Networking Your Business

3. Internet

You will almost certainly want to connect your business network to the internet.

You can set your network up so employees can access it from outside the office.

3.1 The easiest way to connect your network to the internet is to use a broadband connection.

• The most common type of broadband is called ADSL. ADSL packages cost from about £10 per month.
• If you have a basic network without a server, you can buy a router which connects directly to the internet using ADSL.
• The router also acts as the centre of your network (see 2.4), so you need to connect all your computers to it to share the internet.
• It is very easy to set up this type of internet connection sharing. Operating systems like Microsoft Windows will recognise the connection when you plug each computer into the router.

3.2 An ADSL connection may not always be adequate.

• Too many people using the connection or downloading lots of files at once will slow it down.
• With ADSL, uploading is much slower than downloading. This means ADSL is not usually suitable if you send out large files often, or want your employees to connect to your network using an extranet or virtual private network.
• Additionally, many ADSL packages do not have guaranteed levels of service. You could find yourself without recourse if your connection goes down.

3.3 There are other types of connection you can consider.

• These range from simply having a second ADSL line to purchasing a leased line with guaranteed capacity.
• If you have a large network or specialised needs, talk to your internet service provider and your IT supplier to establish what type of connection best fits your needs.

3.4 You should host your website separately.

• It is generally best to host your website with a specialist web host rather than using your own server.