Small Business Network Setup Checklist – Connect Your Business
Did you know that there are currently more devices that connect to the internet than there are people in the world!? There is roughly about 10 billion connections of devices on the internet in today’s day and age, which is absolutely crazy to think about! With that being said, it is almost obvious that your business is requiring connection to the broadband access, and cannot operate without any type of information system.
Today more than ever, businesses are needing to adapt and build a reliable computer network to support your business administration operations. When you are building a small business network, this unfortunately, does not always have the most straightforward template. You may encounter trouble when trying to understand the configuration with some of the components that are required to build your business network. If you are thinking about starting a small business network, the steps in this checklist will reduce the confusion when building or rebuilding your business network, along with other network devices.

Now, before you actually begin to set up a business plan for the success of your small business computer network, there is a little bit of pre planning work that you should take into consideration. The first step when building a network, is to access your office space or the business floor plan and study these. This is a crucial step, as you will need to understand the office floor plan to determine if you have to install network cabling, and if so – where! Wireless access points can support fast network speeds, however, for the best possible performance for your computers and servers on your network, it is recommended that these are hardwired.
The next pre-planning step that you should take into consideration, is to choose an internet provider that will provide your business with plenty of upload speed. Keep in mind, that if you are going to be utilizing cloud technology (such as Microsoft 365), or if you are uploading backups to the cloud, you will want plenty of upload speed. The last step of the pre-planning steps would be to plan your network infrastructure well. Believe me when I say, it is not the easiest task to move network jacks around after the cables have been installed!
Small Business Network Setup Checklist:
To build your business network, you will need, at the very least, a couple of components to get by. These components would take care of the business applications, connectivity, and other properties that your business would require. When you are choosing the right equipment for your small business network, this may be a daunting task, but rest assured as our IT support team is here to help ensure that you choose all the right gear!
Follow our six-step network security checklist to create a better idea of the equipment you may need to set yourself up for business network success.
- Server: As you may know, physical servers focus on your core network. The servers host your line of business applications such as QuickBooks, for example. Network servers also support DNS, user authentications and other network functions which are necessary for computer communications. If you are not using cloud storage for your files, your office network server would be the central storage option. Your network server should be the right size so that you are able to properly support your business network devices and computers. To know exactly the type of network server, storage and security requirements, it is recommended that you inquire with a specialist. Our expert agents from Royer Networks, would happily assess the situation and answer any questions you may have.
- Computer: This may be obvious! But as far as computers go, make sure to choose the right computer on the best budget for you! If you are able, try and ensure that you are following the newest computer specifications that are available, which include at least 8 gigs of memory, and at least 500 gigs of hard drive space. Obviously these are just basic guidelines, but if you choose something higher or similar than these recommendations, it will make for a good business computer. Additionally, you should ensure that your computers are including Windows 10 Professional and not the Windows Home Edition. If you have any questions, you can contact Royer Networks for any specific questions you may have within regards to a computer for your business.
- Firewall / Router: Truth be told, the firewall is by far the MOST important component in your network! The firewall is the ONE thing in your network that will fight all the attacks outside the network that are trying to get into your office network. Firewalls are responsible for scanning the traffic coming in and out of your systems. Don’t be fooled, your business firewall is the first line of defense and effectively fights everything that is trying to get into your network, and protects the users and computers. When it comes to firewalls, this is one of the things you do not want to save money on within your business network. For assistance with your firewall, give our office a call, or check out our cybersecurity page to learn more about firewalls.
- Network infrastructure: For the best possible performance for your business, we advise that you don’t share a single network cable with several computers. You should be making sure that you have one network cable for each device within your network. You should hire an IT company near you to help wire your office network with the appropriate cables, ports, and a patch panel.
- Network Switch: Another important component that is crucial within your network is the network switch! This is responsible for connecting all of your devices in your network together, as it ensures that all your devices recognize each other. It is vital that your network switch is large enough so that there is a network port for each and every device within your network. This means that if you have 10 computers, you should make sure that your network switch has at least 18 network ports.
- Wireless Access Point: The wireless access points are the backbone if your network is in charge of your wireless network. Typically speaking, the size and layout of your office will dictate how many access points you will require in your office. In order to avoid signal issues, it is critical to have the wireless coverage in your office to avoid any issues with the signal of internet. We are here to assist with any wireless surveys for your businesses office.
When you are building a small business network, this can be a puzzling task whether you have done it before or not. Although it is not impossible for a business owner to build a small network, our own recommendation is to always work with a knowledgeable IT company like Royer Networks. Our team of technology experts can offer network setup services to any type of business. As such, this article has been utilized to inform you with good information to build and setup your small business network. As you may know by now, setting up a network is a large project, and we do recommend that you get advice from a trustworthy and professional IT company.
If you have any questions within regards to small business network setup, please feel free to visit our website or contact our office at (301)-788-3107 with any questions you may have!
source https://www.royernetworks.com/small-business-network-setup-checklist/
source https://royernetworks01.tumblr.com/post/631895430813335552
Comments
Post a Comment