Are you moving offices? In this article we’ll take you through when and how to plan your new office Wi-Fi. 

Discover when to start planning your Wi-Fi, why it should happen before the fit-out, and how a professional Wi-Fi survey can prevent coverage and capacity problems.

Wi-Fi considerations need to be made if your business is:

• Moving into a new office.
• Refurbishing an existing office.
• Taking on an additional floor or expanding the premises.
• Planning an office fit-out.
• Working with an IT provider, MSP, cabling company, architect or fit-out contractor on a move.

You might be asking yourself:

• When should we sort out the Wi-Fi for our new office?
• How many Wi-Fi access points will we need?
• Where should the access points go?
• When should the network cabling be installed?
• Can our IT company just install the Wi-Fi?
• Should Wi-Fi be planned before the office fit-out?
• How do we make sure the new office has good Wi-Fi from day one?

And if so – you’re in the right place!

Don’t wait until you’ve moved into the office to discover whether the Wi-Fi works or not

The best time to consider the Wi-Fi is while the office is still being designed.

Our Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit can use the floor plans to create a predictive Wi-Fi design, determine appropriate Access Point locations and help inform the cabling plan.

Once the office is built and the network installed, the design can then be validated on site.

This is considerably better than installing Access Points based on guesswork and trying to fix coverage problems afterwards.

When should you start planning Wi-Fi for a new office?

Ideally, Wi-Fi planning should begin before the fit-out and before the final network cabling locations have been agreed.

Wi-Fi Access Points generally need Ethernet cabling. The locations of these cables determine where AP’s can be installed easily. However, if the cabling contractor installs outlets before anyone has actually designed the wireless network, the AP locations may be decided by cabling rather than the RF requirements. Moving AP’s afterwards can mean additional cabling is needed, causing considerable disruption and cost.

Planning your wireless network early in the office move (or refurb) means that the Wi-Fi design influences the cabling rather than having to try and work around it. 

Geekabit can often begin Wi-Fi planning from architectural floor plans before the office is even physically complete. 

Design the Wi-Fi first. Cable for the design second. 

Why can’t we just decide where the access points go from the floor plan?

Looking at a floor plan and placing an AP every X metres is not proper Wi-Fi design. It’s not about uniform spacing – There are a lot of other factors to consider when placing AP’s and designing a Wi-Fi network. 

Factors that can affect the design of a Wi-Fi network include:

• Office size and shape.
• Internal walls.
• Construction materials.
• Concrete, brick and structural elements.
• Glass partitions and meeting rooms.
• Metalwork.
• Kitchens and utility areas.
• Lifts and stairwells.
• Furniture and storage.
• Number of employees.
• Number of wireless devices.
• Expected visitor numbers.
• Meeting-room density.
• Voice/ video applications.
• 5 GHz and 6 GHz requirements.
• Roaming requirements.
• Nearby wireless networks and interference.

Two offices with the same floor area can therefore require very different Wi-Fi designs.

How can you design Wi-Fi before the office has even been built?

Predictive Wi-Fi design allows Wi-Fi engineers to plan your new wireless network before the office or refurb has been completed. Geekabit Wi-Fi experts can import the proposed office floor plans into professional Wi-Fi design software. This means that walls and other building materials can be modelled, and Access Points can be positioned virtually, proposing the best placements and testing different models evaluating their effectiveness. 

Heatmaps mean that signal strength and coverage can be visualised. The expected RF coverage can be modelled, and 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz can be considered separately where appropriate. 

The design highlights areas that are likely to need additional coverage, as well as considering AP transmit power and channel planning to form part of the design. 

This process is not just drawing AP’s into a floor plan baked on spacing and measuring distances. Geekabit’s professional Wi-Fi planning and survey software and equipment mean that we are modelling how the wireless network is expected to behave and pre-empt any coverage problems. 

The software we use is Hamina which is used for designing, analyzing, and troubleshooting Wi-Fi, Private 4G/5G, and IoT networks.

How many Wi-Fi access points will our new office need?

Unfortunately, there is no reliable answer we can give you that is based purely on the size of the office. Effective Wi-Fi depends on coverage and capacity, which are two different things.

When it comes to coverage, we want to know if devices can receive a sufficiently strong Wi-Fi signal throughout the required area.

Capacity, on the other hand, ascertains whether the network can cope with the number of devices and the amount and type of traffic that is expected.

An office might have excellent signal everywhere, but still have poor Wi-Fi because too many users are competing for airtime.

For example, a quiet corridor has very different requirements from a 20-person meeting room.

