Intranet Design and Setup

AWS can help you and your business with the following and more:

• Local networks for small offices or home use
• Setup of file and printer sharing
• Router, switch, hub and modem setup assistance
• Running, labeling and organizing cables

Here's a common scenario: Your office is a snarl of cable, the space behind each workstation is unbearable to look at, and somehow Printers 1 and 4 are just inaccessible despite all your efforts.
 
Networking your office computers is a powerful way to share information and increase productivity, but if you aren't making full use of the resources, it can be a hassle to try to communicate among workstations. AWS brings you the expertise needed to accomplish all the above points: set up your router, run network cable cleanly and safely, and even employ switches and hubs should you need larger networking jobs for your business. We will make sure your information can move freely among the computers and printers on your network, and even educate you on how to troubleshoot simple tasks so that you won't have to deal with technical support as often, if ever again.
 
For more information on how AWS can help with your networking, visit our extranet design and networking pages.
 

 

What is a router?	A router is a piece of equipment that acts as a central point for many computers to access one Internet connection. The router gives each computer on the subnet an address via DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). This address might look something like "192.168.1.100." See below, "General notes for setting up your network," for futher information on DHCP and IP addresses.
What is a hub?	A hub provides a way for many computers to talk to each other. A hub may or may not give out DHCP addresses, but usually it does not: it lets computers on the same level of a network "see" each other and allows for multiplayer games, for example. When used with a router, it can extend the maximum number of computers that a network will accommodate.
What is a switch?	A switch helps streamline a network's performance by breaking it up into different segments. The switch acts as a transfer station determining where certain kinds of data should go. This increases organization within the network and essentially makes it faster.
General notes for setting up your network:	Here are a few things to help you get started:   Router Setup: - Usually the default address for a router is 192.168.1.1, and addresses that it gives out might start by default at 100, hence the example above. Your router can be configured and secured by opening your web browser and going to the address "http://192.168.1.1".   Securing your router - If your wireless router does not have a password, anyone passing by with a wireless card can access your network, log into your router, and change your Internet settings, possibly denying you access to your own connection. To prevent this, go to your router's address (as exemplified above) and set a password for the router. On Linksys routers this is under the home / first page; on Motorola routers, under Control Panel > Device Security.   Wireless data encryption and restricted access - You can encrypt the data sent through your wireless connection, and even require a passphrase to access your network at all. Let AWS help you set up your router to protect your data and your network--something especially important in areas like large cities, with high internet traffic and large populations.   IP Address conflicts - Each computer on the network must have a unique IP address (like "192.168.1.102"). If two computers are competing for the same one, or if one is already in the router's Client Table, problems will ensue. You can usually solve these by finding the "DHCP Clients Table" under your router's control panel and deleting the offending entries.   "Do-over!" - When all else fails, you can reset your router by unplugging it for two to three minutes, then plugging it back in. Note, however, that this will erase all its settings, including access passwords and data encryption keys, so make sure if you reset that you have all this information recorded before you do so.