Get best of the week

How to ensure high-quality operation of the local network of a small enterprise?

Does a small enterprise need a local network? Is there such a need for spending not small funds on the purchase of computer equipment, salaries for maintenance personnel, and payment for licensed software.

The author had to communicate with different categories (mostly young) of owners and managers of small companies (mainly LLC). Moreover, opinions were diametrically opposed, from such that a local area network is a panacea for business development, without it, everything will be lost and no luck, to such that a local area network is a terrible burden and a “headache” for a business leader.

In this article, the author will try to understand the pros and cons (not all of course, but the most obvious) of using local networks. He will try to understand himself and convey to the readers the main goal of the story - whether a small enterprise always needs a local network.

After reading this article (if you read it to the end) and before making your opinion on the competence of the author of this publication, the author asks you to consider that he is not a scientific worker, does not manage the company, is not a founder of LLC. The author is a third-year student of correspondence courses at the St. Petersburg State Technological Institute, who is trying her hand at writing an article according to the assignment for one of the subjects of study.

To answer the question of whether or not to have a small business own local network, the author will consider enterprises with at least 10 employees.

It makes no sense to consider LLC, where one employee is the CEO. Why does he need a local area network? After all, even the accounting statements in such a company are kept by a hired accountant with their own computer and software. Such a CEO may not even have a computer at all, but special software, all the more.

When writing this article, the author will consider companies that mainly work in the service sector. These include insurance companies, real estate agencies, accounting services companies.

The main task, according to the author, is not to develop and build a local area network for any particular enterprise, but to try to figure out if there is a need for a network or not. What are the obstacles to creating a network and its modernization.

In this case, it is necessary to immediately determine that the local network is not only the equipment of the network, but also the software and employees of the company operating this network.
According to many interlocutors (ordinary employees of the companies and management), a local network is necessary, it facilitates work, allows you to access specialized software, and allows you to work with company documentation.

The only and main problem, according to many, is the high cost of equipment and software for the local network.

As for the hardware for the network, according to the author, there is no need to chase advanced technologies and constantly buy advanced equipment from elite manufacturing companies. Each company at its foundation and work approximately represents how many jobs it needs. Therefore, when creating a local network, when laying cables, installing sockets and buying equipment, according to the author, it is necessary to create a 25% power reserve. This will allow the company to work for several years without problems. It is necessary to squeeze the maximum out of the equipment, and only then buy new, more powerful equipment, again with a margin.

There is no need to buy the Internet at a frantic speed right away; you can always increase it by increasing the payment to the provider. But, you need to monitor what employees are doing on the network and, if necessary, restrict their Internet access. It cannot be assumed that some employees play "advanced" games that consume a large amount of traffic, and working specialists experience inconvenience due to the low speed of the network. It will be even worse when these players “catch” viruses on the Internet and create problems for the company's software.
If the company’s affairs go smoothly, profit increases, there is a need to increase the number of employees, then you can think about upgrading the network, or creating a new, more powerful one. According to the author, it is necessary to find a middle ground, not to strive to have everything only the most advanced, but not to work on very old and poor equipment.

With software, proceed as follows. The author believes that it is better to use an open source operating system than Windows or Mac OS. We will not go into details that the manufacturers of these patented operating systems monitor their users, we will only deal with commerce. Linux operating systems can be installed on servers and personal computers; they consume computer resources much less; moreover, the software of leading companies is also written for Linux. There is no need to constantly wait for companies to stop supporting their products, as happened with Windows XP and Windows 7 and at the same time pay small amounts for using licensed software.

The only thing you should not save on is the antivirus and the main applications for the company (for example, 1C: Accounting). These programs will protect your computers and provide work for the company.

Do not just install counterfeit software. This not only poses a threat to virus infection, hacking, or the complete destruction of all software, but it can (and will certainly create) problems with the law. For the same reason, it is necessary to prohibit the use of personal personal computers of employees at the workplace, even if they are not connected to the local network.

If government agencies in the field of control over the use of software detain an employee of the company outside the workplace with a personal laptop containing unlicensed software - this is a violation, but the company is not involved in it. He will be liable (administrative or civil), but the amount of fines and claims will not be very large, although substantial. And he will bear responsibility independently.

But there will be a real problem if the verification reveals the use of unlicensed software on work or personal computers, but at the workplace of an employee of the company. Fines and lawsuits will be very large. In addition, criminal liability may arise.

According to the author, it is necessary to adhere to two basic principles in the company when using software: do not save on trifles and trust but (constantly) check.

The third component in the organization of a high-quality local network is competent and well-trained staff. Not only system administrators should be well-versed in the principle of organization and operation of the company’s network. A basic understanding of the network should have all employees working at computers.

If companies intend to use open source computers, employees should be able to use it. Using Windows is more a force of habit, a tribute to fashion and an established stereotype. Retraining from Windows OS to Linux OS should not be difficult for advanced users who (the author hopes) work in each company, and which should be the majority. If this is not so, then you will either have to retrain such employees, or dismiss, or purchase a licensed Windows OS. In any case, the choice always remains with the owners and management of the company. But it is always necessary to take into account the fact that it is much easier for a computer specialist who is eager to learn to teach a company profile for a company than a specialist in a company who does not want to learn to learn how to work well on a computer. This is the personal opinion of the author,which he is not trying to impose on anyone.

Trying to figure out the need to create a local network for a small company and the ability to ensure its high-quality operation, the author came to certain conclusions.

First, a local network is needed by a small company. It facilitates and accelerates the work of employees, helps management to control the work of subordinates, to be aware of the successes and problems of the company.

Secondly, it is possible to organize the work of a local network of a company and maintain it in working condition only with the complex solution of three main problems - it is necessary to have efficient equipment, high-quality software and trained personnel. It is impossible to improve something, but to deteriorate something, it will not lead to anything good. It is only necessary to improve, and improve in the complex.

More articles:


All Articles