Extending your network?

Whether you are just starting out on building your network, or whether you are looking to extend what is already in place, it is always worth stopping and thinking ahead for a moment before taking any action. That is because laying cables can involve significant disruption and so you don't want to be doing it again before you have to.

The following section tries to explain the basics of networking and identify your most likely options. Everyone's circumstances are different, so please feel free to contact us to discuss yours.

To Cable or not To Cable? - that is the question

If you don't yet have a network or are interested in the relative cost differences between a wired (cable) or wireless network, you may find our section on "Linking your Computers together" of interest.

In simple terms, the benefits of a cabled network are:
The equipment is cheaper for a cabled network than for a wireless network.
A cabled network will be faster and more secure.
You can use the same cables to lay telephones connections, although this does require some planning at installation time.
So given that convincing case, why bother with a wireless network? Here are a few reasons:
Installing a cabled network takes a lot longer than setting up a wireless network, and so may prove more expensive despite the equipment being cheaper.
It may not be practical to lay cables where you need them.
You don't have to think so much about how people may work in future and so where to position sockets with a wireless network. You can move a PC to another desk and not have to worry about where the nearest computer connection is. (The same can't be said for the power and telephone, so it doesn't completely eliminate the problem!)
Our advice is:
If its practical to cables, then this is usually the best option.
If necessary, combine the two. Lay a cabled network where possible, but maybe connect that one office that's difficult to reach using a wireless connection.
Plan the network carefully. Don't lay connections for how the office is being used now, but for how it could be used in the future. So if you have an office big enough for three people to work in, but only one person is in it now - cable it for three. The extra cost now is marginal compared to the cost of having to lay new cables in the future.
Use a Structured Approach. Use the same cabling scheme for both computers and telephones. Run all cables back to a central point using a 'patch panel' from where they can then be connected to either the computer network or telephone. This will give you maximum flexibility for the future.

The basics of a computer network
With apologies in advance to technical colleagues for the huge simplification, here the Westcountry Business 'guide to networking in a nutshell'.

All the computers on a network must be connected together, either by a cable or wireless connection. This tends to be done by connecting them all into a device called a 'Hub' or 'Switch'. There is a technical difference between the two devices, although they look the same. Switches are better and would normally be used. However, for the non-technical person, we find the term 'hub' to be more easily understood and so will use 'hub' to mean hub or switch.

In the back of your computer will be a network socket (if there isn't already, one can easily be fitted. They cost under £10). You plug one end of the cable in there and the other end into the 'hub'. The 'hub' is a box with lots of network sockets in, normally at least four, but could also be 8, 16, 32 etc. You can connect these 'hubs' together to create larger networks.

If you have a server, you connect it to the 'hub' in the same way and that's it - you have your network. In an office environment, the 'hub' is likely to be in a room, probably near the server or telephone exchange, but separate from most (if not all) of your PCs, which is why the cabling needs to be carefully planned.

Planning you cabling

When starting from scratch, you should plan for each computer, and potential future computers, to have a single cable running from it to the central 'hub'. In reality this is done in the form of a socket mounted on the wall that connects back to the central point. The cable from the computer then connects into the socket on the wall.

For maximum flexibility, we normally recommend installing more than 1 socket per PC. This means that at the central point there will be a cable for every socket in the office - if you install 20 sockets, at your central point you have a bundle of 20 cables - so what do you do with them?

The simplest approach is just to connect them directly into your central 'hub', which is fine if your 'hub' is big enough, but is a little restrictive. A better approach is to connect all the cables into a 'patch panel', rather than connect them directly to the 'hub'. A patch panel is basically a box of network sockets, like the ones you have mounted on the walls in each office. You connect each cable to one of the sockets in the patch panel, given a direct 1-to-1 connection between each wall socket in the office to a corresponding socket in the patch panel.

Then, in the same way as you used a separate cable to connect your computer to the wall socket, you use another cable to connect the patch panel socket to the 'hub'. So in effect you have your single cable running from the back of the PC into the 'hub', but the cable is in 3 sections. All of this adds cost and a little complexity, so why bother? The answer - flexibility.

With a patch panel, you can easily connect any socket to any other or move a connection to a different place. This is especially useful if you are using the same cabling scheme for you telephones as well.

Imagine that you have a wall socket at you desk which has (typically) three connections - 2 network and 1 telephone. Currently you only use 1 of the network sockets for your PC and the telephone. The spare one was there, just in case (e.g. Network printer). Then you decide that you actually want a fax machine on your desk. Under normal circumstances that could be a big job, but with a structured cabling approach, this is what you do:
As network sockets are different to telephone sockets, you need to plug in an adaptor. These cost around £5-£6. Plug your fax machine in and make a note of the number of the wall socket. (If you've had your network installed professionally, all you sockets will be numbered).
Go to the central patch panel and look for the socket with the same number. As it was set up as a network socket, it will probably have a cable in it that is connected to the 'hub'.
Remove this cable. Insert another adaptor to covert the network socket to a telephone socket and plug in your telephone cable that connects to your central switchboard. Again, if this was a professional installation, your telephone would also be connected via a patch panel, so its just unplug & plug in again.
That's it. A job that could otherwise have required recabling, or you may have considered impractical is done within 5 minutes.
At Westcountry Business we would always recommend building in as much flexibility as possible when installing cabling as the extra cost of the hardware is relatively low and usually most of the cost of the job is in actually laying the cables.

Want to save yourself some money?

In our dealings with many small businesses we come across a wealth of skills, ingenuity and 'contacts', rather more often than we come across 'wealth'. Therefore we have developed a flexible approach.

Normally at least half of the time spent installing a network is spent laying the cables, fitting sockets to the wall etc., which is also the least technical aspect of the work. While we would normally take on the job as a whole, from start to finish, we are also happy to work with companies that want to do this part of the work themselves. We can supply equipment, if required, and help plan the work. We would then return when all cables, fittings etc are in place to connect it all up and thoroughly test everything through.

For more infomation, simply contact us to discuss your requirements - whatever they may be.