The desks arrive, everyone plugs in and the first customer calls—then you discover the phone service is still at the old address. An office move works better when technology is treated as a small project with named owners and a clear test plan.
Before you commit to the move date
Check the exact address and tenancy with your internet provider. Confirm service availability, the connection process and any appointment requirements. An existing connection box does not by itself confirm that your chosen service is active.
nbn’s business relocation guidance recommends starting relocation planning two to three months ahead. Ask your provider about lead times and number transfers early; avoid promising your team a connection date based only on the date the lease begins.
Find out where network equipment can be installed and who can authorise access to the building’s communications areas. Coordinate access with the landlord or building manager where needed.
Make an inventory of a normal working day
List everything required to take an enquiry, do the work and send an invoice. Include the less visible dependencies: a shared printer, a booking system, a scanner that emails documents or a phone handset powered by a network switch.
For each item, record its owner, connection needs and how you will test it. Keep configuration backups and access details securely available to the people doing the move. Label cables and take reference photos of your existing connections before dismantling equipment.
Plan the new layout around connections
Mark desks, meeting spaces, printers and access points on a floor plan. Check power and data outlets before deciding where furniture goes. A router placed wherever the internet cable happens to enter the building may not provide useful coverage across the office.
Allow for permanent cabling work by an appropriately registered cabler. Leave nbn-supplied equipment at the premises where it belongs, and check provider instructions for the equipment you are moving. nbn’s connection preparation page explains equipment and relocation considerations.
Prepare a fallback and a recovery route
Decide which tasks must continue if the new connection is delayed. That might mean selected staff working remotely or using an approved temporary connection. Test the option at the new location; do not assume mobile coverage, data allowance or access to business systems will be adequate.
Confirm backups before the move and identify who can restore important data. Our business backup checklist helps turn that into a practical recovery plan.
Test before the team starts work
- Confirm internet access from the desks and meeting areas that matter.
- Make incoming and outgoing phone calls.
- Send and receive email and open shared files.
- Print and scan using the actual staff workflow.
- Test relevant booking, payment or business applications with their provider’s approved test process.
- Record faults, a responsible person and the temporary workaround.
Keep the old service until the planned cutover and provider arrangements allow you to retire it safely. SouthlineIT can help Adelaide businesses with network planning, remote hands and IT troubleshooting during a move. A floor plan, equipment list and target date give that conversation a useful starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just take the nbn connection box with me?
nbn-supplied equipment generally belongs at the premises where it was installed. Confirm the equipment and move process with your provider, and distinguish that equipment from your own router.
Is a mobile hotspot an adequate office backup?
It may suit limited work, but test coverage, capacity, data limits and access to business systems first. It should be a deliberate fallback, not an untested assumption.
When should we organise internet for the new office?
Contact your provider as soon as you have a firm address and proposed move date. Installation and activation requirements vary, so obtain a specific plan rather than relying on a standard lead time.