By Geoff Griswold
Many hotels budget for IT
equipment upgrades and replacements at the start of each year. Sometimes the budget is for specific items,
such as new workstations for certain departments or people. Other times, a lump sum is allocated, the
exact use to be determined by specific needs during the year.
1. Modems and Routers
Where a general budget exists, there are certain items that should
receive priority when upgrading.
Internet modems and routers are sometimes overlooked items
that need
replacing. Dropped signals or slow
performance can be because of faulty equipment. These items are
readily available at the retail level or from your
Internet provider.
Be aware that installing replacement modems and/or routers
may require
reviewing the settings in the existing equipment. There
can be several layers of settings, so
be sure that all of them have been documented before the new equipment
is
installed. Refer to the in-house IT
department or the Internet provider for more information.
As a general rule, do
not press the reset button on these devices as
this will erase any custom settings and restore the devices to the
factory
settings. In some cases this might be
fine, but in others required customized settings will be lost.
Not all modems/routers have the same functionality.
Be sure that replacement items have the
required features for the installation.
The equipment replacement costs of a modem and a router
can be as little
as $100 (both units). Replacing this
equipment every three years can prevent frustration when trying to surf
the Web
or send and receive e-mail.
2. Servers
It may seem obvious that a server is critical to many applications,
but sometimes servers can be ignored in the upgrade process, until
serious
problems develop. While replacing an
entire server can be expensive, critical components can be upgraded at
significantly lower costs.
Most all servers have some kind of a RAID array of disks (more than
one disk that is spreading the data over several disks to provide
redundancy). In this scenario, one disk
can fail but the others will keep the server going.
When a disk fails, a warning message is
displayed. Also, the lights on the
failed disk will be red, while the functioning disk�s lights will be
green. One or more of these disks can be
replaced. The RAID software will rebuild
the data on the new disk(s).
It is possible to replace all the disks in the server, thus increasing
capacity and speed.
The controller board can also be replaced if it is considered
defective. Older style SCSI drives can
be replaced by the more up-to-date SATA drive technology.
Care in preserving the data should be taken
when changing technologies.
3. RAM
Another item that can easily be upgraded on a server is RAM
(Random Access Memory). A server
should have a minimum of 1 GB of RAM. Be sure to
match up the memory type and speed exactly, as trying to mix
speeds/types can
cause performance problems.
4. Printers and Fax
Machines
Printers and fax machines are mundane pieces of equipment that are
often
overlooked when budgeting for upgrades/replacements.
Many users live with the annoyance for missed
faxes and jammed paper. But replacement
units have become extremely affordable.
Three-in-one units that print, scan and copy can be purchased for under
$100. Four in ones (add fax capabilities)
can be purchased for as little as $150.
This is for ink jet technology, which is slower and not a
crisp as laser
jet technology, which is available on higher end machines.
Always purchase a unit with a sheet document
feeder.
The placement of a multifunction unit is always a problem in an office
environment. It can be hard to determine
a convenient place for multiple people to send/receive faxes, print and
also
use the scanner and copier. It is best
to purchase a unit that has a network card built in rather than having
the unit
attached to a workstation. While this
connection
optimizes printing, scanning may require a software upgrade.
At today�s low prices, it may be best to purchase two units, one to
print, copy and scan, and a standalone fax.
The fax can also double as a printer.
5. Workstations
Everyone would like to have a faster, more modern workstation. While the budget does not always permit a
brand new computer, there are a few simple things that can be done to
improve
existing workstations.
Dull,
boxy CRT monitors have given way to
sleek flat screen
models. Existing CRT
type monitors can be replaced with 17-inch or 19-inch
analog flat screens for under $200. It
is usually not necessary to replace the video card in the existing
workstation,
but even if it is, the cost can be as low as $50.
RAM
on a workstation can be upgraded for as little as
$35. A minimum of 512 MB of RAM
should be considered, but 1 GB should be
preferred.
No matter what
upgrade project you undertake this year, the
results will be worthwhile and will last for several years to come.
Geoff Griswold is a
hardware and wiring specialist for the Omni Group
and a regular contributor to Hospitality Upgrade. Geoff can be reached
at (888)
960-8787 or [email protected].
� Hospitality Upgrade, 2008. No reproduction or transmission
without written permission.
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