- Understand the overall office layout, and plan the placement of equipment and cabling.
Understanding the overall office layout is the first priority. Small companies typically have around 5 to 20 employees and are generally divided into three areas: the workspace, the meeting area, and the manager’s office. Networking is mainly divided into wired and wireless networks. The wired network is primarily used for external office communication, while the wireless network is mainly used to connect wireless devices. For wireless, coverage must be taken into account so that there are no dead zones in the workspace. If the company’s layout is complex, wireless bridging can be considered to meet network requirements.
- Design the overall network layout diagram
This diagram is only one example; network topology diagrams vary with each company’s configuration. For the software commonly used to create network topology diagrams, you can simply use Visio, which is simple and easy to learn. Designing a network topology diagram that suits your own needs is the most critical step in networking.
- Choose the right network equipment
The equipment required includes: routers (either enterprise-grade or home models; for home models, it is best to use a better one), switches (12-port and 24-port options are available depending on the number of employees), gigabit Ethernet cables, servers, wireless APs, and so on. When choosing network equipment, it is best to go with major brands; many inexpensive network devices are prone to frequent failures. They are troublesome to repair and greatly reduce work efficiency.
- Configure the router and lay out the cabling
- Configure the router. If a home router is used, configuration is relatively simple: set the broadband account and password, and bind the IP and MAC addresses of the company’s computers. Set a complex administrator login password. Most importantly, be sure to designate which computer is allowed to log in to the router’s admin panel; generally, only the server should be able to access the router’s admin interface. (2) Lay out the cabling: place the equipment according to the office layout plan, then connect all the cabling according to the network topology diagram. After the cabling is connected, test the connectivity of the network cables. (3) Set up the wireless network. There are usually two ports on the optical modem, and the same broadband account can be logged in on two routers. This makes it easy to separate the wireless network from the company network and ensures the security of the internal network. Small companies generally occupy a modest area, so a good router, as long as it is placed in a reasonable position, can basically cover the entire company.
- Set up the company server
(1) The importance of setting up a company server. Many small companies do not set up a company server, feeling it is unnecessary, but in fact it is very important. The main purpose is to store all company data. Many companies only discover after an employee leaves that many things are gone or cannot be found, and end up calling the former employee to ask for files. This kind of problem has occurred at many companies. A few days ago, a friend of mine had a very unpleasant experience because his former boss kept calling him to ask for files. It can also prevent files from being lost because they have not been organized for a long time. (2) How to set up the server. Servers currently commonly use Windows Server 2008. Once the operating system is installed, the server can be set up. First, set up a file server for file backup. Of course, if there are other needs, other server functions can also be set up. As for how to set up a server, you can search Baidu on your own; this will not be covered in detail here. (3) Server management. The server can be left running at all times. For data security, it does not need to be connected to the WAN, and being accessible on the LAN is sufficient. It is mainly used for file backup. Be sure to pay attention to organizing the server’s materials so they can be easily referenced in the future.
