Hi John,
Per our PM conversation, here’s my feedback. :eek4:
This is an issue, if some are utilizing the bandwidth for personal pleasure and not work related, it’s not healthy for your network.
"The people living there now are starting to use XBox live and other devices (my wife's son and his fiance)."
I’m not that familiar with your Netgear’s model but if it’s more than 3 yr old, I would consider investing for a security device that offers a lot more enhanced and security features if you’re concerned about security in your network. I love the SonicWALL device, we’ve been using SonicWALL for over 10 yrs now and it’s an excellent appliance. I have to make sure that I replace it every 2 to 3 yrs. to keep us updated and have the current security features.
For now, your Netgear should have a Quality of Service(QoS) option that you may limit the bandwidth for the Users that you think is abusing the internet so that the employees can be more productive.
You may use AdvancedIPScanner to scan all the network devices (e.g. computers, printers, smart phones, etc..) and see their IP/Mac Addresses/Hosts Names so that you’d know which ones need to be restricted.
I’m assuming that you have multiple SSIDs setup in your router. For example one SSID can access your LAN/shared resources, the other one is only for Internet connectivity and you may easily disable the LAN access. You may also be apply different restrictions having multiple SSIDs.
You don’t have to buy another device as long the Netgear can do all the restrictions based on your needs. You should have an Internet policy written for the employees so that they will be fully aware of the risks that they’ll be facing just in case. If they follow the company protocols, give them treats, LOL….
Optional advice:
Are you going to need more storage in your File Server? If you do, I would recommend a NAS. You can get a 2TB Buffalo with disks for less than $200. You may also buy a diskless NAS if you need RAID for a better throughput performance.
Cloud storage solution is another popular option nowadays for redundancy backups. Some providers offer free storage for a very limited amount to be stored and they will be encrypted. Of course, paid cloud solution is another option if it's right for your budget. :grin1:
12 free cloud storage options | Network World
Disaster Recovery plan is a must
Backup plan - onsite and offsite
Good reads - my Articles:
Why Upgrade to the latest Technology
Network Security
Finally…..I'm all for productivity and high on network security. We have at least triple layered protection at work that I’ve implemented. Hope this helps “for now”. Please let us know if there’s something that I didn't cover and need more information.