Build an extendable network for your small business with ASUS ExpertWiFi PoE solutions

Meet Sophie, the owner of a small financial services company just outside the growing tech corridor in Northern Virginia. She’s built momentum for her company through a variety of contracts with local businesses, but her rate of new client acquisition has started to slow down as she’s saturated the needs of her community. It’s time for her business to expand.

Sophie has been working on an expansion plan to establish a branch office in a nearby city, but she keeps running up against obstacles. The potential locations that fit her price range are in older buildings with outdated electrical infrastructure. Additionally, her teams rely heavily on the office server for secure storage of sensitive client data. Duplicating this network and storage infrastructure would be expensive and inefficient — and she’d prefer to limit how much she spends on contracting outside technicians for the installation. Finally, she’s looking for a solution to provide WiFi access to clients when they visit her offices, but she needs a secure setup that protects her business data.

Sophie is closer to a solution than she thinks, and it’s much more cost-efficient, versatile, and extendable than she realizes. With ASUS ExpertWiFi networking solutions, she can use site-to-site VPN technology to keep her HQ and branch offices connected seamlessly. Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) will make it easy to set up her networking and security hardware, even in locations with limited power outlets. And with AiMesh, VLAN, and Self-Defined Network (SDN) features, she’ll be able to establish secure and separate WiFi connections for both her employees and her clients.

A versatile backbone for a site-spanning network

Small to medium-sized businesses like Sophie’s looking to build a scalable solution need a versatile, feature-rich network, and that’s exactly what the complete ExpertWiFi portfolio provides. Taking a high-level view of the topology of the ExpertWiFi PoE networking solution, it starts with a wired VPN router. This essential component serves not only as the gateway to the internet, but also controls vital aspects of the network’s functionality, including security. PoE access points blanket the site with high-performance wireless connectivity. PoE switches can act as the middlemen, distributing networking resources and power through their PoE+ ports while simplifying cabling requirements.

The backbone of this setup is the ASUS ExpertWiFi EBG19P. With its Gigabit WAN port and 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN ports, this Gigabit PoE+ VPN wired router offers multi-WAN functionality so that users can harness up to three internet connections. Load balancing and failover modes ensure a stable, high-performance connection.

Between the ExpertWiFi EBG19P’s eight Gigabit Ethernet ports and a small selection of ExpertWiFi EBP15 smart managed PoE+ switches, it’s easy to connect a full office’s worth of wired devices. Network-attached storage (NAS) boxes or rackmount servers get a hardline to the router. Since the ports on the EBG19P and EBP15 can deliver power over Ethernet (PoE), it’s easy to connect VoIP phones, PoE smart locks for the entrances, PoE digital signage, a PoE meeting room scheduler, and PoE security cameras. PoE removes the potential additional cost of running power cables and installing power outlets, as it only requires running network cables, which can be done without contracting the services of a certified electrician.

Establishing a wireless network with ExpertWiFi is a breeze. Dual-band ExpertWiFi EBA63 PoE access points create a seamless AiMesh network that uses congestion-busting tech to ensure a solid connection for a full office of devices. Each access point can connect 100+ user devices like smart phones, laptops, tablets, and they offer up to 2400 square feet of coverage each.

ExpertWiFi EBA63 access points can work together as a seamless mesh WiFi system with AiMesh, allowing businesses to build one network that reaches across an entire location. It’s even possible to re-use an existing AiMesh-compatible router, such as the ASUS RT-BE88U or ASUS RT-BE58U, as a node in the new mesh WiFi network. Although these routers aren’t part of the ExpertWiFi family, they offer AiMesh support, they have plenty to offer for SMB networks, and they’re a common choice for businesses establishing their first wireless networks. Re-using one would reduce initial installation costs while keeping one more piece of hardware from ending up in the local recycling center.

Connecting a branch office with site-to-site VPN

With an extendable network in place at the home office, Sophie is ready to connect her new branch office. The ExpertWiFi EBG19P offers comprehensive VPN protocols including IPSec, Open VPN, PPTP, and WireGuard, allowing businesses like Sophie’s to establish a secure encrypted site-to-site VPN tunnel between networks in different physical locations.

The networking needs of a smaller branch office are likely more modest than those back at HQ. For branch offices that don’t need the full selection of Ethernet ports provided by the ExpertWiFi EBG19P, we suggest the ExpertWiFi EBG15 Gigabit VPN wired router instead. Its Gigabit WAN port and two Gigabit WAN/LAN ports provide sufficient ports for a rock-solid internet connection with load-balancing and failover. ExpertWiFi EBP15 smart managed PoE+ switches will provide a connection for other PoE devices such as cameras and VoIP phones, as well as ExpertWiFi EBA63 access points for providing wireless coverage.

VLAN and Self-Defined Network keep things secure by keeping them separate

A business like Sophie’s can’t afford to connect all devices to one network and call it a day. That’d be a security nightmare. Yet she doesn’t need to establish separate infrastructure for employees and customers. With the VLAN and Self-Defined Network (SDN) functionality baked into her ExpertWiFi components, she can keep everyone connected using the same hardware while ensuring the security of her business data.

