Ask Slashdot: How Should I Furnish (And Secure) My Work-From-Home Office? 303
"If someone gave you a big chunk of change to build a small one- or two-room office, what would you do?" asks long-time Slashdot reader darkpixel2k, as he plans to build a small office out in his backyard.
My plan is to trench CAT6 from our ISP fiber DMARC over to the ~12x20 building, wire the structure up for network and power, and furnish it with a small rack, UPS, switch, router, a desk, whiteboard walls, a wireless access point, and an air conditioner for the summer heat... While I have the "big picture" idea in my head, I don't really have a grasp of the fine details that would make it a comfortable work environment... Should I put down carpet and one of those plastic mats for chairs? A friend suggested I wire up speakers so I don't have to listen to my terrible laptop speakers, and a large flat-screen TV so I can display dashboards and statistics.
Lastly, physical security is somewhat of an issue. While everything is insured, downtime of a few days or weeks due to meth heads would be a huge impact to the company and also on my paycheck. I was talking with the local company that builds small office-like structures, sheds, and barns, and they said they can "double up" the 2x4s to strengthen the walls and make a stronger door, but I need to supply my own lock. Should I use some off-the-shelf lock from a big-box hardware store? Should I install a digital lock?
There's more details in the original submission -- but it's also a lot of fun to speculate about what you'd do with a big chunk of change to build your own work-from-home office. So leave your best answers for darkpixel2k in the comments. How should he furnish (and secure) his work-from-home office?
Lastly, physical security is somewhat of an issue. While everything is insured, downtime of a few days or weeks due to meth heads would be a huge impact to the company and also on my paycheck. I was talking with the local company that builds small office-like structures, sheds, and barns, and they said they can "double up" the 2x4s to strengthen the walls and make a stronger door, but I need to supply my own lock. Should I use some off-the-shelf lock from a big-box hardware store? Should I install a digital lock?
There's more details in the original submission -- but it's also a lot of fun to speculate about what you'd do with a big chunk of change to build your own work-from-home office. So leave your best answers for darkpixel2k in the comments. How should he furnish (and secure) his work-from-home office?
My setup... (Score:5, Insightful)
I suggest a table and chair, and a bookcase. Situate the table and chair such that you can gaze out a window.
Here (Score:5, Insightful)
1) The best chair you can find for desk work
2) A nice desk, with a surface that breathes; you don't want glass or something else that will make you sweat when you make solid contact with it.
3) Nice monitors: Don't be drawn in by the resolution; what you want is something easy to read so you don't get eyestrain. Use the TV standards: Looking straight on at any monitor, the size/ distance should allow you to see the whole thing.
4) A *great* keyboard, if you will be typing.
5) a fast, quality computer. You won't regret it.
6) Depending on how distractable you are and who else is around, and at what distances, you might want to consider soundproofing. This provides both privacy and prevents others from being irritated with your own noises.
7) Consider pets. They're awesome stress relievers, and good to hang out with on breaks.
8) take breaks.
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9. Keep the fucking kids and wife away, else all 8 points above are moot.
Re:Here (Score:4, Insightful)
You're already at +5, so I'll comment instead.
All good advice - not sure about the pets - maybe have pets but don't allow them into the inner sanctum. Cats on keyboards, dander, hair, etc.
Also, have a backup system. I mean, backup computer as well as backups of data. Perhaps a laptop that's one level down from the main system, i.e. a Corei5 laptop backing up the Corei7 main computer. Something that will keep you working if the main system is compromised or damaged. Use it regularly, perhaps at night to watch netflix - that way you'll tend to keep it up to date instead of switched off until the rare occasion when you *really* need it.
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1) The best chair you can find for desk work
I'm in the market. Aeron seems to be the usual "best" recommendation, anything else?
3) Nice monitors
I recommend at least 3. One for your editor, one for reference material (i.e. stackexchange browser) and one for Slashdot. Make sure the Slashdot screen is out of sight of any webcams.
4) A *great* keyboard, if you will be typing.
Everyone always says Model M, but there are actually loads of great keyboards with Cherry MX switches now. I prefer the brown ones, tactile but quiet. If you prefer low profile then Lenovo keyboards are hard to beat.
Also consider getting a mic
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I'm in the market. Aeron seems to be the usual "best" recommendation, anything else?
