Understanding Internet Service Availability for businesses
One of the areas a business owner who is planning to lease an office space must look into is the availability of internet service in the building and the kind of internet service available in the area. The business owner may also consider the service providers of internet service in the area because it is known fact in the internet world that not all providers are equal. Some service providers are noted for their blazing speed while some provide service that is a decade-behind in technology.
Most commercial buildings are already wired for internet service and for a business that is leasing an office space, it is just a matter of signing up with the service provider and the business is all set for the internet service. The drawback here is that the business owner has no option of choosing the service provider. He has to take the service provider and the kind of internet service that the building is hooked up to.
In some commercial buildings, a business that leases an office space has the option of signing up for the internet service and the service provider of preference. It is possible because the building is wired in a manner that there is access to different internet service providers and different internet services.
A business owner who plans to lease an office space can save a lot of money if he will look for a commercial building that has installed high speed Internet access services. The service can provide e-mail boxes and other ISP functions for the different businesses that are leasing from them. The internet hook-up of each of the businesses leasing office spaces is made possible by having a bridge or router connected to the main DSL line, cable service, or a satellite up-link. Ethernet cables can then run from each office space to the building’s network hub, which is wired to the bridge or router.
Each business that leases an office space will become a Local Area Network (LAN) with the other businesses leasing spaces in the building. Every Local Area Network will have to install security measures to prevent other LANs from accessing each other’s computer network.
Types of Internet Connection For Businesses
A business owner must have a basic knowledge of the different types of internet connection to enable him to choose which type of connection or service is needed by the type of operation of his business. Internet connection service may be classified as follows:
Analog or Dial-up access – This is the early type of internet connection that may be characterized as economical and very slow. It uses a modem connection to connect to the Internet by dialing a phone number provided by the service provider. It is an analog connection because data is transmitted using analog phone lines. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) – It is the international communications standard for voice, video, and data transmission over digital telephone lines. Broadband ISDN – It works almost the same as the ISDN except that transmission is done over fiber optic telephone lines. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) – It uses the existing telephone line making the internet connection always on. Internet service is provided together, and at the same time, as the telephone service. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) – It is the most common type of service in the U.S. that requires a special ADSL modem. Upstream and downstream traffic vary in transmission rate. Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) – It allows more data to be transmitted over existing telephone lines. It has the same data rate for both upstream and downstream traffic. Cable-Broadband Internet Connection – Broadband internet is operated through the use of cable modem. Cable internet utilizes TV channel space for data transmission, with different channel for upstream transmission and another channel for downstream transmission. Wireless Internet Connection – Wireless broadband uses radio frequency bands instead of telephone or cable networks.
A business that leases an office space in a commercial building may allow access to its network over cable or DSL connections. However, they have to take internet security seriously by observing the following guidelines:
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a safeguard against malicious parties from capturing the business’ login names and passwords.
Exercise control over the office computers by configuring them and locking down the configuration.
Periodically check the office computers to make sure that the security configurations have not been altered or changed.
Provide the business computer network’s DSL or T1 account with static IP address for added security.
Make sure that the network’s firewall is properly managed and closely monitored. Subscribe to and keep up to date an effective anti-virus program.
Adopt strict regulations to make employees observe computer security measures.
Have a contingency plan in the event that the computer network security is breached. Make sure that the business’ computer system is installed and maintained by professionals.
Taking the above-mentioned steps may cost the business a lot but the cost involved may proved to be cheaper if the company will experience a breached security resulting in having the data falling on the hands of malicious parties or having the whole company server totally wiped out. All businesses must bear in mind that breaching computer security can now be done even by amateurs. Even high school kids have now acquired the skills of hacking into a computer system. Spending money for a secured system is a small price to pay to guarantee that the business can carry out its operation on a secured computer network.
The Kennedy Office Center offers its tenants Comcast high speed internet access available up to 100MB download and 15MB upload. Tenants who use minimal internet can use the Comcast access as their primary internet, or use it as a backup source if their regular internet service goes down.