Moving Offices? Call Comcast Before You Call the Movers

The Internet Install Is the Long Pole

Most business owners plan an office move like this. Sign the lease, book the movers, pick out furniture, and then, about a week before moving day, call the internet company.

That last step is where it falls apart.

Getting business internet at a new address isn’t always quick. If the building already has service from your provider, you might get a tech out in a few days. If it doesn’t, or if they have to run new cable or fiber to your suite, you could be waiting weeks. That’s how you end up moving in right on schedule and running the whole business off a phone hotspot for two weeks.

So here’s the move plan, in the order it actually needs to happen.

60 to 90 Days Out: Before You Sign

Ask what internet the building already has. Comcast? AT&T fiber? Something else? Ask the landlord, then ask the neighbors. Then call the providers directly and give them the exact suite number. ‘Available in your area’ on a website doesn’t mean available in your unit.
Find out where the service comes in. Every building has a spot where the provider’s line enters. If that’s on the other side of the building from your suite, someone has to run cable to you. Figure out who pays for that before you sign.
Look at the wiring. Are there network jacks in the walls where the desks will go? Is there a closet or corner where your router, switch, and phone gear can live with some airflow? A closet with no ventilation will cook your equipment in a Florida August.
Think about a backup connection. If the building only has one provider, a cellular backup is worth a look. Now is the time to plan for it, not after the first outage.

30 to 60 Days Out: Order Everything

Order internet at the new place. Schedule the install for at least a week before moving day. You want time to test it, and time to fix it if the install goes sideways. Don’t cancel the old service yet.
Call your phone provider. If you’re on a VoIP system, your numbers usually move with you, but you still need to update the emergency address. That’s the address 911 sees when someone calls from a desk phone, so it has to be right. If you still have traditional phone lines, ask how to keep your numbers and how long it takes.
Plan the layout. Where does each desk go? Where does the printer go? Where do the Wi-Fi access points go? One router in a back closet won’t cover a long, narrow suite. Sketch it on paper with outlets and jacks marked.
Book a cabling contractor early if you need one. New network jacks in the walls means a low voltage contractor, and the good ones book up. Get it done before the furniture shows up.

The Week Before: Document Everything

This is the step everyone skips, and it’s the one that saves you on moving day.

Take photos of your network closet before anything gets unplugged. Every cable, every port, every blinking box. Your future self will thank you.
Label both ends of every cable that’s coming with you. Masking tape and a Sharpie work fine.
Get your logins in one place. Router admin, Wi-Fi name and password, firewall, phone system. Make sure they’re in your password manager, not taped to the side of the router.
Back up anything stored on a local computer or server. Moving trucks are rough on hard drives. Run a backup and confirm it actually finished.
Figure out what’s yours. That modem might belong to Comcast and need to go back. That switch in the ceiling might belong to the landlord. Sort it out now, not while the movers are standing there waiting.

Moving Weekend

Set up the network gear first. If the internet, router, and Wi-Fi are working before the desks arrive, everything else just plugs in.
Keep the Wi-Fi name and password the same. Every laptop and phone in the office reconnects on its own. Change it and you’ll spend Monday morning going desk to desk.
Test from every desk. Plug in, print something, make a phone call, open the shared files. Find the dead jack on Saturday, not when your best employee sits down Monday at 8 a.m.
Check the printer. Printers love to grab a new network address after a move and vanish from everyone’s computer. Plan to re-add it, or give it a fixed address so it stays put.

After the Move: The Stuff People Forget

Update your address everywhere. Google Business Profile, website footer, email signature, invoices, bank, vendors. Google can take a while to verify an address change, so start that one early.
Walk the old space one last time. Check shelves, closets, and under desks for anything with company data on it. An old computer or a box of files left behind is a problem waiting to happen.
Cancel the old internet last. Only after the new place has been running fine for a week or two. Return the provider’s equipment so you don’t get billed for it.
Change the door and alarm codes at the new place. The last tenant, the landlord’s contractors, and who knows who else might still know the old ones.

What This Means for You

An office move is one of the few times when all of your IT gets unplugged at once. Plan backwards from moving day, call the internet provider first, and take pictures before you touch a cable. Do that and your team walks in Monday and just starts working.

Planning a move somewhere between Delray Beach and West Palm Beach and want a second set of eyes on the plan? Reach out. Always happy to troubleshoot.