01
Walk the site
We visit, measure runs, identify pathways, check power and confirm where the rack can live with adequate ventilation.
Business Networking
The part of your network you can actually see
Cabling is the layer everyone ignores until it causes an intermittent fault nobody can find. We design, install, label, test and document structured cabling and switching for offices, warehouses and multi-site businesses across the East Valley.
🛡 Certified Cable Testing⏱ Labeled Both Ends💰 Clean Rack Builds★ Documented Port Maps
Overview
Cheap cabling costs the most
We are called out regularly to chase a fault that turns up eventually as a cable run: an untested drop crimped badly, a run pulled alongside fluorescent ballasts, a patch cable stretched across a doorway, or a rack where nothing is labeled and every trace is a fifteen-minute job.
Structured cabling is boring and it is worth doing right, because it is the only part of your network with a twenty-year service life. Switches get replaced, access points get upgraded, firewalls get swapped. The cable in the wall stays. We install Cat6 as standard, Cat6A where ten-gigabit uplinks or long PoE runs justify it, and fiber for building-to-building links and distribution backbones.
How we run an install
Every drop is terminated to standard, tested with a certifying tester rather than a continuity beeper, and the results are recorded. Both ends are labeled with the same identifier, and that identifier appears in the port map we hand you. Runs stay clear of fluorescent fixtures and power conduit, respect bend radius, and are supported properly instead of resting on ceiling tiles.
Racks are built to be worked on. Patch panels above switches, horizontal management between, cable lengths matched to the run rather than a bundle of two-meter patches, and power distribution with UPS protection. A tidy rack is not vanity; it is the difference between a five-minute change and an hour of tracing.
Design decisions that matter later
PoE budget is the most commonly miscalculated element. A switch rated at 370 watts sounds generous until you connect twenty access points, a dozen cameras and a shelf of VoIP phones, and then a firmware update raises draw and ports start dropping. We calculate the budget against real device draw with headroom, and we account for what you plan to add in the next two years.
Segmentation is the other one. Cameras, badge readers, guest Wi-Fi, payment terminals, phones and workstations belong on separate VLANs with explicit rules between them. Retrofitting segmentation into a flat network later is disruptive and expensive, whereas designing it in at install time costs nothing extra. Ongoing management of that design is covered on our network administration page.
Warehouses, shops and industrial spaces in Gilbert, Mesa and Chandler bring their own constraints: long runs approaching distance limits, metal racking that blocks signal, dust, heat in uncooled space, and the need for outdoor-rated or conduit-protected cable between buildings. We specify for the environment rather than reusing an office template, and for anything above roughly ninety meters we plan fiber and a remote switch instead of hoping copper holds.
Multi-site businesses get site-to-site VPN or dedicated connectivity with consistent VLAN numbering and addressing across locations, which makes troubleshooting dramatically faster. Wireless coverage is a separate discipline, see Wi-Fi design and installation. If you are moving premises, our office relocation service covers the whole sequence, and there is more at network.orcait.io.
Label both ends. Always.
An unlabeled network costs you money every single time something changes. It is the cheapest thing on the invoice and the item that saves the most hours over the life of the install.
What We Install
Six parts of a network build
From the cable in the wall to the policy that governs traffic across it.
Structured cabling
Cat6 and Cat6A drops terminated to standard, certified with a real tester, labeled at both ends and recorded in a port map you keep.
Racks and patching
Wall or floor racks with patch panels, horizontal management, correctly sized patch leads, UPS-protected power and room to grow.
Managed switching
Business-grade switches sized for port count, uplink speed and PoE budget, configured with VLANs and monitored continuously.
PoE infrastructure
Power budget calculated against real device draw with headroom for cameras, access points and phones you have not bought yet.
Firewall and VPN
Perimeter firewall with segmentation policy, site-to-site tunnels between offices and client VPN with MFA for remote staff.
Fiber and backbone
Building-to-building and long-distance runs where copper cannot reach, plus fiber uplinks between distribution points.
How It Works
From empty space to working network
02
Design and quote
Drop count, cable category, rack layout, switch and PoE sizing, VLAN plan and firewall requirements, priced as a fixed quote.
03
Install and certify
Runs pulled, terminated, tested with certification results recorded, labeled at both ends, rack built and dressed.
04
Configure and hand over
Switching, VLANs, firewall policy and monitoring configured, then documentation and port maps delivered to you.
Quotes are fixed, not hourly
You know the number before we drill. Genuine scope changes are agreed in writing, not discovered on the invoice.
Networking and cabling questions
Should we install Cat6 or Cat6A?
Cat6 handles gigabit everywhere and ten-gigabit over shorter distances, and it is the right default for most office drops. Cat6A is worth it for uplinks between switches, runs approaching distance limits, and high-power PoE devices where the extra shielding and heat handling matter.
How many network drops do we need per desk?
Two is the practical minimum: one for the computer and one spare for a phone, a second screen dock or the device nobody mentioned during planning. Adding a drop later costs several times what it costs during the initial pull, so extra drops at install are the cheapest capacity you will ever buy.
Can you work with our existing cabling?
Usually. We test what is there and tell you which runs certify, which are marginal and which should be replaced. Reusing good cable is sensible; reusing a run that fails certification just moves an intermittent fault into your new install.
Do you handle warehouses and industrial spaces?
Yes, and they need different specification: longer runs, conduit or outdoor-rated cable, dust and heat tolerance, and often fiber plus a remote switch where copper exceeds distance limits. Metal racking and high ceilings also change how wireless has to be designed alongside.
What is PoE and why does the budget matter?
Power over Ethernet delivers power to access points, cameras and phones over the same cable as data. Every switch has a total power budget, and exceeding it causes ports to shut down unpredictably. We calculate against real device draw with headroom for future additions, which is why budget sizing is part of the design rather than an afterthought.
How long does a typical office install take?
A twenty to thirty drop office is usually two to three days for cabling, rack build and termination, plus configuration time. Occupied spaces take longer because work has to happen around staff. We give a schedule with the quote and stick to it.
Do you connect multiple offices together?
Yes, usually with site-to-site VPN over business internet, or dedicated circuits where the budget and requirement justify it. We keep VLAN numbering and addressing consistent across sites, which makes troubleshooting far faster than treating each location as its own project.
Which areas do you cover for cabling work?
Cabling is hands-on, so it is limited to our onsite territory: Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Apache Junction and Maricopa. Design and configuration can be done remotely for clients elsewhere.
Get a fixed quote for your space
Drops, rack, switching, PoE and firewall, scoped from a site walk.
Talk to Your Pod
Planning a build-out, a move or a mess to untangle?
Send us a floor plan or just describe the space. We will scope drops, rack, switching and power, and give you a fixed quote before anyone drills anything.
(602) 677-0779Family owned in Gilbert, AZ since 2015 · onsite across the Phoenix metro · remote support nationwide · never outsourced
Same-day response
No long contracts
Flat, honest pricing
Five-star service
Get your free IT consultation
A few details and your pod gets right back to you, usually the same business day.