Setting Up Internet for a New Office: The Complete Checklist

Opening a new office is already a complex project. Internet connectivity is one of the most common causes of delays — primarily because businesses underestimate lead times and don't plan far enough in advance. This checklist will keep you on track.

The Single Biggest Mistake: Starting Too Late

New fiber installs can take 30–90 days from order to activation. In some buildings, especially older ones requiring new fiber runs, it can take longer. If you're planning to open in 6 weeks and you haven't ordered internet yet, you're at risk. Start the connectivity process the moment you sign your lease — not the week before you move in.

Step 1: Confirm What's Actually Available in the Building

Before anything else, find out what carriers have infrastructure in or near your building. This is different from what's "available in your area." Relevant questions:

• Is there fiber in the building already? (Check with the landlord or building manager)
• Is the building on a carrier's lit building list?
• If not, what's the cost and time for a new fiber run?
• Is cable/coax available as a backup option?

Discover Communications can tell you exactly what's available at your address in minutes — that's the fastest way to start. See our business fiber service page for more.

Step 2: Choose the Right Circuit Type

• Shared fiber broadband: Best for small teams (<15 people), budget-sensitive situations, or as a secondary circuit
• Dedicated Internet Access (DIA): Best for businesses where reliability is critical — read more about DIA
• Cable broadband: Faster to provision (1–2 weeks vs. 30–90 days for fiber) — useful as a stopgap
• Fixed wireless: Good where fiber isn't available, installs in 5–10 business days

Step 3: Plan Your Hardware

Don't leave hardware to the last minute. You'll need:

• Router/firewall: What the carrier provides vs. what your IT team wants to manage
• Network switch(es): For wired connections to workstations and printers
• Wi-Fi access points: One AP per ~2,500 sq ft of open space, more for dense layouts
• VoIP phones or softphone licenses: If you're using internet-based phone service
• UPS (uninterruptible power supply): Keeps network gear running during short outages

Step 4: Plan for Redundancy

A single internet circuit is a single point of failure. For most businesses, a secondary LTE failover connection ($50–$80/month) is a cheap insurance policy. For businesses where downtime is expensive, dual-fiber from separate carriers is worth considering.

Step 5: Coordinate with Your IT Team Early

Your IT team needs to know the circuit type, IP address scheme, and handoff point (is the carrier delivering to the server room, the telecom closet, or a specific floor?) before they can configure anything. Surprises on install day cost time and money.

Step 6: Build in a Testing Window

Plan for at least one week between your internet activation date and your office opening date. Use that week to test speeds, configure your router, set up VoIP, and verify everything works before your team moves in.

The Full New Office Connectivity Timeline

• Day 0 (lease signed): Contact Discover Communications, identify available providers, get quotes
• Days 1–7: Select provider, sign contract, order service
• Days 7–14: Order hardware, coordinate building access with landlord
• Days 30–60: Circuit installation and activation
• Days 60–67: Hardware setup, configuration, testing
• Day 67+: Team moves in — connectivity is ready

Need help navigating the process? Reach out to Discover Communications — we've managed hundreds of new office connectivity deployments and can handle everything from provider selection to install coordination.