As mentioned before, small offices and home offices have unique IT and networking requirements, which are different from corporate office infrastructures, and this also applies to the environment in which they are operating. Some of the things that are present in a corporate environment but are not usually present in SOHO locations include the following:
- Cooling systems
- Raised floors in server rooms
- Monitoring systems for physical parameters (temperature, humidity, etc.)
- Fire detection and extinction systems
- Physical security systems/alarms
Considering that there are not such advanced systems in a SOHO location, you have to think about how you can support network activities effectively and for a long period of time without the risk of downtime caused by environmental issues. This includes monitoring network devices and making sure they are operating as they should.
You wouldn’t want a SOHO environment where all the devices are placed in a closet without air conditioning because they can get very hot and stop functioning. If a device stops working you might be in trouble because, as mentioned previously, you won’t have access to immediate IT support, so the best approach is to make sure that everything is operating in proper environmental conditions.
A major environmental concern is the temperature level the devices are operating at because network devices may get hot sometimes. Because of this, they need to be in a part of the environment that allows them to cool down. If equipment is placed in a poorly ventilated area and is not getting cooled properly, it will not have the expected longevity.
Humidity is another big environmental concern, so equipment should be placed in a cool and dry place. When setting up the remote office, you should make sure that the equipment is able to receive direct air flow from the room’s air conditioning system.
SOHO networks don’t have a building-wide UPS system and this can lead to devices being affected by power outages or irregularities. The solution for possible power-related issues is to use a small UPS box that can sustain the few critical devices used in a SOHO environment (e.g., router, storage, desktop, etc.). Multiple small home-use UPS systems can also be used.
If the SOHO infrastructure includes wireless services, you should take into account the other wireless networks that are in the same building in order to avoid conflicts. This should be done during the design phase and might include a simple site survey, from which you can get information about other wireless networks installed in that particular area. You should avoid using a channel or set of frequencies that somebody else might be using nearby.