Networking for a new office: the complete checklist

You've found a new building. Great space, nice location, and everyone's excited. But then comes the question that many SMEs think about too late: how do you make sure the network simply works on the first working day? No wifi that keeps dropping out, no internet that isn't there yet, and no phones that don't work.

A move is the ideal moment to set up your network properly in one go, but it's also the moment when things can go wrong if you set them in motion too late. In this complete checklist we'll go through everything you need to arrange for your new office, in the right order, so you won't run into any surprises.

Start in good time: planning is everything

The biggest pitfall with a new office is simple: starting too late. Some things have lead times of weeks or even months. Having a fibre connection installed, for example, can easily take eight to twelve weeks, sometimes longer if digging still needs to be done.

So start with this planning check as soon as you've confirmed the building:

• Request the internet connection as early as possible, well before the moving date.
• Check which connections are available at the location (fibre, cable, copper).
• Plan the network design well before the fit-out begins.
• Align the planning with your move and any renovation work.
• Allow for a testing period before moving day.

1. Request the internet connection in good time

Without internet, everything grinds to a halt. Yet this is the element whose lead time is most often underestimated. Choose a connection that fits the way you work. If you work a lot in the cloud, with video meetings and large files, you'll want a stable, fast connection with plenty of upload capacity. For most offices, fibre is the best foundation: fast, stable and symmetrical, so uploading is just as quick as downloading.

Points to keep in mind for the internet connection:

• Request it in good time and allow for long lead times.
• Check whether fibre is already in the building or still needs to be installed.
• Consider a backup connection, so you don't come to a standstill during an outage.
• Make sure the connection enters the building at a logical spot.

2. A well-thought-out network design

A network that works everywhere starts with a plan, not with individual devices you buy together as you go. Good network design takes into account:

• Coverage: a reliable signal everywhere in the building, from the workstations to the kitchen and meeting rooms.
• Capacity: enough room for all the devices that will be connecting, and for growth.
• Layout: where are the workstations, and where will printers, cameras and fixed equipment go?
• Future: a network that grows along with you as your team gets bigger.

By mapping this out on a floor plan in advance, you avoid dead spots and expensive adjustments.

3. Include cabling and connection points in the planning

Even in an age of wifi, cabling remains important. Workstations, access points and printers run most reliably on a wired connection. So include the connection points in the building's fit-out in good time:

• Where will the workstations be, and are there network connections there?
• In which spots will the access points be mounted, and is there a connection there?
• Will there be a central network cabinet in a logical, cool and accessible spot?
• Is there enough power in the right places?

Plan this early, because adding connection points afterwards is harder and more expensive. IT-gemak thinks along with you on this during the design.

4. WiFi: coverage, roaming and a guest network

You don't really notice good wifi, because it just works. That calls for the right access points, in the right places, working together as one whole. Watch out for:

• Full coverage with no dead spots, throughout the building.
• Seamless roaming, so your video call doesn't drop when you walk to the meeting room.
• Enough capacity for all the laptops, phones and devices at the same time.
• A separate guest network for visitors, kept apart from your company data.

IT-gemak works with Ubiquiti UniFi, a single coherent platform in which access points, switches and security are aligned with one another and managed centrally.

5. Network cabinet and switches

The heart of your network is in the network cabinet. That's where the internet connection, the switches and often the firewall come together. A switch connects all the wired connections to each other. What to look out for:

• A network cabinet in a central, cool and lockable spot.
• Enough switch ports for now and for growth.
• Neat, well-organised cabling, so maintenance and expansion stay easy.
• A stable power supply, optionally with a backup power source.

6. Security: firewall and VLANs

A new office is the perfect moment to set up your security properly straight away. A firewall guards the boundary between your network and the internet. It keeps unwanted traffic out and protects your data.

VLANs divide your network into separate zones. This lets you put office equipment, cameras, point-of-sale systems and guests each in their own zone, for example. If one part gets infected, the damage stays limited to that zone. Set this up properly right from the start, so you don't have to put it right later on.

7. Telephony: get VoIP ready

Fixed-line telephony nowadays runs over your internet connection, with VoIP. That's flexible, and you simply take your numbers with you to your new building. With a modern solution such as VoIP with 3CX you call over the internet, link your fixed and mobile handsets, and set up call forwarding and menu options yourself. Get this ready in good time and test it before you move, so customers can reach you from day one.

8. Get the workstations ready

Once the network is in place, you connect the workstations to it. Make sure this doesn't only start on moving day:

• Computers, monitors and peripherals connected and tested.
• Printers connected and set up for everyone who uses them.
• Access to your cloud, email and files checked.
• Meeting rooms fitted with working screens and a connection.

The more you arrange in advance, the sooner everyone can get to work on the first working day.

9. Test everything before moving day

The final, and perhaps most important, step: testing. You don't want to discover on the first working day that the wifi drops out or that the phones don't work. So test well before the move:

• Does the internet connection work and reach the expected speed?
• Is there wifi coverage everywhere, including in the far corners?
• Do the phones work, both internally and to the outside?
• Can workstations reach the right files and systems?
• Does the guest network work, and is it neatly separated from the internal network?

A good test beforehand means a calm first working day.

How IT-gemak delivers your new office turnkey

During a move, you want to focus on your business, not on network diagrams and lead times. IT-gemak takes the entire network off your hands, from design to delivery and management:

• Design: we map out your new building and way of working and create a network design that's right in terms of coverage, capacity and security.
• Setup: we configure the network, the wifi, the firewall, the VLANs and the telephony, all aligned with one another.
• Management: after delivery we keep an eye on the network, carry out updates and make adjustments remotely. One dedicated team, one fixed rate.

Want to know how we'd approach this for your move? Then take a look at our page for a new office. And if you want your network to keep running worry-free after the move as well, read more about our network management.

In short

A network for a new office stands or falls on starting in good time and a well-thought-out plan. Run through this checklist:

• Request your internet connection well in advance, bearing in mind the lead time for fibre.
• Create a network design based on coverage and capacity, with connection points in the right place.
• Set up wifi with coverage, roaming and a guest network.
• Provide a neat network cabinet with enough switches.
• Arrange security with a firewall and VLANs.
• Get VoIP telephony ready in good time and prepare the workstations.
• Test everything well before moving day.

Anyone who sets this in motion in good time starts off in the new building with a network that simply works.

Ready for a new office without network stress?

Are you moving or about to take on a new building? Then we'd be glad to help you get the network working properly from day one. We'll take a look with you, with no obligation.

Schedule a no-obligation advisory consultation and discover how IT-gemak delivers your new office turnkey.