When you are planning to open a new office or store location the question is never “Do I need a network?” but rather “What do I need my network to do?” Networks can be quite simple or rather complex. But the process of taking a look at your unique requirements and spending some time designing your network should never be skipped.
There are quite a few considerations for your new network and the answers to each one of these questions will lead to numerous more questions:
- What is the office layout and what is currently there?
- How many and what types of devices need to communicate on the network?
- Do you need wireless capability?
- Do you need internet access?
- Do you need external access to your network?
- Where do your computers communicate?
- Do you need a server?
- What about phones and fax?
- What are your security requirements?
- What is your budget?
No matter the size or complexity of your network it should always provide you with security, stability, and the functionality you require.
Over the next few weeks I will go into detail on each of the considerations for setting up a small office voice and data network.