Networking The Small Office
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If you can afford it, spend a few extra dollars to have your cabling
installed by a licensed, bonded, certified cable installation company, using a
good brand of cable with a warranty (this is imperative if you are buying
fiber). Most cable warranties from the manufacturer require installation by a
certified representative. Get competitive quotes. Go for the certification and
warranty if you can afford it. While it might not be worth a 200% markup, it
might be worth 30% extra. Your call. Get the best and most you can afford.
Unlike individual PCs and software, cabling can last for years and years, so it
is more of an investment.
How much will it cost?
There's no way for this article to address the issue of cost with any degree
of accuracy. Our best recommendation is that you get at least two quotes for
everything -- and the more, the merrier!! You will probably spend more if you go
to an established computer superstore and let them do it all for you --
hardware, software, cabling, installation, configuration, training. You should
do some research yourself on what type of network you want to install, then get
quotes from specialists for the individual components. Any time you talk to a
salesperson, remember that her salary will be built into the price you pay on
whatever products or services you buy from her company. Remember, too, that her
opinion on what you need will most likely be slanted by what she can earn money
from. That's not unethical; that's just the way it works. That extra money,
however, might be better spent on an independent consultant.
To give you some idea of the costs involved, the Cost Model below is provided
to give you a basic understanding of the cost differences between a peer-to-peer
and a client server network. The costs quoted are approximate as of a fixed date
and time and should not be relied upon as all inclusive. Let's assume that you
have a small office that currently has three pentium PCs using the Windows 95
operating system. You also have one laser jet printer that is being shared by
all of the PCs using a simple manual switch. You are adding two additional staff
members and each will need a new PC and access to a printer. Below is a
comparison of the costs that might be encountered to convert to a Windows95
peer-to-peer or WindowsNT Network.
Do we need professional assistance?
If you can locate a reputable consultant, hire her to design your network and
advise you on the individual components. Ask her to look over the quotes you get
so that she can help you make the best decisions. By hiring a consultant to
oversee the project, you will almost certainly save money, even considering the
consultant's fees. It's the same as building a new office building: hiring a
general contractor who designs the project and then builds it for you will cost
more than hiring an architect and individual (plumbing, electrical, carpentry,
etc.) subcontractors.
If you can't find a reputable consultant, or aren't convinced it will save
you money, then get quotes from every single computer store in town. Compare
prices, installation and setup costs, support services, warranties, charges for
telephone vs. onsite support, etc. Ask if their installation package includes
training your staff to do some of the routine support and troubleshooting for
the network -- this is important as it could save you a lot of time and money in
the future.
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