Small Business Network

[plasmav2]

So my mom has a small business, and she is looking for a computer setup. She has a number of requirements.

 

1. Full Compatibility with her current iPhone and iPad and the computers that she would buy. (Desktop and laptop or two laptops). What computers should I look into?

2. Able to access old files and emails from current email account on old computer, to all four devices.

3. Full access of email and calendar with all devices. (If you delete an email on the iPhone, it will be deleted on the laptop.

4. It would also be nice if she could pull up files from her desktop while not on the home network from her iPad, for example.

 

I hope that someone can help me with this, and I am looking for help from someone who honestly knows what they are doing.

Thanks in advance.

[JLCitadel]

So my mom has a small business, and she is looking for a computer setup. She has a number of requirements.

 

1. Full Compatibility with her current iPhone and iPad and the computers that she would buy. (Desktop and laptop or two laptops). What computers should I look into?

2. Able to access old files and emails from current email account on old computer, to all four devices.

3. Full access of email and calendar with all devices. (If you delete an email on the iPhone, it will be deleted on the laptop.

4. It would also be nice if she could pull up files from her desktop while not on the home network from her iPad, for example.

 

I hope that someone can help me with this, and I am looking for help from someone who honestly knows what they are doing.

Thanks in advance.

 

Alright, so what she needs to do is this;

1. Build a server

2. Build a desktop

3. Setup a network

 

The server & network will allow her to access all of the files and emails programs and calendars across all devices.

The desktop will be her main power computer.

 

Get a keyboard attachment to the iPad if she desprately needs a laptop, but for a small business, I'd focus on building a RELIABLE safe and powerful server, desktop, and network. Then access it from half ass cheap laptops, like a chromebook flashed with wins 7

[plasmav2]

Alright, so what she needs to do is this;

1. Build a server

2. Build a desktop

3. Setup a network

 

The server & network will allow her to access all of the files and emails programs and calendars across all devices.

The desktop will be her main power computer.

 

Get a keyboard attachment to the iPad if she desprately needs a laptop, but for a small business, I'd focus on building a RELIABLE safe and powerful server, desktop, and network. Then access it from half ass cheap laptops, like a chromebook flashed with wins 7

Would you recommend any products in general for the server and network? I have offered to build her a Desktop, but she wants support from a company and have an all covering warranty. 

[JLCitadel]

Would you recommend any products in general for the server and network? I have offered to build her a Desktop, but she wants support from a company and have an all covering warranty. 

 

Well for the desktop, tell her she pretty much needs to get over that. You'll spend way to much to get a half decent prebuilt desktop.

As for the server & network, they're not really my area of expertise. I think, and don't quote me on this, you can just do a micro or mini atx build, and slap in a crap load of storage drives, and that works? Someone else will need to help you out here.

[juretrn]

Well for the desktop, tell her she pretty much needs to get over that. You'll spend way to much to get a half decent prebuilt desktop.

As for the server & network, they're not really my area of expertise. I think, and don't quote me on this, you can just do a micro or mini atx build, and slap in a crap load of storage drives, and that works? Someone else will need to help you out here.

We have a small family bussiness, and we still run on an Core 2 Duo, with a 500 GB HDD. No problems yet. Only changed the drive as a precaution. Of course, a prebuilt from a company like HP or Dell will be just fine for them I would believe. 

 

As for the router, use a Linksys WRT54GL if you don't really care about wifi (it only has 802.11g) as it is considered the best small router. But any cheap one will do, actually. If you have more PCs, maybe buy a switch?

Calendar/mail? Google is pretty comprehensive there. 

But I think it would be best to setup your own domain and get your own e-mail addresses, since it's a bussiness. 

[JLCitadel]

We have a small family bussiness, and we still run on an Core 2 Duo, with a 500 GB HDD. No problems yet. Only changed the drive as a precaution. Of course, a prebuilt from a company like HP or Dell will be just fine for them I would believe. 

 

As for the router, use a Linksys WRT54GL if you don't really care about wifi (it only has 802.11g) as it is considered the best small router. But any cheap one will do, actually. If you have more PCs, maybe buy a switch?

Calendar/mail? Google is pretty comprehensive there. 

But I think it would be best to setup your own domain and get your own e-mail addresses, since it's a bussiness. 

 

I'm a performance junkie, & also it'd be good to have room to grow, if you plan on having a large network, get a larger router. & That was a good mention of the google thing, I had it in the back of my mind but it completely slipped away.

[JLCitadel]

Also i wouldn't reccomend getting your own email address. If you're a small business, use google. everyone will remember .....@gmail.com but will forget ...@..... . com

[tom564]

1. how many people and systems 

2. what sort of data will be stored (compliance issues etc) 

3. Is the company going to be expanding rapidly in the near future?

4. How important is the data to be stored? (can you afford to have it down for a day or two) 

[plasmav2]

1. how many people and systems 

2. what sort of data will be stored (compliance issues etc) 

3. Is the company going to be expanding rapidly in the near future?

4. How important is the data to be stored? (can you afford to have it down for a day or two) 

1. She will have an iPad, iPhone, Laptop and Desktop. Her and maybe a secretary.

2. Documents, pdf files, pictures

3.Not really, mainly my mom working with her clients.

4. It has to be always accessible so she can pull up files from all of her devices

[tom564]

1. She will have an iPad, iPhone, Laptop and Desktop. Her and maybe a secretary.

2. Documents, pdf files, pictures

3.Not really, mainly my mom working with her clients.

4. It has to be always accessible so she can pull up files from all of her devices

if it is that small i would not be building a dedicated server and would run something like bittorrent sync (dependent on the amount of data really) on them so a local version of each library is stored locally on each device and synced. I would focus on keeping good backups as well.