Business Network Setup & Management
From one storefront to a business with several locations, I design, install, and manage networks that are fast, secure, and built to grow with you.
Get a QuoteWhat a Small-Business Network in South Georgia Actually Needs
Most small businesses I walk into are running on the box the internet company dropped off, a cheap switch from the office-supply store, and whatever Wi-Fi reaches the back room. It works until it doesn't: the card reader drops mid-sale, the printer vanishes every other week, and nobody knows which cable goes where.
A business network doesn't have to be complicated, but it has to be built on purpose. For a shop, a clinic, a church, a farm office, or an office with a dozen desks, that means a handful of pieces chosen to work together and written down.
The Pieces, and Why Each One Matters
Sized to your building, not a checklist.
The Internet Handoff
Cable or fiber in town; out in the county it's often Starlink. I coordinate with the provider, put the modem with the rest of the gear, and check that the speed you're paying for reaches your desks.
A Real Firewall and Router
The provider's combo box is cheap, not safe. I put a business-grade firewall behind it to block what shouldn't come in, keep guests off the office, and give me something to look at when there's trouble. Deeper security is on the cybersecurity page.
Switches and Cabling
Every desk, printer, phone, and camera that can be on a wire goes on a wire. Runs land in a patch panel, tested and labeled on both ends, so a problem five years from now is a five-minute trace, not an afternoon of guessing.
Wi-Fi That Covers the Whole Building
One access point up front doesn't reach the stockroom or the exam rooms. I mount access points where the building needs them, under one network name, so you walk from the counter to the warehouse without dropping. Dead zones are a placement problem, not a bigger-router problem.
A Separate Guest Network
Customers, patients, and the congregation get their own Wi-Fi that reaches the internet and nothing else. It runs on a VLAN, which just means one physical network split into separate lanes, so a phone in the guest lane can't see the register or the office computers in yours. Do-it-yourself version: my guest Wi-Fi guide.
Printers, POS, and Cameras on One Network
The point-of-sale, the label printer, the phones, and the security cameras ride the same wiring, each in its own lane, so a camera streaming video never slows a sale and a guest never gets near the terminal.
A Second Location, or Working From the House
A second storefront, a warehouse across town, or an owner checking the books from the kitchen table all raise the same question: how do you reach the office network without leaving the front door wide open? The answer is a VPN, an encrypted tunnel across the internet. A laptop at home or a router at the second location connects through it and acts as if it were plugged in at the office; nobody in between can read what passes through.
It runs on the office firewall, so there's no extra box. A second location gets a tunnel that stays open, so the shared printer, file share, and camera recorder show up at both ends. Someone working from home gets a small app on their laptop they turn on when needed.
Written Down, So the Next Person Isn't Guessing
The most expensive network is the one only one person understands. When I finish an install you get a write-up any competent tech could pick up cold, and when you call later I'm looking at a map, not starting over.
A Network Diagram
Which box connects to which, and where each one sits in the building.
A Port Map
Every patch-panel and switch port matched to the room and jack it serves, using the labels on the wire.
Your Logins
Admin passwords for the firewall, switches, and Wi-Fi, handed to you. It's your network; you should be able to lock me out.
The Address List
Fixed addresses for the printers, point-of-sale, camera recorder, and anything else that has to stay put.
A New Office Build-Out, Start to Finish
Moving into a new space is the best time to get the network right: for a few weeks the walls are open and cable is cheap to run. I walk the building, see where the provider's line comes in and where people will sit, and put a written quote in front of you before anything is scheduled. What I'll need from you:
- A floor plan, or twenty minutes walking the space with me.
- Where desks, printers, point-of-sale, phones, and cameras are going, even roughly.
- Who the internet provider is and when they're installing.
- A closet, cabinet, or wall with power for the equipment.
- Your contractor's name if the walls are still open, so I can coordinate cable runs.
One-Time Install or Ongoing Management?
A one-time install is a quoted job. I price gear and labor up front, build it, hand you the write-up, and you own it outright. Anything after that is billed like any visit: $100 flat for the first hour on-site, then $25 per 15 minutes, or $80 an hour remotely in 15-minute blocks with no minimum. Travel is a flat trip charge by zone, $0 anywhere in Lowndes County; the zones are on the pricing page. You approve the cost before I start any work.
Ongoing management means I keep the network current after the install: firmware updates, changes when you hire someone or add a printer, and me already knowing your setup when something breaks. That's part of my managed IT packages. My hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm; if the network goes down at night or on a weekend, after-hours support is available.
The Gear I Like, and Where I Install It
For most small-business installs I reach for Ubiquiti's UniFi line: firewall, switches, access points, and cameras managed from one screen. I wrote up why in my post on UniFi for homes and small businesses. If your building is out past where cable and fiber reach, my notes on rural Wi-Fi in South Georgia cover what changes.
My shop is in Valdosta, and I install across Lowndes County and the surrounding area: Hahira, Quitman, Adel, Tifton, Moultrie, and down to Madison, Florida.
Business Networks — Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need more than the box my internet provider gave me?
For a business, yes. The provider's combo box is a modem, router, and Wi-Fi in one. It can't keep your customers off the same network as your register, its Wi-Fi rarely reaches past one room, and when something breaks there is nothing to look at. I keep it as the modem and put a real firewall behind it.
Can customers use my Wi-Fi without getting to my office computers or the register?
Yes, and that is the main reason for a guest network. It is a separate Wi-Fi name that reaches the internet and nothing else, running in its own lane on the same equipment. A phone on the guest network can't see the point-of-sale, the printers, the cameras, or the office computers.
Can you connect a second location, or let me work from home?
Yes. I set up a VPN on the office firewall, which is an encrypted tunnel across the internet. A second location gets a permanent tunnel so shared printers and files show up at both ends, and someone working from home gets a small app on their laptop that connects when needed.
What does a business network install cost?
Every install is quoted before it is scheduled, since the price depends on the building, the cable runs, and the gear, and you approve that number first. Work after the install is billed like any visit: $100 flat for the first hour on-site, then $25 per 15 minutes, or $80 an hour remotely in 15-minute blocks with no minimum. Travel is $0 anywhere in Lowndes County.
Do you manage the network after the install, or just build it?
Either. If you want the network built, documented, and handed over, that is a one-time install and you own it outright. If you would rather I keep it current and already know your setup when you call, that can be part of a managed IT package. My hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm; after-hours support is available for emergencies.
Let's Plan Your Network
Tell me about the building and what has to run on it. I'll walk the space and put a quote in front of you before anything is scheduled.
Call or text 229-561-1674, email ricky@browningpc.com, or use the contact page. Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm.