Business WiFi Tips: How to Fix Slow and Patchy Office WiFi
A plain English guide to better office WiFi, covering where to put access points, which frequency bands to use, what WiFi 6, 6E and 7 actually change, and when a cable is the better answer.
Why IT projects go wrong, and how we avoid it
Most IT projects that fail do so for simple reasons. Nobody checked how long the broadband order would take. The old server held a database that someone forgot about. Staff were not told their email would look different on Monday. None of these are technical problems; they are planning problems.
Our approach is to spend time at the start understanding what you have, what you need and what could go wrong. We list every system involved, every supplier who needs to be contacted and every person who needs to know what is happening. Then we agree a plan with you in writing, including a fallback if something does not go as expected.
Office moves and new office fit outs
An office move touches almost every part of your IT. Broadband and leased lines can take weeks to install at a new address, so they need ordering early. Cabling and network cabinets should be in before the desks arrive. Phones need to ring at the new site on the first morning. Printers, WiFi and door access all need to work.
We coordinate all of it. We can survey the new building, design and install the data cabling and WiFi, arrange business broadband through our sister brand Cyber Fibre, move your phone system and then disconnect, move and reconnect your equipment, usually over a weekend or evening so your team loses as little working time as possible.
Server and Microsoft 365 migrations
Many small businesses still have a server in a cupboard holding shared files, an old email system or a line of business application. When that server is ageing, there are several options: replace it, move it to a hosted server in the cloud, or move its jobs into Microsoft 365 and retire it.
There is no single right answer. It depends on the software you run, how your team works and your budget. We will explain the options plainly, recommend the one that fits and then carry out the migration carefully. Data is copied and checked before anything is switched off, permissions are set up properly and your team is shown where everything now lives.
For email migrations from Google Workspace, another email host or an on premises Exchange server, we plan the cutover so mail keeps flowing, move existing mailboxes and calendars across and set up phones and laptops so staff can carry on as normal.
IT roadmaps and technology advice
An IT roadmap is a simple written plan that looks one to three years ahead. It lists what you have, how old it is, what will need replacing and when, and which improvements would help your business most. Most importantly, it gives you a realistic budget so IT spending is planned rather than a series of surprises.
We also give straightforward advice when you are weighing up a decision: whether to buy new laptops or extend the life of existing ones, whether a piece of software is worth it, or whether you need a server at all. Sometimes the honest answer is that you do not need to spend anything, and we will tell you that.
Co managed IT for businesses with an in house IT person
If you already employ someone to look after IT, they are probably stretched. One person cannot be an expert in everything, cannot be available every day of the year and often ends up firefighting rather than improving things.
Co managed IT means we work alongside them. That might be taking on the day to day helpdesk so they can focus on projects, providing security tools and monitoring, covering holidays and sickness, or bringing in specialist skills for a particular job. Your IT person stays in charge; we are an extra pair of hands and a second opinion when they need one.
Why use a local team for IT projects
Projects usually need people on site. Our engineers are based in Sunderland and work across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside, so we can survey your premises, be there on the night of the switchover and come back the next morning to check everything is working. You deal with the same people from the first conversation to the final handover.
If you have a project coming up, or you are not sure what you need yet, get in touch or call 0191 543 3432 and we will talk it through with you.