Network Design & Consulting

Network Design and Consulting in Chicago

Independent network design for Chicago businesses planning a move, a buildout or an upgrade. We scope the cabling, the hardware and the rack layout before anyone pulls a single cable, so the install goes in once and goes in right.

Get a Free Estimate Call (312) 818-3517

17+ Years Experience
Locally Owned
5.0 Google Rated
Serving Chicagoland

Design before procurement, not after

Most network problems on a commercial site are decided months before anyone notices them. A drop count set too low, an IDF placed past the 90 meter limit, a riser with no spare capacity, a switch specified for today rather than the next five years. By the time the symptoms appear the walls are closed and the cost of fixing it has multiplied.

A design engagement puts that decision-making at the front. We walk the space, review what is already in place, map where people and equipment will actually sit, and produce a scope you can build from or hand to other contractors for pricing. The deliverable is yours either way.

This is the right starting point if you are fitting out a new space, taking on a floor you have not occupied before, consolidating sites, or inheriting a building where nobody can tell you what is behind the walls.

What a design engagement covers

Delivered as drawings and documents you own, whether or not we do the install.

Site walk and existing-system review
Drop count and cable pathway plan
MDF and IDF room layout
Hardware and bandwidth specification
Budget-grade cost model
Documented scope you can put out to bid

What we design

Each element is specified to a standard you can hold a contractor to, not left as a general recommendation.

Structured cabling plan

Horizontal and backbone runs, drop counts per area, pathway routing, and the cable grade each run needs.

MDF and IDF placement

Room locations chosen against distance limits, power, cooling and future expansion rather than whatever space was left over.

Rack elevations

Front and rear layouts showing switches, patch panels, UPS and cable management, with port counts worked out in advance.

Wireless coverage plan

Access point placement and density based on the building, the materials and how the space is actually used.

Network hardware spec

Switching, routing and PoE budget specified to the load, with headroom stated rather than assumed.

Low voltage coordination

How cabling, cameras, access control, paging and displays share pathways and power without fighting each other.

How the engagement runs

Discovery call

We establish the sites, the timeline, the trades already appointed and what decisions are still open.

Site walk

We survey the space, check existing infrastructure, measure runs and photograph what matters.

Draft design

You receive drop counts, room layouts, rack elevations and a hardware schedule to review.

Review and revise

We work through your comments and the input of your GC, architect or IT provider.

Final package

You get the issued scope, drawings and budget model, ready to build from or send out to bid.

Who this is for

Tenant fit-outs

A new floor or suite where the cabling scope has to be set before the build schedule locks.

Office relocations

Moving between buildings, where the new site needs to match or improve on what you had.

Multi-site businesses

Standardizing how every location is built so support and expansion stay predictable.

Buildings with no records

Sites where the existing cabling was never documented and nobody will warranty what is there.

Capacity upgrades

Adding headcount, equipment or bandwidth to a network that was sized for a smaller operation.

Second-opinion reviews

An existing quote or design you want checked before you commit budget to it.

Frequently asked questions

Do we have to use you for the installation?

No. The design package is written so any competent contractor can price and build from it. Plenty of clients use it to run a fair comparison between bids.

How long does a design take?

It depends on the size of the site and how much existing infrastructure has to be assessed. We give you a timeline after the discovery call, before any work starts.

Can you work alongside our GC and architect?

Yes. On fit-outs the cabling scope has to land inside the wider construction schedule, so coordinating with the other trades is part of the job.

What if the building has no existing documentation?

That is common. Part of the site walk is establishing what is actually there, which is usually the first useful record the building has had.

Do you cover the suburbs as well as the city?

Yes. We work across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, including Naperville, Schaumburg, Aurora, Evanston, Skokie, Niles and Oak Brook.

Planning a buildout, move or upgrade?

Tell us what you are working on and we will come back with a clear scope for the design work, including what you receive and what it covers.