Setting up the Network

We have created an example of a small business network configuration diagram and we will discuss it in detail in the next section.

Internet connection

For small office network setup, you must identify the type of Internet in your business. If you are a very small business, you may want to settle for a router or cable modem designed for home use. But if it is a medium business, you may need a full T1 line or at least a divided T1 line. The T1 connection is delivered with a large box and numerous cables. Some of these connections also have a built-in firewall system.

Firewall settings

For any business, it is important to properly configure a firewall to protect corporate data and privacy. It is also the DMZ that separates your office's private Ethernet network from the global public internet network (More on the Internet vs. Ethernet). To design a network infrastructure, you must complete an appropriate firewall configuration. Otherwise, your company's precious resources can easily be stolen or lost. Although it is not possible to immediately establish a firewall for your network, obtain a router with an integrated firewall system.

Wireless network access

In the upper right corner of the network settings for Small Businesses Network Design, you can see a wireless router. Some companies, such as coffee shops, offer their customers and clients free wireless access. If this is the same case with your company, you should consider the location and configuration of the router. Without proper configuration and security, people could hack into network space and start using the Internet for free while paying. To set up a small business wireless network, follow these steps:

• There should only be one Ethernet cable for input to the wireless router
• Do not connect job computers to the wireless router
• Ethernet input must pass through the firewall as shown in the configuration diagram
• Nothing on the wireless network should interfere with the network.
• You can request web authentication from clients and clients to access the wireless network to restrict unauthorized devices. Your firewall service will allow you to do this
• You can make two different connections to the wireless network: an open connection for clients and a WPA2 connection for work computers

By setting up two connections on the wireless router, you can protect your small business computer network because it will completely isolate the corporate network from client devices.

BAckend server

This section covers server configuration for small businesses. The company's point of sale (POS) software will run on this server. There are several varieties of POS software such as futures. You must install this software on your company's "server computer". The role of this dedicated computer is to work as a server for the company. It is recommended that you do not use the computer for other reasons. If the server computer is inserted for other purposes, the private information of the company could be violated. Another reason why you should avoid using this computer for any other purpose is that browsing the Internet on this computer will slow down the entire office network. Install the best antivirus and firewall on this server. You can connect an inverter to this computer for better and more consistent performance.

surveillance

Business is a transaction and this requires monitoring, especially financial transactions. A video surveillance system can also help you in a police case if the situation arises. You can also install the monitoring system yourself, as well as configure it for your home. Monitoring can be connected to the POS server to monitor each transaction. You might be wondering how much surveillance you need to maintain before you can overwrite the data in the surveillance images. Try to keep a month of monitoring before you overwrite it so that you can report on your monthly work and transaction. Monitoring also provides many network solutions for small businesses.

Front stations

Employee workstations are the first stations. These stations are dedicated to work and nothing else. A workplace policy must be developed to prevent external devices from connecting to front stations, as these devices can contain malware without the knowledge of their owners. This is very important because the front-end stations access the server directly and malware can enter the system through one of these stations and damage the entire configuration.

Network memory

You can configure the NAS (network attached storage) for automatic data backup. You can configure the backup interval. If your company regularly processes important data, of course you should retain this data. Follow these steps for the workplace network:

Create local copy for data

To back up, use an external hard drive or NAS device. This is useful when the primary hard drive fails or a system recovery is required.

Keep an option for a third copy in a safe place where you can store data in the event of a disaster such as fire or flood. You can use cloud storage service like Carbonite or Dropbox

Be sure to encrypt the data using an encryption program

Configure your server with a hard drive using RAID 1. This will reflect all the data from your server

Now you can easily restore data in case of hard drive failure. Just connect a new hard drive to the server and it will update automatically

Ensuring total security on desktop computers

Since you are in a business, you will need to continually share software and files. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the data is always protected. Even with a good design for the office network, your data is only safe if it is encrypted and the software is out of date. If the network is vulnerable to spyware, malware, adware, phishing, botnets or spam, the entire company is under constant threat. Here's how to protect your office network:

Enter strong passwords for encryption with Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP)

You can set access for authorization and impose restrictions on a particular employee, if necessary

Use a VPN to remotely access computers

For wireless users in addition to employees, create a guest account

Make sure security, virus protection, and network software are always up to date

Make the accessibility of the router limited

We discussed the configuration diagram in the Small Business Network Configuration Guide. This is a Small Business Network setup project and does not apply to large offices. The network plan will depend on the type of business, sufficient storage space for employees, budget and network needs. Make sure that you have followed our entire plan and that you have not missed any details when installing the network, as this could cause a malfunction. But it is unlikely to happen because it is a simple and basic project that any network provider can configure. However, we recommend that you use an IT professional to ensure optimal security and performance.