Just about anything with a mesh back and bottom panel. I have an old Aeron at work and a cheap mesh office chair from CostCo at home. The Aeron is a more robust chair, but the CostCo knock-off brand works quite well. It keeps me significantly cooler than a padded office chair and it's plenty supportive. It's all personal preference, but I very much enjoy being less sweaty while sitting at my desk.
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8) b. A yoga mat on the floor, and a screen where you can view Grokkr -- or even better, a park a few mins away where you can get some distance viewing and trees and sky. Maybe with a track where you can spend 10 mins doing short sprints. [1]
[1] There's a view now that short intense exercise is better than long aerobic treadmill pounding sessions. I'm someone lazy and sedentary, with little time, so this helps a lot.
Re:My setup... (Score:4, Funny)
Aim for a cubical landscape in the living room, in order to increase productivity.
Re:My setup... (Score:5, Funny)
Building (Score:3)
Putting this in a separate building instead of renovating a room in your house creates some major cost.
A separate structure will require power and HVAC and unless you fancy running through the cold when you need to pee it'll require plumbing too.
HVAC is a tricky beast. You have to control both temperature and humidity. You can hack together temperature control with cheap window units but if you want humidity control so you're not wet in the summer and sick (because of the dryness) in the winter you'll need
Windows, man, windows. (Score:4, Interesting)
Make sure you orient the building appropriately. Nothing like having to get up and close the drapes because the light from a window shines right on your screen between 11 and 11:45.
I'd also cover power. Outlets at too low or too high a height are a bother, and so is a paucity of them.
Dig down first (Score:4, Insightful)
Before you do anything - dig a big hole and put one of those giant concrete septic tanks in it. For extra special paranoia, punch a hole in one side, put a metal door in it and then fill out a trench filled with sand so you have an escape tunnel. Put a sump pump (with appropriate battery backup), a ladder and stock it with whatever you need to survive the next four years.
The 21st Century approach to the 1960's bomb shelter.
Can't be too careful these days.
Re:Dig down first (Score:5, Funny)
A few minor additions . . .
Instead of Scotts EZ Seed, plant your lawn with Punji sticks, dipped in concentrated Cone Snail toxin. Buy a sturdy wood chipper to get rid of any Meth Head corpses. A coyote or a stray dog gnawing on the leg of a human corpse is bound to attract attention, and you don't want any of that. You can, however, use the refuse from the wood chipper to make Soylent Meth Head Green Dog Food. Don't worry, your dog won't get Meth Mouth from a Meth Head doggie treat.
Instead of rock salt or bird-shot loads that you use for plinking the neighborhood kids on your lawn, use a hybrid load of buckshot and potassium chloride, in rock crystalline form, to dispatch the Meth Heads with steel-soled boots who make it through the Punji stick fields. The potassium chloride causes immediate cardiac arrest, so if the cops show up before you wood chipperize the Meth Head, you can just say that the shotgun blast startled the Meth Head, causing a heart attack. "He must have taken too much meth, huh?"
If you've ever visited the home of a Meth Head, you'll notice that it is packed to the rafters with useless junk. Meth Heads don't sleep at night and wander around stealing stuff that they can hawk for Meth Cash, but they also end up with a lot strange stuff. So you might encounter a Meth Head wearing SWAT team body armor, that he picked up off a sleeping cop. In that case, as your last line of defense, you should keep a Heckler & Koch MP7 handy. Note the MP7, and not the MP5. The MP7 will stop just about anything, including the SWAT team BearCat, if the Meth Head has stolen that, as well.
Enjoy the tranquility of feeling safe in your office!
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Epic shit, man.
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I like where you are going with this. I was thinking of concrete walls: ICF (insulated concrete forms). No windows. And if you have a tunnel, do you need a door? Maybe have a roof exit and ladder for a real emergency. Meth heads would have a hard time figuring out how to get in. And I guarantee you will not hear any road noise.
Going back to the windows, how about installing real windows inside (behind the concrete) with variable lighting and images that can be replaced? I have often thought about having a m
Re:Dig down first (Score:5, Funny)
This is how to do it properly...
http://www.colinfurze.com/bunk... [colinfurze.com]
Re:Dig down first (Score:5, Funny)
I thought Hilary lost the election.
