Small Business Network

[Joe User]

I'm helping refurbish a small business network, about 25 devices (15 wired) right now. For the past two decades they've been mostly wired ethernet to fixed workstations, a few cell phones on a WiFi router, some wired office phones and all their networking equipment has been consumer grade. Asus router, Netgear switches, hubs, and lots of aging CAT 5 CompUSA cables.

 

They want to step up things, add WiFi, replace their router, hubs and switches, the works. A few years ago, my answer would be, open the walls, replace all the old wiring, get some good Ubiquiti gear, and build a new Ethernet backbone with WiFi hanging off it.

 

I've been out of the networking game for a few years, is going with Ubiquiti still good advice? Should I forget about opening up walls and replacing cables and go WiFi mesh instead?  They're not bandwidth hungry, it's mostly accounting and inventory control, but it has to be realiable.

[shockz]

Cat5e still handles most day-to-day needs. I'm running 2.5gbit off of it and most my PC gear is only starting to ship with 2.5gbit. 

 

Even Wifi 6e isn't prevalent right now, but I would invest in wireless infrastructure that contains it.

 

Unifi has gotten a bit sloppy with their software, but is still all in all a solid performer.

 

If you're looking for something that is set it and leave it be for the most part, Unifi is a good choice, a dream machine, some POE switches, and some 6E access points would probably be hassle free. 

 

Unless you're going 5 (honestly you could probably still get 5gbit on 5e unless you're doing long runs), 10gbit speeds, you won't need to replace those cables. Unifi pro switches allow for 10gbit, so in a sever room you could probably beef up those cables, otherwise you would be fine.

[Joe User]

Thanks!

 

Unfortunately some of the cabling isn't 5e.  I even found some cat 3 patch cables.  I believe this was designed for megabit networking, possibly in the late 90s.

 

I'm going to start looking at Unifi tomorrow.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

On 18/10/2022 at 23:21, Joe User said:

Thanks!

 

Unfortunately some of the cabling isn't 5e.  I even found some cat 3 patch cables.  I believe this was designed for megabit networking, possibly in the late 90s.

 

I'm going to start looking at Unifi tomorrow.

I'd strip those Cat 3, or just cut them and leave it in your walls, unused.

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

I'd agree with everything shockz has said about Ubiquiti, certainly for a small business it's a good choice and everything generally plays well together.

 

I'm using pfSense for our router / firewall & site to site VPN. However, have Ubiquiti for wireless / CCTV and a couple of PoE switches, which I've been impressed with.

We've approx. 70 devices over various VLAN's and usually approx. 15-20 clients on the WiFi network.

 

I'd connect everything via Ethernet where possible, you will thank yourself in the future. I only have a couple of tablets in our showroom on WiFi. Anything else is a guest device or someone's phone that doesn't touch the company network.