Local network selection criteria

With over 200 manufacturers of local networks or local network products currently identified, a potential local network purchaser certainly has a wide selection of vendors from which to choose. Various topologies, control structures, media, access control techniques, and other local network items may be appropriate for the environment in which one's local network will be installed. Many local networks allow equipment of differing design or manufacturer to communicate; support the phased introduction of other system elements; allow for ease of reconfiguration; reduce duplication of resources; provide for smoother growth; and offer a more accurate alignment of the individual elements' usage patterns. To correctly choose the local network or networks that will most completely offer these types of benefits, careful evaluation of the various offerings must be made. This article identifies the most important factors to consider when selecting a local network The selection criteria are listed in alphabetical order, because their individual ranking or importance is a function of the particular application requirements of the purchasing organization. The first steps in the selection process are to identify current and future applications that will use the network; correlate the applications, organized by rank or weighting factor, against the selection criteria; and then develop a set of appropriately weighted selection criteria to use In the evaluation of candidate local networks.