Building a Reliable Network for a Small Business in Galesburg, IL

Founded in 2021 by Emily Carter, the studio serves regional businesses with branding, web design, and social media marketing. By mid-2024, Emily’s team had grown to 9 employees — a mix of in-house designers, marketers, and remote freelancers. With increased client demands and more digital collaboration, Knox Creative Studio quickly realized that their internet setup — a single modem/router combo from their ISP — was no longer sufficient.

The Challenge

Emily, the owner, noticed daily disruptions:

Team members had trouble uploading large design files to Dropbox.
Zoom calls with clients lagged or dropped frequently.
The Wi-Fi didn’t reach the back office and meeting room.
No centralized file access or backup strategy existed.
Security concerns arose when using personal devices on the same network.

Being in a historic downtown building with thick walls and outdated wiring made Wi-Fi coverage even more difficult. Emily wanted to fix these issues before hiring more staff or expanding services.

Goals:

Stabilize internet performance and office-wide Wi-Fi.
Enable secure, centralized file access and sharing.
Improve network security for client and internal data.
Prepare the network to support future growth.
Make it manageable without a full-time IT person.

The Solution

After consulting with a local IT provider from Peoria, Emily approved a full network redesign suited for small creative businesses like hers.

Here’s what was implemented:

Business-Class Router & Firewall: A TP-Link Omada ER605 business router was installed, providing stable internet, firewall protections, and support for VLANs to separate staff and guest traffic.
PoE Gigabit Switch: A 16-port Omada PoE switch connected all wired devices, from desktop computers to printers, with enough capacity for future desks.
Mesh Wi-Fi Coverage: Two ceiling-mounted Wi-Fi 6 access points were installed — one in the main workspace and one in the back meeting room — ensuring fast, seamless wireless internet throughout the office.
Synology NAS for Shared Storage & Backups: A Synology DS920+ with RAID setup became the team’s centralized file hub, with scheduled backups to a cloud service and access control by user role.
VPN Access for Remote Freelancers: A secure VPN tunnel allows trusted freelancers in the Quad Cities and Chicago to access files as if they were in the office.
Guest Network for Clients: A separate guest Wi-Fi network was added for visiting clients, isolated from the main internal systems.

The Implementation:

All work was done over a weekend. The provider used cable management trays to discreetly run CAT6 cable through the office without damaging the historic interior. The team was trained Monday morning on accessing shared drives and connecting securely.

The Results

After just one month, the changes paid off:

Improved Workflow: File uploads were 8x faster. Collaboration on large Adobe and Canva projects was now smooth and efficient.
No More Wi-Fi Dropouts: The team enjoyed stable coverage even in previously spotty areas, making it easier to hold video calls in the back room.
Data Security: With encrypted storage, user permissions, and better firewall rules, the team could confidently handle client data — a must for professional service providers.
Productivity Boost: With fewer tech frustrations, the team spent more time creating and less time troubleshooting.
Ready to Grow: Emily now has the infrastructure in place to add more team members and even open a satellite office in Macomb down the line.

Key Takeaways for Small Businesses in Galesburg, IL

Historic buildings pose unique challenges — mesh Wi-Fi and modern wiring make a difference.
Local IT consultants understand the bandwidth and budget needs of rural and small-town businesses.
Even without an in-house tech team, smart tools like managed switches and cloud-integrated NAS can create an enterprise-grade experience on a small-business budget.

Testimonial

“We were relying on consumer-grade gear and didn’t realize how much time we were losing. Now, I feel confident when clients visit — our network is fast, reliable, and secure. It’s a real investment in our future.”

— Emily Carter, Owner, Knox Creative Studio