How to connect your business offices together

Maintaining a small business with several branches spanning the country inevitably requires the exchange of data between them. Virtually connecting all of your offices enables your business to boost efficiency, speed and overall enhances customer experience. You certainly don’t want to have to travel between branches with a USB stick just to copy data. Approaching your service provider for a dedicated connectivity solution, though, can be really expensive.

Here comes the power of VPN (Virtual Private Network). VPN is more popular than ever among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with multiple branches. Whether you need to transfer or replicate data, manage inventories, or enable employees to access shared network resources, VPN is pretty much the definitive answer. VPN creates a secure tunnel within your Internet connection, allowing you to connect two or more branches securely.

Here are few steps for getting your own VPN connectivity started:

Each branch will obviously require an Internet connection. You could go for mobile broadband (3G/4G), or a fixed-line broadband connection. Ensure that you have adequate upload bandwidth.

Depending upon the type of data and level of reliability required of your VPN, you should have a fixed IP address for each Internet connection, at each branch. However, with existing technologies like Dynamic DNS, VPN can also work without a fixed IP address.

You’ll need to have a router at each branch supporting VPN connectivity. Current choices on the market include Belkin, NetGear,  Cisco and many others. Your Internet service provider might even be able to supply a router. All you need is a network of routers that meets your basic requirements. Avoid getting expensive ones with features you will never use. Routers can also come with a set of built-in features (security, bandwidth management, easy-to-configure VPN, etc.) referred to as UTM, or unified threat management. It costs a bit more, but we recommend you check it out.

With your connection in place, it’s time to configure the routers and enjoy your VPN. Configuring a VPN could prove difficult if you are not technically inclined, so consider asking friends, freelancers, or even the computer shop across the street for assistance. Unless your requirements are advanced, you’ll save money by avoiding expensive system integrators.

Once you have your VPN connectivity up and running, make sure you test it thoroughly to ensure that it does exactly what you need.

Finally, You’ll need to have all of your settings backed up. Maintain your VPN so your business isn’t interrupted. If your VPN becomes more and more critical to your business, do invest in getting the right support; in the end, it could save you hundreds of Dinars, and prevent unnecessary loss of valuable company time, security and efficiency.

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