A 100-person office where everyone uses Teams throughout the day has different requirements from a warehouse with a handful of handheld devices.

A reception area may occasionally have a large number of visitors.

Meeting rooms can create temporary high-density areas.

The Wi-Fi design should therefore consider much more than just square metres of office space – It needs to consider users and applications.

Why should Wi-Fi be planned before the network cabling?

If you are an Office Manager or Project Manager in the midst of an office refurb or move to new premises, then the following scenario might be familiar. 

The fit-out contractor decides where the data points will go > Cabling gets installed > IT company arrives > APs get installed wherever cables happen to be available > Business moves in > Wi-Fi problems start to appear > Additional APs and cables are required.

If this is the situation you’re already in then we’re sorry you didn’t have the opportunity to nip the problems in the bud. If you’re about to begin an office refurb or move then you’re just in time to get things done in the right order. 

Obtain floor plans > Understand user/ device/ application requirements > Design the wireless network > Determine appropriate AP locations > Provide AP locations to the cabling/ fit-out team > Install cabling in the correct positions > Install/ configure APs > Validate the completed network. 

Doing things in this order instead can make things much easier and cheaper than retrofitting fixes. 

What information does Geekabit need to design our new office Wi-Fi?

In order to effectively design your new office Wi-Fi network, our Wi-Fi experts here at Geekabit would typically need:

• Floor plans, preferably PDF or CAD if available.
• Proposed office layout.
• Wall/building information if known.
• Number of employees.
• Expected number of devices.
• Meeting-room locations and capacities.
• Areas with unusually high user density.
• Applications that matter to the business.
• Whether Wi-Fi calling/voice is important.
• Existing or proposed network hardware.
• Any particular coverage requirements.
• Plans for future expansion.

Our clients do not need any knowledge of understanding of RF engineering to give our Wi-Fi professionals the information they need. Geekabit can guide you through the information required.

Should we design for Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7?

Great question. The main takeaway from this should be don’t choose an AP (or other piece of hardware) just because it has the highest Wi-Fi number. 

The appropriate hardware depends on the requirements, client devices, budget and expected lifetime. 

Many modern offices increasingly need to consider 6 GHz. 

A well designed network using appropriate hardware is generally preferable to buying the most expensive APs and installing poorly. 

Geekabit operates vendor-independent, meaning we can design around suitable equipment rather than forcing every one of our clients into the same solution. 

Good Wi-Fi starts with good RF design, not the logo or Wi-Fi number printed on the Access Point.

What happens once the office is built?

Predictive Wi-Fi design isn’t necessarily the end of the process.

Predictive design is based on the plans and information available before construction.Real buildings don’t always exactly match the drawings. Materials may also differ and other smaller details can change, for example furniture gets added and meeting rooms move. 

There could also be other wireless networks present. This means that the final AP installation may differ slightly from the design. 

Therefore, for projects like this, Geekabit can perform an on-site Wi-Fi survey following the refurb or move, using Hamina Nomad software to validate the network after installation. The purpose of this is to confirm that the installed network is performing as intended.

A post-installation Wi-Fi survey can check the following things:

• Actual signal coverage.
• Secondary coverage.
• Signal-to-noise ratio.
• Channel utilisation.
• Interference.
• Roaming behaviour.
• AP placement.
• Real-world performance.
• Areas where the installed environment differs from the predictive design.

We’re moving into an office that already has Wi-Fi – do we still need a survey?

Potentially, yes. A Wi-Fi survey when you’ve just moved into an office with an existing network can still be really useful. Don’t assume that an existing network will be suitable for your requirements simply because there are APs already fitted. 

There could be inherent differences between the requirements of the previous network and yours. For example, there could be some stark differences:

• Different number of employees.
• Different applications.
• Different device mix.
• Different desk layout.
• Different meeting-room usage.
• AP hardware may be old.
• AP positioning may be poor.
• The previous installation may never have been professionally designed.

This is where an existing-site survey can be more appropriate than simply creating a new predictive design.

We don’t recommend automatically ripping everything out. Our Geekabit Wi-Fi engineers can assess what is already there before recommending replacement equipment.

Who should be responsible for the Wi-Fi during an office move?

There are many different parties that are usually involved in the Wi-Fi network during an office move or refurbishment. These are usually:

• Internal IT.
• MSP.
• Cabling contractor.
• Fit-out company.
• Architect.
• Internet provider.
• Wi-Fi specialist.

All of these people have an important role to play in ensuring that the new network is functioning optimally. For the actual wireless design, it’s recommended to call in a specialist RF engineer or Wi-Fi professional.

