Setting up a small business network is the first step every business takes to build a computing platform for business operations. Your business cannot operate without some sort of information system, and today more than ever, companies need to adapt and build reliable computer networks to support business operations. In this article, we will describe the steps necessary to build a small business network as well as list the components required to build your business network. We have put together an easy-to-follow small business network setup checklist, but feel free to ask us questions at any time. Building an SMB network is not always straightforward, and some people might have trouble understanding and configuring some of the components listed below. Navantis offers IT Consulting services to help you build and set up your business network and are available 24/7 to answer all your questions
Now, let’s jump in!
Here is some pre-planning work you will have to do to build a successful business computer network.- 1) Study your office or business floor plan You need to understand your office floor plan to determine if you will need to install network cabling and where. It is highly recommended you hardwire servers and computers for the best performance. Although new wireless access points can support fast network speeds, the network cable is still king.
- 2) Choose an Internet Provider Do your homework and choose the right Internet Provider. You want to look for an Internet provider that provides plenty of upload speed. Most ISPs will sell you on download speeds, but if you will be utilizing cloud technology such as Microsoft 365 or uploading your backups to the cloud, upload speed is essential.
- 3) Inventory your electric outlets and Network Jacks This is related to studying your office floor plan, but you must plan your network infrastructure well. It is hard to move network jacks around after cables are installed. Make sure you inventory your network jacks and ports well. Also, make sure you have plenty of power outlets available for all your computers and monitors. You also want to consider all your printers, scanners, and any other peripheral you will use with your computers.