Network Design & Engineering
Wi-Fi predictive site surveys, network architecture, capacity planning, and documentation packages. We don't just install gear — we design networks that work.
We're Engineers, Not Cable Pullers
Most West Texas shops will sell you a pile of access points and a box of Cat6. We design the network first — coverage, capacity, segmentation, security, redundancy, and documentation — then we implement it. That's the difference between a network that works and a network that just gets installed.
Engineering Disciplines
What We Design
Every network we deliver goes through the same engineering disciplines. Nothing is improvised on-site.
Wi-Fi Predictive Site Surveys
Ekahau Pro and iBwave Design predictive modeling built from your floor plans and wall materials. We calculate AP placement, channel plans, transmit power, and coverage heat maps before a single cable is pulled. That means no over-deploying APs to cover our guesses — you pay for the radios you actually need, not the ones we hoped would work.
Network Architecture
VLAN design, IP addressing schemes, routing topology, inter-VLAN ACLs, and QoS policies built for your actual traffic patterns and growth plans. We segment guest, corporate, IoT, voice, and camera traffic properly. We document the Layer 2 and Layer 3 boundaries so the next engineer knows exactly why each decision was made.
Capacity Planning
How many concurrent users, how much bandwidth per user, how much NVR storage, how many PoE watts on every switch, and what the network needs to handle in three years — not just today. We size uplinks, switch stacks, firewall throughput, and WAN circuits against a real capacity model, not a sales sheet.
Firewall & Security Architecture
Zone-based firewall policies, proper segmentation between guest, corporate, IoT, and camera VLANs, site-to-site and remote-access VPN design, 802.1X port authentication, WPA3-Enterprise, and intrusion prevention tuning. We write the policies based on your actual traffic flows — we don't just click "enable" on the default ruleset.
Redundancy & Failover Design
Dual WAN with policy-based failover, HSRP/VRRP gateway redundancy, stacked switches with MLAG and LACP uplinks, dual-PSU core gear, and UPS sizing calculated against real load — not just "whatever's on sale." For businesses where downtime costs more than the hardware.
Documentation Packages
As-built drawings, IP schemas, VLAN maps, port-by-port patch panel labels, rack elevations, cable test reports, and an encrypted password vault. The kind of documentation the next engineer — yours or ours — will actually thank you for. If it's not documented, it didn't happen.
Equipment Selection & BOM
Vendor-neutral recommendations based on your requirements, not our margin. Ubiquiti UniFi vs. Cisco Meraki vs. Ruckus vs. Juniper Mist vs. Fortinet vs. Palo Alto — we pick the right tool for the job and we'll tell you why. You get a line-item bill of materials with part numbers, SKUs, and pricing, so you can compare apples to apples.
On-Site Validation Surveys
Post-install Ekahau AP-on-a-stick and walking validation surveys with real signal-to-noise, RSSI, throughput, and roaming measurements. Every AP placement verified against the predictive model. Every copper drop certified with a Fluke Versiv DSX tester. Results documented and delivered — not just a thumbs-up and a handshake.
Our Process
From Floor Plan to Final Validation
Every project follows the same disciplined engineering workflow — the same way the big integrators do it, without the big-integrator overhead.
Discovery
We start with the floor plans, the building materials, the client count, the application mix, the uptime requirements, and the growth plan. We ask about voice, video, wireless handheld scanners, cameras, access control, guest traffic, PCI scope, and anything else that touches the network. No cookie-cutter designs — every project starts with questions.
Predictive Design
We build the network in Ekahau Pro (for wireless) and in diagramming tools (for wired, Layer 2/3, and security). You get a predictive heat map showing coverage, SNR, and capacity per AP before we order anything. You get a logical diagram showing every VLAN, every subnet, every firewall zone, and every uplink.
Bill of Materials & Proposal
You get a line-item BOM with part numbers, quantities, and pricing — no mystery "equipment" line items. We explain the trade-offs between platforms and tiers so you can make an informed decision. If you want to buy the gear yourself and just have us install and configure, we'll tell you.
