Cabling is the part of your network you only want to pay for once. Switches, routers and Wi-Fi access points get replaced every five to seven years. The cable in your walls and ceilings is meant to last fifteen years or more. The problem is that most offices plan the cabling for the day they move in, not for the business they'll be in five years later.
This guide is how we plan an office network so it still works when you've doubled the headcount, added cameras or moved to Wi-Fi 7. It's also honest about where spending more doesn't pay off.
1. Start with how the business will change, not with the cable
Before anyone picks a cable type, answer four questions:
- How many people will work here in five years, not just next month?
- Will you add cameras, access control, a meeting room screen or phones?
- Is any of the work heavy on data: video, design files, backups to the cloud?
- How long is the lease? A two-year lease and a building you own call for different decisions.
The answers decide everything below. If nothing is likely to change, the cheaper option is often fine.
2. Outlets: add spares now, because adding them later costs more
The most common regret we see is too few outlets. Once the ceilings are closed and the desks are in, adding one outlet means a return visit, access through the ceiling and often after-hours work.
What we plan for:
- Two outlets per desk position, not one. Phones, docking stations and printers all want a port.
- Outlets for things that aren't desks: printers, TVs, the reception screen, the kitchen.
- Ceiling points for Wi-Fi access points and cameras, even if you only fit some of them now.
- A few spare runs coiled in the ceiling at sensible points, labelled, for the desk layout you haven't thought of yet.
Spare cable runs are cheap while the ceiling is open. They're the best value in this whole guide.
3. Cable choice: Cat6 or Cat6A?
For most small offices, good Cat6, installed and tested properly, is plenty. Cat6A is worth it when you want 10 Gb/s to desks or Wi-Fi access points over longer runs, when you're running high-power PoE to lots of devices, or when the building will be yours for a long time.
We've written a full comparison, so we won't repeat it here: see Cat6 vs Cat6A.
What matters more than the category on the box is the installation. Every run should be terminated properly, labelled at both ends and tested on a certified tester, with the results handed to you.
4. Plan the cabinet for growth
The comms cabinet is where offices run out of room first.
- Choose a cabinet with at least a third of its space empty on day one. It fills up faster than anyone expects.
- Leave room for a second switch, a UPS and the internet provider's equipment.
- Plan power: a dedicated circuit if you can, and a UPS sized for what you'll have, not just what you have now.
- Think about heat. A cabinet in a cupboard with no airflow will shorten the life of everything in it.
If you're choosing one now, our guide on how to choose a comms cabinet goes through sizes and options.
5. Fibre between floors and buildings
If your office spans more than one floor, or there's a second building or a warehouse, fibre between them is usually the right backbone. Copper data cable is limited to 100 metres per run. Fibre isn't limited in the same way and it isn't affected by electrical interference.
Two things make fibre future-proof:
- Run more cores than you need today. Spare cores cost little during the install and a lot to add later.
- Use single-mode where distances are long or the link will need to get faster over time.
6. Wi-Fi: plan the points, not just the access points
WiFi standards change every few years. Wi-Fi 6, 6E and now 7 have arrived in quick succession. You'll replace the access points; you shouldn't have to replace the cabling to them.
- Put a cabled point in the ceiling for every access point, plus a spare or two for later.
- Newer access points can use faster uplinks (2.5 Gb/s and up) and more PoE power. Cable and switches that support that save a re-cable later.
- Plan coverage around walls, glass and where people actually work, not around the floor plan alone.
- Wired backhaul beats wireless mesh for reliability in almost every office.
7. Power over Ethernet: budget for it
Cameras, access points, phones and access control readers can all run on PoE, powered from the switch. That's tidy and it means one UPS keeps them all running in a power cut. The catch is the switch's total power budget. Add up what everything will draw in five years, not just today, and leave headroom.
8. Documentation is part of the future-proofing
The network you can't understand is the one nobody will want to change. Insist on:
- Every outlet labelled, with the same label at the patch panel.
- A port map showing which outlet goes to which panel port and switch port.
- Test results for every cable.
- Photos of the cabinet when the job is finished.
That's what makes the next move, addition or fault quick instead of expensive.
Where spending more doesn't pay off
Not every upgrade is worth it. We'll tell you when the cheaper option is fine:
- A short lease and a stable team: good Cat6, sensible spare outlets and a tidy cabinet is enough.
- Cat7 and Cat8 for a normal office: not needed. They're designed for data centres and very short links.
- Top-of-the-range access points for a small office with a few users: a well-placed mid-range access point with wired backhaul usually beats a premium one in the wrong spot.
The aim is a network that won't need ripping out, not the most expensive one.
A simple checklist before you sign off a fit-out
- Two outlets per desk, plus printers, screens and kitchen.
- Ceiling points for Wi-Fi and cameras, with spares.
- Spare labelled runs in the ceiling.
- Cabinet with at least a third free, power and UPS planned.
- Fibre with spare cores between floors or buildings.
- Switches with enough PoE budget for five years.
- Labels, port map, test results and photos handed over.
Planning a move, a fit-out or an expansion? Book a free site survey and we'll walk the space with you, then give you a fixed written quote that shows what's needed now and what can wait.
Questions we get asked
How long does network cabling last?
Properly installed cable is designed to last well over a decade. The switches, routers and access points connected to it are usually replaced every five to seven years, which is why it pays to get the cabling right once.
Should a small office install Cat6A?
Not always. Good Cat6, installed and tested properly, suits most small offices. Cat6A is worth it for 10 Gb/s over longer runs, high-power PoE across many devices, or a building you'll keep for a long time.
How many network outlets should each desk have?
We plan two per desk position, plus outlets for printers, screens and shared spaces, and a few spare runs in the ceiling for future changes.
Is Wi-Fi enough, or do we still need cabling?
You still need cabling. Every Wi-Fi access point needs a cable back to the switch, and wired backhaul is more reliable than wireless mesh. Desks with docking stations and fixed devices like printers and cameras also work best on cable.
