I sometimes get the opportunity to visit a company and review their network for possible improvements. This is one of the more enjoyable aspects of my job, since I get to see how different companies set up their networks. However, I often run into recurring things that can be applied to most businesses, some of which seem obvious and some not.
It’s strange, “best practices” seem to be oddly proprietary or hidden inside product literature. They can also be contradictory.
Therefore, compiled here is a list of items that I’ve come to understand as best practices for infrastructure and core network services. There are certainly exceptions to the topics in this list and may not fit all organizations, especially those with large or complicated requirements.
However, if your network is an exception, at least think about why that is the case, and make an educated decision. After all, that is what an engineer or architect role is all about.
Categories
Each of these items will be simple blog posts, which may become disorganized over time. Each topic is listed here as an attempt to structure the list for easy navigation. More topics can also be added in the future.
Network Services
Network Infrastructure
- Routing (future)
- Switching
- VLANs and VTP
- Spanning-Tree (future)
- Supporting Protocols (future)
- Wireless
- Firewall (future)
Active Directory
- Active Directory Globals (future)
- Group Policy (future)
General Systems Design
- IP Addressing (future)