Tag: computer network design

As technology advances rapidly, many small to medium-sized businesses have questions about their network setup. Having questions is understandable, as networks are complicated with many moving parts. Many companies have questions about what various networking equipment does, how their network should be set up, and the best way to manage email. Below are 5 of our most frequently asked questions about network set up for businesses.

1. What Is the Function of a Server?

A server is computer hardware or software that provides functionality to other devices known as “clients.” The primary role of servers is to provide resources or data to those clients for various purposes, such as hosting applications, sharing files and folders, centralized printers, and controlling who has access to all those resources. Depending on the server, anywhere from one to dozens of tasks can be performed by the server. Overall, the server acts as the heart of your computer network, giving you control over your data storage and your business’s productivity.

2. How Do I Keep My Network Secure?

You have many options to keep your small business computer network set up secure from viruses, cyber-attacks, and more. A first layer of defense is a firewall that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on specific security rules. Antivirus software that prevents and removes harmful programs from computers is another security layer. In the case of data loss, a good data backup and recovery infrastructure will keep data safe and allow speedy recovery of lost data.

3. Do I Need a Managed Service Provider?

As more businesses rely on their computer networks and the complexity of those networks increases, the need for a managed service provider (MSP) becomes more pronounced. Managed service providers proactively monitor your system and resolve issues at the earliest stages, which is more effective at keeping your network running smoothly. Because an MSP manages your network, your business can focus on meeting other company goals. Both of those reasons lead to your business being more productive, due to less downtime for the network and more efficient use of time by your employees. So if you are looking to be more productive, you do need a managed service provider.

4. Should I Get A Wired Or Wireless Setup?

The choice between a wired or wireless setup depends on what you value most in a network set up for businesses. The main benefits of a wired network are the following:

• Faster data transfers
• Less lag
• Better security

A wireless network, on the other hand, offers the following:

• Convenience
• Easier to install and deploy
• Quickly advancing

Of course, your setup can have both and may even need both depending on your operations and whether you have remote locations. For instance, you can have an internal network for your employees and a separate guest wireless network for the convenience of your visitors and clients. Considering which factors you value in a computer network will help you determine which type of setup you need.

5. How Do I Manage Email?

Email is the preferred method of communication between businesses and customers, so managing emails is vital. For email security, encryption is a popular choice to keep your emails from being read by unwanted parties. Email archiving, an automated process of preserving and making emails searchable, is another excellent solution to managing the vast number of emails your business sends and receives. You can get security, archiving, and increased accessibility through programs such as Microsoft hosted email solutions. To better manage your email and storage, employ the services of a managed IT service provider.

Contact SkyViewTek for IT Support and Network Set Up For Businesses

Setting up a small business network is a challenging endeavor with many factors to consider, so SkyViewTek is here to help. We offer a host of services to help you design, set up, and maintain your business computer network. Our managed IT services help your network stay up and running, making your business more productive. We also ensure that your business is IT compliant with third party organizations, such as HIPAA and PCI. If you still have more questions about network set up for businesses, contact SkyViewTek today.

Many businesses are planning to either move or expand into a new office building. Transferring into a new facility is exciting, and represents a new chapter for your organization with new opportunities. That said, the actual moving part is challenging, both physically and logistically, especially with regard to your computer network design and set up. But with careful planning, your office move can be secure and efficient.

Coronavirus COVID-19 is a real issue. We all know what to do (or not to do) at this point, but check out this link for information and resources for you and your family from the CDC or for your small-to-mid sized business (SMB).

We at SkyViewTek can offer your SMB the tools to support your team of employees and subcontractors to stay productive and collaborate with co-workers while safely working from home, but still have the capability to access key documents from the computer or server in your office or on the cloud.

Check out these 3 tools to enable your employees to productively work from home:

1. Share Key Documents and Collaborate with Team Members

a. Remote Access to your Computer or Server in the office from your home computer. Work on documents and save them, as if you’re in the office.
b. Setup cloud drive with proper Admin vs. User privileges. For e.g., DropBox or OneDrive
c. Install SharePoint, a web-based collaborative platform that integrates with Microsoft Office. Sharepoint is often used as a document management and storage system, and is used often by internal departments or external clients and vendors.

2. VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) Phone Service – enables your team to host meetings with team members across town or around the world, and you never have to give out your personal cell phone number again to a customer or vendor!

• Phone options include physical phone console on your desk, cordless hand-held, PLUS app for smartphone, soft phone for computer — which enable your team to make / receive calls while working from home as if they are sitting in your official office address.
• Features include: joining / conferencing multiple calls on one call; phone bridge line and computer share screen; direct dials and unique phone extensions, call transfer / forward, voicemail, CRM integration, video calls, chatting or IM’ing, and more! (See above screenshot.)

3. Microsoft Office 365 and Teams – it’s similar to item #2 but is a feature tied to your Office 365 account. Microsoft really wanted to tap into the chat applications market when it developed Teams, which is a cloud-based chat app that combines the functionalities of Slack and Office 365 into a single platform that can even integrate more than 150 third-party applications for increased productivity

• You may need an upgrade to your Office 365 account to enable Teams, but we can help facilitate this – even if you upgrade for one month and then we can cancel the additional feature later, upon your request.

Your Office Needs to be Equipped

These options require a solid IT infrastructure in place at your corporate office and the same with your home office, including high speed internet with Comcast or Verizon FIOS. Work with SkyViewTek to ensure the best practices are implemented to prevent your network from going down when you need to work remotely. For instance, battery backups for all critical equipment, devices which auto-reboot the Internet router, and possibly a failover Internet Service Provider (ISP )in case your main ISP goes down and Comcast/FIOS do not have techs willing and/or able to come to your site for repairs. Other items that are required include: proper cabling, data jacks, firewall, switch.

Networks patched together instead of properly configured will experience voice quality and, in general, internet connectivity issues. Contact us today for a consultation. Call 610-590-5006 or email support@skyviewtek.com which will generate a ticket automatically for a SkyViewTek technician to process and manage your request to completion.