Create a local area network (LAN) in your home or office. This involves connecting computers, printers, modems, and other devices. To create a LAN, you should have at least 2 computers. Use network interface cards (NICs) to build the connection for your LAN. NICs are hardware that you can insert into the motherboards of your computers to add ports that will allow you to establish your network. Insert a crossover cable into the ports of the network interface cards. This cable allows your computers to communicate. Connect modems, printers and other devices to the computers to complete your network.
Choose a web server. Look at the cost, performance, and reliability of the different web servers you consider. Consider using a personal web server if you are setting up a home intranet. A personal web server is software that you can download on a personal computer to make an intranet at home.
Install a web browser. Your intranet pages can only be viewed if you have a web browser installed on the network computers.
Design your intranet. Make decisions about the look and feel of your intranet and the content that you will upload. If you are a company creating an intranet, you may choose to hire a web designer or select a team from your management pool to design your intranet. Decide what type of information you want to include on your intranet. Some common options include an organizational chart, a staff directory, wiki pages, a calendar, frequently used and shared documents, and a message board. Draw out the sequence of your intranet pages on paper, including the homepage and the order of the pages as you want them presented in the menu on your intranet site. Design a menu representing the major pages on your intranet. The menu should appear on each page to allow users to navigate from page to page and back to the homepage. Make sure the menu links to all of your pages.
Decide how you will handle security. Determine if all or part of the intranet you create should be password protected and if staff will be able to access the company's intranet via the Internet when they are away from the office. If you are creating an intranet at home, decide which family members will have access.
Determine how often you will back-up your intranet as protection against viruses and server failure.
Maintain your intranet and protect it against viruses and corrupt files. Upload antiviral software to your network that will scan the system for viruses. Antiviral software will also download periodic updates to protect your intranet from new viruses.
Market your intranet to staff company-wide. Encourage use of your new intranet by making some processes completely electronic, such as recording hours worked, requesting vacation time, and annual benefits enrollment. Offer training for the company's new intranet as part of your marketing strategy.
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