Implementation
We pull cable, mount APs and cameras, rack and stack the core, and stage every switch, firewall, and controller on the bench before it touches your production network. Configs are version-controlled. Every change is logged. Every cable is labeled on both ends.
Validation & Documentation
After install, we run an Ekahau validation survey with real RF measurements, certify every copper run with a Fluke DSX, load-test the uplinks, and verify every firewall rule matches the design. Then we deliver the documentation package — as-builts, IP schemas, VLAN maps, credentials, and a walkthrough with your IT team.
Professional Tooling
Tools We Use
These are the same tools used by Fortune 500 network teams and national integrators. We invest in them because the quality of the design depends on them.
An Ekahau Pro license alone runs about $4,000/year. A Fluke Versiv DSX cable certifier is a $15,000+ piece of test equipment. We own them because they're the difference between guessing and knowing. If your current installer doesn't own any of these, ask why.
The Difference
Why This Matters
There's a gap between “installed” and “engineered.” This is what it looks like.
The Typical Approach
Most installers slap APs on the ceiling every 30 feet until the Wi-Fi "works."
How We Do It
We design to a coverage and capacity spec in Ekahau first — signal strength, SNR, client density, airtime utilization — then validate on-site after install with real RF measurements.
The Typical Approach
Most contractors hand you a network with no documentation and a sticky note taped to the router.
How We Do It
We deliver a binder and a digital package with every VLAN, every IP, every port, every credential, every cable test result, and every as-built drawing.
The Typical Approach
Most shops buy whatever gear is on sale and bill you for it.
How We Do It
We give you a vendor-neutral BOM with part numbers and pricing. You see exactly what you're paying for and why that model was selected.
The Typical Approach
Most "network guys" leave the firewall on default settings and call it done.
How We Do It
We write zone-based policies from your actual traffic flows, segment IoT and cameras off the corporate VLAN, deploy 802.1X and WPA3-Enterprise where it fits, and tune IPS signatures instead of leaving them on "monitor."
The Typical Approach
Most installers never think about what happens when the WAN goes down.
How We Do It
We design dual-WAN failover, HSRP/VRRP gateways, stacked switches with MLAG, and UPS runtime sized against real load — because downtime costs more than the redundancy.
Deliverables
What You Walk Away With
A network design project from us isn't a stack of boxes and a bill. It's a complete engineering package that stands up to scrutiny from your IT team, your auditors, and the next engineer who touches the system.
- Ekahau predictive heat maps (pre-install) and validation surveys (post-install)
- Logical network diagrams — VLANs, subnets, routing, firewall zones
- Physical diagrams — rack elevations, cable runs, AP and camera locations
- IP addressing schema and VLAN map
- Firewall policy documentation with rule-by-rule intent
- Fluke Versiv cable certification reports (every copper drop)
- Bill of materials with part numbers, SKUs, and pricing
- Encrypted password vault with all device credentials
- As-built drawings matching what actually got installed
- Handoff walkthrough with your IT team or internal staff
Who This Is For
When to Call Us
Not every job needs a full engineering package. But if any of these sound like you, stop talking to installers and start talking to engineers.
New Construction or Major Renovation
You're building out a new facility or gutting an existing one. Get the network designed before the drywall goes up — not after. Conduit, cable pathways, MDF/IDF placement, and power circuits all depend on the network design.
Multi-Building or Multi-Site Deployments
You have a main campus, an outbuilding, a remote office, or multiple locations that need to act as one network. Site-to-site VPN, SD-WAN, routing policy, and unified management all need proper engineering — not guesswork.
High-Density or High-Stakes Environments
Event venues, hotels, medical facilities, oil & gas field offices, data closets — anywhere Wi-Fi has to handle hundreds of clients or the network can't go down. Predictive design and capacity planning are mandatory, not optional.
Auditing or Replacing an Existing Mess
You inherited a network that nobody documented, nobody understands, and nobody wants to touch. We'll audit what's there, document it, and design the path forward.