And if you are a small business owner looking to increase your capabilities from home, setting up a home office network is crucial. While on the surface there are so many different advantages to working from home one of the big obstacles that we all encounter is the technological stress. While working from home will minimise your stress in certain ways setting up a home office network requires a lot of planning. How do we begin?
Understand Your Needs
Look at your business capabilities. You need to make sure that the network framework is functional and adheres to your productivity. You might not need to use much technology but this doesn't mean you have to get the cheapest network available. If you can't rely on your Wi-Fi connection as there are other people in the home using the network this will slow down your connectivity which can impact your productivity in many ways. Using a Local Area Network or VPN may give you that extra protection you need.
Wired Or Wireless?
Whatever your type of business you have to address just how connective you need to be with a home office. This means you've got two options: a wireless or wired internet connection. A wireless connection means that you don't have to run an ethernet cable from the router. This will keep you mobile especially if you have a laptop and want to work in different rooms. But if you've got a desktop PC that you cannot move around a wired connection will work better but it's also more reliable and faster.
The Type Of Internet Connection
While most homes now have high-speed broadband you may want to think about a guest network for you or set up a virtual private network. While you may have very fast connectivity speed at home you may still want to choose the appropriate connection depending on how much data you plan on dealing with. If you are running a home business that requires you to transfer large amounts of data over a short period of time, high-speed broadband will be effective. It will also prove beneficial if you are considering Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), which is a very effective tool in comparison to standard telephone communications.
Addressing Your Data Storage Needs
This is pivotal to your business. Regardless of the industry you are working in, you may need to store or archive a significant amount of data. But there are plenty of opportunities to find the right sort of storage and backup for your needs. You should first address what your needs are and you can proceed to find the best combination of options to allow access to the data.
Cloud Storage
The go-to option for many home office users. As it's a remote backup and storage provider transmitted over the internet connection you are able to secure the information in data centres using encryption practices. Cloud storage is also scalable so you can purchase a larger amount of storage depending on your needs. You can access and share the files using your web browser with a high-speed internet connection. But also in the event of a disaster, you can recover information quickly.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
This allows you to access your files on a network infrastructure. There are many options for how to access this. You could use an ethernet cable connected to a hard drive or you could go for more sophisticated storage through USB ports or firewire capabilities. This is so you can connect to multiple hard drives if you need to increase your storage capabilities. Network-attached storage solutions can be very cost-effective if you choose a hosted service by a provider. You pay a monthly fee while the provider does all the maintenance for you.
Choosing the right types of software
This all depends on your type of business. There are so many different software requirements that businesses need but the two essentials: an email system and an office productivity suite. One of the most popular product office suites is Microsoft Office 365 for Business. For a monthly fee, you can access everything under one handy banner, including email word processing functions, cloud storage as well as video conferencing capabilities such as Skype for Business. There are also more sophisticated subscriptions that can provide the experience on numerous devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Last but not least make sure you have a backup plan in place if something goes wrong with your network. No business is immune to system failures, so be prepared and have back-up power if necessary.