Easy - buyt a container. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: Easy - buyt a container. (Score:2)
The back server room could be in the back, facilities in the middle, glass doors behind the secure door. Air conditioning on the roof with countermeasures.
There are plans to secure the building to the ground so it cannot be moved.
Re:Easy - buyt a container. (Score:5, Informative)
It's kind of more complicated than that, isn't it?
A bare steel container is like an oven in the summer and freezing in the winter. And dark without windows.
You would need to frame it inside, insulate it, come up with some kind of HVAC solution, maybe cut some kind of windows into it for natural lighting, not to mention safely wiring it and grounding it properly, both for conventional power and against lightning (and maybe even for general safety if its near overhead power lines) and making sure the roof didn't leak.
And pretty much anywhere, but especially in a cold climate, you want it on some kind of footings to get it above ground level. Maybe in Arizona you could get away with it on raised slab only, but I'd want it some level above the ground to keep out water at a minimum and in a cold climate to not leach away my heat into the ground. Plus footings would get the whole thing level which would be helpful.
Containers are kind of an interesting building unit, but they still require much of the same interior construction as stick built. I'd bet stick building a single room outside building would be less hassle than converting a shipping container, unless your idea of a shipping container is the same as a third world refugee.
Shipping containers really get interesting if you want to do unusual multi-level buildings where their structural attributes outweigh their complications. I keep waiting for a post-apocalyptic movie to feature a shipping container fortress or walled city.
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The separate conventional building would be 1) Not a closed steel protection box. You would spend much more money for concrete walls, steel blinds, doors etc than the price of container. 2) Something on a foundation while you just throw a pair of concrete blocks below a container. 3) Realty with lots of corresponding paperwork and legalese.
Re:Easy - buyt a container. (Score:4, Interesting)
It's done all the time, including in snowy climates. My sister has a friend who turned 3 containers into a crafts workshop, and it's going to be -21 without the wind chill in just a few hours. :-)
Painting it with bright colours that reflect more sunlight reduces the load on AC in the summer if that's a concern.
Besides, we're not talking about turning it into a home - just a work space. Still, if you want, you can even buy pre-converted shipping containers if you want to live in one [offgridworld.com]. and they meet local building codes. And look at the multi-level buildings [jetsongreen.com] that have been built.
And then there's the data center in a shipping container [wikipedia.org], which might give some inspiration.
Think of shipping containers as giant LEGO blocks. You can build all sorts of things out of them.
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I'm not saying it couldn't be done, but I'm thinking it would be a pretty miserable space with too little done to accommodate the fact that it's just a metal box. It was -24F here yesterday according to the NWS and without heating and insulation, that box would have been like a walk in freezer.
I've done work in similar kinds of industrial control structures (essentially metal boxes but not built as shipping containers) and they are pretty awful in terms of being either hot or cold without full-bore HVAC ru
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It took me 1 day to repaint the roof of MY container "office". Also, you would need:
1) Total disk encryption on all your computers;
2) The device that halts all your computers and destroys the keys during intrusion (You can recover keys from your friend that is instructed to return them only in condition that you are free. Since you have no keys they cannot be extorted);
3) The encrypted off-site copy of your disks;
4) Non-flammable walls inside (I used a plywood; it's bad)
5) A video recording system offsite (
Laptop? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Perhaps because in practice being able to carry all your work files with you is useful? You can have a desktop, and store files on a local server sync'd to a laptop, or in "the cloud", but it's harder to manage and makes it slower/more difficult to access.
Re: Laptop? (Score:2)
Not if your files are continually synced across all devices, and backed up in the "cloud".
I use Nextcloud [nextcloud.com], personally.
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Wow. Did your parents forget to tell you they love you, or do you just be an asshole to everyone?
I understand exactly what you said, but it's not true.
I use the setup you described and in no way does it make it slower or harder to access my data. What the hell are you doing to make it harder for yourself?
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Quite possibly. But you didn't answer my question. What the hell are you doing to make it harder to access your files if they are synced to each device you have the sync client installed on? What that means is you have local, up to date copies of all of your files necessary to work on. If you're in a situation where you are without internet or have a slow connection, you can still perform your job without any problems.
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Doesn't affect anything.
Nextcloud stores a copy of the files on all devices. I don't need access to the internet to access them.
