A quick note on who we are: we are Beijing Siwenlide, based in Shunyi, and we have spent 14 years delivering complete enterprise network packages, low-voltage and cabling projects, and IT operations. This article explains how to set up IT for a new office in chronological order, putting the decisions that must be made before renovation even starts at the very top.
The most common rework in a new office is not caused by spending too little money. It is caused by doing things in the wrong order: the walls are painted before anyone remembers the network cables were never pre-installed, the furniture is moved in before anyone notices that no space was reserved for the low-voltage room, and on the first day after moving in you discover the broadband line still needs another two weeks.
Along the timeline, eight things in total
| When | What to do | Why it has to happen at this point |
|---|---|---|
| When signing the lease | 1. Confirm which carrier lines the building has, whether a dedicated line can be installed, and where the low-voltage riser is | New buildings often do not have all their lines in place yet. Clarifying this before signing is far cheaper than finding a workaround afterwards |
| When the renovation drawings are issued | 2. Decide the data outlet points: how many network ports per workstation, and mark the printing area, meeting rooms, reception and camera locations | The outlet plan must be produced together with the renovation drawings. Adding points after the walls are closed up means exposed cabling or cutting new channels |
| When the renovation drawings are issued | 3. Reserve space for the low-voltage room or rack: ventilated, powered and lockable | The item most often forgotten. The result is equipment piled in a corner, overheating and rebooting in summer |
| Before renovation begins | 4. Apply for the line: two to four weeks in advance, or a month for a new building | The line is provided by the carrier; we handle line selection, the application and the coordination. No one can speed up this step, so you can only start early |
| During construction | 5. Structured cabling plus wireless coverage design: determine AP placement based on floor area, partition materials and headcount | Glass partitions and solid walls affect signals in completely different ways. Decide after visiting the site, not by guessing from the drawings |
| During construction | 6. Access control, surveillance and meeting rooms: plan them on the same drawing as the network | All of these need network cabling and power, so doing them together saves one round of channel cutting |
| Two weeks before move-in | 7. Network equipment: firewall or enterprise router, switches and wireless APs delivered and pre-configured | Configure the equipment in advance so it works as soon as it is plugged in after the move, without eating into opening time |
| Two weeks before move-in | 8. Servers, file storage and backup: decide where they go, who can access them and how backup works | Think it through before moving; it is far easier than sorting it out afterwards |
Four kinds of rework we have seen
- A row of workstations is added and there are not enough network ports. The outlets were calculated to match the headcount exactly, so when more workstations were added, people had to daisy-chain power strips and switches. We recommend leaving 20 to 30 percent spare capacity in each area.
- Only one network port was left in the meeting room. Screen casting, video conferencing and terminals each need one, so cables ended up running across the meeting room floor.
- Wireless was estimated as “two APs per floor”. In an office with many glass partitions, two are not enough; in a large open space, two are a waste. Decide after seeing the site.
- The broadband line was only found not to have been secured on moving day. Employees worked off phone hotspots and could not connect to the ERP system.
Who should do this work
IT for a new office usually involves three parties: the renovation contractor handles civil works and conduit installation, the low-voltage or network service provider handles outlet design, cabling, equipment and commissioning, and the carrier handles the line. Each party covers only its own segment, and things most often fall apart at the boundaries between them.
The smoother approach is to have one company own the whole process, from the outlet plan through to completed commissioning, and to coordinate conduit progress with the renovation contractor. We wrote a separate article on the four types of network service providers you can find in Beijing, so you can choose based on your own situation.
What we can do, and what is not a fit
- Outlet plan design and structured cabling: drawings, installation, labeling and testing, with a line reference table delivered.
- Wireless coverage: on-site survey to determine AP placement and models, with the signal measured in every area before handover.
- Network Equipment Package: firewalls, routers, switches and wireless APs provided and under warranty for the contract term, configured in advance before move-in.
- Access control, surveillance and meeting rooms: handled by the same team as the network.
- Line coordination: the internet line is provided by the carrier; we handle line selection, the application and follow-up on progress.
- IT operations after move-in: the same company keeps managing it, so there is no need to find someone else to hand over to.
- Renovation civil works, carpentry and fire protection: not our business; we coordinate with the renovation contractor.
- Low-voltage riser upgrades and building intelligence for an entire building: look for a system integrator.
- Campus networks for several hundred people or more: look for a large integrator.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Roughly how much does IT for a new office cost?
A: It comes in two parts. One-time projects (cabling, wireless, surveillance) are quoted per data point and camera location; for an office of a few dozen people this is typically in the tens of thousands of RMB. Ongoing IT operations and network equipment can go on our monthly plans, starting at RMB 3,999/month for 20 to 50 people, with equipment provided and under warranty for the contract term.(Reference as of September 2026 and not a quotation commitment; what each tier includes is listed on our website.)
Q: At what point, at the earliest, should we bring in a network provider?
A: Ideally during the viewing stage. At the very least, before the renovation drawings are issued, so that the outlet plan and the renovation drawings are decided together. That eliminates most of the rework later.
Q: Our renovation contractor says they can run the network cabling as well. Is that okay?
A: They can handle conduit and cabling runs, but outlet design, equipment selection, commissioning and ongoing maintenance are a different matter. You can have the renovation contractor do the installation, with the network service provider producing the drawings and signing off on acceptance.
Q: Can the equipment from our old office still be used?
A: Take inventory first. For switches and APs, look at age and port count; for firewalls, check whether vendor support is still available. Keep using what still works; we only fill the gaps.
Still renovating your new office?
Siwenlide has been delivering Network Equipment Packages and Low-Voltage & Cabling Projects for enterprises for 14 years. We can start with a free on-site visit and provide a point layout plan and an assessment of cabling feasibility. Call 400-686-2011.
Further reading:How to handle networking for an office move · Which enterprise office network providers are there in Beijing · How to choose a low-voltage engineering company in Beijing · How much does IT outsourcing cost per year for an SME
