The Writer, London: seven-floor network infrastructure upgrade
Seven ACCL engineering teams upgraded seven communications cabinets across seven floors during one carefully planned out-of-hours weekend migration.
The Writer, London: seven-floor network infrastructure upgrade
Seven engineering teams, seven communications cabinets and one carefully controlled out-of-hours migration.
The Writer, a London-based language and communications consultancy, needed to upgrade its IP infrastructure across seven floors to support unified communications and future growth. ACCL planned and delivered the migration with seven engineering teams working simultaneously out of hours, retaining and reconfiguring all seven existing communications cabinets rather than replacing them.
The result
ACCL converted a potentially high-risk seven-floor migration into a controlled engineering programme. The completed project provided The Writer with:
- All seven floors upgraded in one coordinated programme
- New fibre optic backbone links installed where required
- Right-angle power leads restored clearance for cabinet doors
- Network ready when staff returned after the weekend
- Existing communications cabinets retained and reconfigured
- Serviceable structured cabling tested and retained
- Colour-coded, pre-agreed patching strategy across all cabinets
- Bespoke front-and-rear mounting solved the PoE switch depth issue
Services delivered
Overview
The Writer is a London-based language and communications consultancy working with major organisations around the world to help them communicate more effectively. In 2016, as the organisation continued to grow, The Writer needed to upgrade its existing IP infrastructure to provide a more robust and scalable platform capable of supporting unified communications, improved collaboration and future expansion.
The challenge was not simply installing new network equipment. The existing infrastructure extended across seven floors, with a communications cabinet serving each floor, and the entire upgrade needed to be completed outside normal office hours, with the network ready for staff when they returned to work. ACCL was appointed to plan and deliver the infrastructure works required to support the migration.
The challenge: seven floors, one coordinated migration
The project involved upgrading the communications infrastructure across seven floors while retaining the existing communications cabinets. ACCL’s scope included:
- Removal of redundant equipment
- Reorganisation and repositioning of existing patch panels
- Testing of the existing structured cabling
- Installation of new fibre optic backbone links
- Installation support for the new IP switches
- Repatching of network services
- Reorganisation of each communications cabinet
- Production of cabinet layouts and patching records
The most significant challenge was the programme. All seven floors needed to be upgraded during out-of-hours weekend working, creating what effectively became a “Big Bang” network migration. Seven ACCL engineering teams would therefore need to work simultaneously, with each team responsible for a separate floor and communications cabinet. There was very little tolerance for error: a problem within a single cabinet could potentially prevent users on that floor from accessing network services when the office reopened.
Planning before installation
ACCL recognised that the success of the project would depend as much on preparation as installation. Before the migration weekend, each communications cabinet was surveyed and documented. Detailed CAD drawings showed the proposed positions of passive and active network equipment, allowing the engineering team to build the cabinets on paper before attempting the physical migration.
This process identified potential problems early, when there was still time to engineer practical solutions rather than improvise during the restricted weekend window.
Solving the existing cabinet problem
The client wanted to retain the existing communications cabinets to control project cost and programme. During planning, ACCL identified that the new Power over Ethernet switches were too deep to be correctly secured using the existing mounting arrangement. ACCL therefore developed a bespoke support system that secured each switch at both the front and rear.
Conventional power leads also prevented the cabinet doors from closing correctly. Right-angle power leads restored the required clearance, allowing the new equipment to fit safely within the existing cabinet footprint. Identifying both issues before the migration weekend helped protect the delivery programme and avoided replacing seven serviceable cabinets.
Project context
Live seven-floor consultancy office · London
Explore ACCL’s commercial network infrastructure services →Planning a multi-floor network migration like The Writer’s?
ACCL surveyed, tested and pre-planned seven communications cabinets before a single out-of-hours weekend migration. Talk to us about coordinating a similar project.
Creating a patching strategy
With seven engineering teams working simultaneously, patching also needed to be carefully controlled. ACCL produced a detailed patching record for each cabinet before work started. Working with the client, different patch-lead colours were selected to make individual network services easier to identify, and correct patch-lead lengths were also determined in advance.
This provided two benefits. Firstly, engineers did not have to determine individual connections during the migration itself, significantly speeding up the installation. Secondly, the completed cabinets were left with a much clearer and more manageable patching arrangement, making future network maintenance and fault finding easier.
Testing the existing infrastructure
Rather than automatically replacing the existing structured cabling, ACCL tested the installed network infrastructure to establish which elements remained suitable for continued use. This approach allowed the client to retain serviceable infrastructure while concentrating investment on the elements that genuinely required upgrading.
New fibre optic backbone connections were installed where required to support the upgraded network architecture and provide reliable high-speed connectivity between the communications infrastructure serving the seven floors.
The “Big Bang” weekend
Once the cabinet drawings, equipment layouts and patching schedules had been completed, seven ACCL engineering teams were deployed simultaneously, effectively creating one upgrade team for each floor.
