Networks

What is a network ?
A network is at least two computers connected in such a way as to allow the user of either one to interact with the other. This can be as simple as allowing documents held on one computer to be read on one other machine, to something as complicated as the World Wide Web (several billion devices all connected in an ad-hoc manner) There is unlikely a case where a business is going to need more than a few hundred devices on their own network. Most small businesses will probably only need a network of less than ten devices. This is what MM Digital Services is here to provide.

Network Design

Everybody's network is unique (because everybody has different needs). Networks need to be appropriate to your specific requirements and have scope for further expansion (a basic rule of thumb is to have the capacity to double the size of your present usage)
Another part of network design that is often ignored is the documentation,(which should be kept up to date) this saves time and expense later, if there is a fault or the network needs adjusting in the future.
MM Digital Services (Liskeard) can provide a fully documented network designed specifically for your needs, whether you have only a couple of devices in one office or hundreds spread over several sites. Or if you have a fully functioning network I can provide the relevant documentation for your present network (if you don't already have it)

An example of Network Documentation can be found here


Example Diagram of a simple network

Virtual Private Networks or VPN's

The VPN or Virtual Private Network is a method of allowing remote workers to connect to your business's "home" network securely through the Internet, whether it's from their own domestic broadband or a public wireless, your workers can use your network in exactly the same way as if they were in the office and directly connected to your network. This is also a way to connect two remote offices to the same network via the PSTN (Public Service Telephone Network) For example an office in Launceston and another in Redruth can connect to their Truro HQ as if their computers were physically connected.

Wireless

Whether you'd want to set up wireless at your business premises depends on your circumstances, and a number of environmental factors.
If you run a café you may want to offer free wifi access to your customers, but if you run an engineering business, with a lot of electrical machinery, it may not be appropriate to have wifi on the shopfloor.
If you consider that having wifi is appropriate or desirable for your business there are a couple of things to consider. These are security and environmental factors such as who will have access to your wifi and where to place the wifi access points for best coverage.

Server Set-up

  1. What is a Server? A server is a system (software and suitable computer hardware) that responds to requests across a computer network to provide, or help to provide, a network service. Servers can be run on a dedicated computer, which is also often referred to as "the server", but many networked computers are capable of hosting servers. In many cases, a computer can provide several services and have several servers running.
    Source: wikipedia © 2013
  2. And do I need to have a server? This will depend on your network configuration, but most networks, especially those with more than five devices, would require a server of some sort. Even if it's part of one of the computers on the network
Even on a small network it is advisable to have one machine providing the role of a server, Even if that machine is also being used for some other purpose at the same time. It is quite common for a server to use a different Operating System (OS) to the rest of the computers on the network (most often a Unix based OS) (especially with the WindowsTM Server edition prices starting at US$501 ranging to US$4809) Source: Microsoft Unix versions can cost whatever you wish to pay from £0.00 to £20,000+

Setting up a server is not a job for the amateur this requires a little more than the usual knowledge required for a good computer operator.

Home