As a network support company in London, Network Fish has been designing and maintaining business networks for SMEs across the city since 2002. The network is the physical layer everything else depends on. Most businesses don’t think about it until something goes wrong — a switch fails, a Wi-Fi dead spot costs a morning in a meeting room, or an engineer spends two hours investigating an intermittent connectivity problem that turns out to be a cheap, untested cable run installed ten years ago.
We install and manage networking infrastructure for London SMEs, from the structured cabling that runs through the walls to the firewall that sits at the perimeter. This is part of our broader managed IT support service — the network sits alongside helpdesk, security management, and Microsoft 365 administration under one fixed monthly fee.
What we install and manage
Structured cabling and physical installation
The foundation of any office network is the physical cabling: Cat6 data points installed to a patch panel, correctly trunked, labelled, and tested to standard. Poor cabling is one of the most common sources of intermittent network problems. A cheap, untested installation produces symptoms that are difficult to diagnose and expensive to fix later — because the cable is inside the wall.
We design and install structured cabling to the correct standard, tested with a cable certifier, and fully documented so you know exactly what is where. For office fit-outs, relocations, and infrastructure upgrades, we handle the full physical installation from patch panel to data point.
Wi-Fi surveys and wireless networking
A Wi-Fi survey identifies dead spots, interference sources, and coverage gaps before access points are placed — rather than after. We conduct site surveys and design access point placement for consistent coverage across your office, including meeting rooms, breakout areas, and any part of the building where staff need to work reliably.
For businesses that need a complete wireless network installation, our Wi-Fi installation and network management page covers what a managed wireless deployment involves, including network segmentation, guest Wi-Fi, and ongoing monitoring after installation.
Devices like printers, door access systems, CCTV cameras, and smart building equipment should never sit on the same network segment as your corporate data. These devices often run outdated firmware and cannot be patched reliably — they are a common entry point for attackers. Network Fish configures separate VLANs for IoT and guest devices as standard, keeping them isolated from your business systems.
Firewall and router configuration
Your firewall sits between your internal network and the internet, controlling what traffic is permitted in each direction. A factory-default firewall configuration is not appropriate for a business network — it leaves unnecessary ports open, has no content filtering, and provides no logging or visibility.
We configure firewalls correctly: blocking unnecessary inbound access, applying content filtering, setting up secure VPN for remote access, and logging traffic for ongoing visibility. Firewall configuration is also a direct control requirement for Cyber Essentials certification and is assessed as part of any Cyber Essentials submission.
Network Fish works with Cisco Meraki, Ubiquiti, and Fortinet across the full network stack — not just firewalls. That includes managed switches, wireless access points, and network controllers. These platforms give us centralised visibility across your entire network from a single dashboard, which means faster fault diagnosis and consistent configuration across every site.
Network monitoring and management
Without monitoring, you don’t know a switch has failed, a firewall rule has changed, or an access point has dropped offline until someone complains. We deploy network monitoring across your switch fabric, access points, and firewall, with automatic alerting when something changes or fails. Network events are logged, reviewed, and addressed — typically before anyone in the business notices.
For businesses with more than one office, or those running most of their applications in the cloud, SD-WAN is worth considering. It prioritises business-critical traffic over your internet connection and can improve reliability and performance without expensive dedicated lines. Network Fish can advise on whether SD-WAN makes sense for your setup.
Problems we solve
The networking problems we regularly encounter and resolve:
- Slow or dropping Wi-Fi — typically caused by too few access points, incorrect channel configuration, or interference from neighbouring networks.
- Outdated cabling — Cat5 or older infrastructure limiting speeds and causing marginal, intermittent connectivity that is difficult to trace.
- Unmanaged switches — switches with no VLAN configuration, no monitoring, and no traffic visibility. A security and performance problem, and a barrier to Cyber Essentials certification.
- No network monitoring — no visibility of which devices are connected, how the network is performing, or when hardware degrades or fails.
- Misconfigured firewalls — factory-default settings with open ports, no content filtering, and no VPN in place for remote staff.
Ongoing network management
As part of our managed IT support service, ongoing network management covers:
- Firmware updates for switches, access points, and firewalls
- Continuous monitoring with alerting on hardware failure or unexpected configuration change
- VLAN and segmentation management as your team grows or your office layout changes
- VPN management for remote and hybrid staff
- A single point of contact for any network-related issue — no dealing with multiple vendors
This sits alongside helpdesk support, security management, and Microsoft 365 administration as part of one fixed monthly fee. There are no separate charges for network monitoring or management on top of your managed support contract.
Why the network is the foundation
Every other part of your IT setup depends on the network. A poorly performing network makes a good helpdesk slow, makes cloud applications unreliable, makes remote access difficult, and makes security monitoring ineffective. Getting the network right is not a separate project — it is the prerequisite for everything else working the way it should.
One monthly fee. One number to call.
Your network infrastructure, monitored and managed as part of your IT support contract.
