Today we sing the praises of the humble network switch. A typical small business for which we configure or maintain networks might have, say, seven PC's in three different rooms. Quite often their office premises are rented, so the investment required to install a fully-blown structured cabling system is often not justified.
However, as long as it's possible to get a network cable from each room to the next then the little network switch comes to the rescue. We tend to buy the DLink 5-port and 8-port models. These are the ultimate no-fuss devices - you plug them in, they work and they go on working indefinitely (unless someone accidently pulls the mains plug!). As with all modern switches they are auto-sensing so they will detect whether the cable is connecting them to a networked device such as a PC or to the upstream/downstream port on another switch or router.
So with one of these located in each room and flyleads connecting them to the PC's you have a cheap and effective network. Just ensure that the cables are secure and tucked away as far as possible so that they are not unsightly or in danger of causing a hazard.
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Geographical coverage: AlphaOne Computing Services
provides a range of small business computer support and I.T. services throughout Sussex, including
Brighton, Hove, Shoreham, Worthing, Steyning, Burgess Hill,
Haywards Heath, Crawley, Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford, Uckfield and Eastbourne.
