Planning your office network

When running an office there are enough things to worry about without the perils of an IT infrastructure. IT is something we want to be as unobtrusive as possible. When there is a problem and the network goes down, it seems that everything is wedded to computers and that there is nothing we can do. This is more the result of bad planning than the inexorable march of technology on our daily lives. With a bit of thought, with redundancy and backup procedures built into your system, you need not lose valuable time if there is a problem.

In order to have a well-planned network organisations need to think about the following facets of IT:

Network Layout - A periodic review of the changing layout of buildings and the changes in technology that might make for a more reliable network shoud be undertaken. Networking speeds have increased steadily over the years with Fast Ethernet (100mbps) overtaking Ethernet (10mbps) as the common networking speed and then with Gigabit Ethernet (1000mbps) becoming more common over the last three years. It is worth bearing in mind that data transferred using Ethernet speeds will theoretically travel a hundred times slower than that over Gigabit Ethernet. As Internet speeds increase, as more tasks are accomplished over the Internet and as the IT system becomes more integrated, it is important to assess whether the benefits of increased speed in the network outweigh the costs of upgrading equipment. Wireless networking has been in its infancy with limited speeds and ranges being unsatisfactory for use in the office environment but the upcoming 802.11n protocols will mean wireless devices have a wider range and faster transfer speeds. This may be a viable option in the future.

Users - The number of people using the system and their needs should be kept under observation. Each user requires bandwidth, a network identity and licenses for the software you are using.

Hardware - A strategic look at hardware purchase is often advisable. This might mean that the majority of hardware is purchased at the same time ensuring uniformity for users and lower prices. Furthermore, regular diagnostic checks of the hardware can keep everything running smoothly and help in identifying pieces of equipment that need upgrading or replacing.
Software - It is worth keeping a record of the software used across the network and periodically polling users to see if they have changed anything or added any software that might be useful to other users. Furthermore, if an organisation's policy is to bring a certain degree of uniformity to the network, software should be volume-licensed. This will ensure large savings in the long-run. By doing this, it is also easier for people to understand what is happening and quickly pick up on work should a staff member be away.

Shared resources - Some thought should be given to the resources that can be shared over the network, be they public emails, shared files and folders, shared databases or anything else. Sharing resources across the network can save large amounts of time and can avoid duplication of work and resources.

Remote access - Many office networks can be made available online. Company members should be able to check their email or access their PCs remotely. This can be beneficial for sales staff out on the road or for directors or partners that need to check that an important correspondence has been received whilst on holiday.
Upgrade schedule - A schedule that could give a timescale for the upgrading and replacement of PCs is useful on a budgetary level and it would ensure that staff neither become frustrated nor waste their time staring at egg-timers.

Future needs - The future needs of any organisation must be looked at and budgeted for. There is no point in one department replacing some equipment to a system that will be redundant in six months. A strategic look at the future needs of users in terms of what they would like and what hardware and software is becoming available would be of benefit as it will give users a sense of technological developments and allow technology to fit their needs rather than vice-versa.

Current problems - A list of problems is something that can be easily drawn up on a departmental level and shared. It is often the case that these problems can be dealt with quite swiftly once recognised rather than being allowed to fester.

Current labour-intensive tasks that could be automated - The identification of the most tedious parts of every department's day could help to inform the IT policy.

Backups - It is important to have a strategic plan to back up and secure information. Organisations must know what information is being stored where. Furthermore, backups should be stored safely and, preferably, offsite to ensure that work is not completely lost should the worst happen. If the worst happens, a good backup is one less tihng to worry about and can mean you can get back to work as quickly as possible.

Redundancy - Try to analyse the parts of the network that are mist used and most valuable and ensure, that if they go down, you can stil continue. Redundancy can be built into any system in several ways, including having backup Internet access, having a RAID storage array that copies files to multiple disks & having uninterruptible power supplies that will keep equipment working in the event of short power ourages and shut it down safely in the event of long ones.

Inventory - An inventory often helps inform policies for upgrading. Its use might mean that equipment is down for less time when there is a problem as support information can be gleaned more quickly.

Website - The web is fast becoming the easiest way of getting information. More and more people use it every day and it is ever more important to provide fresh, up-to-date content over the Internet. It is therefore important to know who is in charge of reviewing the information on the website, who will keep the site up-to-date and how often this information will be checked and changed. Furthermore, periodically polling each department in your company to see if there is more information that they would like to include can be a good idea as it enables new ideas and initiatives to be better communicated to the general public.

Syncing - An understanding that files can be synced can be helpful as it means that more resources can be made available offline.

Terms of use (network, email and Internet) - there are a number of important steps that the companies can take to ensure that their staff are aware of what conduct is satisfactory over the network, email and Internet. New staff might have terms of conduct written into their employment contracts and organisations might consider the use of a disclaimer on all outgoing communications.

If you are thinking of changing your network infrastructure and would like either to approach the issue strategically or to find an IT firm who will, please call us on 0116 283 6699 or email info@stjamessystems.com and ask for a free consultation with one of our experts. We can oversee all of the issues outlined above and will be happy to hear from you.