Guest Author - Jeremy Fore

If you’ve looked into setting up, or have set up a home office, or a small business, you’re probably aware of how far technology has come in terms of what’s available to the average consumer. What used to take up a whole room can now fit neatly under a desk. You can have a multi-server wireless network with a handful of workstations and all the bells and whistles. But is this right for you? Maybe not, but a wireless network may be the key to making your workplace more efficient.

A wireless network is a great way to expand the capabilities of any office, large or small. Even a single computer that sits on the same desk will benefit from a wireless set up. I’ll start with the obvious. There are no wires! Going wireless really tidies up your workspace. A wireless router is easy to tuck out of the way, and replaces yards, or miles of cables going across your office. In the early days of wireless, people assumed losing the wires would degrade signal quality or slow down operations. This isn’t true at all. With a wireless set up, your data will go just as fast as it would with a wired set up.

As strange as it sounds, a wireless environment can improve the aesthetics of your office, which improves the mood and morale of you and your co-workers. Having a laptop and being able to go freely through the office is convenient and efficient. Employees will be more motivated to work when they can do so in a comfortable environment. If you ever rearrange your office, or move to the other end of the building, it will be easy to get set right up on the network in your new location. In addition, you can easily add new units or expand without spending a lot of money on expanding your network.

In the business world, a key advantage of setting up a wireless network is the savings. After installing a wireless network, you will quickly see a return on your investment. You won’t need to spend money on cable or maintenance of extra equipment. Wireless routers are available for any budget. Most new computers are set up for wireless as a stock feature. If yours is not, PCI cards are available starting around $20, and enable a PC to run on a wireless network. Wireless receiver cards also available for laptop computers for an average of around $40-50. As with PCs, most laptops come with wireless capability as a stock feature.

A wireless network is a great way to improve your work environment. There are many advantages you won’t realize until you make the change yourself. I find myself laying on the couch typing this article right now on my laptop, and that’s reason enough for me.