A fast internet connection is great fun, but broadband is useful for more than just downloading music or making friends on a social network. Maybe you're working unusual hours or trying to cut down on time spent commuting, or perhaps you've got a small business that you're nurturing in your own time. As part of the right setup, broadband can help turn your study into a proper home office, allowing you to work efficiently and reliably without the need to travel.

Office basics

So you've got a spare room and a broadband connection, but how do you build a productive office around them? The first things you'll need are suitable desks and chairs. You can buy cheap, specialised computer furniture from affordable outlets such as IKEA or Viking Direct, or spend a little more at a posher store. Before you get carried away, though, make sure you measure your room and the computers you'll be using, and buy furniture to fit.

Next, you'll need to think about your network. If you've got one computer and an ADSL modem, you'll need to make sure that your cable reaches from the phone socket to where you want your desk, or buy an extension. You'll have a lot more flexibility with a wireless modem/router like the BT Home hub, though.

If you've already setup a wireless network, you'll probably find it easiest to connect to that, buying inexpensive USB wireless adaptors for any computers that don't have Wi-Fi built in.

Wi-Fi is great for its lack of clutter, but it can be a little slow, particularly if your wireless router is on the other side of the house from your office. If you plan a network with several PCs or a network-attached storage (NAS) device, you should consider having the router in the study, and using cables to connect your computers to its network ports.

Alternatively, you can use Homeplugs or a single network cable to link your router to an inexpensive switch in your office, into which you can plug your computers - they'll be able to exchange files very quickly between each other, but also to use your internet connection when they need to.

Home help

Most offices will need a printer, and you may also need a fax machine. Ideally, you should probably also have a scanner for making a digital copy of paper documents. You can buy separate gadgets to do each job, but you'll save money and space by buying a multi-function peripheral (MFP), which combines some or all of these tasks into one. Look for one with its own network port if you want to share it between several computers, and remember you'll need to connect its fax machine to the phone line - don't worry, this won't interfere with ADSL broadband, but it will stop you making calls while you're sending or receiving a fax.

If you'll be making calls abroad, you can save a lot of money by setting up an internet phone. You should also make sure that all of your important files are backed up - you can simply copy files locally onto another computer or a NAS, but if the unthinkable happens to your home office, you'll be glad if you used an online backup service like BT Digital Vault.

Finally, if you only work at home some of the time, you may be able to set up a private connection between your home office and your regular place of work. With quick, always-on broadband internet, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) lets you open files stored on your office network, and access email and calendar systems. Ask your employer's IT department whether they can talk you through setting one up.

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