micro business network

[foxp3]

hi everyone,

 

i have to set up a network for a very small business we own. we have 3-5 workstations all connected to our cloud server where we store our business files, 1 nas/backupserver, 1 printer, and one tv.

2-3 users will permanently be connected to the network during working hours. the work is mainly emailing, surfing the web, and doing some local excel/word stuff - so no big need for high throughput in any way.

 

internet speed is 30/5 at the moment (will upgrade to 70/15 if need be).

 

idea no1:

modem > consumer grade wifi router > 16port gbit switch > workstations/tv/printer/nas

 

idea no2:

modem > cisco rv version business vpn router with 14 gbit ports > workstations/tv/printer/nas and wireless access point (most expensive solution)

 

idea no3:

modem > consumer grade wifi router (has 4 ethernet ports) > printer + 8port gbit switch -> workstations/tv/nas

 

idea no4:

wifi-router-modem combo from ISP -> switch -> workstations/tv/printer/nas

 

is there a proper way to go or doesnt it matter anyway?

i try to keep the budget to a minimum. we dont need vpn or any other big connectivity in the near future. the only thing we think about is getting a windows server for active directory. but this is not happening until next year anyway (and could be connected to any of those ideas anyway).

 

do i need a hardware firewall if my router has one built-in?

 

 

thanks for helping me out

[Oshino Shinobu]

By the sounds of things, you don't need much more than a good home network would. I would personally suggest going for option 1, as it allows for the network to be expanded in the future without the need for new hardware. 

There's not really any point in buying a high end business router when you're not going to be needing the additional features it offers. 

You don't really need a hardware firewall. The router will have an inbuilt firewall, and you should have firewalls on your local computers as well. 

[foxp3]

1 minute ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

By the sounds of things, you don't need much more than a good home network would. I would personally suggest going for option 1, as it allows for the network to be expanded in the future without the need for new hardware. 

There's not really any point in buying a high end business router when you're not going to be needing the additional features it offers. 

You don't really need a hardware firewall. The router will have an inbuilt firewall, and you should have firewalls on your local computers as well. 

yeah right i was thinking the same. i just wanted to know if there is something that is really a no-go when it comes to business networks.

[Oshino Shinobu]

1 minute ago, foxp3 said:

yeah right i was thinking the same. i just wanted to know if there is something that is really a no-go when it comes to business networks.

Well, it depends on the business, really. For those who need to separate the network and have strict restrictions on their employee's network permissions, the requirements on the network will change. 

Same for businesses who upload a lot of data, or are responsible for sensitive information. 

For your needs, it sounds that you simply need to connect all of the devices together, rather than setting up advanced QoS, vLANs and other features. 

[mcraftax]

I would go for a setup with is just above consumer grade so you have some functionality.

I would go for a Ubiquiti Edgerouter Lite, a switch of your choice (unmanaged or managed, up to you) and a Ubiquiti UniFi AP AC, go for the model of what you need (range/capability) or the budget.

[foxp3]

 

1 hour ago, mcraftax said:

I would go for a setup with is just above consumer grade so you have some functionality.

I would go for a Ubiquiti Edgerouter Lite, a switch of your choice (unmanaged or managed, up to you) and a Ubiquiti UniFi AP AC, go for the model of what you need (range/capability) or the budget.

 

thank you for your suggestions.

 

after reading a ton of stuff online i decided to go for those two.

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-ProSAFE-16-Port-Gigabit-Desktop/dp/B00GG1AC7I/

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC1900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00F0DD0I6/

the switch should be fine, the router might be consumer level but seems to have some advanced features compared to the cheaper ones.

 

most important would be vpn one day if we decide to step it up a notch and buy a server. (although i couldnt really find anything about vpn user amounts, connection speed or any security features).

 

total amount was like 250 euros. i think it's ok. because any other solution would be way more expensive. and we didnt really want to spend a fortune on 3 people writing emails and surfing the web. let's see what will happen in the future.