Office Network Relocation
Network cutover, planned around production.
IronSights manages office network relocation for businesses that cannot afford an uncontrolled cutover. Switching, firewall, VLAN, Wi-Fi and internet handover run as a single coordinated workstream.
A network cutover on move night is not just a cable pull. The ISP circuit has to be provisioned before the date. The firewall policy has to account for the new site addressing — rules that reference the old gateway will not work. VLANs have to be recreated on the new switches, not assumed to carry over. DNS has to propagate before users arrive Monday morning. We plan all of it before the weekend.
Our process
Four stages, no surprises on cutover night.
Network cutovers fail when configuration is built on the night. We build it weeks before and test it at bench so execution is fast and rollback is ready if anything goes wrong.
The cutover window is where we execute the plan, not discover it.
Audit
Switching architecture, structure, firewall policy, routing, DNS and ISP circuit details documented before any design work begins.
Design
New-site network design produced, reviewed and signed off. ISP circuit ordered with lead times confirmed so the provisioning date is locked into the move schedule.
Stage
Firewall and switching configuration pre-built and bench-tested before the cutover window. New-site equipment staged and cabled ahead of move weekend.
Cut over
Controlled migration during the agreed maintenance window with rollback ready. Connectivity, DNS, firewall policy and remote access tested before the window closes.
Scope
Network workstreams covered in the engagement.
Every layer of the network addressed as a single workstream, not handed between separate vendors.
Switching architecture
Core, distribution and access layer switching reconfigured for the new site. assignments, trunk ports and spanning-tree reviewed before any cable is touched.
Firewall cutover
Firewall policy reviewed and updated for the new ISP circuit, new address range and new routing table. Tested at bench before the cutover window opens.
VLAN and segmentation
structure replicated at the new site. Network segmentation reviewed against the current security baseline so no segment boundaries are quietly lost in the move.
Wi-Fi infrastructure
Access point placement reviewed against the new floor plan. Existing APs relocated or a new deployment sized for the coverage and roaming requirements of the building.
Internet handover
ISP circuit provisioned at the new site before move weekend. Old circuit held live until the new one is confirmed working, then released.
DNS and DHCP
Internal DNS and DHCP scopes updated for the new site subnet. External DNS TTLs reduced days before the cutover so propagation is fast when the IP changes.
Remote access continuity
VPN, split tunnelling and remote desktop configurations tested against the new ISP circuit before remote workers need them on Monday.
Post-cutover validation
Every segment, DNS path, firewall policy rule and remote access route tested before sign-off. Results documented in the handover pack.
Preparation is what keeps the window short
A network cutover that discovers problems on the night was not prepared properly. Every hour spent diagnosing a missed dependency in the cutover window is an hour of downtime. We do that discovery work weeks in advance.
Firewall configuration, switching setup and ISP handover are built, bench-tested and staged before move weekend. The cutover window is spent executing against a tested runsheet.
- ISP circuit ordered with adequate lead time before the move date
- Firewall rules updated for new subnet and routing before the window
- New-site switching and access configuration staged and bench-tested
- Rollback procedure defined and tested before the cutover begins
What derails a network cutover
The failure modes we plan against before the window opens.
- ISP circuit not provisioned in time for the move weekend
- Firewall rules broken by new IP addressing at the destination
- VLAN structure not recreated, segments lost in the move
- DNS TTLs not reduced, users still pointing at the old site
- VPN broken for remote workers after the ISP cutover
- Network outage running past the maintenance window
What good looks like
Network ready, connectivity confirmed.
Every segment confirmed before the maintenance window closes.
We do not hand over a network and leave testing to Monday morning. Every path is confirmed working before we sign off.
Minimal outage window
Pre-staged configuration and bench-tested firewall rules reduce the live cutover to the shortest practical window. No configuration discovery on the night.
Full connectivity on day one
All segments, and remote access paths confirmed working before the maintenance window closes. Staff arrive Monday to a working network.
Security posture maintained
Firewall policy reviewed at cutover. Segmentation preserved. No temporary rule relaxations left open after the move.
Documented configuration
Post-move network diagram, register, firewall policy summary and test results provided as part of the sign-off pack.
Network relocation process
From topology audit to post-cutover sign-off.
Network audit and topology map
Document existing switching, routing, , firewall and ISP configuration. Confirm circuit lead times with the carrier before the move date is locked.
New-site design and ISP order
Design the new-site network, place the ISP order and confirm provisioning date relative to the move schedule. Design reviewed and signed off before build begins.
Configuration build and staging
Switching and firewall configuration built, bench-tested and staged before move weekend. Equipment pre-positioned at the new site.
Cutover and handover
Controlled migration during the agreed maintenance window. Old circuit held until connectivity is confirmed on the new one.
Post-move validation and sign-off
Every , DNS path, security policy and remote access route tested. Configuration documented in the sign-off pack.
Common questions
Questions about network cutovers.
Not answered here? Email hello@ironsights.com.au or book a planning call.
How do you manage the internet outage during a network cutover?
The ISP circuit is ordered early so provisioning is confirmed before the move date. Firewall and switching configuration is built and tested at bench before cutover night. DNS TTLs are reduced in the days prior so any IP changes propagate quickly. The old circuit stays live until the new one is confirmed working. Most cutovers complete with an outage measured in minutes, not hours.
What if the ISP circuit is not ready in time?
ISP provisioning delays are one of the most common causes of network cutover failures. We order circuits early in the planning phase, confirm provisioning dates with the carrier before they are locked into the relocation schedule, and build contingency into the timeline. If a delay looks likely, we have escalation paths with most major Australian carriers.
Do you manage the firewall as part of the network relocation?
Yes. Firewall policy review and update is part of every network cutover. The policy is assessed for dependencies on the old site addressing, the old ISP prefix and any location-based rules, then updated and tested before the cutover window opens. We work with most enterprise firewall platforms.
How do you handle VLAN structure during the move?
We document the existing architecture before planning and replicate it at the new site. Where the move is an opportunity to clean up accumulated VLAN sprawl or improve segmentation, we can do that as part of the engagement, but it is scoped separately from the relocation so it does not add risk to move weekend.
Can you also handle Wi-Fi as part of the network relocation?
Yes. Wi-Fi design and access point relocation is part of the network workstream. We assess coverage requirements for the new floor plan, relocate existing APs or size a new deployment, and test roaming and throughput before sign-off. See our dedicated Wi-Fi relocation page for more detail.
How does the network cutover interact with the Microsoft 365 environment?
Several configurations are tied to physical network details: trusted locations and named IPs, Teams direct routing, and compliance policy for managed devices. We update those configurations as part of the network cutover so users can sign in and devices stay compliant from day one at the new site.
Related services
Services connected to the network workstream.
Secure IT Office Relocation
The full relocation engagement with network as one workstream alongside infrastructure, endpoints and physical security.
Learn more→Business Internet Cutover
ISP carrier coordination, circuit handover and internet migration managed to minimise the outage window during the move.
Learn more→Office Wi-Fi Relocation
Access point relocation, coverage design and roaming configuration for the new building.
Learn more→Microsoft 365 Relocation
, named IPs and Teams configuration updated to match the new network environment.
Learn more→UniFi Relocation
UniFi switching, Wi-Fi and security product relocation and recommissioning.
Learn more→Fortify Managed Security
Ongoing network monitoring and threat detection once the new environment is live.
Learn more→Plan the network cutover
Start with a network audit conversation.
Tell us about the current network, the new site and the move timeline. We will come back with a cutover plan and fixed-scope proposal.