Network & Infrastructure
Design, installation and support of office networks: cabling, switching, Wi-Fi, firewalls, CCTV and power protection.
The problem
Office networks often grow one cable and one router at a time. The result is patchy Wi-Fi, unlabelled cabling and a cabinet nobody wants to touch.
Signs you need this
- Wi-Fi drops in parts of the office
- Nobody knows which cable goes where
- The firewall or router has never been reviewed
- A move or refit is coming and the network must be ready when people arrive
What changes
Networks that work on day one, documented down to the cable.
- Reliable Wi-Fi where people work
- A labelled cabinet and cabling
- A network diagram and IP plan
- Configuration backups for every device
Inside the network cabinet
Every office network runs through a cabinet like this one. Choose a part to see what it does, or trace a connection from the internet to a device on the floor.
- Copper
- Fibre
- Traced route
- Port in use
Firewall
The door between your office and the internet. It checks traffic against your rules and routes it between your network segments.
- Connects to
- WAN 1 to the provider’s router; its 10 Gb/s SFP+ port X1 to the core switch.
- Why it matters
- If it’s misconfigured, everything behind it is exposed. If it fails, nobody gets online. Its rules and firmware are reviewed, and its configuration is backed up.
The segments in this example
Each kind of device gets its own segment (VLAN), and the firewall decides what each one can reach. An IP and VLAN plan records it like this.
| VLAN | Segment | Subnet | Devices | Can reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Staff | 10.10.10.0/24 | Laptops, desk computers | Internet, server, printers |
| 20 | Guest | 10.10.20.0/24 | Visitors’ phones and laptops | Internet only |
| 40 | CCTV | 10.10.40.0/24 | Cameras, recorder | Recorder only, no internet |
| 50 | Servers | 10.10.50.0/24 | Server | Staff segment, backups |
| 99 | Management | 10.10.99.0/24 | Firewall, switches, access points, UPS | Administrators only |
What’s included
- Site survey and network design
- Structured cabling and labelling
- Switching and Wi-Fi
- Firewall installation and configuration
- CCTV
- UPS and power protection
Specific tasks
Every service, task by task- Office network design
- Wired network (LAN) set-up
- Wi-Fi planning and access point set-up
- Switch installation and configuration
- IP addressing, VLANs and network segments
- Guest Wi-Fi
- Firewall and router set-up
- Internet connection and provider coordination
- Comms room and rack planning
- Structured cabling and labelling
- CCTV
- UPS and power protection
- Network troubleshooting
- Network diagrams and documentation
- Network health check
- Network equipment upgrade planning
- Network expansion into new space
- Office move and network cut-over
What you receive
Written records you keep, whoever looks after your IT in future.
- Network diagram
- Labelled cabling schedule
- IP and VLAN plan
- Device configuration backups
Network handover pack
IP and VLAN plan
Specimen
10
- Name
- Staff
- Subnet
- 10.10.10.0/24
- Gateway
- 10.10.10.1
- Used for
- Desks and staff laptops
20
- Name
- Voice
- Subnet
- 10.10.20.0/24
- Gateway
- 10.10.20.1
- Used for
- Desk phones
30
- Name
- Staff Wi-Fi
- Subnet
- 10.10.30.0/23
- Gateway
- 10.10.30.1
- Used for
- Staff wireless
New office network
Example engagement: shows a typical project, not a specific client.
The situation
A company moving into a new office needs cabling, Wi-Fi, firewall and CCTV working on day one.
What exQ does
Site survey, network design, installation, testing and labelling.
What you receive
Network diagram, cabling schedule, configuration backups and a handover session.
How we deliver
Survey
We survey the site and how the space will be used.
Design
We design the network and agree it with you.
Install
We install, test and label everything.
Hand over
We hand over the documents in a walkthrough, then support the network.
Explore it yourself: the network architect
Shape a fictional office network, then break it on purpose. How traffic flows, where the single points of failure are, and what segmentation actually stops.
About 6 minutes. Fictional data, in your browser, with nothing to sign up for.
Can you work to our move-in date?
We plan the work around your date and test the network before people arrive.
Do we have to buy new equipment?
Not necessarily. We can work with hardware you already own, and recommend equipment where something needs replacing.
Is CCTV part of the network work?
Yes. Cameras and recording are installed on the same documented network.
Patchy Wi-Fi, or a cabinet nobody touches? Start with a survey.
Tell us where your technology stands and where you want it to go. We reply to every enquiry within one business day.