Assess Your Requirements
Before buying any equipment, determine your needs: How many employees will be connected? Do you need VoIP phones? Video conferencing? Cloud-based applications? A 10-person office running basic email and web has very different requirements than a 30-person office with VoIP, video calls, and cloud-based design tools.
Internet Connection
For a small office, we recommend at least 100Mbps symmetrical (equal download and upload) if available. Fiber is ideal. If fiber isn't available, consider a business cable connection with a dedicated IP. For critical operations, set up a secondary connection (even a 4G/5G backup) for failover.
Core Equipment Stack
Modem/Gateway: Use whatever your ISP provides, or purchase a compatible business-grade modem.
Router/Firewall: Invest in a business-grade router with proper firewall capabilities. The Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro or a pfSense-based appliance are popular choices.
Switch: A managed gigabit switch with enough ports for all wired devices. VLANs capability is important for segmenting traffic.
Access Points: Enterprise-grade WiFi access points (Ubiquiti, TP-Link Omada, or Aruba Instant On) mounted on ceilings for optimal coverage.
Network Segmentation
Separate your network into VLANs: one for employee workstations, one for servers/NAS, one for guest WiFi, and one for IoT/printers. This improves both performance and security.
Backup and Redundancy
For business-critical operations, consider redundant internet connections, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for networking equipment, and automated cloud backups for all important data.