Set up IT for a new office without a lost first week

The short answer

A new office IT setup goes smoothly when you start early and work backward from move-in day. The order that works:

1. 90 days out: confirm which internet providers serve the building and order service, plus a backup connection.
2. 60 days out: plan and install cabling, the network closet and power.
3. 30 days out: install the firewall, switches and Wi-Fi; port phone numbers; set up printers and conference rooms.
4. Move week: move and test every desk, then test again with real people on day one.
5. After: document everything and close out old services so you stop paying for them.

The single most common cause of a bad first week is internet that is not live yet. Order it first.

Name one owner before anything else

An office move involves the landlord, a general contractor, a cabling company, one or two internet providers, a phone vendor, a copier company, a security installer and your staff. Without one person who owns the IT timeline, each vendor waits on another and dates slip. Pick that owner first, whether it is your office manager, your internal IT person or your IT provider, and give them a shared timeline with every vendor, date and contact on one page.

Step 1: Internet, ordered first

Business internet installs can take weeks, especially if the provider has to run new fiber into the building. Before you sign the lease if you can, and no later than 90 days out:

• Check which providers serve the exact address. The FCC National Broadband Map is a useful starting point, but confirm with the provider and the landlord.
• Ask the landlord where service enters the building and whether there is a riser or conduit to your suite.
• Order a primary connection (fiber where available) and a backup from a different provider or a 5G business connection. If the office cannot work without the internet, one connection is a single point of failure.
• Ask for static IP addresses if you host anything, use a site-to-site VPN or have vendors that allowlist your address.
• Get the install date in writing and confirm it two weeks before.

Step 2: Cabling, closet and power

Cabling is cheapest before the walls close and the furniture arrives. Plan it with your floor plan in hand.

• Drops: at least two network jacks per desk, plus drops for printers, TVs, access points, cameras, door controllers and the phone system if it uses desk phones.
• Cable type: Cat 6 or Cat 6A, tested and labeled at both ends, with a test report from the installer.
• Access points: ceiling drops placed from a Wi-Fi survey or floor plan, not guesses. Thick walls, glass and elevators change coverage.
• Network closet: a lockable, ventilated space with a rack, dedicated circuits and room to grow. Not the kitchen, not the janitor’s closet.
• Power protection: a battery backup (UPS) for the firewall, switches and phone system so short outages do not drop everyone.

Step 3: The network

• Firewall: a business-grade firewall with current firmware, a support subscription, and admin access protected by MFA. Change all default passwords.
• Switches: enough ports for every drop plus spares, with Power over Ethernet for access points, cameras and phones.
• Wi-Fi: business access points managed centrally. Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 equipment is widely available as of 2026 and worth considering for dense offices, as long as your laptops support it.
• Separate networks: at minimum, one for staff, one for guests and one for printers, cameras and smart devices. A guest or a compromised camera should never reach your file server.
• Remote access: if staff connect in from home, set up a VPN or zero-trust access with MFA before move-in, not after.

CISA’s Cyber Essentials guide is a good plain-English baseline for small businesses setting up a new environment, covering secure configuration, updates and backups.

Moving or opening an office soon?

Our free Technology Health Assessment takes about 30 minutes of data collection and gives you a plain-language report the next day on IT operations, security, business continuity and spending, with next steps in order. It is a useful baseline before a move. No obligation. Book your free assessment.

Step 4: Phones and 911

Most offices now use a cloud phone system or Teams Phone. Start number porting at least 30 days out, because ports can be rejected over small mismatches in account details.

Do not skip the 911 setup. Under the FCC rules that implement Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act, multi-line telephone systems must let users dial 911 directly without a prefix, notify a central point such as a front desk when someone does, and send a dispatchable location (street address plus floor or suite) with the call. When you move, update the registered address for every phone and softphone and test a call with your provider’s test procedure.

Step 5: Devices, printers and rooms

• Inventory first. List every computer, monitor, dock and peripheral. Moves are when devices go missing.
• Back up before the move. Make sure laptops sync to OneDrive or Google Drive, and that any on-site server or NAS has a current, tested backup.
• Printers and copiers: book the vendor to move and reconfigure them, including scan-to-email and scan-to-folder settings.
• Conference rooms: displays, cameras, microphones and a simple way to join Teams, Zoom or Meet. Test a real call in each room.
• Security systems: cameras and badge readers on their own network, with recordings stored somewhere protected.

What drives the cost

Every office is different, so instead of a number, here are the things that move the budget most:

• Building readiness. A suite with existing, tested cabling and fiber in the building costs far less than one where the provider has to build in.
• Number of drops and access points. These scale with headcount, square footage and how many rooms need video.
• Reuse vs replace. Old firewalls and switches that are out of support are a poor fit for a new office. Laptops and monitors usually move fine.
• Phone system choice. Softphones and Teams Phone avoid desk phone hardware; desk phones need drops and power.
• Security systems. Cameras, door access and alarm integration add cabling and a separate network.
• Timing. Rush orders and after-hours work cost more. Starting at 90 days is the cheapest way to do this.

Mistakes that cost the first week

• Ordering internet after signing the lease and finding the install date is after move-in.
• Letting the furniture installer go first, then drilling through new cubicles for cable.
• One flat network for staff, guests, printers and cameras.
• Forgetting the copier’s scan-to-email settings, which break with every network change.
• Leaving the old provider’s equipment in the old office and paying a non-return fee.
• No one on site on day one who knows the setup.

Move week checklist

1. Confirm internet is live on both connections and fail over between them as a test.
2. Verify every network jack is patched and labeled.
3. Confirm Wi-Fi coverage in every room, including corners and break areas.
4. Move, connect and test each desk: network, monitors, dock, phone, printer.
5. Test 911 notification and location on the phone system.
6. Test remote access from outside the building.
7. Walk the office on the first morning with someone who can fix things on the spot.

After the move

• Document the network: diagram, IP ranges, passwords stored in a password manager, warranties and support contracts.
• Cancel internet, phone and alarm services at the old location, and recover any provider equipment to avoid charges.
• Wipe and dispose of any old equipment that held company data.
• Update your address with vendors, your Google Business Profile, your website and email signatures.
• Review your written recovery plan so it reflects the new site.

How JLB USA can help

Our managed IT services cover businesses with roughly 25 to 100 employees, including vendor management, so we can coordinate the internet providers, cabling contractor, phone vendor and copier company for you. We provide on-site IT in Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga, where we can be in the office for install and move day. Everywhere else we handle planning, configuration and support remotely and work with your local installers. See our Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga pages, call 954-539-5678, or start with the free assessment.

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