FS Multi-Branch Network Solution: How It Gets You to Ultra Unified Network Experience?

Imagine managing a network spread across a myriad of branches, each like a single star in a vast galaxy. It’s complex, massive, and without the right system, it can become downright chaotic. An efficient network solution is crucial in creating a seamless digital ecosystem, whether it's a sprawling campus network or a multinational retail chain. FS annually supports over 10,000 campus network clients, thoroughly understanding the complexities they face during network development and dedicated to providing effective solutions to these challenges.

Why Are Your Current Network Solutions Not Working?

For any business owner, opening a new branch is an important milestone. It gets even more special when you go on to open your third, fourth and subsequent branches. A new branch means signing a new lease, employing more staff, and having to divide your time between locations. It also means investing in more IT infrastructure such as switches, gateways, cameras and APs. This will cause your existing network solutions to face numerous challenges that may impede seamless connectivity and efficient network management. The following is not an exhaustive list:

• Cost Control: The initial network deployment often opts for a varied assortment of vendors at different network layers. This multi-vendor strategy brings forth a myriad of supplier licensing complexities, compounded by high equipment replacement costs. Furthermore, network downtime often requires expensive on-site technical support, driving up operational costs.

• Lack of Uniformity: Then, mixing product lines can result in inconsistent command interfaces and protocols, challenging product identification and complicating operations. This non-uniformity makes it harder for technicians to learn and troubleshoot quickly, slowing down network repair times, critical for any expanding business.

• Complexity in Management: Each branch site stands as a unique entity requiring individual configuration and business debugging. This repetitive deployment siphons considerable energy and time, straining precious human resources. In instances of a site failure, the challenges mount with the need for remote troubleshooting and precise fault localization. If not managed properly, further network outages can result.

• Unstable Network: Stability is a pillar of any enterprise network, yet often, branches grapple with disruptions stemming from a variety of issues ranging from synchronous terminal device connection needs to sporadic power disruptions. With the rapid pace of network evolution, there's a constant pressure for equipment upgrades to keep up with technological advancements—all of which can cause temporary business standstills.

• Security Concerns: Adding to the litany of challenges is the grim prospect of network security. Traditional branch office equipment typically links the site directly back to headquarters and lacks robust security configurations. Such vulnerability lays open the avenue for network attacks, putting business revenue and sensitive data at grave risk.

  

To address these issues and ensure a secure and efficient multi-branch network for a campus or enterprise, it's important to consider solutions such as strong vendors, improved wireless technologies (like Wi-Fi 6), upgraded security devices and network management. Consulting with networking experts who specialize in campus environments can lead to a tailored solution that meets the specific needs of your multi-branch network.

How FS Is Working to Enable Customers in the Challenges

For campus and branch network deployments, we have multi-branch network solutions. Enables operational simplicity and flexibility by providing a highly synchronized system that coordinates multiple aspects of a multi-site network. When opting for FS Multi-Branch Network Solution, businesses unlock several benefits aligned across 6 key dimensions:

Unified OS for Unrivaled Stability

Unlocking peak network performance across campus branch networks begins with the deployment of FS switches powered with PicOS® operating system. PicOS® features a unified command line interface designed to flatten the learning curve and enhance user-friendliness, ensuring effortless management and operation.

Beyond simplicity, PicOS® is equipped with support for industry-standard protocols like LLDP, voice VLAN, VRRP and BFD. It can be easily compatible with legacy switches from Cisco, Juniper, Arista, HPE, Aruba and other companies in the existing network environment, promoting device interoperability. That means you don’t have to swap out everything at once, you can upgrade gradually, building by building, floor by floor, or however you best see fit. Plus PicOS® is reasonably priced, making it easy to meet your capex and opex goals easily and performs well over a 5-year investment cycle.

Simplify Network Management

The AmpCon™ network controller is a key component of the FS multi-branch network solution, offering a streamlined approach to deploying and configuring enterprise edge switches. Its Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP), automated deployment, along with maintenance and management capabilities, significantly reduces human errors during large-scale rollouts and system upgrades. The controller facilitates effortless, one-click deployment and configuration for thousands of remote access switches. Imagine it as a more user-friendly and simpler version of the Cisco DNA Center, but with the added benefit of substantially lowering operational expenses and boosting the efficiency of network management. Additionally, thorough pre-deployment testing is essential, and PicOS-V, the complimentary virtual machine edition of PicOS®, allows network managers to perform extensive evaluations before going live and verify the configuration of switches without any risk.

Incorporate Industry-Leading Broadcom Chips

To meet the needs of various network scales, FS has launched a cutting-edge switch lineup featuring the robust S5860 series and N8560 series. These switches use a unified Broadcom chip to increase compatibility between devices while simplifying the management experience. Experience rapid data transfer rates, reduced latency, and intensified throughput to ensure your network is running at peak performance.

Fortifying Networks with Redundancy

To replace the traditional stacking method, the S5860 series switches support the MLAG protocol after being equipped with the PicOS® system. This advanced protocol allows you to implement redundant interconnect designs, offering more stable connections, increased bandwidth, and greater scalability. It also provides the network with robust failover capabilities, ensuring uninterrupted performance even during peak demand times or when link failures occur.

Furthermore, these switches are designed with high availability in mind, featuring hot-swappable power supplies and redundant fans to ensure continuous operation. Among them, the S5860-24XB-U model is an exceptional PoE++ switch capable of delivering a substantial 90W of power to each port, accommodating the demanding power requirements of devices like Access Points (APs) and cameras. This ensures that your network remains fully operational, consistently supporting your business processes without any interruption.

Elevating Network Security to New Heights

FS reaffirms its commitment to a secure networking environment by equipping its products with a multitude of robust security protocols. Switches come fortified with SSH, ACL, AAA, and 802.1X, while firewalls bolster defenses through IPS, AV, and URL filtering. Even APs are not left behind, with features like WPA3, WIDS, and interference tracking protocols in place, ensuring that the integrity of the entire network remains unbreached.

Customized R&D Services

FS excels with its bespoke R&D capacities, offering clients specialized industrial design and software enhancements that cater to unique operational requirements. Reinforcing this commitment to customer satisfaction, FS manages a network of global warehouses backed by smart logistics systems, enabling the company to expedite over 90% of orders with same-day dispatch. Added to this, a comprehensive suite of testing services, including software, hardware, performance, and proof of concept (POC) tests, stands as a testament to the unwavering reliability of FS products and solutions.

Conclusion

Building an ultra-unified network experience across multiple branches doesn't have to be a herculean effort plagued by bottlenecks and inefficiencies. With FS Multi-Branch Network Solutions, businesses can navigate the complexities of multi-site networking with an effective and streamlined approach. The combination of unified software, central management, high-reliability hardware, and exceptional service benefits positions FS as a forerunner in the networking industry, ready to take your branch network to the next level of operational harmony and productivity.

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