I keep my laptop powered on while in my office, so it's always in sync with my desktop.
If I'm working somewhere without access to the internet, I modify the files locally and when I re-enter my home/office or somewhere with trusted Wifi, it will connect and sync up the newly modified files back into my data pool.
I also own the server in which the Nextcloud server software is instal
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Actually, the last few times I've visited Microcenter, the only desktops I've seen are the gaming desktops, which eliminates any price advantages they may have over laptops. In terms of energy consumption, since AIOs use the same components as laptops, as opposed to desktops, they have no price advantages either, but you could enjoy a larger monitor and a wireless keyboard/mouse. Personally, I must have a keyboard where there is a separate numeric keypad, and there ain't too many models I've seen that com
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Re: Laptop? (Score:2)
I use XFCE, and 8 virtual workstation screens, but that's a personal preference. Anything more than two should be plenty. :-)
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Start with an 8' tall throne (Score:5, Funny)
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Keep precious things in the house (Score:5, Insightful)
Bear in mind that a smaller outdoor structure will not be as secure as a larger dwelling (and property insurance may not cover anything valuable in it, you should check). You will also need to keep it heated in winter, if you are anywhere it gets cold, or the equipment will suffer (from condensation, if nothing else).
I would not recommend working next to a rack of gear, it's noisy. There's a reason we have machine rooms and offices and they're not the same space.
So, what I suggest doing is to install insulation, heating, cooling, network cable, power, etc, as you have described. Then install whatever seating, desking, etc, that you might like. Then install basic networking gear (that you aren't going to be too upset with losing in case of a burglary). Then install a suitable display screen (when a 27" 4K display costs ~$600, perhaps you could cope with losing one to a burglary - depends how well off or how well insured you are, and what your local crime rate is). Use a laptop to compute with and take it indoors when you're not using it. Leave the rack of compute gear inside too, in a room you are not in most of the time. Don't leave any data storage out there, put that in your house also.
Obscure the windows in this outhouse while you are not using it; blinds, curtains, or shutters (locked or interior, so the burglar can't just open them and take a peek). Do not be seen loading the outhouse up with gear either, or someone may make a mental note and come back later, when you are out.
It sounds cool, but bear security in mind.
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That reminds me of something else that could be installed...
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Comfort:
The first and foremost piece of the comfort puzzle will be the air (temperature, humidity, air-quality, etc.). Basically you will want to make sure that your 12x20 office doesn't become a 12x20 coffin or swamp or oven.
Given the small internal volume you may want to consider an air-exchanger (
Re:Keep precious things in the house (Score:4, Informative)
Something that always sticks in my mind was a break in at a working men's club in the UK late on Christmas Eve many years ago. They got a lot of cash as being Christmas Eve they had not had time to bank it yet.
Nice solidly built brick building so they took a sledgehammer and went *THROUGH* the wall. Probably no harder than a chainsaw in the wall, though I could put a bunch of screws and nails in that would make using a chainsaw painful.
Anyway the take away lesson being, if they *WANT* to get in they *WILL* get in. The trick is to make your place less attractive to break in than somewhere else by making it more hassle.
Physical Door security. (Score:5, Informative)
For the door, make sure you are not using a hollow core door, and that you reinforce the frame, while also using an aftermarket strike/kickplate that has been developed for security, as that will make it much more difficult to just kick the door in. I would also looking at getting a core from a good company, not just some off the shelf part, because the better locks can be hard to find. Also, something that is more than just your normal pin and tumbler lock, like a dimple lock, can help. ABUS makes really good locks, and I would recommend looking at them. There's a few others too. You might want to look outside the residential core offerings they have into the commercial grade ones. (make sure to look for something as close to bump-proof and rake-proof as possible. Again, things like dimple locks will help here.) Same goes for the protection plates on the doors, so someone can't just card your door open or anything. No solution is going to stop a determined attacker forever, but doing these things will make it significantly harder to breach the door, and makes it more likely that someone maybe tries to kick it in once or twice and then leaves.
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The maintenance building where I live was bugled through a whole punched in a wall... They didn't bother with the door and the nice lock on it.
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was bugled through a whole punched in a wall...
Joshua knocked down city walls with trumpets, burglar knocked hole in wall with bugle...