A cabling company can install the cables perfectly, but somebody still needs to determine where those cables should terminate for the access points.

An MSP can manage switches, firewalls, Microsoft 365 and endpoints extremely well without necessarily having specialist Wi-Fi survey equipment or RF expertise.

Our professional Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit can work alongside the client’s existing IT company, MSP, cabling contractor or fit-out company to get the best results for your network.

A simple Wi-Fi plan for your office move

Wi-Fi should be an integral part of the office move plan, not something added during the final week.

Here is a plan to work with when planning your Wi-Fi network during an office refurbishment or office move. 

Early planning / lease agreed

• Obtain floor plans.
• Discuss expected users and requirements.
• Consider internet connectivity.
• Begin predictive Wi-Fi design.

Before cabling

• Agree AP locations.
• Specify required network outlets.
• Coordinate with a cabling contractor/fit-out company.

During fit-out

• Cabling installed.
• Network infrastructure installed.
• Any design changes reviewed.

Before occupation

• APs installed and configured.
• Network tested.
• SSIDs/security configured.

After installation / before or shortly after staff move in

• Validate coverage and performance.
• Correct any issues.
• Establish a baseline for the completed network.

Planning a new office in London or across the UK?

Geekabit specialises in business Wi-Fi and wireless networking.

We offer a range of services to clients including:

• Predictive Wi-Fi design.
• Wi-Fi site surveys.
• Wi-Fi heatmaps.
• On-site RF surveys.
• Validation surveys.
• Troubleshooting.
• Access Point design and deployment.
• Network infrastructure advice.

Our expert Wi-Fi engineers are Wi-Fi specialists, not just a generic IT support company.

If you’re planning an office move, refurbishment or new fit-out, speak to Geekabit before the network cabling locations are finalised. We can work from your floor plans to help design the wireless network and give your cabling or fit-out team clear AP locations to work from.

With thanks to Hamina for the imagery.

FAQs

When should Wi-Fi be planned for a new office?

Ideally, Wi-Fi should be planned before the office fit-out and before network cabling locations are finalised. A predictive Wi-Fi design can determine suitable access point locations, allowing Ethernet cabling to be installed in the right places before ceilings and finishes are completed.

Can Wi-Fi be designed before an office is built?

Yes. A predictive Wi-Fi design uses office floor plans, building materials, expected user numbers and proposed access point hardware to model wireless coverage before installation. This allows potential coverage and capacity issues to be identified before the office is completed.

How many Wi-Fi access points does an office need?

There is no reliable number based on floor area alone. The number and location of access points depend on the building layout, construction materials, number of users and devices, applications, required frequencies and expected capacity. A professional Wi-Fi design can determine the appropriate number and placement.

Do I need a Wi-Fi site survey for a new office?

For many business environments, a professional Wi-Fi survey or predictive design is advisable. It reduces the risk of poor coverage, interference, capacity problems and incorrectly positioned access points. A predictive design can be completed before the fit-out, with an on-site validation survey performed once the network is installed.

What is a predictive Wi-Fi survey?

A predictive Wi-Fi survey uses specialist software and floor plans to model how wireless signals are expected to propagate through a building. Walls, building materials, access point characteristics and other factors can be included to estimate coverage and help determine suitable AP locations before installation.

Should access points be installed before or after the office fit-out?

The access points themselves will normally be installed during or towards the end of the fit-out, but their locations should ideally be designed much earlier. This allows the required Ethernet cabling to be installed in the correct positions while the fit-out is taking place.

Can our cabling contractor decide where the Wi-Fi access points should go?

A cabling contractor can install the required Ethernet infrastructure, but access point locations are ideally determined from a wireless design rather than cable convenience alone. Geekabit can provide AP locations for the cabling contractor to work from and collaborate with them during the project.

Can Geekabit work with our existing IT company or MSP?

Yes. Geekabit specialises in Wi-Fi and wireless networking and can work alongside an existing MSP, internal IT department, cabling contractor or office fit-out company. The existing IT provider can continue managing the wider network while Geekabit provides specialist wireless design, surveying and troubleshooting expertise.

Do we need a Wi-Fi survey if the new office already has access points?

Existing access points do not necessarily mean the Wi-Fi is suitable for a new occupier. Different businesses have different numbers of users, devices, applications and coverage requirements. An on-site survey can assess the existing installation and determine whether it can be reused, modified or should be replaced.

Can you test the Wi-Fi after we move in?

Yes. A post-installation validation survey can measure the completed wireless network and compare real-world coverage and performance with the intended design. This can identify coverage gaps, interference, roaming problems or installation differences that need correcting.