networking

Connectivity for UK SMEs: FTTP vs Leased Line, SLAs, and 4G/5G Failover

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Choosing the right connectivity involves weighing performance, resilience, and cost. In the UK, gigabit-capable networks are increasingly accessible, with 87% of homes covered. Full-fibre availability is at 78%, impacting speed and pricing for SMEs. Ofcom’s guidelines emphasize service level agreements (SLAs) on speed and repair times, urging clarity for consumers. Businesses should evaluate FTTP for lower costs and variable speeds, whereas leased lines offer consistent performance for critical applications, albeit at higher costs. Understanding connectivity options is crucial for effective decision-making.

Wi‑Fi & VoIP That Don’t Break: Practical QoS for Small Offices

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Clear QoS rules help maintain predictable voice and video performance in environments with competing bandwidth demands. Employing techniques such as DSCP marking, WMM, and WAN queueing can prioritize real-time traffic effectively. The guidelines outline steps for marking at the source, preserving DSCP, shaping traffic, isolating guest Wi-Fi, and monitoring performance, ensuring optimized network conditions for communication applications.

IT Project & Systems Integration for a National Maintenance Company

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A national boiler‑maintenance company in France had acquired 40+ independent firms. The country CEO (non‑technical) needed control over fast‑growing servers, networks, providers and services—serving ~300 concurrent users out of 1,200 employees, including field technicians. I was hired to take end‑to‑end responsibility for IT coordination and integration, excluding budget ownership and group reporting. I coordinated vendors, unified systems, migrated data, maintained operations, recruited a Level‑1 technician and supervised his monitoring project. Outcome: a unified, governable IT landscape, smooth migrations with operational continuity, and a platform ready for the parent group’s later datacentre move.

IT Migration & Harmonisation for a Swiss Design School

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A Swiss design and architecture school — administratively attached to a French group — needed a structured migration and harmonisation into the group’s environment. This was not a crisis, nor a hardware refresh. It was competence‑led: assessment, standardisation, VPN integration, centralised apps (TSE/Citrix), and secure, accountable printing—delivered with no hardware sales. The cutover was smooth; users (faculty, students, admin) experienced a consistent workspace and management gained visibility without disruption.

Cable Management & Infrastructure Tidying: One-Day Turnaround

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A mid-sized printing company faced recurring network issues and slow interventions due to years of unmanaged cabling: inconsistent labelling, mixed patch standards, and cluttered server racks. Brought in as hands‑on technical reinforcement, I did not replace hardware. I restored order: reorganised racks, re‑labelled core links, standardised patching, removed unsafe/abandoned cables, and documented everything. In one day, engineers (telecoms and systems) could troubleshoot confidently, reduce accidental outage risk, and the management team regained control—without major capital spend, just method, structure, and attention to detail.