Bank the money and go into the real office (Score:2, Insightful)
Why bother outfitting your home with all that crap? Just being your laptop home from the office, or, better yet -- leave your work at the office.
If you've got a "chunk of change" burning a hole in your pocket and want to spend it on this kind of stuff, renovate or expand the actual house instead of building another building that needs its own climate control, power, and security. Build an addition. Then when you don't need for a home office anymore, you can use it for more regular household space instead of
Setting priorities at work... (Score:2)
Don't Advertise. (Score:2)
Make it look like you're rebuilding a bathroom, or something like that.
Fancy external locks are a major no, no. They show you have something to hide. Discrete, strong internal security works better, if you're that worried.
A big battery UPS, and a dedicated generator, will cover most power issues. A cell phone that can be tethered or be a wifi hotspot, as a backup plan.
And the comment about air conditioning is
Security? (Score:2)
If physical security is an issue, do it right.
Around here they built a bunch of mini-police stations at every train station. They used metal studs about 6 inches apart in the "holding cell" part of building. That was covered inside and out with 7.5 mm cement sheeting and they seem to use a stock steel door. They don't have to worry about windows but I would go with a triple glazed or put bars over them but don't make it obvious so maybe like a sun shade or inside. I use protec locks because they are very
Aluminum foil (Score:3)
90% of big box locks are crap (Score:2)
There are only a couple locks on the market that have any real security, and as such command some real price to them. But the lock is only part of the battle, the door is just as important, and quite frankly, I wouldn't trust a single door out there that you can get at a big box stor
Suggestions (Score:2)
- Keep NAS and as much other gear as possible in the main building.
- Abloy -a finnish brand- locks are difficult to tamper with, but of course everything should be strong
- heating for winter if required. Perhaps a portable dehumidifier (leave in main building when not needed), all depending on your climate.
- work on a laptop which you can take back to main building, if this has enough processing power. Otherwise something bolted to the office building. But in
Buy a secure vehicle (Score:2)
My 2 Cents (Score:2)
Choice 1, for servers would be lease virtual servers, Where ever it works for you.
Choice 2, if want full control of physical servers, rent a half rack secure space in an established data center that has full power backup, fire control and 24/7 access control security.
Choice 3, rent commercial space at least 2 rooms, one office, one servers and storage.
For access
Trench cast 6 (Score:2)
Just dont, put fiber in multimode is fine. You realy do not want a bit of copper between buildings if you can avoid it for data.
As to security outside dogs and guns, alarm with CCTV coverage and monitoring that can access the CCTV is your best bet to get the cops out there. Harding the entrances look for a 3+ point lock set, your meth head isn't picking locks he is kicking down a door.
You aren't that important (Score:2, Insightful)
Experience counts (Score:2)
Problem. Solution. Specification. (Score:3, Insightful)
Before asking for "how do I figure out what to do?" (spec) you should define what's up (problem) and determine how to handle it (solution) and then come up with the specification.
"Trench CAT6"???? No, you are unclear on the concept of a)trench b)concuit, and c)CAT-6. Before you ask me why I'm dissing your plan see above about Problem/Solution/Spec. In short, copper bad, fiber-optics provide opto-isolation, CAT-6 won't get you anything CAT-5 won't since you stupidly rely on *one* commodity ISP, and you have nothing to trench for. Short answer: inner-duct with multi-mode fiber will carry 1G, 10G with no electrical connection nor ground issues.
UPS? No. LOL. That's good for your kitchen. If you want solid power get a -48VDC battery pack, a rectifier/charger, and an inverter for AC operations.
Whiteboard walls? How is "what I do with my walls" part of any IT strategy? Do whatever you want with your walls. You want IT advice? See above. You want interior decorations advice, see an interior decorator.
Your concepts of physical security (double up the wall beams and which lock should I supply) are absurd.
Let us know when you have your fortress done.
I'd like the opportunity to drive my car through your front door in 15 seconds and see how great your $3.75 works.
I did try to be helpful... but as other posters have pointed out... SERIOUSLY???
E
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1. Here in Russia I see no multimode. Single mode only everywhere.
2. Here is some UPS that officially holds up to 300AH batteries. Is it enough?
3. Your walls and everything inside should not be flammable.
4. The steel doors are quite standard here in Russia as well as concrete walls of usual apartment building. And if you use a container then you have steel doors over the windows.
