Stop the Insanity! Quit Doing These 7 Manual Network Management Tasks

Active network infrastructure management is a key element of any managed service offering.

Traditionally, network management has involved a lot of tedious manual work, making it expensive and very hard to scale. And that’s why many MSPs have shied away from actively managing the network.

But not managing network infrastructure at all is a risk to your business. Your clients likely expect you’re looking after the network whether you’ve promised it or not.

So finding a way to manage network infrastructure efficiently is critical to your MSP success. Here are 7 tasks to stop doing manually because they’re insanely inefficient and potentially damaging to your business.

Stop creating Visio diagrams

Drawing your client’s network map in Visio (or using some other manual method) is incredibly time-consuming. We often hear from MSPs who are spending dozens of engineer hours on Visio diagrams every month.

And what they get for all that effort and expense is a static client map that’s out of date the minute it’s done. How can you troubleshoot a network if you’re looking at an outdated view that’s no longer relevant?

Instead: Auvik’s automated real-time topology gives you an always-current view of the network with zero engineer time.

Stop backing up configurations manually

Many MSPs are quick to think about backing up client data but are less rigorous when it comes to backing up the configuration of network infrastructure devices.

Config backups tend to be on a periodic schedule (say, once a month), and your technicians have to remember and take the time to do them. There are lots of places where the process can fall down.

Yet the risk of not doing configuration backups is huge. If your client’s router or switch fails and you don’t have those device configs backed up, you’ll be scrambling while the client fumes. How long will it take you to rebuild the configurations from scratch?

Instead: Auvik automatically monitors and backs up your network infrastructure configurations every time a change is made. Zero stress, zero engineer time.

Stop tracing wires by hand

Early in her career, one of our network pros here at Auvik worked a summer job for a mid-sized engineering firm. The company’s network maps and documentation were three years out of date and she was given the task of updating the information. She spent weeks tracing cables by hand and logging port destinations into Excel.

It was very slow, very expensive, and—let’s face it— prone to human error.

Sound familiar? Rolling trucks for your techs to crawl through dusty closets, under desks, and up into ceiling tiles is hugely inefficient.

Instead: Auvik automatically maps every connection and port on a client network. It’s fast, it’s accurate, and it’s always current. (Dust bunnies not included.)

Stop keeping client passwords on sticky notes

More than 80% of MSPs store client passwords on Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, homegrown databases, and unprotected fields in their CRM or PSA system*.

Not only is that a major security issue, but when you store access information in a Word doc or on a wiki, it’s an administrative nightmare when an employee leaves your company. If you’re conscientious about that potential security gpa, you’ll change all the passwords the person had access to. Talk about a time sink.

Instead: Auvik securely manages credentials and user access for all your client network infrastructure. Each team member has instant access to the information they need to get the job done—and nothing more.

Stop using the CLI for everything

Oh, the command-line interface. It’s a powerful tool in many respects but one that’s remained largely untouched despite decades of improvements in usability and design. We get that the CLI can be important as a network data source but it doesn’t have to be the only way you can access information.

Manually querying one device at a time and trying to parse and correlate the flood of information that flows back means important details can be missed. Not to mention how time-consuming a process it is.

Instead: Auvik’s beautiful and intuitive design shows you exactly the information you need in a way that’s easy to understand. And if you really need the CLI, Auvik can get you there— quickly.

Stop wasting time trying to remotely access network infrastructure

Traditionally, of course, MSPs would travel on-site to maintain or troubleshoot network infrastructure gear. Now we have tools that help us do that work remotely.

Using a hodgepodge of screenshare, documentation, and SSH/Telnet client tools works—but oh, what a pain! Find a box you can remote into that’s not currently in use, track down the IP addresses for the device, pull up the passwords…. And, of course, your documentation is perfectly up date, right?

Instead: With one click, Auvik pulls up a terminal window and logs you into the network infrastructure device of your choosing. Day-to-day, this saves your techs a lot of time. In troubleshooting situations where you need to act quickly, it can be a lifesaver.

Stop doing manual network inventory and assessments

Finding network devices and recording all the serial numbers, makes, models, and firmware versions is an extremely tedious task that often gets ignored. But I can’t stress how important it is during your client prospecting and onboarding.

It’s far too easy to take a quick look around and estimate the complexity of the environment—then realize later you’re in over your head.

If you don’t have an accurate inventory of all the assets before you take on the client, you could be inaccurately quoting them for your services. Think of an environment that is twice as big than you thought. Oops!

Or imagine a client has really old infrastructure in dying need of a refresh but refuses to take your recommendation to upgrade it. Clearly not a recipe for success!

Instead: Auvik automatically shows you exactly what you’ll be dealing with in a potential client’s environment.

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To test Auvik’s remote management features for yourself, sign up for a free 14-day trial and get full access to your network from the comfort of your desk.