An office network setup that maximises your business efficiency

Your business has grown to the point where you need a solid office network setup. Staff are demanding it. Clients are waiting for things they shouldn't have to wait for.

But where do you start? How much does this kind of network setup cost? And how will it remove information bottlenecks? A computer expert may just help you understand what you need from your network setup.

Why a network setup?

"Centralising your information and sharing it with the right staff is the main reason for networking your business," says Alan Wu of Mr CD-R Electronics.

Alan says a network setup gives staff instant access to business resources, including an internet connection, printers, scanners and shared data such as quality-assurance manuals and customer databases.

A network setup can save money by requiring only one high-quality printer to service all your computers, and instead of backing up 10 workstations you back up one server. It can also restrict access to company information, depending on the needs of your employees.

Network setup hardware 

Your network setup needs a server at its hub. When choosing a server, Alan urges caution, as it must suit the needs of your business. 

"We need to ask a few questions before we recommend anything," he says, "such as the programs you'll be running, what data you'll be sharing and what the day-to-day demands on it will be."

Server network setup costs

According to Alan, the cost of the server will depend on the needs of the business. "As a guide, a minimum will be around $2000 and the cost rises from there, depending on what it will be used for," he says.

Software will also be required for the server. Alan's recommendation is Microsoft Small Business Server 2008. "It will cost you around $1500," he says. "Although the 2003 version is still available, it is becoming outmoded now. 

Data cabling your network setup

Although cabling can be as cheap as $1 per metre, when you factor in labour, manoeuvring cables around walls and roof spaces and preparing the connections for each machine, Alan says you'll need to budget around $150 per computer.

Using a computer expert is your best bet when implementing your network setup and for ongoing server maintenance, as:

• the network setup is built by experts
• back-up and data-protection features can be built into it
• it can be scalable, to allow for expansion
• it comes with after-sales care and troubleshooting
• server maintenance reduces downtime.

Making network setup connections

Whether it is the company quality-assurance manual, a customer database or an online resource, a network setup gives your staff immediate access to the information they need.

And with ongoing server maintenance provided by experts, your business can avoid downtime from network problems.

Ask a computer expert how an office network setup can boost the efficiency of your business today.