Security and Comfort (Score:2)
For physical security you need to address doors and windows.
Windows - lockable double pane windows with the retainers that prevent the windows from being opened more than 4" (this prevents someone from opening the window and crawling through). Plant rose bushes or other flowering thorny plants directly under the windows and properly
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Security doors and lockable windows won't do shit. Having just gone through a house gutting/remodel, all one needs to do to enter is cut a hole in the outside sheeting and break through the interior sheet rock to enter.
Using a battery powered cutoff saw with a composite blade would allow most people to simply cut through the sheet metal "security door".
You'd be better off with encrypted offsite backup and make sure your HDD/disc array is encrypted too.
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The specifications were vague so I aimed for cheap and easily implemented.
Is submitter more concerned with data security or protecting the hardware?
What threat level does the person want to be able to resist: Window B&E? Chop saws? Man portable rams? Pneumatic hammers? Car knockin
Security concerns (Score:4, Insightful)
It is important to determine whether your wife is a spy. Check to see if the oven has a hidden weapons compartment.
home office (Score:4, Insightful)
I had to go through a similar setup at the start of last year - with the exception that i had to pay for it all myself, so I was working on a budget.
I got a kitset office - 2.4m x 2.4 meter with a small veranda/sheltered area out the front. This had to fit an existing concrete pad so it was perhaps a little smaller than I would have liked. (But then again, I didn't want a huge building taking up all the space in my back yard!)
I insulated and lined it myself. I was expecting it have issues keeping it warm in winter, but ended up with the exact opposite - with no ceiling space it's very hard to keep cool in summer. I bought an air con unit about a week into using it.
I got a sparky to wire the unit up to the house - mains only (no data). I had to dig the 1.5 meter trench myself. Internet is just via wireless into the house - speed is fine (about 35M) and no worries about redundancy. I use a laptop and have data on my phone so in the event of a blackout (which I wouldn't expect now days) I can just use the laptop and phone for access.
You'll definitely want carpet, I wouldn't bother with a plastic protector. White boards etc too. You want it feel office like imo.
Security - I got an alarm that texts my phone if ever there is a break-in. After a while though I stopped using it and often don't even bother locking the door at night. My laptop comes in to the house with me at night, and the most expensive thing left in there is my keyboard or maybe the air con unit. It's hard to make a space with glass windows/doors secure. The alarm will hopefully scare people off if you are home, but if you're out then they're kinda pointless.
Security (Score:2)
Sentry guns.
My Home Office (Score:2)
My home office is 12' by 12' where I do a mix of programming, devops, and electronics. I sometimes have co-workers come by as well to pair-program or whiteboard.
encrypt and backup offsite (Score:2)
If you encrypt all your data and backup offsite, then physical security shouldn't be too big of a concern. If someone broke in and stole it all, you can always go to Best Buy/Wal-Mart/Target and buy a replacement laptop for $400. Even if they burned your office to the ground, you can get a replacement laptop and work from a Starbucks/McDonalds/FedEx Office/cheap hotel with WIFI for a week or so until you get your home situation worked out.
It seems like you are acting like a 5 year old who dad gave $20 and h
Hey! I think I'll ask Slashdot! (Score:5, Funny)
"Hey! I think I'll ask Slashdot! All these IT pros will have the solution!"
"What a bunch of assholes..."
Commercial Locks (Score:2)
1. Find a lock smith
2. Grade one commercial deadbolt.
3. Passage knob. No point in the extra lock with a good commercial deadbolt.
4. If you want get a little more expensive, get a steel door.
I used to apprentice as a locksmith. Electronics just over complicate this stuff. I recommend a Schlage. There's 20+ keyways you can choose from, and some are harder to pick your way into. Some with perpendicular tumblers that make it damn near impossible.
Avoid anything consumer grade, as a good stiff kick or a quick pre
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I love his videos! Learned some new things, too, while I was working at the locksmith.
Keep the receipts! (Score:2)
You may have blown it if you're not going in as an independent contractor (which you'd at least need to be an S Corporation). But a lot of what you're describing that you would like to do can be written off your federal taxes. If the employer is paying for all of this, then they're the one that gets the tax break. Talk to your tax preparer (who also would be "useful" for an S corporation. But a real small business tax guy, not some dork at H&R Block).
