Network case study · October 2026
Migrating an Office Network Without Travelling
The Turkey office ran four separately managed systems from 2018, all out of support. I replaced them with the regional Fortinet design from Nepal, guiding an on-site colleague who had never handled network equipment through every physical step on a video call.
Out-of-support equipment and no IT staff on site.
The office ran a router, a SonicWall firewall, two Cisco switches and a Cisco wireless controller with its access points, all bought in 2018. Hardware warranty had ended in November 2023 and firewall support in March 2024. The network was flat.
There are no IT staff in the office, and travelling was not part of the plan.
My hands on site belonged to someone else.
Configuration, network design and the order of work were ready before anything was unplugged.
An administrative colleague moved each cable while I watched on a video call.
Every move was checked on the firewall before the next one started.
The remote-access tool ran over the network being changed, so I worked in short steps, saved often and kept a Teams call open as a second channel.
The access points were mounted by installers arranged by the office.
From four systems to one console.
Before
After
The internet link was unchanged, and SD-WAN was set up so a second link can be added later.
Five days, start to finish.
| Date | Work |
|---|---|
| Mon 28 Sep | On site: access points mounted, firewall and switches racked, old equipment removed. Baseline speed test |
| Tue 29 – Wed 30 Sep | Remote configuration of switches, networks, addressing, SD-WAN and policies; cables moved port by port |
| Thu 1 Oct | Access point setup and Wi-Fi profile; internet service reviewed; speed tests; guest Wi-Fi QR sign shared |
| Fri 2 Oct | Final checks: all five access points online, policies reviewed, port table exported, configuration backed up |
What went wrong, and what I did about it.
The remote-access tool depended on the network being rebuilt.
Saved after every step, and kept a Teams call open so the work could continue when the session dropped.
The provider's router used the same address range as the firewall's default ports.
Changed the firewall's internal range, and added the check to the next office's plan.
Plan and router details were known only locally.
Gathered the details on a call and wrote them into the report.
The test was taken mid-setup on a mobile plan that limits upload.
Later tests matched what the plan allows.
Measured on the same office PC.
| Measure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 24.4 Mbps (1 test) | 71.8–93.9 Mbps (15 tests) |
| Upload | 8.0 Mbps | 8.8–16.8 Mbps |
What made remote delivery work.
Each step could be checked and undone before the next one started.
A second communication channel turned dropped sessions into short pauses.
A colleague with no networking background completed every physical step correctly.
The address clash became a checklist item for the next office.