Working outside normal office hours, the teams removed redundant equipment, repositioned patch panels, installed the new equipment, completed the required fibre works and repatched the network to the agreed schedules. Because the decision-making had been completed before engineers arrived, each team could follow a defined installation plan throughout the coordinated change.
Technologies used
ACCL’s role
This project demonstrates why network infrastructure upgrades cannot always be treated simply as cabling installations. ACCL provided The Writer with a complete infrastructure upgrade service, including:
- Removal of redundant equipment
- Out-of-hours and weekend working
- Repatching of network services
- Right-angle power lead installation
- Testing of the existing structured cabling
- Bespoke PoE switch mounting solution
- Production of CAD cabinet layout drawings
- Installation support for the new IP switches
- Installation of new fibre optic backbone links
- Infrastructure auditing across all seven floors
- Reorganisation and repositioning of patch panels
- Survey and documentation of each communications cabinet
- Coordination of seven simultaneous engineering teams
- Production of detailed, colour-coded patching schedules
Infrastructure upgrades without unnecessary disruption
The coordinated approach allowed The Writer to modernise its network infrastructure across all seven floors while continuing to make use of the existing communications cabinets. The project delivered a cleaner and better documented infrastructure, upgraded fibre connectivity and a network platform capable of supporting the organisation’s unified communications strategy and continued growth.
Most importantly, a potentially high-risk seven-floor network migration was converted into a controlled engineering programme through detailed surveying, documentation and pre-installation planning. For the client, the work happened outside normal business operations; behind the scenes, seven separate engineering teams were working to a single coordinated migration plan.
For organisations planning a network refresh, office refurbishment, communications cabinet upgrade or migration to a new unified communications platform, understanding the condition and limitations of the existing infrastructure should be one of the first steps. ACCL provides infrastructure audits, structured cabling testing, fibre optic installations, communications room upgrades and network migration support for businesses across London and the UK. Our approach is to establish what can be retained, identify what needs to change and develop an infrastructure strategy around the client’s operational requirements rather than simply replacing equipment unnecessarily.
Related guidance
Foreword by Wayne
“The real challenge with The Writer project wasn’t the cabling itself; it was coordinating seven cabinet upgrades across seven floors within a very restricted working window. We effectively had seven engineering teams working simultaneously, so everything had to be planned before we started. Producing the cabinet drawings and patching schedules allowed us to identify problems such as the depth of the new PoE switches before the migration weekend. It is a good example of something we have learned over many years of working in live environments: the more work you do before the installation starts, the less risk you carry when the network has to be changed.”Wayne Connors, Managing Director, ACCL
Frequently asked questions
How did ACCL upgrade The Writer’s network without replacing seven communications cabinets?
ACCL surveyed and documented each cabinet in detail before the migration, producing CAD drawings and identifying physical constraints in advance. This included a bespoke front-and-rear mounting solution for the new PoE switches and right-angle power leads to restore door clearance, allowing all seven existing cabinets to be retained and reconfigured rather than replaced.
Why was the migration described as a “Big Bang” network migration?
All seven floors needed to be upgraded during out-of-hours weekend working, with the network ready for staff when they returned. Seven ACCL engineering teams worked simultaneously, each responsible for a separate floor and cabinet, making it effectively one single coordinated migration rather than seven independent projects.
What problem did ACCL find with the new PoE switches?
During detailed planning, ACCL identified that the new Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches were too deep to be correctly secured using the existing cabinet mounting arrangement. ACCL developed a bespoke support arrangement that secured the equipment at both the front and rear of the cabinet, avoiding the risk of discovering this during the migration weekend itself.
Why were the power leads replaced during the project?
The available clearance inside the cabinets meant conventional power leads prevented the cabinet doors from closing correctly. These were replaced with right-angle power leads, allowing the equipment to fit safely within the existing cabinet footprint.
How was patching organised across seven simultaneous engineering teams?
ACCL produced a detailed patching record for each cabinet before work started. Working with the client, different patch-lead colours and pre-agreed lead lengths were selected, so engineers did not have to determine individual connections during the migration itself, and the finished cabinets were left easier to maintain.
Was the existing structured cabling replaced?
No. Rather than automatically replacing the existing structured cabling, ACCL tested the installed network infrastructure to establish which elements remained suitable for continued use, allowing The Writer to retain serviceable infrastructure while investment was concentrated on the elements that genuinely needed upgrading.
When did the migration work take place?
The entire upgrade was completed outside normal office hours, during weekend working, so the network was ready for staff when they returned to work with no disruption to The Writer’s day-to-day operations.
What did The Writer gain from the project?
A cleaner and better documented infrastructure, upgraded fibre optic connectivity, and a network platform capable of supporting the organisation’s unified communications strategy and continued growth, all delivered without replacing the existing communications cabinets.
Planning a network upgrade across multiple floors?
Talk to the team that coordinated a seven-floor, seven-team “Big Bang” network migration outside normal office hours.
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