Errors are bound to arise on any network environment. No matter how well your systems may be set up, the slightest hitch at any point could render large numbers of clients incapacitated if you don’t take a proactive stance on monitoring and reporting. Network Management Software can be a great aid in protecting your environment against unnecessary problems, but having a clear procedure in place and knowing what to look for – and how to take care of it in time – is as essential as the software itself. In this blog, we take a look at a few ways ISPs can leverage your Network Monitoring Software to proactively address potential threats, and turn them into opportunities.

Proactivity is your best line of defense

Arguably the greatest strength of Network Monitoring Software is its ability to gather and process network data and use it to predict the state of your environment in abnormal conditions. Gathering detailed device and user usage data can be extremely useful in this regard – not only as a means of accurately predicting bandwidth usage at different times, but also as a marketing and sales tool. Many users are may be oversubscribed, or may be unsatisfied with their service without realising they’re due for upgrade. Knowing when customers are at these vital stages is invaluable as a tool for upselling customers and maintaining consistent levels of service satisfaction.

Maintain a core-to-consumer approach

Your Network Monitoring Software should be configured to provide a core-outwards approach to your environment to maintain enough bandwidth in case of emergency. It’s an easy principle to follow – focus from your core outward. Your protocols should constantly be revised based on the insights of your Network Monitoring Software reports, but once you’re happy with the state of your core, move on to provisioning for your edge devices, and finally your consumers. Following this methodology will ensure maximum bandwidth availability and safeguard your network against a host of potential threats.

Make your data work in your favour

Negative reports don’t always have to be bad news – repeated errors like high latency and buffer overflow could mean there are faults on your line, but there’s an equal chance it could be a fault on a customer’s router, or anything in between. If you have customers who are consistently complaining about lack of service and consistent bottlenecking or errors on their line, use the opportunity to upsell or cross-sell to them – there’s a good chance you could solve their problem and bring them back as satisfied customers.

Router errors might not be immediately identifiable, so make sure you take the time to evaluate each case in its own context before recommending a new product – the value of offering call-centre or on-call support is self-evident here, as knowing exactly what your customers are experiencing is an easy way of getting to the root of the problem.

Get to grips with your network environment

Knowing how to leverage your network data for a competitive advantage is essential for any ISP to prosper in the modern business landscape. Choosing the right Network Monitoring Software is essential, as is knowing how to use it to its full potential. For more information on how to ensure you’re getting the most out of your Network Monitoring Software, download a free copy of our Network Manager’s Guide to a Stable and Highly Available Network today.

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