Get it together: there's never been a better time to implement a network in your small business

Entrepreneur, Nov, 1997 by Heather Page

Similarly, NetGear's Network Starter Kit ($179), sold primarily through retail channels, also comes with one hub, two NIC cards and cabling to connect two PCs. One unique feature: Its NICs have built-in technology to reduce your hardware costs should you decide to upgrade your network. Data is transferred along a network at two speeds: 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps. Generally, NICs are designed to work with one of these speeds, but NetGear's 10/100 Mbps network cards operate with either speed, so if you start out with a 10 Mbps network but want to upgrade to a 100 Mbps system later on, you don't have to buy new NICs; however, you will have to upgrade to a faster 100 Mbps hub.

MangoSoft has a new software solution that utilizes the resources of a networked environment differently. Instead of the traditional client/server environment where all PCs connected to a network must access the server to share data, MangoSoft's Medley97 software uses "CacheLink architecture" to pool the storage and memory resources of all the connected PCs. For example, if you have 10 users connected to a network and each contributes 100MB of hard-drive space, a total of 1GB is designated for use as a "Medley drive" across your network. With Medley software, all the PCs then act as both a client and a server.

The benefits? With all PCs on the network taking over the role of the server, there's no need to invest in this costly piece of hardware. Plus, because the software automatically stores data across all the machines, files may be stored in close proximity to you - possibly even on your own machine - so the time it takes to retrieve them may be reduced. A Medley two-connection software starter kit costs $249 (networking hardware not included); each additional connection costs $199.

* FINAL STEPS

Once you've decided you need a network, proceed carefully. Chuck Yort, director of small-business operations at 3Com, recommends asking yourself five questions:

1. How do you plan to use your network? Determine what you want to gain from your network now and in the future, such as the ability to share files, access data remotely and so on.

2. How many PCs do you have? This impacts the way you'll design your LAN, from the types of cabling you use to its structure.

3. Where do you plan to buy it? Retail is an option if you're familiar with networks and plan to install it yourself. If not, it's usually best to use a reseller that can choose equipment for you, install it and provide ongoing support.

4. Get to know the terms. To make the best decisions, you should become familiar with basic networking terminology (see "On Good Terms" on page 52).

5. How crucial will your network be? Think about how dependent your business will become on the network and what could happen if it breaks down. Then, be sure to put the proper controls in place and, if necessary, additional personnel to manage it.

ON GOOD TERMS

Following are a few networking terms to get you up and running:

* Network interface card (NIC): A device that allows a machine to communicate with other machines