A smooth-running network at the office can be a huge benefit. Despite using internet and internal network for most parts of the operation, a lot of businesses – especially small and medium-sized enterprises – still treat networking as an afterthought. The capable computers you’re using may not be able to support your business optimally when the network connecting those computers with the internet is not optimized.

Many businesses don’t really take networking seriously due to budget constraints. If cost is your primary concern, these next few tips and tricks we are about to discuss in this article will help you supercharge your office network in no time.

Stick to One Networking Standard

One of the most common mistakes when creating an office network is not considering the networking standard used. Using an 802.11n router when most of the devices can only support 802.11g will result in some networking nightmares. Upgrading to 802.11ac without equipping older computers with a suitable upgrade will also cause problems.

It is best to plan ahead and stick to one standard when creating a new office network or upgrading an existing one. With routers and computers using the same standard, you don’t have to worry about issues such as interference and slower computers affecting the network speed in general.

Sticking to one networking standard also makes maintaining the network, as well as doing future upgrades, a lot easier. You can even take advantage of the 5GHz band in certain circumstances, allowing faster data transfers and better resistance against interference. All it takes is some planning.

Have a Plan

Even when you already have an office network set up, it is still a good idea to have a networking diagram drawn for future upgrades and maintenance. Planning is even more rewarding when you’re in the process of setting up a network since you can plan every node of the network accordingly.

The networking plan will act as your guide when doing repairs and maintaining the network on a regular basis. Use static IPs for desktop computers for easy management and assign dynamic IPs for laptops and mobile devices. You can still control the assigned IPs based on the devices’ MAC addresses.

One of the biggest advantages of careful planning is the easy identification of problems. Let’s say a team member is using up all of the bandwidth to download large files. You can quickly identify which user is hogging the bandwidth by  taking a quick look at the logs and matching the IP address with your networking plan.

Make It Scalable

You don’t have to invest in expensive networking gear if you don’t have the budget. One of the things taught in top IT schools such as the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the best online masters computer science programs in the country is scalability. Scalability in various IT implementations allows businesses to keep costs at an optimum level.

In fact, those who are pursuing an online masters in computer science degree are being taught cleverer ways to make every IT implementation scalable, including networking in small and medium-sized offices. Tricks such as choosing routers that support the right number of computers and setting up the network in clusters can really help keep your running costs manageable.

These are some of the tips you can use to further optimize your office network; they can also be used to help you create a reliable network for your new office.