Network Consulting and Engineering Services
DLS Communications Network Solutions and Services (NSS) designs, builds and optimizes business networks. Our engineers have run a production ISP network since 1995 and operate the DLS data center in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, and our recommendations are not tied to any manufacturer.
What Our Network Engineers Do
NSS works on the networks behind your business: the routers, switches, firewalls, servers and connections your phones and applications depend on.
Network Design and Engineering
Requirements planning, network design and hardware, software and systems planning for new sites and redesigns.
Implementation and Project Management
Procurement, lab modeling, scheduling, deployment and acceptance testing, with one DLS project manager.
Performance and Optimization
Analysis of existing networks to find bottlenecks and pain points, and changes that make them faster and more reliable.
Network Security
Firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection and prevention, and filtering, the same technologies DLS runs on its own network.
Servers and Virtualization
Highly available email and database servers built on SAN storage and virtualization.
Data Center Integration
Connecting your network to colocation, dedicated or virtual servers in the DLS data center in Lake in the Hills.
Why Vendor-Neutral Consulting Matters
Many technology consultants also sell the hardware and software they recommend. That creates a conflict of interest: the trusted adviser has a reason to recommend whatever generates the most profit.
DLS Communications keeps its network recommendations independent of any manufacturer. We recommend what fits your network, your budget and your long-term plans, and we help you get the most from the technology you already own.
Our goal is to become your long-term technology partner and to contribute measurable value throughout the relationship.
Our Four-Step Process
1. Discovery
- Business process audit
- Documentation of existing systems and processes
- Identification of pain points
2. Strategy
- Customer requirements research
- Development of the value proposition
- Solution modeling and network analysis
- Compliance analysis
3. Planning
- Requirements planning
- Network design and engineering
- Hardware, software and systems planning
- Project schedule and budget
4. Implementation
- Project management and administration
- Bid administration and procurement
- Lab modeling
- Scheduling and deployment
- Demonstration and acceptance testing
Experience Built on Running Our Own Network
NSS experience comes from operating real networks, not only consulting on them. Since 1995 DLS has built and run a regional Internet service provider network, delivering business and residential access over T-1, T-3, ADSL, fixed wireless, Giga-MAN and Opt-E-MAN.
DLS operates its own data center in Lake in the Hills, in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, with routing, VPNs, intrusion detection and prevention, spam and virus filtering, and highly available servers built on SAN and virtualization technologies, using equipment from Cisco Systems and HP.
DLS also designed and operated a fixed wireless broadband network that grew to 26 towers along the Fox River Valley, all deployed by the DLS installation team. That business was later sold, but the RF and network engineering experience stayed with our team.
Since 2009 the NSS group has applied that experience to customer networks, with consultants certified in Cisco, Unix and Microsoft technologies.
Network Consulting FAQ
Vendor-neutral consulting means the recommendations are not tied to selling a particular manufacturer’s equipment. DLS Communications recommends the hardware and design that fit your network and budget.
Network design and engineering, implementation and project management, performance optimization, network security, servers and virtualization, and integration with the DLS data center in Lake in the Hills, Illinois.
Every project follows four steps: discovery, strategy, planning and implementation, from a business process audit through deployment and acceptance testing.
DLS Communications is based at 950 E. Oak Street, Lake in the Hills, Illinois, in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, where it also operates its own data center.
DLS has operated its own production network since 1995 and formed the Network Solutions and Services group in 2009.
Let's Talk About Your Network
Tell us about your network and what you need it to do, and a DLS network engineer will follow up. Or call 800-323-2099.