What Is the Impact of an Internet Outage on Business?

Dropouts and outages can be extremely costly and frustrating for companies wanting to get on with daily operations for both WiFi and wired networks. There are many reasons for an internet outage, and some can be mitigated, whilst others may happen without fault of your set-up.

Line faults, natural disasters, hardware failures and cyber-attacks are just some of the reasons for an internet outage. No connection can be fully guaranteed, which is why it is essential for businesses to have the correct measures in place and to be aware of the potential impacts of an outage to minimise the risks.

How Internet Outages Affect Businesses

An internet outage can significantly impact a business, reducing productivity as employees cannot respond to emails, transfer files, or access data. In warehouses, an internet outage can bring processes to a halt, as items cannot be picked, packed or shipped without access to systems and data.

 

For hospitality industries such as cafes, pubs, restaurants, and hotels, an internet outage can impact day-to-day operations and payment methods, as some card machines require internet connectivity. All these issues can lower employee morale due to unmet job requirements. It can also mean dissatisfied customers.

Customers expect fast, reliable service, so a slow or unavailable website or services can result in revenue loss and damage the business’s reputation. An internet outage could be a real problem for the care industry, which is why hospitals and care homes have robust and reliable backup solutions in place if an outage occurs.

Downtime can lead to financial losses and decreased output, underlining the tangible impact on business operations. Companies should plan for network failovers and implement backup solutions to mitigate these impacts, ensuring protection and resiliency.

Network support that provides proactive monitoring is always a good idea for businesses, as issues can often be spotted and rectified before users notice. If not, a backup plan can be triggered quickly in response to the outage.

How to Prevent Downtime

So, is there a way to prevent downtime? Well, there are specific measures you can put in place to ensure a backup plan, such as setting up a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) that provides backup power during outages or fluctuations.

It contains batteries that supply power to your devices when the main power fails. A continuous power supply keeps your modem, router, and essential devices running during power outages, maintaining internet connectivity.

A UPS can also provide a graceful shutdown, which allows time to save work and shut down devices properly during prolonged outages. This prevents data loss and ensures servers and network equipment continue operating, which is crucial for business continuity.

A UPS system ensures stable internet access and protects your devices during power disturbances.

If you’re experiencing internet speed or connectivity issues, there may be better solutions than simply installing an additional or leased line.

Consider these alternatives:

Improve WiFi Signal: Use multiple WiFi routers, WiFi boosters, or optimise your router’s location. This can be done with a site survey and the use of WiFi heatmap tools, which will highlight deadzones and high traffic areas.

Upgrade Your Connection: If download speed is an issue, consider upgrading to a faster line, such as moving from DSL to fibre, rather than adding another line which may still need to fix speed issues.

Consult Experts: A detailed survey by specialists can identify the root cause of your issues and recommend tailored solutions.

Backup: Implement SD-WAN for multiple simultaneous internet connections to improve performance and resilience. Maintain backup equipment like routers, switches, and firewalls, configured in high availability mode to take over in case of failures.

Use UPS Systems: Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems provide backup power during outages, protect against power disturbances, and ensure business continuity.

Professional WiFi and Network Services

Regularly monitoring and maintaining your network infrastructure is crucial to prevent issues. This includes updating firmware and software, performing regular data backups, and ensuring up-to-date security measures to protect against cyber-attacks.

Having a reliable network support team, like Performance Networks, is invaluable. We can quickly diagnose and resolve problems, minimising downtime and ensuring smooth business operations.

By proactively managing your network and implementing these strategies, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of internet downtime and maintain a reliable, resilient internet connection.