Differences Between Consumer and Business class Networking Products

Differences Between Consumer and Business class Networking Products

Small businesses looking to upgrade their IT networks. Consumer class product is cheap and delivery does not serve the purpose of businesses expectations. This is really not a good practice for a couple of reasons. Except for small startup, consumer class equipment like you find in the big box is not up to the standards of the enterprise-class equipment businesses really need. Additionally, you are limiting your organization and its capabilities by using consumer class hardware.

Why Not Use Consumer-Class Hardware In Your Business Network?

You get what you pay for.

Consumer-class network equipment is most likely to fail, and more often. Most low-priced consumer class electronics equipment is built to much less rigorous specs and is not able to keep up the volume of data traffic, temperatures, and 24/7 operating stress of a business environment. Consumer Class network switches you may not have certain level of control or advanced analytical functionalities what’s going on as far as traffic, suspicious activity and other security-related concerns.  Low cost means lower build quality and a massively decreased functioning lifespan.

They’re made to be thrown away

An average homeowner isn’t looking five years down their household’s broadband usage may change over time.  Manufacturer knows that customer are just picking up a router that will work right now.

Beyond the higher probability of hardware failure, consumer-class network equipment is not upgradeable. It has to be replaced with new one. That means even more trips to Best Buy over the years.

Warranty and support issues.

If you’re currently using a consumer-class router, you might want to take its warranty. Many of these low-cost routers clearly excluded from business use in the warranty, certainly due to the greater demands of a business network.

Even if the warranty doesn’t exclude office use, be prepared for long waiting time on hold if you need support from OEM. Unlike business-class network hardware, there’s no priority access and your call is probably being routed overseas and you may get the replacement after 2 or 3 weeks.

Security issues.

consumer network hardware can’t compete is in the kingdom of system security. Most home systems offer basic WPA2 encryption, with few other options, and no offerings with higher security ratings.

In fact, most can’t even be linked together, meaning every security policy change has to be manually implemented on each piece of equipment.

Read our Guide on Ubiquiti Business Class Wi-Fi

What’s on the inside matters. Really!

Most consumer-class hardware is designed to be hardly suitable for the needs being filled because a router is a disposable hardware to most customers. On the other hand, business-class networking equipment is designed to meet the performance demands of business needs with the future in mind so your operations have room to grow.

Know The Difference!

There are still businesses using consumer class hardware in their offices, but that doesn’t mean you should too! The huge differences in overall reliability, security, and long-term utility make consumer-class equipment far more trouble than it’s worth, despite the lower prices.

Only Business-class hardware is going to have advanced functionality that you need to give you the type of quality performance that you, your employees and ultimately your entire business can depend on.