Office Networking - Setting Up a Network and Practical Configuration

Office Networking - Setting Up a Network and Practical Configuration

Are you opening a new office or moving to a different location and need to enable communication between all devices?

It's entirely normal to want desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners, PDAs, and mobile devices to communicate seamlessly and have constant access to these devices. This text will describe network devices and basic configurations necessary to implement a fully functional network in a small office.

Before starting the work, it's essential to consider user requirements for network speed (2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 MBit/s, etc.) and choose the most cost-effective service provider. Afterward, network dimensioning is required, meaning deciding how many devices will connect via wired (UTP network cable) and how many via wireless, all while ensuring scalability, i.e., securing network resources (ports, network speed) in case of an increase in the number of employees.

To connect devices that use wireless access to the network and provide internet access to all devices, it's necessary to install a router in the network. A router is a network device used to connect different networks, in this case, the local LAN network with the external network or the internet. The cost of routers varies depending on the number of ports, port speed, and many other functionalities.

In addition to the switch and router, you need to prepare network cables that will connect computers to the switch, and the cable length will depend on whether a previous network installation has been carried out and network connectors (wall or floor) have been installed. After networking all network units, you can proceed to configure the router (DNS, DHCP, NAT, PAT) and/or switch (VLAN, port lockdown) if these devices require it. Before completion, it's necessary to test all the functionalities of all devices to ensure that the network is functioning correctly.