How Do You Plan the IT for an Office Move? A Checklist for Omaha Businesses

Technology planning is an important part of an office move. Internet installation, cabling, phone systems and equipment setup can affect when employees are able to work from the new location. This checklist outlines the main steps for Omaha-area businesses. Not every business needs every step; the right plan depends on the building and your existing systems.

Office move IT timeline at a glance

When	Task	Owner
3+ months out	Order primary and backup internet; walk the space; review lease	Office lead, IT provider
2 months out	Cabling plan, Wi-Fi survey, phone and number porting, cameras and door access	IT provider, cabling contractor
1 month out	Inventory, replacement orders, backup test, address updates, staff plan	IT provider, office lead
Week of move	Install and test network, confirm phones, label equipment	IT provider
Moving day	Connect and test each desk, printer and phone	IT provider
Day after	On-site support, fix punch list, dispose of old equipment securely	IT provider

Three or more months out: internet and the building

• Order internet service right away. If a provider has to build fiber into the building, installation can take weeks or months. Ask about lead times in writing. Our business internet page explains the options.
• Consider a backup internet connection, such as cellular service or a connection from another provider. Ask whether the primary and backup services use different physical infrastructure, and configure and test automatic failover if you need connectivity to continue during an outage.
• Walk the new space with your IT provider. Note where people will sit, where printers and TVs go, and where the network equipment will live.
• Check the network closet. It needs adequate power, ventilation and physical security. Have an electrician determine whether a dedicated circuit or other electrical upgrades are needed for the planned equipment.
• Read the lease for who pays for cabling and whether existing cabling can be reused.

Two months out: cabling, Wi-Fi and phones

• Plan cabling. Count network jacks for each desk, printer, camera, access point and conference room. New cabling should be labeled and tested, with a report.
• Plan Wi-Fi coverage. Walls, glass and warehouse racks affect signal propagation. A predictive or on-site survey can help determine access point placement, coverage and capacity. Validate coverage in critical work areas after installation. See our network support services.
• Decide on phones. If you are moving to a cloud phone system, this is a good time. If you are keeping numbers, start the number transfer early, since porting takes time. The FCC explains your right to keep your number in its guide to porting. Our business phone systems page covers this.
• Plan security systems such as cameras and door access, which share cabling and network planning.

One month out: equipment and inventory

• Inventory everything you are moving: computers, monitors, printers, servers, firewalls and switches.
• Decide what to replace. Moving old equipment that is near the end of its life is often wasted effort. Order replacements early in case of shipping delays.
• Confirm that on-site servers and other critical systems have current backups, and test a restore before disconnecting equipment. Verify that backup copies are accessible independently of the equipment being moved.
• Update your business address wherever it is used, including your website, Google Business Profile, billing and licensing records, and relevant vendor accounts. Update domain registration contact details or Microsoft 365 organization information if applicable.
• Tell staff the plan, including what they need to pack and what IT will handle.

The week of the move

• Install and test the network in the new space before moving day: internet, firewall, switches and Wi-Fi.
• Confirm phones ring at the new location, including the main number and any call routing.
• Label every device and cable so equipment goes to the right desk.
• Shut down servers properly and move them carefully.

Moving day and the day after

• Connect and test each workstation, printer and phone.
• Walk through a simple checklist with each person: can they sign in, print, reach shared files and make a call?
• Have IT on-site the first morning for anything missed.
• Wipe or securely dispose of any equipment you are leaving behind.

Cabling: what to ask for

Network cabling outlives most of the equipment plugged into it, so it is worth doing right:

• Category 6 or 6A cable for new runs is a common choice for business offices. Ask your contractor what they recommend for your speeds and distances.
• Plan enough network jacks for each desk’s expected devices. Two jacks per desk can provide flexibility for a computer, a phone or another wired device, but the right number depends on the equipment and network design.
• Dedicated runs for Wi-Fi access points and cameras, often powered over the network cable (PoE), so they do not need outlets in the ceiling.
• Labels at both ends and a test report for every cable.
• Spare capacity in the closet and a few extra runs where you expect growth.

Wi-Fi: plan for how the space is used

Wi-Fi problems are among the most common complaints after a move. Plan for:

• Coverage in every area people work, including conference rooms and break rooms.
• Capacity in rooms where many people meet with laptops and phones at once.
• Separate guest Wi-Fi that cannot reach company systems.
• Business-grade access points that are centrally managed, rather than consumer routers.

