Office network - wired and wireless - where can I get advice or someone to set it up?

[ministryofsleep]

Have recently taken a job as office manager for a very new company, and I need to do the following:

• Set up an office network for the PC and the 2 laptops that will be used both in and out of the office, with the idea that all documents on the main PC will be accessible on the 2 laptops

• Set up 3 individual email accounts on Outlook

How easy is this to do? Is it something I could do myself? Am computer literate and done easy stuff like set up wireless laptop at home but nothing like this before

TIA!

[whomovedmychocolate]

Setting up email accounts is v easy. Do you have a server? Or do you have a network provider with POP accounts who is providing your email?

Setting up a network requires you to use another computer as a server and allowing access either wired or wirelessly - which requires a router - and creating a secured connection between the two.

My advice is to go to PC world or somewhere they are used to non technical people and ask them - or buy apple stuff which is very easy to use and set up.

[ministryofsleep]

Hi WMMC, no they don't have a server, they are using googlemail atm for their email but I am finding it a bit useless and want to switch to Outlook for Out of Office and diary facility. Think they have an account at PC world and are buying me a laptop this week, so will go down myself to get it and ask a few questions at the same time.

Thanks for your reply

[ABetaDad]

TBH, its sounds to me like BT or internet service provider would be sufficient with a WiFi hub plugged in he wall would do the job.

We have 6 computers in our house all networked via a BT Home hub and works very well.

Microsoft software allows the PC and laptops to be networked together but not sure exactly how the technicals work.

As a work around, could you not just use an offsite BT digital vault to store common files (which would be good for security and business recovery in case of a fire) and then each PC/laptop could access the files from the digital vault as required?

[ministryofsleep]

Hi abetadad - how does the digital vault work over a network, would files be instantly accessible to other computers as soon as a document was put on there? Is it just a software package that I would need to buy to do this?

Do you know anything about setting up the separate email acounts I mentioned in OP?

[ministryofsleep]

also at 6 computers in the house !

[whomovedmychocolate]

I find a BT home hub a complete PITA and have an Airport Extreme running as well which is much better wirelessly I find.

But then we only have four in the one building and two in the other.

Setting up separate email accounts if you are on BT is a doddle - you just log in as the primary account holder and go to help and follow the instructions and it will tell you what to do and what to key into Outlook.

Of course then general muppetry will break out and they'll get viruses, break their computers and bugger your servers.

Have you considered only giving them blunt pencils and rubbers? Much less hassle

[ministryofsleep]

[ABetaDad]

ministryofsleep - here is alink to BT Digital Vault explaining how it works. It is not really going to be a long term solution but might be a work around for a while. I think you should be able to access files from any computer anywhere in the world.

It will though keep your files secure in case of fire. Small business recovery after a fire or major hard drive failure or computer virus attack is hell.

On setting up separate email acocunts it is a doddle with BT as whomovedmychocolate said.

If your business grows you will need a proper network setting up.