In short
Network installation means designing, supplying, configuring and fitting the switches, wireless access points and firewalls a site runs on. We can take on the whole project or single steps, for new offices, moves, refreshes of end-of-sale kit and multi-site roll-outs, using Cisco, Fortinet, HPE Networking or WatchGuard hardware. Scope is confirmed at quote.
Shop network hardware
Add products and licences to your basket, then check out when you are ready.
What a network installation project covers
Every project is scoped to what you need, so you only pay for the parts you want us to do. A typical network infrastructure installation runs through these stages:
| Stage | What happens | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery call | We talk through your sites, users, devices, existing kit and plans | A shared view of what the network has to do |
| 2. Site visit | A walk-round of comms rooms, cabling and ceilings, with a wireless survey (opens in a new tab) where the building needs one | Notes on what can be reused and what has to change |
| 3. Design | VLANs, PoE budget, Wi-Fi coverage, firewall sizing, uplinks and resilience | A design and a bill of materials |
| 4. Quote | The bill of materials built as a basket by part number, with subscriptions and support | A personalised quote with the scope of the work |
| 5. Staging | Equipment pre-configured, updated and labelled before it goes to site | Kit that arrives ready to fit |
| 6. Installation | Switches and firewalls racked, access points mounted and everything patched and tested | A working network |
| 7. Handover | Configuration, passwords, IP plan and management access documented | Documentation you own |
| 8. Ongoing changes | New VLANs, extra access points, firewall rule changes and firmware updates when you need them | Help as the network grows |
Each stage is confirmed at quote. Some customers want everything from design to handover; others buy the hardware here and ask us only to stage it, or only to configure a firewall.
Shop switches
See all 12 products- Catalyst 1200Cisco
16 models: C1200-8T-D, C1200-8T-E-2G, C1200-8P-E-2G, C1200-8FP-2G
- Catalyst 1300Cisco
36 models: C1300-8T-E-2G, C1300-8P-E-2G, C1300-8FP-2G, C1300-16T-2G
Compare, then add to your basket
Every product in our shop lists its order codes and licences, ready to add.
When businesses bring us in
- A new office or fit-out: the network is planned with the fit-out, so comms rooms, cable runs, PoE and access point positions match
- An office move: equipment moved, replaced or added, and we can plan the cut-over around your working hours
- End-of-sale hardware: switches, firewalls or access points that have reached the vendor's last order date or are approaching end of support; see our guides to Cisco Business 250 and 350 replacements, Fortinet end of life and WatchGuard Firebox end of life
- A network infrastructure upgrade: faster uplinks, multigigabit ports for Wi-Fi 7, more PoE for cameras and phones, or a firewall that can run the security services you need
- Several sites: a standard design for each branch, staged centrally and fitted site by site
If you are setting up a small office on Cisco Meraki rather than on-premises kit, our sister site has a guide to office network setup (opens in a new tab).
Designing the network
Good design is what makes an installation go smoothly. The points we work through with you:
- Segmentation: separate VLANs for staff, guests, voice, cameras and building systems, with firewall rules between them
- Power over Ethernet: enough PoE budget on each switch for the access points, phones and cameras plugged into it, with headroom for growth; our PoE budget guide shows the sums
- Wireless coverage and capacity: access point numbers and positions set by the building and by how many people and devices use each area, not by floor area alone
- Firewall sizing: throughput with the security services switched on, VPN users and site-to-site tunnels, not only the headline firewall figure; see choosing a firewall for small business
- Uplinks and stacking: the right copper, multigigabit or fibre uplinks between access switches and the core, with SFP transceivers to match
- Resilience: stacked or paired core switches, dual power supplies and firewall high availability pairs where downtime would hurt
Where resilience needs extra licences, such as a subscription per appliance in a Cisco Secure Firewall high availability pair, it goes into the quote.
Not sure what you need?
Tell us about your sites and we will recommend the right kit and licences.
Upgrading existing network infrastructure
Many projects start with a network that mostly works. An upgrade can be phased so that the riskiest or oldest parts go first:
- keep switches that are still supported and replace those past the vendor's end-of-support date
- add Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E access points on the switches that can power them, and upgrade the rest
- replace the firewall first if it can no longer run the security services or VPN capacity you need
- move management onto one platform, such as Catalyst Center, FortiManager management appliances, HPE Aruba Networking Central or HPE Mist, as each part is replaced
Each family page in the shop lists, where the vendor has published them, its end-of-sale dates and named replacements, which helps when you plan the order of work.
Choosing the hardware
We can install the hardware we supply from Cisco, Fortinet, HPE Networking and WatchGuard, and can recommend a range or a mix that suits your sites. Browse network switches, wireless access points, wireless controllers and business firewall appliances, or let us build the basket from the design.
Every order gets a personalised quote with the subscriptions and support each product needs, so the installation and the licensing are planned together.
After the installation
Once the network is running, we can make changes for you as you add people, devices or sites, and keep subscriptions and support renewals in line. If you want a managed service for your firewalls, with rules, firmware, VPNs and logging looked after for you, see managed firewall services (opens in a new tab) on our sister site mssp.org.uk.
How we can help with your network
Forever Systems can design, supply, stage, install and configure the network around the hardware you buy here, as a project or one step at a time.
- Design: we look at your sites, users and existing kit and size the switches, wireless and firewalls to fit
- Supply: every order gets a personalised quote by part number, with the subscriptions and support each product needs
- Stage: we can pre-configure and label equipment before it reaches site
- Install: we can rack and mount switches, access points and firewalls on site
- Configure: VLANs, wireless, firewall policy, VPNs and management platforms set up and documented at handover
Scope is confirmed at quote, so you only pay for the parts of the project you need.
Frequently asked questions
Do you install the hardware you sell?
Yes. We can design, supply, stage, install and configure the switches, access points and firewalls you buy from us, with the scope confirmed at quote.
Can you work with our existing network?
Yes. We can review what you have, keep the parts that are still supported and plan replacements for the rest, so the upgrade happens in stages.
Do you pre-configure equipment before it reaches site?
We can. Staging means switches, firewalls and access points arrive updated, configured and labelled, which shortens the time on site.
Do I need a wireless survey?
Not always. Open-plan offices with a known layout can often be designed from a floor plan; buildings with thick walls, several floors, warehouses or outdoor areas usually benefit from one. We advise during the discovery call.
What documentation do we get?
A record of the configuration, IP and VLAN plan, device list and management access, so your team or any future supplier can run the network.
Ready to order?
Build your basket and check out when you are ready.