How to Design a Network for a Company

A network for a company is standard if you hope to keep up with the rest of your industry. Whether your business is large or small, keeping a company network ensures that you’re streamlining in a productive way.

A ‘company network’ is a collection of all technology associated with your business: computers, laptops, email addresses, apps, hardware like printers and phones, switches, routers, network storage devices and anything else that’s connected to your company. So, anyone in the office can save information to a central cloud and someone else can print that document on the network printer. This infrastructure is the backbone of your business.

Setting up a network that’s secure and error-free can be complicated. If you’re not tech-savvy, it’s best to call in an IT company that can make sure the proper encryptions and passwords are implemented to keep you safe. If you want to work on it yourself, here’s a guide on how to design a network for a company.

Requirements

You will need a stable internet connection that can handle all of your technological capabilities. You’ll also require a router with a secure, high-speed connection, modem, switches, firewall capabilities, ethernet hubs, and management and security software.

The idea (in a small environment) is that the ISP sends information to the modem, which then connects all hardware (desktops, laptops, printers, etc.).

Designing Your Own Company Network

The first step is to start a spreadsheet listing the technology you want to connect with. Do you have a single office? You’ll be looking at a Local Area Network (LAN). Do you have multiple business locations that need to stay connected? In this case, you’ll want to design a Wide Area Network (WAN). You should lay out all the technology in each area and list it so you can figure out what type of network you need to build.

There are also city-wide networks (Metropolitan Area Network, or MAN), setups available for home offices (Personal Area Network, PAN), and plenty of other choices. You can customize to fit the needs of your business.

As you plan, remember to look ahead toward expansion. In a few years, you’ll likely add a lot of technology and need capabilities that can handle your growing business.

You can talk to your phone/internet company about setting up modems and switches that you can then use to connect your various technologies together.

Safety

The number one issue is building networks that are secure. No company wants to be hacked or end up with a virus that leaks its clients’ private info. In order to avoid that, you must understand how to set up the proper passwords and encryptions. Use complex passwords to encrypt your network through wireless encryption protocols (WEPs). Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for remote access. Ensure that your network and security programs are up-to-date. Try and place the physical router somewhere secure to prevent physical tampering. Finally, set up your company’s inner protections through managing software, which will make sure only approved employees can access certain information.

Setting Up a Network

The idea behind creating a company network isn’t difficult, nor is it hard to acquire the tech capabilities (like internet connections and switches). However, it’s a time-consuming process that requires attention to detail to ensure its proper setup. If you need help setting up a network for your business, call Internal Computer Services at 804-672-1057 and speak to an experienced professional who can best advise you. Whether you need help setting up a network or someone to maintain your existing network, ICS has almost 30 years of experience with local businesses, large and small. We can help you streamline your entire company’s tech solutions.