Question 1

Which switch brand should I pick for an SMB?

Accepted Answer

For most SMBs: TP-Link Omada or Aruba CX depending on budget and stacking needs. Cisco Catalyst remains relevant for enterprise or complex multi-VLAN sites. Our recommendation follows criticality, not fashion.

Question 2

How much does pro Wi-Fi cost for 1,000 m²?

Accepted Answer

Pricing depends on usage density, layout and frequencies to cover. A predictive survey (Ekahau or equivalent) precedes any deployment > 6 APs to guarantee measured coverage, not estimated.

Question 3

Do I really need to segment a 50-person SMB network?

Accepted Answer

Yes. From 30 users and as soon as you have guest Wi-Fi or IoT (cameras, alarm, printers), VLAN segmentation is no longer optional: it's a cyber-insurance and NIS2 requirement.

Question 4

Stormshield or pfSense for a multi-VLAN site?

Accepted Answer

Stormshield if you need 24/7 support and ANSSI compliance. pfSense if you have an internal team able to operate an open-source firewall. Both are technically sound.

Question 5

Cat 6A copper or fibre optic?

Accepted Answer

Cat 6A up to 100 m for 10 GbE. Fibre (single-mode OS2 or multi-mode OM4) for longer distances, inter-building backbone, EM immunity in industrial environments. Mandatory Fluke certification on every cable — no promises, measurements.

Question 6

Which firewall for a 50-person SMB?

Accepted Answer

Stormshield SNS 220 or Zyxel ATP500 depending on budget and sovereignty needs. Both handle IPS, gateway antivirus, URL filtering, site-to-site + roaming VPN, logging. Stormshield where ANSSI / DGA compliance is required, Zyxel for budget optimisation.

Question 7

Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E for a business?

Accepted Answer

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) covers 95% of pro use cases. Wi-Fi 6E opens the 6 GHz band, useful in very dense environments (open-space 200+ users) or where 5 GHz suffers heavy interference. Wi-Fi 7 is still emerging — to validate per use case.

Question 8

Who is SD-WAN for?

Accepted Answer

Multi-site organisations (3+ remote sites) needing to aggregate several internet links (fibre + 4G/5G backup) with automatic failover, application QoS (voice, video, SaaS prioritised) and central orchestration. ROI typically from 3 sites.

Question 9

How long does a full network deployment take?

Accepted Answer

For a 50-seat single-site SMB: 3 to 6 weeks (audit + design + cabling + installation + acceptance). For an industrial multi-VLAN site with OT: 8 to 16 weeks depending on complexity. Always scheduled outside critical hours when needed.

Question 10

Do you hold network certifications?

Accepted Answer

Zyxel Certified Network Associate (ZCNA) — Nebula, Switch, WLAN, Security — held by our team. Stormshield CSNA (Network Administrator) and CSNE (Network Expert). Full listing on the certifications page.

Professional networks — architecture, deployment, operations

Certifications networking & infrastructure.

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Firewall & segmentation

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