Skip to content

Narrow screen resolution Wide screen resolution Auto adjust screen size Increase font size Decrease font size Default font size
You are here:Home Page arrow Articles arrow Small Office Intranets
Small Office Intranets
Written by Administrator   
Sunday, 12 August 2007
Set up a small office net for several Windows XP computers. Once you start a home business or set up a small office, you will soon need more than one computer and the small network or Intranet has to be setup so the computers can communicate and share files.

Windows XP is a big improvement over previous operating systems when it comes to configuring the small network. But it still overwhelms most people who don't do that sort of thing on a regular basis.

First you need to decide on a wireless or wired system. It's cheaper to go wired in some cases, especially if you have to run a cable down the hall or obstruct a doorway to get a computer on the net. Wireless solves that problem by connecting your computers together by radio instead of wire. Most people are choosing wireless because it is higher tech, eliminates a mess of wires running between computers, and allows you to move a computer easily without worrying about how to rerun the wires.

I am still using wires because it is cheaper, and my original system evolved when wires were the way to go. Now it would cost more to switch to wireless but it would remove one or two cables running down the hallway. You have to decide which is best for you. If all your computers are in one room, it makes no sense to me to use wireless. A few short cables would be cheaper and work well. Wireless requires you to buy a special radio link board at each computer. Cables plug into a $10 board in each computer. Maybe the radio (wireless) boards will become as cheap as straight cable interface boards.

Most of us are on broadband internet and that means a cable modem or some other box of electronics in the corner is the source of our Internet connection in the home or small office. That box provides a Ethernet cable connector that can be plugged directly into your one computer. But if you have two or more computers, you have to form the small office net using a hub and possibly a switch. A hub is a central point where signals from several computers are combined into one signal. It also acts as a security layer by providing a firewall that keeps the Internet out of your computer. In all it is the central control center for the signals flowing to and from several computers. Most hubs only have two, three or four outlets for other computers. This is plenty for most offices. If you need more than the outlets on the hub, you will need to use a switch to break up the signal one more time and to provide many more connections to other computers.

INTERNET <======> MODEM in your office <-------> HUB

Once you are at the hub, other computers are connected as follows:

HUB <--------> main computer
\----------------> 2nd computer
\-----------------> 3rd computer
\-----------------> SWITCH <-----------------> OTHER COMPUTERS

Getting all these computers talking and file sharing is a pain.
Try this if you have problems.
20% Off - Summer Coupon!
 
< Prev   Next >
[ Back ]





Popular Searches
Making Money Online,
Templates,
Get Traffic,
Adwords Training,
AdSense Training,
Affiliate Program,
find niche,