With SDN, businesses can establish up to five SSIDs on their wireless network to separate and prioritize devices for different scenarios. It’s easy to make a guest portal for digital marketing and promotional purposes, for example, while also establishing a WiFi network just for employees.

Each of the Ethernet ports on the ExpertWiFi EBG19P, EBG15, and EBP15 support VLAN for added security. These ports can be assigned to one or more VLAN IDs to provide a fast and flexible way to segment wired and wireless networks.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) simplifies installation

Businesses like Sophie’s often find themselves operating out of buildings that weren’t designed with today’s technological needs in mind. Retrofitting these locations with new electrical lines can be prohibitively expensive. With Power over Ethernet (PoE) networking equipment, Sophie can limit how many outlets she needs to get a new branch office up and running.

POE takes advantage of unused copper wires in standard Ethernet cables to deliver power to compatible devices while simultaneously providing network connectivity. Getting both power and network access through one cable offers many advantages for small to medium-size businesses:

• Reduced expenses. PoE removes the potential additional cost of running power cables and installing power outlets. It only requires running network cables, which can be done without contracting the services of a certified electrician.
• Reliable operation. A network using PoE equipment has fewer points of failure. Power comes from a centralized location that can be backed up by a single uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
• Easy scalability. Extending the network with additional access points is easy with PoE solutions — simply run another Ethernet cable.
• Flexible options. PoE-compatible devices include wireless access points, security cameras, intercom systems, point-of-sale (POS) kiosks, and more.

Ready to scale along with your business

Like Sophie, our owner of a small financial services business, you’re not only concerned with meeting your networking needs today, but establishing a total solution that will be ready for the challenges of tomorrow. When you decide to expand your business with an additional location, or perhaps improve your site security with a set of CCTV cameras, you’d prefer not to tear out your existing network infrastructure and start all over again. That’s bad for your bottom line — and bad for your sustainability goals, too.

With ASUS ExpertWiFi, you can build a cost-effective network that’s ready to scale alongside your business. Thanks to AiMesh technology, increasing the range of your network is as simple as adding more ExpertWiFi EBA63 PoE access points. These units work together in real-time to form a mesh network in which devices seamlessly connect to the access point that provides the best signal.

Each of these access points offers 2400 square feet of network coverage, they can handle up to 100 end-user devices each, and they’re built from the ground up to ease the process of managing a busy network of connected devices. We’ve offered AiMesh tech on the majority of ASUS routers for many years, so if you currently use an AiMesh-compatible router, you can even re-use your old router as an access point in your new network.

So go ahead and add more offices, additional warehouse space, and new exterior installations: expanding your network is a breeze with ExpertWiFi.

Easily tailor your network for your needs

For too many small business owners today, installing and managing their network can be a headache. Like Sophie’s financial services business, their company has grown enough to require a robust and versatile network, but they’re not yet at the point where it makes financial sense to hire a full-time networking specialist.

ASUS ExpertWiFi products stand in the gap with simplified installation, configuration, and management. Whether you’re contracting a networking professional or rolling up your sleeves to take care of it yourself, you’ll have a streamlined installation experience with the free and easy-to-use ASUS ExpertWiFi app.

Available on the App Store and the Google Play Store, the ExpertWiFi app simplifies the initial setup steps with clear, easy-to-follow instructions. From there, you have robust options for setting up the networking options that you need. Additionally, you’ll have remote control over PoE-specific features, including PoE status monitoring, PoE priority, and power budget settings.

Commercial-grade features, all without a subscription

A cyberattack can be devastating for small to medium-size businesses, especially growing businesses just starting to earn the trust of consumers. With ExpertWiFi, you get baked-in commercial-grade security features thanks to AiProtection Pro. This suite leverages powerful cybersecurity solutions and cloud data centers from Trend Micro to shield your network and all connected devices from cyber threats. You get free automatic security updates, a two-way intrusion prevention system, and anti-malware and web content filtering, all without a subscription fee.

Robust VPN support extends that security beyond the physical walls of your business’s location. With comprehensive VPN protocols, users can access their networks with site-to-site VPNs for encrypted office or home network connections, easily and securely.

Your business WiFi expert

The flexibility of the complete ExpertWiFi PoE solution makes it a compelling pick for a wide variety of business scenarios. Whether you need a convenient and secure guest portal, VPN support for a growing hybrid workforce, full-site network coverage for a multi-story building, or a single solution for connecting access points, cameras, and POS machines, the ExpertWiFi portfolio of routers, PoE switches, and PoE access points has your needs covered.

ExpertWiFi also helps you address the challenges that your business faces today while also giving you easy options for scaling tomorrow as your needs change and grow. Power over Ethernet tech ensures that wiring everything up hardly requires more than a roll of standard Ethernet cable. What’s more, subscription-free security and VPN features keep your total cost of ownership low while granting you substantial peace of mind.

The ExpertWiFi portfolio extends beyond PoE solutions to include standalone solutions and mesh WiFi systems, as well. Click here to browse our full lineup and elevate your network today.