents, photos or videos online: with the same speed. This therefore represents an ideal scenario for demanding home users as well as enterprises that need to send and receive many GBs of data every day.
4. Consistent high quality
Fiber optic not only fulfils the highest Internet data upload/download quantity standards (the amount of data you can send and receive), but also offers the very best quality. This is particularly evident in the audio and video quality. You can not only enjoy television and the internet more intensely, with images and sound exploding into your living room or office building with greater clarity, sharpness and smoothness, but you can also organize more productive video meetings and calls. Fiber optic enables high-quality conversations while your colleagues continue to work undisturbed. This is because even if you are calling or holding meetings in 4k, fiber optic will have enough bandwidth left over.
5. Freedom of choice
Internet providers can freely use the fiber network. Which means you have the freedom to take out a business or private fiber-optic subscription with different companies. All-in or internet-only? Data limit or no data limit? Unlimited music streaming and TV viewing via the internet? You can decide it all yourself, based on your wishes and the requirements you set for your connection and capacity.
6. Energy-efficient and sustainable
Fiber optic is more energy-efficient than a traditional internet connection. The reason? Unlike the copper cables used in traditional internet connections, a fiber-optic cable uses light rather than electricity to communicate (link to blog 'All you need to know about fiber-optic'). Thus, companies in particular can make substantial savings on their energy bills. Although private individuals might save a few tens of euros per year, the savings for medium-sized and large companies often amount to thousands of euros. Copper power cables are also not ideal from an environmental point of view. They can swell, causing heavy metals to end up in the soil.
7. Fiber optic eases digitization processes
Fiber-optic Business Internet facilitates the continuous exchange of data and connects people, organizations and commercial buildings. Citizens, governments and businesses can join forces and contribute together to a smarter and more efficient use of resources. Fiber-optic Business Internet thereby helps usher in the transformation to the digital society of the future.
Disadvantage
1.
Cost versus benefit consideration
At first glance, fiber optic seems more expensive than traditional cable internet. This is true for people for whom speed and bandwidth are not highly important. But at the same time, one needs to distinguish between business and private use. If your internet use is mainly limited to surfing, sending and receiving e-mails, consulting social media and watching the occasional YouTube video, it is indeed questionable whether fiber optic is a worthwhile investment.
2.
Fiber optic is not yet available everywhere
Availability is (still) the main disadvantage of fiber optic. Almost every neighborhood and every business park by now has DSL - but this does not yet apply to fiber optic. It is a new network that is literally installed for each home or business premises
*Difference Between Fiber and Satellite Network
1. Satellite internet connections suffer from much worse latency and more interference, making it much slower to react than fibre.
2. Fiber is significantly faster than satellite in terms of data transmission. Fiber optic cables are capable of transferring data at speeds up to 100 Gbps, while satellite connections typically max out at around 25 Mbps. This means that fiber can transfer data over 4,000 times faster than a typical satellite connection.