Make sure you really need a network

If you have two or three machines in a small office, a full-blown network may well be a "nice-to-have" you can avoid for now. If the machines are physically close together, say a few dozen feet along a single wall, you could get away with some cables and an inexpensive router, a small switchbox that directs data traffic. Cheap but effective!

I recommend: Get a sense of how complex — or easy — doing it yourself could be by taking short, non-pro tutorials offered by Microsoft and Apple. Technology portal CNET and online tech bible Webopedia also offer good secular overviews of networking basics.

The right hardware is a must

Most computers, whether PC or Mac, now come with networking hardware installed. It will be cheaper and simpler to buy new than to drag older machines into the networked world.

I recommend: Networking hardware comes in two flavors: Ethernet and wireless. Ethernet assumes your connection to the Web and to other computers will be via a thick, often blue cable, usually leading to a wall jack (and thus to a central server) or, failing that, to a router. Tech support services such as Geek Squad can install your two- or three-computer system for a couple hundred bucks. For just a bit more, Dell will send a tech to your office to work up a plan. Larger companies should consider similar offerings from HP or IBM, along with Dell. Of course, plenty of IT folks moonlight and, for them, a SOHO set-up is a day or a weekend.

Cut the cord

Using built-in wireless networking in laptops can save you money and trouble, but be sure that occasionally-slower performance won't hurt your productivity. Wireless is a breeze if you do office tasks and Web but problematic for graphics-heavy design or engineering shops.

I recommend: The simplest way is WiFi, which is Internet signals converted into radio waves. Range is short at 100 feet, best for a small office with thin, prefab walls or a single large room. Some popular wireless routers include D-Link, Linksys, Belkin and Netgear, as well as Apple's elegant AirPort Express.

Reduce your risk

Networking professionals have a sly hobby of riding around with their laptops looking for unsecured networks. After riding along on your Internet access for an hour, they'll send you a note shaming you for leaving the door wide open. And they're right.

I recommend: Once the wireless system is up, immediately set a password (details at WiFi Alliance). The state of the art is WAP, or 128-bit encryption — tough enough to keep out nearly anybody — but the next step is using your machine's MAC address, a specific requirement that means only your computer or computers can access your network. That will limit visiting clients who might want to check e-mail on their wireless laptops, but the door will be closed. Also, even a cabled network is vulnerable to hackers through the Web. Set up a firewall and buy a reputable anti-virus suite. These include Symantec and McAfee.

Networks are so 1996

The next generation of digital connectivity assumes you need total, even global mobility, and that associates, partners or clients could be in distant time zones. Thus the launch of Web-based collaboration services which mimic much of what a real-world network does, only via the Internet. If you can operate Web-based mail like a Yahoo! or Hotmail account, you can do this just as easily.

I recommend: WebEx, Microsoft SharePoint and Office Live Collaboration, Office.com and about a hundred others offer what amounts to a virtual office. Any computer connected to broadband can reach a passworded site and be in the loop on projects, messaging, documents, workflow and live meetings. If even one important cog in your organization is on the road or permanently offsite, start here before spending to wire up your small office. You might get a lot more out of buying a subscription for Web-based collaboration.