Category: Hardware
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“The Wi-Fi is bad” is one of the most common office complaints. Usually the cause is design, not the internet speed. Why one router isn’t enough Consumer routers don’t scale. Offices need multiple access points (APs) managed together. Principles of good design 1. Plan coverage and capacity. Consider both how far signals reach and how…
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Wi-Fi standards keep advancing. Here’s a plain comparison. Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) Still common, but dated. Works on the 5 GHz band and struggles in dense environments. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Better efficiency with many devices connected at once, improved battery life for clients, and higher speeds. A strong, mature baseline today. Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 extended…
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A switch connects devices on your network: PCs, printers, servers, access points, and phones. Unmanaged switches Plug and play, with no configuration. They’re inexpensive and fine for simple, small setups like a home office or a few extra ports. Managed switches Offer configuration and control, including: – VLANs to separate traffic (staff, guests, cameras, phones)…
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What a UPS does – Provides battery power during outages so equipment shuts down safely – Filters surges and voltage fluctuations – Keeps critical systems running through short interruptions Types – Standby (offline): basic protection for desktops and small devices – Line-interactive: regulates voltage, ideal for small offices and network equipment – Online (double-conversion): continuously…
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RAID combines multiple drives into one logical unit for speed, redundancy, or both. The common levels RAID 0 – Striping Spreads data across drives for speed. No redundancy: if one drive fails, everything is lost. Never use for important data. RAID 1 – Mirroring Two drives hold identical data. Survives one drive failure. Simple and…
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Shared storage is central to most business networks. NAS and SAN are the two classic approaches. NAS (Network Attached Storage) A NAS is a storage device that serves files over the network (SMB, NFS). Think of it as a dedicated file server. – Pros: simple, affordable, easy to manage, good for file sharing and backups…
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Virtualization lets one physical server run many workloads. Sizing it correctly is the key to performance. Start with the workloads List the virtual machines you’ll run and their CPU, RAM, storage, and growth needs, plus peak usage. CPU Fast cores matter for databases and line-of-business apps. For general workloads, a vCPU-to-physical-core ratio of roughly 2:1…
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Cloud is not always cheaper, and on-premises is not always cheaper either. A fair comparison counts everything. On-premises costs – Server hardware and storage – Operating system and software licenses – Backup and disaster recovery systems – UPS, cooling, rack, and cabling – Electricity – IT labor for maintenance and patching – Replacement every 5–7…
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If you’ve decided you need on-premises servers, the physical form matters. Tower servers Look like large desktop PCs. Quiet, simple, and cheap. Ideal for small offices with one or two servers and no server room. They take up floor space and scale poorly. Rack servers Mount in a standard 19-inch rack, measured in “U” heights…
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Managed print services (MPS) mean a provider supplies, monitors, and maintains your printers for a predictable fee, often billed per page. What’s usually included – Devices (leased or purchased) – Toner and supplies delivered automatically – Maintenance and repairs – Remote monitoring of usage and status – Reporting on volume and costs Advantages – Predictable…