How to Plan a New Office Network

Put networking on the fit-out plan early

The most useful time to plan a new office network is before the ceiling, joinery and workstation layout are finalised. At that stage, cable routes and equipment positions can be coordinated with the rest of the project. Leaving networking until move-in can narrow the options.

Begin with a marked-up floor plan and a named decision-maker. Identify the builder or fit-out contact, the IT provider and the internet-service provider. Agree who owns each part of the work so the gaps are visible.

Map devices to places

Mark fixed desks, shared desks, meeting rooms, printers and other business devices. Then identify where wireless devices will be used and the busiest areas. Keep the plan tied to real use rather than copying outlet counts from a previous tenancy.

Consider likely changes: more desks, a divided meeting room or additional access points. Record the growth allowance so it remains part of the scope instead of an assumption.

• Workstation and shared-device locations
• Meeting-room screens and conferencing equipment
• Wireless coverage and visitor-access areas
• Cabinet position and cable pathways
• Spare outlets and capacity for agreed growth

Check the tenancy you are taking over

Existing outlets can be useful, but they need to be traced and assessed. Confirm which cabinet they terminate at, who owns the cabling and whether the infrastructure is suitable for your intended network.

Discuss access with the landlord or building manager. Shared communications rooms, risers and common-property works may have separate requirements. Do not assume that keys to the tenancy provide permission for every part of the installation.

Define the handover boundaries

Physical networking, internet delivery and IT-system setup are related tasks, but they are not interchangeable. Your network installer may deliver tested outlets and configured infrastructure while another provider handles computers, cloud applications or telephony.

Write down who will configure the gateway, supply network settings, create administrator accounts and retain backups. Agree which test records, outlet schedules and equipment details will be supplied. Cabling work should be performed by appropriately registered people with the competencies required for that work.

Make move-in a sequence, not a single date

The move-in date sits at the end of several dependencies. Internet delivery, cabinet power, cabling completion and equipment availability need to be coordinated. Plan a time for checks before the team relies on the network.

For a relocation, agree the order of disconnection and reconnection and identify services that cannot be interrupted without notice. Keep a contact list for each provider available during the cutover.

The brief to send your installer

Send the floor plan, approximate staff and device numbers, existing equipment list, access rules and target dates. Add a short explanation of how the office will operate. Those details let the installer scope a network around the workplace rather than guess from its floor area.

Before accepting a quote, check the exclusions and ask what must be ready before installation starts. A clear scope is one of the simplest ways to prevent last-minute surprises.

Further reading

• ACMA: how to become a registered cabler