I'm helping a family member with their tech setup at a small veterinary office. The current network is pretty disorganized, with old equipment mixed in with new, and no documentation. I'm looking to completely revamp it since the previous company didn't do a great job. The office has about six computers, including one desktop that acts as a server. There's no NAS at the moment, but I might want to add one later. Cost is important, and the staff isn't very tech-savvy, so I need solutions that are reliable and easy to manage. I'm specifically looking for recommendations on:
1. The best firewall to use.
2. Suggestions for a managed switch, even though it's not strictly necessary.
3. The best approach for remote support, ideally using a setup where I can VPN in and then access workstations remotely via RDP or VNC.
Any advice would be really appreciated!
4 Answers
Keep in mind that for remote support, tools like Windows Quick Assist or something like ScreenConnect could work well without too much hassle on costs. Since this is a veterinary office, make sure the solution fits their specific needs, especially since they're just using these systems for their software.
Before you dive in with new gear, take some time to clear out the old, unused equipment and get a solid inventory of what you're working with. It may help you see what's actually needed. Also, check if there's any software firewall setup that might still be running.
Exactly! For now, cleaning things up is the priority. I just want to make sure whatever I put in place can handle remote support better in the future.
I'd suggest looking into Mikrotik gear for reliability and support, plus it’s affordable. Just be aware that while their hardware is great, you might not get much official support, so be prepared to handle configurations yourself. Just in case, I’d recommend getting a backup of important roles, maybe pick up two units so you're covered if one fails. They’ve got good long-term patch support too!
While Mikrotik has solid hardware, I've heard of security issues, so I’d only use them for internal switching, not for internet-facing equipment.
Ubiquiti could be a great fit for you. Their Unifi line is user-friendly, and a UDM Dream Machine Pro along with a Unifi switch could meet your needs. It's expandable too, which is perfect if you think about adding cameras or more devices later.
Yeah, that's a good point! The machines are mainly for interfacing with the business app, so I need to keep that in mind.