Check out the tips below for ways to upgrade your network and storage, and take your productivity to the next level.
Embrace the flexibility of wireless
Though its speed and reliability make ethernet a must-have for optimal
PC performance, Wi-Fi has its place, too. Without it, you’d never enjoy
the work-anywhere flexibility of your laptop or mobile devices.
Instead of choosing a run-of-the-mill router, go for something with a
little more oomph. A simultaneous dual-band router offers twice the
bandwidth—2.4GHz and 5GHz—essentially giving you two independent
networks. Connect frequently used devices such as your smartphone or
tablet to the 2.4GHz band, and reserve the less crowded 5GHz band for
high-quality voice and video streaming.
In addition, if your router offers either a guest mode or a second SSID,
you can provide a wireless network for people who are visiting you.
Setting a simple, memorable password can save you from having to repeat
your 20-character passphrase for the umpteenth time.
Streamline your network
A cutting-edge router isn’t worth much if the ethernet switch that links
all your networked devices isn’t equal to the job. Make sure the
switching capacity offers adequate bandwidth. As a general guide, an
eight-port gigabit ethernet switch should have 16 gigabits per second of
switching capacity (8 ports x 1 gbps x 2 bands) for full duplex.
Anything less than 18 gbps would render the switch incapable of
operating at full capacity on all ports simultaneously.
On a good router switch, you should be able to find the switching
capacity listed in the device’s specifications. However, many lower-end
switches omit this information, which is why picking up a cheap one from
the discount section is a bad idea. Similarly, chaining multiple small
network switches to work in tandem is a recipe for hard-to-diagnose
problems and performance bottlenecks. Instead, look for a single switch
that has enough network ports to meet your needs.
Double down on Internet access
Your Internet connection is crucial for communicating with clients and
customers and for accessing your company’s website. Unfortunately, if
your ISP goes down—for any reason—so does your business. To reduce the
risk of suffering downtime, sign up with two different Internet
providers.
Dual Internet access doesn’t have to be costly or complicated. One
strategy is to sign up for a lower-tier plan, and apply the resulting
savings to a second provider. If the technological challenge of managing
multiple Internet connections seems daunting, consider investing in an
easy-to-use multi-WAN router such as the Peplink Balance.
Create your own cloud
Cloud storage is a great way to access frequently used spreadsheets and
presentations, but it’s not optimal for storing large video files or
data backups. And trying to rebuild a PC or server from backups stored
in the cloud can be a trying experience, to say the least.
Network-attached storage (NAS) offers a more flexible approach. The
perfect small-business replacement for the cumbersome file servers of
yesteryear, a typical NAS—such as Synology’s DS413j—can accommodate two
to eight hard drives. For even speedier file access, get a NAS equipped
with dual-gigabit ethernet ports and link aggregation support.
Automate for peace of mind
When you’re out of town, you don’t want to worry about what’s going on
back at your office. Introducing a little automation—such as installing a
switch to power off your multiple-monitor rig automatically
at the end of the workday or adding a smart device to prevent your
server from overheating—can go a long way toward easing your mind.
For the former, you can combine three components from Ubiquiti: an mPower power strip and an mPort controller with a Wall Mount Motion Sensor. For the latter, grab Ubiquiti’s Temperature Sensor.
You can soup up your system with everything under the sun, but it won’t
get you far without a strong, capable network. Build out your office
with good storage and fast, versatile networking equipment, and you’ll
be well equipped for the everyday and the unexpected.
By Paul Mah
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2045070/essential-networking-tips-for-small-business.html
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Essential networking tips for small business
8:53 AM
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