From a consumer router to a network you can manage
Many offices still run on the router their internet provider dropped off years ago, with a couple of plug-in extenders added whenever someone complained. The results are familiar: video calls that freeze in the back room, a card terminal that drops at the worst moment, guest phones on the same network as the accounting PC, and nobody able to say which cable goes where. Growth makes it worse, because every new device competes for the same tired hardware.
We start with a site survey: wall materials, ceiling access, where people actually sit and what needs a wired connection. Then we propose a design with a business firewall, managed switches and ceiling access points, split into separate VLANs by device type and trust level. Everything is labelled, documented and handed over with admin access. It fits clinics, warehouses in Newton or Cloverdale, and multi-room offices that have outgrown consumer gear.
What’s covered
- Site survey and design We walk the space, check coverage needs and wall construction, and mark access point and cable locations on your floor plan before any equipment is ordered.
- Business firewall and router A properly configured firewall with current firmware, filtering where it helps and only the ports you actually need left open.
- Ceiling-mounted access points Centrally managed access points placed for coverage and capacity, so Wi-Fi holds up in boardrooms, treatment rooms and warehouse aisles.
- Structured cabling Cat6 pulled to each workstation, ceiling access point and camera location, then terminated on a patch panel and labelled at both ends.
- Racks and comms closets A properly mounted rack with patch panels, a UPS and tidy cable routing, turning the tangle under reception into something a technician can work on.
- VLANs and guest Wi-Fi Payment terminals, security cameras and visitor devices kept on their own segments, so one compromised gadget cannot reach the accounting PC.
- VPN and remote access Encrypted tunnels for staff reaching office systems from home, plus site-to-site links that join branch locations.
- Troubleshooting and tune-ups Intermittent faults chased down with logs and testing, whether the culprit is interference, a failing switch or the ISP; ongoing care is part of managed IT support.
Plans and pricing
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Small office network and Wi-Fi install | From $1,200 + hardware |
| Cabling, racks and access point mounting | Quoted per site, with hardware itemized |
| Troubleshooting or small changes | $115/hour |
| After-hours or weekend cabling | 1.5× evenings and Saturdays, 2× Sundays and holidays |
| Ongoing monitoring and firmware updates | Included in managed IT plans |
Prices are in CAD. Every engagement starts with a short call and a written proposal.
Common questions
Do I need business-grade Wi-Fi or will a mesh kit do?
For a home office or a small shop, a good mesh kit is often enough. Once you have a dozen people, VoIP phones, card terminals or several rooms, centrally managed access points with wired backhaul cope far better with load, and they give you proper guest separation and monitoring. We will tell you honestly which side of that line you are on.
What is a VLAN and why would my office need one?
A VLAN splits one physical network into separate virtual ones. Point-of-sale terminals, office PCs, visitor phones and door cameras can share the same switches without seeing each other’s traffic. That limits the damage if one device is compromised, keeps visitors away from your files and makes card-payment and privacy expectations easier to meet.
Why does our internet feel slow when the speed test looks fine?
The bottleneck is often inside the office: an overloaded consumer router, a Wi-Fi channel shared with every neighbour, a failing switch port or one machine saturating the upload. We measure each segment, check the firewall and access point logs, and fix the actual cause before suggesting a faster internet plan.
Can you run new network cable in an occupied office?
Yes. We plan routes through ceilings and existing conduit, and schedule noisy work to limit disruption to your team. Evening and weekend cabling is available at 1.5× the hourly rate (2× on Sundays and holidays). We certify each cable with a tester before closing up, leave the rack tidy and give you a record of which port feeds which desk.
Will a new network help our VoIP phones?
Usually, yes. Call quality depends on steady latency and low jitter, not just bandwidth, so we prioritize voice traffic with quality-of-service rules and give phones their own VLAN. If you are changing phone systems as well, we plan both together; see business phone systems.