Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a web-first application so your internet connection becomes an important factor in how the system performs.
At Fenwick, we understand the current demand for a reliable broadband network. We update new systems with old, and we want our clients to get the most out of their new system. One way is to ensure Business Central runs on a good internet connection.
Benefits of good internet connection for Business Central
Speed, leading to increased productivity
The NBN (for example) provides a faster connection to the web. Older ADSL connections can leave users waiting for pages to load throughout their working day.
To ensure fast connection, your internet’s round-trip latency needs to be low. This is how quickly you receive a reply when you make a request, or, the time it takes for a message to go from your PC to the Cloud.
Under 50 milliseconds is an ideal ping to run web-based services like Business Central. A good internet connection is better positioned to achieve lower latencies. Internet intensive activities such as downloading large reports can be done in a matter of seconds or minutes.
Running effective cloud-based services
The cloud has transformed modern enterprises, giving users the ability access data from any device connected to the internet. Connecting to the a good internet connection provides better connectivity to cloud-based services.
Fenwick Cloud, our cloud-based Business Central system, runs without the overhead of managing servers and infrastructure. To get the full benefit of the service, your company needs to have good connection which new broadband technologies, like the NBN, provide.
The NBN provides a reliable connection
Australia’s NBN aims to connect eight million homes and businesses by 2020. Their goal is to provide fast and stable internet access to all Australians.
Business Central can operate without the National Broadband Network (NBN), but running your system over a good connection will deliver a better experience compared to older ADSL connections.
Older ADSL networks were never designed for transferring large amounts of data and are now impacting businesses trying to operate in mainly web-based environments.
New broadband technologies like the NBN provide a more stable and reliable connection for businesses to run their systems on.
Reliable usage of online services
NBN’s higher download and upload speeds ensures efficient use of cloud-based programs like SharePoint or Azure File Storage.
The NBN can also promise improved usage of our add-on products such as Office 365, or Power BI, giving you instant access to business reporting and analytics.
Dynamics NAV, affected too
A bad internet connection also affects Dynamics NAV. If you’re operating internationally, or across multiple sites, you’ll want a strong internet connection to minimize lag and frustration for your users.
Older versions of Dynamics NAV were much more temperamental when it came to intermittent or slow internet connections, requiring a ping of 1-10ms. The newer versions of Business Central have been optimized to run over the internet up to several hundred milliseconds.
Slower internet costs more time
Continuing to run Business Central on an older connection will lead to a slower performance of the system. This means decreased productivity for you and increased development time for us.
In an emergency, the time it takes us to assist will be hampered by poor internet. Sometimes, we’re forced to work slower as the connection is unstable or slow. Even if we know how to fix an issue, we’re slowed down waiting for something to load or download.
What if the internet goes down?
If your Business Central runs as a cloud-based service, we recommend having a backup connection, such as a 4G or 5G service. If your internet fails without a backup in place, it’s tools down!
