The Challenges of Building a Shared Corporate Network Without IT Support

In recent months, my company, along with several others, has transitioned to a new office space under the direction of our primary investor. The renovation is still in progress, and initially, we moved in because our company is the smallest among the group—just a startup with fewer than a dozen employees. The investment firm and other affiliated companies are expected to follow suit once their sections of the building are completed.

During this transition, I took the initiative to address our network needs since I was exploring options for our internal servers. Regrettably, I underestimated the complexity of the task and offered to help an engineer set up a basic Wi-Fi infrastructure. We opted to use consumer-grade routers to establish a shared network for both our company and staff from the investment firm.

Recently, I learned that there are no plans in place to bring in professional IT staff to manage this setup. Conversations I’ve overheard suggest that changes are forthcoming, which implies I might soon be expected to adjust network settings, passwords, or configure new devices. Here’s the catch: I’m a mechanical engineer, not an IT expert. My technical background includes building gaming Computers and collaborating with Software engineers, but my skills stop short of managing a business network. As things stand, our current setup raises significant concerns regarding security, administration, and bandwidth—especially as more companies move into the building.

It has become increasingly clear that I will need to advocate for hiring a dedicated IT professional, yet I feel ill-equipped to do so. I’m unsure about all the potential pitfalls of our current arrangement and how to effectively communicate these concerns to our management. I am particularly worried about the implications of multiple companies operating on an inadequate, shared network and the myriad of risks that could arise.

In preparing for a meeting with our leadership team, I need to build a strong case for why investing in IT expertise is crucial. I want to convey the risks associated with our existing network configuration without veering into technical jargon that might confuse those less fluent in IT.

To present a compelling argument, I aim to highlight key issues such as:

1. Security Risks: Emphasizing the lack of security on a consumer-grade network when multiple companies are involved could illustrate the potential for data breaches and unauthorized access.

2. Operational Inefficiencies: Without proper IT oversight, any network issues that arise may waste our collective time and resources, complicating day-to-day operations.

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