If you have been in your office for more than five years, chances are your infrastructure technology needs updating. Slow Internet downloads along with deficient internal network bandwidth used for local file sharing, network printing and client/server applications, can critically impact your office’s productivity.
So where do you begin? Here are a few tips on how to approach your technology review with an overview of related office technology and a bit of history as well:
Internet Access
In reviewing your technology you will need to start at the single point of entry and exit within your office: your DSL connection to the Internet.
Ten years ago the best bandwidth (measured in Internet download speeds) one could expect from an ISP (Internet Service Provider) was approximately 1 Mbps (Megabits per second). Not a tremendous width, but certainly better than the old modem which, at best, provided a whopping 56-Kbps (thousand bits per second).
Five years ago one could experience the best that technology had to offer: approximately 5 Mbps bandwidth. This was a major leap in Internet speeds which made Internet video and audio streaming a reality.
Today we see speeds upwards to 40 Mbps bandwidth providing us lightening Internet download speeds via Fiber Optics through DSL.
Cabled Local Area Networking
The next area to review is the office’s internal network cabling if present. Enter twisted pair Ethernet cabling.
Twisted pair technology was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1881 for use with telegraph systems utilizing a single twisted pair wire. Even with 100 year old twisted pair technology, the actual predecessor to our current twisted was shielded coaxial cable (capable of transfer speeds of 10 Mbps) used in the early days of network development all the way up to the 1990's.
In the early 1990’s a Category 3 cable was introduced (utilizing multiple twisted pair wires in a single cable) that transmitted data across a computer network at 10 Mbps. Category 3 cabling is still in use today by telephone companies. A few years later a Category 5 standard was introduced promising 100 Mbps data transfer rate.
In 1999 a new network cable technology found its way into the market. This technology is referred to as Gigabit Technology and offers us data transfer speeds of 1 Gbps (Gigabits per second) over a Category 5e or Category 6 twisted pair Ethernet cable. Chances are your office supports at least Category 5e cabling which means you can take full advantage of Gigabit technology.
Wireless Local Area Networking
Due to the complexity of wireless technology I am not venture far into details here, suffice it to say our current wireless technology supports the IEEE standard of 802.11N. Where its predecessor (802.11G) provided us a broader signal and speed over its predecessor (802.11B), the latest N standard surpasses bandwidth speed and signal reach far greater than any wireless technology in use today. For instance, the best transfer rates one could experience through wireless B was 11 Mbps and wireless G bumped this rate up to 54 Mbps. However, the wireless N standard now pushes data transfer rates up over 100 Mbps and in some cases you can experience even greater speeds using the correct technology.
The best feature of wireless technology is the lack of Ethernet cabling which has always hindered where networked computers and printers could be located. Of course, a network cable is still needed in order to feed the wireless router, but running a single Ethernet cable to the device is far more cost effective than swapping out or installing new cables in all offices and conference rooms. Unfortunately, powering these devices was still a constraint. Wireless devices had to be located near a power source in order to operate. Not any more.
With the advent of PoE (Power over Ethernet) power constraints disappear. The Ethernet cable not only provides the device with network connectivity, it also provides the power necessary to drive the device.
Local Area Network Devices and Adapters
The last part of your review examines network gear and component adapters.
Network gear includes network switches, hubs, repeaters, wireless access point(s) and wireless DSL modem/switch. Component adapters include wireless adapters and PC computer network adapters.
All tower and desktop computers support the ability to connect to the network via an internal Ethernet adapter. Up until a few years ago these adapters supported 10/100 Mbps Ethernet standard. If your office computers only support 10/100 Ethernet, then new Gigabit Ethernet PC cards will be needed.
Most laptops today come with 802.11G wireless adapters built in. These will need to be turned off and replaced with USB 802.11N adapters.
Networked printers, scanners and copiers will only support the 10/100 standard, but this is acceptable for these devices.
Recommendations
1. Meet with your DSL provider and ascertain what bandwidth speeds are available in your area or office and the costs per month. Ensure they can upgrade and install at least a combined modem with a 10/100/1000 network switch. If your provider can also supply you with a built-in wireless N router even better. If not you may have to purchase your own wireless N router.
2. Verify through your facilities management team which type of Ethernet cabling is supported in your office. If you have Category 5e or Category 6 you are all set to upgrade your internal technology. If not you may want to consider implementing wireless technology.
3. Examine existing wireless adapters and access points. Replace all B and G wireless devices with wireless N devices.
4. Purchase wireless N USB adapters for all office laptops and Gigabit PC Network Cards for tower and desktop computers.
5. If implementing wireless, ensure your wireless router is secure with 128-bit encryption in order to meet HIPAA requirements. Never install a wireless router without this level of security and encryption in an office environment.
6. Purchase and install PoE prepped wireless access point(s) and power injector(s) to drive your wireless devices in areas where no power access is available.
7. Locate network hubs and 10/100 Ethernet switches and replace these with 10/100/1000 Gigabit switches.
8. If you are using wireless technology, locate and replace wireless access points, routers, and modems that support the newer wireless N technology.
Estimated Component Costs
Description Cost Recommendation
Wireless N Router $160.00 Linksys E3000 Dual Band
Wireless N Access Point $80.00ea Linksys WAP610n Dual Band
Wireless N USB Adapter $60.00ea Linksys AE1000
Gigabit 8-port Switch $75.00ea Linksys SE2800
Gigabit Ethernet PC Cards $35.00ea Linksys EG1032
*Linksys is a product of Cisco
The average office should be able to outfit themselves with new Gigabit and/or wireless N technology for under $1,000.00.
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