Security during a move

Moves create security gaps that are easy to miss:

• Equipment sits unattended in hallways and trucks. Keep laptops with staff and move servers and network gear yourself or with a trusted mover.
• Wipe or destroy drives in anything you leave behind, including copiers and old phones. CISA’s guidance on cyber hygiene for small businesses is a good reference for the basics.
• Change Wi-Fi passwords and door codes in the new space, and do not reuse defaults from the landlord or previous tenant.
• Update firewall rules and remote access for the new internet connection, and remove the old connection from any allow lists.

A worked example

For example, a hypothetical 30-person Omaha company moving from a leased suite to a new building across town in four months might use this schedule:

1. Week 1: orders fiber from one provider and cable internet from another as a backup, after confirming both serve the building.
2. Week 3: walks the space with its IT provider and cabling contractor, and agrees on a network closet with its own circuit.
3. Week 6: starts porting its main number to a cloud phone system so phones can be tested in advance.
4. Week 10: cabling is installed and tested, and access points are mounted.
5. Week 14: firewall and switches are installed and internet is live. IT tests every jack.
6. Moving weekend: equipment is moved and connected. Monday morning, IT is on-site.

Ordering internet early reduces the risk of a delayed installation disrupting the move. Confirm the installation date with the provider and test the connection before moving day.

What to ask your IT provider

• Have you checked which internet providers serve the new building, and their lead times?
• Who is doing the cabling, and will we get a test report?
• Will you do a Wi-Fi site survey before access points are placed?
• How will phones and numbers be moved, and how long will porting take?
• What is the plan if internet is not ready on moving day?
• How will old equipment be wiped and disposed of?

Who should own the project

Pick one person inside the company to own the move and make decisions, and give your IT provider, the building manager and the internet and phone vendors that person’s contact details. Keep one shared list of tasks, owners and dates. Most delays on a move come from handoffs between vendors, such as the cabling contractor finishing after the internet provider arrives, so a single timeline that everyone can see prevents a lot of rework.

Plan for a short outage

Even a well-planned move can involve downtime. Choose a moving window that minimizes disruption to customers and staff, such as an evening or weekend when appropriate. Notify customers in advance if phones, email or other services may be affected. Forward the main phone number to a mobile phone during the switch, and make sure key staff can reach email and files from a laptop if the new network is not ready on time.

Moving-day checklist

Print this and check each item off as you go:

• ☐ Primary internet is live and tested; backup internet and failover are tested if configured
• ☐ Firewall, switches and Wi-Fi are on and tested
• ☐ Main phone number rings at the new office, and after-hours routing works
• ☐ Every workstation signs in and reaches email and shared files
• ☐ Printers and scanners work, including scan-to-email or scan-to-folder
• ☐ Conference room screens and video calls work
• ☐ Cameras record and door access works
• ☐ Server is up and the first backup at the new location succeeded
• ☐ Guest Wi-Fi is separate from the company network
• ☐ Address updated on the website, Google Business Profile and email signatures

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ordering internet too late
• Forgetting to confirm the connectivity and handoff requirements for alarm panels, card readers, elevator phones and other building systems with the relevant vendors or building manager
• Assuming old cabling in the new space works without testing it
• Not updating the business address everywhere it appears online

How Cambium Data helps with moves

Serving Omaha businesses since 2009, Cambium Data plans and runs office moves and network projects, from cabling and Wi-Fi to phones and internet. Learn more about our IT infrastructure projects, contact us, or call (402) 514-3200.

Sources

• FCC, Porting: Keeping Your Phone Number When You Change Providers
• CISA, Cyber Guidance for Small Businesses

Frequently asked questions

How early should we start planning IT for an office move?

Three months is a good minimum, mostly because of internet installation lead times. Larger moves or buildings that need new fiber may need more.

Can we keep our phone numbers when we move?

Often, yes, if the number is eligible for porting and the move meets applicable service-area and provider requirements. Confirm eligibility with the receiving provider before canceling the existing service, and allow time for the transfer. The FCC explains number-porting rules in its guide to keeping your phone number.

How long does business internet installation take?

Lead times vary by provider, building readiness and whether construction is needed to bring service into the building. There is no standard window, so ask each provider for a written estimate as early as possible.

Should we move our server or switch to the cloud?

A move is a good time to ask. If the server is aging, moving its workloads to cloud services can avoid moving and maintaining hardware.

TU

Tony Underwood

Founder, Cambium Data

Tony founded Cambium Data in 2009 and still leads the team. A Navy veteran with more than three decades in IT, he helps Omaha businesses run secure, dependable technology and put AI to practical use.

LinkedInsite.tonyunderwood.us