Prepare my site brief: worksheet and printable PDF
01
Three separate questions: Internet, local network, Wi-Fi.
A slow application does not automatically implicate the access point. Record where the service runs, how the terminal reaches it and when the problem occurs. Separate the provider connection, internal links and wireless access: each needs its own assessment.
For Wi-Fi, describe spaces and concurrent users, not just floor area. A quiet reception, a full meeting room and a stockroom with mobile terminals pose different questions. The survey should examine materials, obstacles, interference and use; a marketing coverage map cannot replace it.
02
Trace a terminal to its service.
Draw devices, their links and the owner of each element. This logical diagram prepares an enquiry; it prescribes neither configuration nor security rules.
01 · Access and routing
Identify the provider gateway, router and connection. State who administers them and which local and external services are essential.
02 · Distribution
Count access ports and uplinks. Record speed, management and per-port power; socket count alone does not establish the PoE budget.
03 · Transport
Map each port to an identified outlet or fibre link. Include patch leads, modules and panels in the equipment list and tests.
04 · User access
Assign access points, workstations, cameras and phones to their uses. Define staff, guest and technical-device groups, then validate permitted communication.
05 · Operation
Plan named accounts, configuration backups, documentation and an operational contact. Identify potential licences without assuming inclusion.
03
Decisions that actually change equipment selection.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all three columns.
| Decision | Define | Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Ports and growth | Endpoints, uplinks, named reserves and interfaces. | Ports usable simultaneously, speed and any shared ports. |
| PoE power | Reference and maximum requirement of every powered endpoint. | Standard, per-port limit, total budget and documented conditions; average power is insufficient. |
| Coverage and capacity | Plan, user density and concurrent applications. | Wireless survey and tests with the actual client devices. |
| Separation of uses | Who needs which services, and who must not access them? | Compatible management functions along the whole path, configuration and a denied-access test. |
| Administration | Local or remote management, owners and handed-over access. | Internet, controller, account or subscription dependencies for the exact references. |
04
Worked example: keep ports and watts separate.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Fictional case with no product reference: eight wired workstations, three access points, four cameras, one recorder and one router uplink. The access-point count is not a coverage prescription.
List connections
8 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 1 = 17 occupied ports. With 3 ports reserved for identified additions, the brief plans 20 ports. Check types and uplinks before choosing a model; an advertised port count may include shared uses.
Isolate PoE loads
Only the 7 relevant endpoints enter this PoE calculation. Teaching assumptions: 15 W per access point and 12 W per camera, giving 3 × 15 + 4 × 12 = 93 W at the devices. Spare ports do not consume fictional power.
Validate selection
Do not automatically look for a ‘93 W’ switch. Check deliverable power, losses, per-port limits, PoE modes and the chosen headroom against exact data sheets. Include assumptions and a concurrent-use test in the quotation brief.
These values explain a method, not catalogue specifications. They establish no throughput, wireless design or final PoE budget.
05
Six inputs for an actionable enquiry.
Where and when?
Plans, floors, known materials, service areas and peak occupancy. Identify outdoor areas and difficult access.
Which concurrent uses?
Meetings, files, tills, cameras and guests, with expected endpoint counts. State the outcome to test rather than an arbitrary speed.
What already exists?
Inventory devices, provider interfaces, labelled cables and available test reports. Do not include passwords.
Who communicates with whom?
A simple staff/guest/device-to-service matrix. Name the owner who approves access policy.
What power and growth?
Documented maximum PoE needs, services to back up and named additions. Separate spare ports, power headroom and runtime.
Which handover deliverables?
Final plan, port assignments, test results, administrator access and backups under agreed permissions. Include a guest test and business-service tests.
06
What an equipment list cannot guarantee.
Matching brands do not prove that requested functions work together. Ask for selected references, versions and dependencies, then observable acceptance criteria. Inovexia distributes equipment and receives quotation enquiries; design, configuration and installation validation need an explicitly identified owner.
07
Questions to resolve before an offline purchase.
Do more access points always improve Wi-Fi?
No. Placement, radio environment, capacity and each access point’s uplink need checking. Measure the problem and define the required outcome before adding equipment.
Is a guest network just another Wi-Fi name?
No. A name does not prove isolation. Define guest reachability, then test denied access to internal resources using the IT owner’s approved configuration.
Can every PoE port power any device?
No. Check compatible mode, per-port limit and available total budget under planned conditions. An identical connector is not proof of power compatibility.
Can the existing provider gateway stay?
Possibly. Record its functions, interfaces, administration restrictions and provider constraints. The decision depends on services and architecture, not simply its age.
How do we know the delivered network meets the brief?
Agree concrete tests: concurrent uses in named areas, permitted and denied access, labelling, accounts and documentation handover. A lit indicator or one speed test does not cover the entire brief.
Technical sources
External reading references. These documents explain principles; they do not certify catalogue products or their combination.
- PoE Availability and ModesUbiquiti · Sources consulted on
- Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution GuideCisco · Sources consulted on