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Why an outbuilding? (Score:2)
Why would you not add on to your house? It's where your kitchen and bathroom are.
I guess the furthest away I've used is a room built into the garage - it was there when we bought the place.
Get a TARDIS (Score:2)
From what I've seen, they're very secure, portable and have lots of internal space that's easily re-configurable.
Omnirax + EndPCNoise (Score:2)
15+ years ago, I sprung for an Omnirax desk (this one [omnirax.com]). I can't rave enough about it. The height is perfect, the surface big & durable, and plenty of rackmount space. It still looks as good as new. The company is well-known in the music industry but not so much outside.
Set up a few big monitors (with Ergotron monitor arms) and a beefy, silent rackmount PC from EndPCNoise.com, and you'll have an enviable work environment (speaking from experience).
Secure from what? (Score:2)
Secure from what? Physical break-in by professionals? Smash and grab using a stolen truck as a ram? Neigbourhood kids? Crack Addicts? Government spooks? Police with a warrant?
Without an answer to the above, reasonably? Build it using standard home construction techniques, install a commercial grade metal door and jam. If you have windows don't bother with the metal door, breaking the window is going to be easier then breaking into a normal residential exterior door (but reinforce the jam anyway).
Install an
Demarcation (Score:2)
My plan is to trench CAT6 from our ISP fiber DMARC..
Do you mean your demarcation point? Please quit trying to make it sound like you know what you are talking about. Oh, it's also Cat. 6, as in category six, not an acronym.
Copper in the ground??? (Score:2)
It's doable, but I wouldn't. Electrical grounding issues can blow up your router and anything connected to it. I've seen it happen with distances as small as 30-40ft. I would bury fiber especially since cost doesn't seem to be a huge concern here. If that's not an option then I would just use some point-to-point wireless radios from your house to your office - like Ubiquiti or something similar.
Personally.... (Score:2)
Livability: provide toilet, or at least a sink. Provide lots of windows, maybe even a garage door facing south (refer to physical security above... conflict). Highly recommend getting a Sonos (or two) if you don't like silence. TV doesn't hurt... especially if you can use it as a remote display.
IT: Provide a dedicated router/switch for the space, at least 16 ports, and a few NAS d
Shipping container (Score:2)
Get a shipping container (or two). They're all steel, very durable, and they're a *bitch* to break into if you have good locks installed. They're also watertight by design.
They're usually ~$2500 to $3500 depending on the condition, not bad for what you get.
Insulate it well, add carpeting, then finish off the interior so it's a pleasant work space. Add a good steel-core door, lighting, ventilation, a heating and air conditioning unit, and you're done.
I suggest a few things (Score:2)
1) Don't put the switch, router etc in the same volume of space your desk is going to be in. You could do something like a soundproofed closet, with baffled vent for air flow. But, as you said, there is the risk of theft still to consider. I see no reason why your networking gear needs to be in what amounts to a small garage in your backyard. Sticking the gear in a closet goes a long way to protecting you from the white noise of the fans and protecting the machinery fro
Nix the building (Score:2)
Just buy a kick-butt laptop that does what you need, some awesome headphones, a MiFi device and perhaps a Sattelite Internet device, and a bunch of all-inclusive resort packages.
A bathroom. (Score:4, Insightful)
A half bath would be very helpful, and if you intend to have clients in and out, it's pretty much a necessity. Even though it's not a big deal for you to go into the house to use the bathroom, do you really want to make a client do that? Once you have plumbing, you have something closer to a barebones apartment than to a shack. Unless you're just telecommuting, it's not really reasonable to build without one.
Perhaps think backward. Take a studio apartment concept, and figure out what you don't need. You don't need a kitchen, but the bathroom has a sink, so you're still good to go with convenience items and stored prepared food. Coffeemaker, mini-fridge, microwave. You don't need a bed, or if you opt for one it need not be a full-time bed. A futon might suffice. (There may be times you need to lay down, but going back in the house to do so would break your flow somehow. Like supervising compiling or rendering or 3D printing or something.) Then everything you would want in any office -- your choice of furniture and equipment.
