Working from home
If you are tired of the daily commute to work, or always get home to find the files that you need are actually left on your server at the office, then remote working may be for you.
Alternatively, you may be an employer wishing to give your employees more flexible working conditions, or to employ staff beyond your immediate geographical boundaries.
Either way, remote working can be of benefit, but like all good things, it does come at a price.
If you are running your own small business, have control over your IT infrastructure and only want to allow a couple of people to work remotely, then the costs are quite small. If you wish to work into a larger Corporate LAN (Local Area Network) it’s probably best to consult your system support engineer!
What you’ll need:
- A computer at the home location or a laptop that you carry around with you
- A broadband connection
- A static IP address at the “Remote Office” location, or at both the “Home” and “Remote Office” locations
- Software or hardware to enable you to connect securely.
Next steps
- Find a suitable supplier – one who is able to supply and configure the hardware
- Get at least two different quotes
- As there are some security implications with the set up of remote access, it’s worth checking that the supplier has done similar work before.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
One of the main concerns people have when using the Internet is security – anyone at all can access the Internet and your computer is connected to it.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is one way to use the Internet securely. A VPN will simulate the effect of a private network over the Internet. This means you can securely connect remote locations, such as two offices, and share information between them. So if, for example, all your file servers are located in one office, you will be able to access them securely from another office.
Another great use of VPNs is for people working from home. You will be able to access your email and company network / PC securely and work exactly the same as if you were in the office. Of course, you will need a broadband connection at home as well in order to be able to do this.
