Connectivity · Oct 2026 · 2 min read

Network basics every small office should have in place

A small office does not need an IT department, but it does need a few basics written down and set up.

Keep a short document with the essentials: who your internet provider is, your account number, where the modem and router are, and how to reach the provider's support. When something breaks, nobody should have to search for this.

Change the router's admin password from the default and store it in a password manager the office uses. Default router passwords are easy to find, and a router is the front door of your network.

Use WPA2 or WPA3 encryption for the office Wi-Fi, and give visitors a separate guest network. A guest network keeps visitors' devices away from your computers and printers.

Check now and then that the router's firmware is up to date. Many routers update themselves, but older models often need you to start the update.

Reserve fixed addresses for shared devices such as printers and network drives, so they do not move around and disappear.

Finally, make sure important files are backed up somewhere other than the office itself. Network problems are inconvenient; losing the only copy of your files is far worse.