Small Office Network Design & Documentation

A well-documented network is far easier to troubleshoot and expand later. Planning ahead — even for a small office — prevents confusion as the number of devices grows.

• Map your network: Document which devices connect where — which switch port, which Wi-Fi network, which IP range.
• Wired vs wireless: Use wired (Ethernet) connections for stationary devices like printers and desktops where possible — more reliable and frees up Wi-Fi capacity.
• Shared resources: Plan how printers and shared drives will be accessible to everyone who needs them.
• Growth planning: Choose a router/switch with enough ports and capacity for near-future growth, not just today's device count.

Practical Skill: Draw a simple network diagram for a 5-10 person office, showing the router, switch, wired and wireless devices, and the shared printer.

=== SMALL OFFICE NETWORK LAYOUT (5-10 people) ===   [Internet]       |   [Router] ---- Wi-Fi ---- Staff laptops & phones (wireless)       |   [Switch] ---- Ethernet ---- Reception desktop (wired)       |                  |       |              Office desktop (wired)       |   Shared Printer (wired or Wi-Fi, on the same network) === DOCUMENTATION TEMPLATE ===  Device            | Connection | IP/Port        | Notes  Router            | -          | 192.168.1.1    | Admin login stored securely  Switch            | Ethernet   | Port 1-8       | 8-port office switch  Reception PC      | Ethernet   | Port 1         | Static IP .10  Shared Printer    | Ethernet   | Port 2         | Static IP .20  Staff Wi-Fi        | Wireless   | 192.168.1.x    | WPA2, password rotated quarterly