Building a Small Office Network

Imagine a workplace where no employee is isolated in their own workstation.  Is the saying “working together” applicable in your small business?  Technologically speaking, this means connecting your employees’ workstation for faster communication and coordination.  Setting up a small business network may seem like a very overwhelming task to do.  However, a network is important for a small business especially if that business has more than one computer. Building a small office network will allow you to share files, printers, scanners and access to the internet at a click of a mouse.  

Once you have decided to build a small office network, it is wise to consult a contractor.  Typically, the contractor will resolve any network wiring setting that needs to be done at your office.  Be sure to select a certified contractor to avoid having repairs done in the future because it wasn’t done right in the first place.

In building a small office network, consider the following:

• Remember to always secure your network.  Having an unsecured wiring closet means anyone has access in dismantling your network at anytime.  Think about how you can secure it so that limited and only authorized people in your office are allowed to access it.

• Ready your office for the installation of the network.  Equipments and hardware needed for a network needs a cool environment as they tend to shutdown when over-heated.  If you do not have an air conditioner installed in your office then consider buying one. 

• Although Ethernet network is the oldest form of small business networking method, it has proven itself when it comes to reliability.  All connections goes to a central hub.  

• Think ahead when it comes to wiring.  Your office is probably wired above the ceiling as most existing buildings are.  To save yourself a lot of money in the future, consider having “double drops” of wiring anywhere you think there will be a network connection.  Labor for wire installation is the most costly so be prepared and consider that for every connection, more network devices will be annexed to it in the near future.

• Another method of building a network is through existing telephone lines.  You may consider phone systems network.  The computers and the network hub are directly plugged into the telephone outlet.  The main disadvantage of phone system network is that it is very slow compared with the other options.

• Hire a certified electrician to make sure that the installation of circuits for your networks and servers are done correctly. 

• Consider being wireless.  Wireless networking or WiFi is becoming one of the most popular ways to create an office network due to its affordability.  The speed of a wireless network is usually good.  However, disruptions may be encountered from time to time.  New wireless standards however provide higher data transfer speed but costs more than the average WiFi system.

Careful designing and well thought out plans are very important when building your small office network.