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Ask Slashdot: How Should I Furnish (And Secure) My Work-From-Home Office?
"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?
I suggest a table and chair, and a bookcase. Situate the table and chair such that you can gaze out a window.
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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.
Just buy a container and convert it. Steel floor, walls, roof, doors. Paint it distinctive colors, (maybe a rainbow) and should someone try to swipe it, it will stick out like a sore thumb.
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If you're setting up a full-sized home office in its own building, why are you limiting yourself to a laptop? Set yourself up with a proper desktop computer with a nice, big monitor, good speakers and as much RAM and disk space as you want. If you need to take things into your company's offices, you can always either use a flash drive or transfer what you need to your laptop, but if you're going to this much expense, there's no reason to pinch pennies here. And, while I'm thinking of it, put in a good floor safe; not just for added security, but to protect your records in case of fire or flood.
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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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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.
If you do not think physical security is important then you don't know the least bit about security.
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.
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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.
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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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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I know that finding good people is tough, but is the submitter serious about hiring meth-heads?
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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.