Managed Router and Firewall Services

The main causes of unplanned network downtime are; power outages, router maintenance (upgrades / configuration errors), link failures (fiber cuts / network congestion) and router failure (software or hardware faults / DoS attacks).

Fastmetrics proactively monitors the managed routers and managed firewall services we provide. We configure, setup, test, upgrade and offer complex troubleshooting. We make router setup and monitoring effortless.

Managed routers and switches are the foundation of network infrastructure. It is paramount routers function properly to avoid expensive downtime. Router management can be complex with today’s networks. Failing to properly setup, monitor, maintain, and secure devices can put business network security at risk.

Managed router service is a solution. With more than 20 years of experience in delivering high performance network services, Fastmetrics is a trusted managed services provider for San Francisco Bay Area and USA businesses. We bring network knowledge to solve complex router issues.

Your router is the gateway to your network. So we make business router and network security a top priority. Hackers, security threats and DDoS / DoS attacks are constant, always looking for vulnerabilities. Managed firewall service is a solution. However, routers and dedicated firewalls must be maintained and monitored to protect critical information and data. Outsourcing firewall management is a cost-effective solution to improved network security.

Your router is the gateway to your network. So we make business router and network security a top priority. Hackers, security threats and DDoS / DoS attacks are constant, always looking for vulnerabilities. Managed firewall service is a solution. However, routers and dedicated firewalls must be maintained and monitored to protect critical information and data. Outsourcing firewall management is a cost-effective solution to improved network security.

Business data generated and gathered on a daily basis — whether by services, products or customers — is invaluable. This makes proactively protecting data an ongoing priority. Managed routers and firewalls play an important role is protecting network and data security.

Taking a more multifaceted approach in protecting your business internet security ensures that you’re protected against detected external threats, by denying access in the first place. Think of common sense and your internal internet activity protocol as the front lines of defense. On the other end, anti-virus software paired with other measures (such as firewalls and managed routers) — provide an added layer of security on the back end.

Identify and Block Unwanted Traffic

Firewalls are essentially that: walls preventing access, blocking unwanted traffic or threats. Taking the form of either software or hardware, firewalls put up a barrier between your network and outside traffic, granting administrators with the ability to monitor everything that flows in and out of your dedicated internet access plan. At the entry point of your established network, a firewall is configured to block or allow access to individuals, based on predetermined firmware rule sets. If the required criteria are not met upon attempting to enter [or exit], traffic will be turned away. Access will be restricted (unless otherwise approved). This monitoring and control of traffic are made possible through tactics that include packet filtering, proxy service, stateful inspection, and circuit-level gateway firewalls.

Reduce IT Support Workload With Managed Routers

While a firewall monitors the exchange of data packets, a businesses’ router is the device directing this data from one network to another. Managed routers serve as the foundation to any network infrastructure; bringing a team’s internet usage to a screeching halt at the first sign of malfunction. In understanding the importance of managed routers for protecting your small business, it’s important to focus on the word "managed". With dedicated router management, the need for IT support is limited, if not eliminated altogether. More importantly, a managed services provider helps to prevent company downtime through proper configuration, setup, testing, verification, and ongoing monitoring.

Protect Your Business Data

Cisco reports that 31% of organizations have experienced some kind of cyber attack on their operational technology infrastructure. Nowadays, it’s becoming less a matter of if companies will experience a breach in data, and more a matter of when. When considering that business data encompasses not just internal, operational information, but customer details as well, the potential impact of a cyber attack could be devastating. For small businesses in the early stages of their development, these types of situations can make or break long-term success.

Use Firewalls To Control Internal Network Usage

Firewalls can be configured to prevent those on a network from visiting, viewing, or downloading specific websites and pages online. This assists avoiding potential cyber security threats online from an internal network.

Prevent Unnecessary Downtime

The more time spent recovering from cyber attacks, the less time spent furthering your business goals. If you don’t have the time or resources internally to manage network services, consider outsourcing related tasks. Complex networks (and all of the nuances at play when it comes to protecting them) can make for more involved, complex small business router setup. With what’s at risk (should these pieces of hardware and software fail), your business can’t afford to figure it out as you go. Properly functioning routers managed by experienced network services teams help you prevent unnecessary downtime, allowing teams more time to focus on the day-to-day.

Before settling on the best business router, there are a handful of managed router considerations worth taking into account. Take stock of the following solutions available as you work through how to choose a router and connectivity that’ll set your team up for success.

Wireless Routers vs. Wired Routers

Some argue that the best wired router beats the best wireless router. For anyone who’s ever experienced a dropped connection while using a WiFi network, it’s easy to understand why. There are also more security concerns when using wireless networks.

Router Security In A Wireless World

In a wireless world, security has become top-of-mind for a reason. With a wired network, you’re using bandwidth specific to your connection. Wireless networks are designed to be shared — leaving users more vulnerable to attacks. This is why there are so many dos and don’ts to consider when it comes to public WiFi. The shared nature of WiFi can also impact speed. Depending on business needs, the ability to download and upload efficiently, is likely something that may require a dedicated connection such as fiber optic Internet or dedicated Ethernet, which are also far more secure.

Router Reliability

With a wired router, you’re either plugged into the port or you’re not. There are fewer variables to weigh in connectivity issues. When connected through a wireless router, distance from said router and other outside disturbances are more likely to impede the reliability of your connectivity. Granted, that same risk is also what’s appealing about wireless — you don’t have to be tethered to your desk in order to keep your internet. And it’s because of this that many companies will choose managed router setups that cater to both wired and wireless connectivity options. Should one network fail, there’s always a backup at the ready to ensure that small business operations never skip a beat.

Level of Security Needed

Depending on the type of business you run, the level of security needed on behalf of a managed router solution may be of utmost importance. If your business gathers and regularly transmits large volumes of data, for example, you’ll want to make sure the back end is set up with the right kind of firewall to prevent a breach. Firewall complexity will inevitably increase as the volume and frequency of data shared across networks and employees grows. If your employee base boasts its fair share of remote workers, this is also something worth investing more in from a security standpoint so that those offsite are able to work within easily manageable and monitored environments.

Size Of Office & Business

Both office and business size — two factors that typically go hand in hand — will factor into the type of managed router solution best suited for your team’s needs. The larger the square footage you’re working with, for example, the more consideration you’ll need to give for the volume and power of any WiFi hot spots installed. If tethered to physical cables, you’ll need to organize the office setting in a way that allows all employees to easily connect and gain access from their individual desk spaces. The number of employees will also have an impact on your team’s managed router solution of choice. A greater volume of employees will generally lead to a greater volume and frequency of internet usage, so you should be prepared to account for such, in addition to scaling for the future. Being proactive in these areas will save more time and money in the long run from being wasted on continuous installs, updates, and unwanted downtime.

Business ITC Budget

There’s a managed router solution available for just about every business ICT budget. You just have to be realistic about whether you’re looking for something that’s good enough for right now, or worth investing in for future growth. In most instances, making a substantial investment in the best small business router upfront can pay off with regards to long-term savings. However, be realistic about what your business really needs to achieve its decided goals. Take a long, hard look at what is and isn’t working with your current internet setup to determine how possible improvements made could positively impact your business’s bottom line down the road.