IT190 Unit 7 YOUR NETWORK

“Personal Area Network”, PAN was the first network I considered because it allows devices used by one person to communicate with each other. I feel this network is more of a smartphone, tablet and laptop connection. “Local Area Network”, LAN is the recommended network as it is normally used in home or office settings with connected devices in a specific location. Also recommended is P2P, peer-to-peer as your devices would be connected by the internet and share directly through systems. Good for the recommended three devices needed to share information.

My first suggestion which is always the easiest is checking what modem you have and what all features are present how much of an upgrade is needed to get where you would like to be, check with your Internet service provider. If you already have an internet connection it is likely an ethernet connection. With the ethernet connection connecting three devices would create that LAN network I mentioned previously, making it a wired connection that would allow sharing from store front, backroom and home afterhours. May end up being a less expensive choice and would normally connect well with desktop computers. This is the recommended choice for the store/home use and you already have a modem so check with your ISP.

If considering a wireless connection this is more for portable devices like laptops and tablets. Portable devices are easily transported between home and store front after hours so may use 1 less device and tablets are always good for placing orders and viewing different demographics but in my opinion, desktop would probably be the best. If going wireless will need to have a wireless router of sorts. D-Link usually is a good company but of course check with your ISP to see if it has such supported devices if you go wired instead you can always switch up or have both no biggie. Considering you already have a business account your ISP may have promotions for upgrades.

When thinking in terms of network security, it is very important to have security measures in working order and always up to date. Intranets are always a good option and recommended as allows internal connection with the suggested 3 devices you want to incorporate and would be limited to the suggested LAN network. There are also VPN’s, virtual private networks, that use encryption to ensure safety which is good for wireless portable devices. Key points to always consider when using the internet and protection are that fact that you need to use a firewall and educate all needed employees on internet etiquette. Secure any mobile devices if needed, and always educate the password protection portion of the system. Be sure to routinely back up data as you want to make sure you don’t lose anything in case or errors. Lastly it is highly recommended that you have some sort of anti-malware software.

REFERENCES

8 Cyber Security Best Practices For Your Small To Medium-Size Business

by Chelsea Segal 2019 https://www.coxblue.com/8-cyber-security-best-practices-for-your-small-to-medium-size-business-smb/

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