What's also important is what doesn't go in there. Network gear is probably better left in the house, but there are cases where you might want to move it. But more importantly, don't take anything irrelevant out there. I don't mean you can't have a Rubik's Cube on your desk, I mean don't put anything out there that is totally unrelated, except in dire emergency. Otherwise you will soon feel like you are working in a closet -- because you essentially are.
Look at this space as more valuable than the house it lies behind, on a per-square-foot basis -- why would you want to store junk in the high-rent district?
Nice concept for ideas (Score:2)
http://www.hiloft.de/ [hiloft.de]
Rent instead (Score:2)
I've gone the other way. I work from home a couple of days a week. I've decided to rent a desk at a coworking space. It's my own desk and space, nobody gets to use it when I'm not there. There's about 8 desks in the room, and 2-3 are in use at any give time. The rent is all-in and very cheap; around 1200 euros per year.
I love this setup. The reasons being: it's like a real office. There's people around me who are also working, which keeps me going. They're available for the occasional chat (but not overly s
Okay... (Score:2)
Just gonna attack these in order.
1: For the trenched cable, do yourself two favors
* A: Don't just bury the cable bare. Consider dropping a conduit of either suitable PVC or corrosion-resistant metal. Seal all the joins a
* B: While you have things open, take the opportunity to drop SEVERAL runs of cable through this trench/conduit. This way, if a problem develops with one of the pieces of cabling, you've already got spares in place. Also, run a piece of wax-coated string through the conduit too. So if y
Re: (Score:2)
Also, if you're going to enclose your rack area, consider at least a token locking setup for that as well.
Re: (Score:2)
If I had mod points...
You've described a lot of my set up, I have a 6x3.5 metre office space I use and a few lessons to share if I can build on what you've said a bit.
A. power from the ceiling - data and signal from the floor as if
Security (Score:2)
So find a nice area of the city that has fast internet and is still low crime. If new people moving into the area bring crime with them, move to another safer area well away from the areas of crime.
Lots of people have listed really great physical security ideas.
Find a big desktop, a really modern looking tower PC and fill it with old hard drives and a working PSU. Make sure it lights up, has a working fan
"Trench" CAT6. (Score:3)
Re:how... what... (Score:5, Funny)
I know that finding good people is tough, but is the submitter serious about hiring meth-heads?
Re:how... what... (Score:5, Funny)
I assume he's worried about meth heads breaking in & stealing his stuff to sell to support their habit
In which case the answer to the question is to use that lump of money to move to a better area. Alternatively if they are really already in a good area where such crime is not really an issue, use it for treatment of their obvious paranoia.
Re:how... what... (Score:5, Insightful)
If you do not think physical security is important then you don't know the least bit about security.
Re:how... what... (Score:4, Insightful)
Why are we still talking about physical security?
Because this is a business. Theft will cause downtime, downtime costs a business money.
And don't bother screaming "Buy insurance", sure that'll cover the loss of equipment and damage, but it won't instantly replace anything, so there'll still be downtime.
If you're lucky you might just be down for a day, but just think what'll happen if you're at a critical point in a contract with a deadline approaching. How understanding will your clients be if you miss it? It might even cost you down the line when they give the next contract to someone else.
Re: how... what... (Score:2, Insightful)
Cloud, aka "I don't care about privacy or security"
Ideally you only use cloud services for redundant systems, never for primary systems. To give a theoretical example, what if your AWS data center catches fire or is struck by a meteorite, airplane, space junk, etc. Or the more obvious, what if the government or a crime syndicate wants your data, do you think ANYTHING is going to stop them short of flinging it into space?
From a totally serious point of view, your primary data should be on servers YOU own, in
Re: (Score:3)
Umm, Yahoo?..... Anyone?
Re: how... what... (Score:2, Informative)
Or dropbox?
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Any dog is good security. Bad guys see (or hear) a dog and they just decide it's easier to go prey on someone else. Plus, you get the added benefit of having a dog with you, which is at least 50% of the benefit of working from home.
A dog will lower your stress level, improve your mood and make you more productive. And a dog won't judge you for working in a kimono and flip-flops.
Re: (Score:2)
It will, it just won't say anything about it.
Re: (Score:2)
According to local (Russian) laws the container is a movable property, not a building. I have a house with bad basement. It was easier to raise the house, remove the basement and build a new one in place than make a paperwork for total destruction and rebuilding.