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A network assessment shows how your office network really performs, where it is slow, exposed or out of date, and what to fix first. You get a plain-English report and a written quote, not a sales pitch.
Get a Free IT AssessmentA network assessment is a structured check of everything that moves data around your office. That includes your internet connection, firewall, switches, cabling, Wi-Fi and the settings that tie them together. The goal is simple. You find out what is working, what is slow, what is risky and what is close to the end of its life. You get answers in writing, so you can decide what to do and when.
Most Chicago offices never get this kind of review. The network was set up years ago, maybe by a cousin, a former employee or a vendor who moved on. Equipment got added over time. Passwords were never changed. Nobody drew a map. Then Wi-Fi drops during client calls, the file server crawls on Monday mornings, and no one can say why. An assessment replaces guessing with facts.
Our reviews start with a short conversation about what bothers you most. Then a technician walks the space, checks the equipment, runs speed and coverage tests at busy times and looks at firewall and switch settings. You receive a report in plain English with a ranked fix list. Each item has a reason, a rough cost and a suggested order. You are free to act on it yourself or hand it to someone else.
Chicago buildings are hard on networks. Older Loop and River North offices often have wiring that predates modern Wi-Fi. Shared building risers limit your options for internet carriers. Winters and summer storms add power flickers that shorten the life of switches and routers. Offices in converted warehouses in West Loop or Fulton Market bring their own problems, like brick walls and high ceilings that kill wireless signal. A network that worked fine at ten people can struggle at thirty.
An assessment also protects your budget. Without one, businesses tend to replace the wrong thing, such as buying a faster internet plan when the real bottleneck is a failing switch or a poorly placed access point. Others wait until something breaks and pay rush rates for emergency repairs. A clear picture lets you plan upgrades over a year or two, spend on what matters and skip what does not. It also gives you solid ground when you talk to carriers, landlords and vendors.
Everything below is part of one monthly plan. Pick a topic to see what is handled for you and how it works in a Chicago office.
A technician walks your space and measures signal strength, interference and speed in every room that matters. Conference rooms, corner offices, reception and break areas often get the worst coverage. We also check how many devices share each access point and whether older ones are holding back newer laptops and phones.
Chicago offices with glass walls, brick, steel beams or several tenants on one floor often fight crowded wireless channels. The report shows where signal drops, where neighbors interfere and where an extra or better-placed access point would fix the problem. You see it on a floor plan, not in a table of numbers.
Behind the walls and in the closet sits the hardware that carries everything else. We check switch models, ports, firmware and heat. We look at patch panels, cable quality and labeling. Tangled, unlabeled closets cause slow fixes and mistakes, so we note what needs tidying.
Older cabling can quietly limit speed even when you pay for a fast connection. Cat5 runs, damaged ends and overloaded switches are common in Chicago office buildings that have changed tenants many times. The report tells you what is fine, what is aging and what should be replaced when you next have a chance.
Your firewall decides what gets in and out. We review its rules, firmware, remote access settings and logs. We look for open ports, default passwords, outdated software and VPN setups that give more access than staff need. Many small networks have a firewall that was installed once and never touched again.
This is a review of configuration and exposure, not a full security test. If we find signs of deeper trouble, we say so and explain what a wider security review would cover. You leave knowing how well your network edge is protected and what quick changes would close the biggest gaps.
We test speed, delay and stability at different times of day, including your busiest hours. We check what you pay for against what you receive. We also review whether you have a backup connection, since one outage can stop an entire office.
Many Chicago businesses share building internet or have only one carrier option. We document what is available at your address and how your connection behaves under load. If the carrier is the issue, you get evidence to take to them. If the problem is inside your network, we show you exactly where.
The final report ties everything together. You get a network diagram, a list of findings sorted by urgency and a rough cost for each fix. We explain it in a short call, so you can ask questions and see what each item means for your staff.
Some businesses use the report to plan a phased upgrade. Others hand it to their own IT person or to a different provider. Either is fine. If you want broader technology advice, the same findings feed into a wider review of your systems, budget and plans for growth.
Plenty of companies can fix a laptop. These are the three reasons clients mention most when they explain why they picked Ping Chicago.
Your technicians know how Loop high-rises handle building access, why basement server closets flood in summer storms and how long it really takes to reach Oak Brook at 4 p.m. That local knowledge turns into faster, calmer fixes.
Your network, devices and backups are watched around the clock. Most issues are caught and fixed before anyone in your office notices, and the rest are explained to you in plain English.
You get a written per-user quote after a free assessment, with every included service listed. No hourly surprises, no emergency rates and no fine print about what counts as extra.
We review networks in tall Loop buildings, converted lofts, medical offices and suburban business parks. Each setting has its own wiring, carrier and interference issues.
Most Loop offices share a building’s internet riser, wiring closets and security desk. Managed IT here means working with property management on access and cabling, keeping remote access stable for commuters and scheduling after-hours work around building rules.
Creative agencies need fast Wi-Fi for large files and constant video calls, while medical offices near Northwestern Memorial need HIPAA-ready systems. Both get the same help desk, with security matched to the data they store.
Teams here grow fast, so new hires need laptops, accounts and access on their first day. Managed IT keeps onboarding repeatable and the network ready for the next floor or the next office.
Dental and medical practices, therapists and small firms run on a few critical systems: scheduling, imaging and billing. Managed IT keeps them patched, backed up and running before the first appointment of the day.
Point-of-sale systems, guest Wi-Fi and a handful of laptops can still take a shop offline. Managed IT separates guest and business networks and keeps payment systems updated and monitored.
Event, hospitality and professional offices near McCormick Place deal with seasonal rushes. Managed IT scales support around busy weeks and keeps shared and public spaces secure.
Practices and offices in Evanston and Skokie get the same remote help desk as downtown clients, with on-site visits scheduled for hardware, cabling and network work.
Logistics and distribution businesses near O’Hare run warehouses, scanners and shipping systems around the clock. Managed IT monitors those networks 24/7 and plans updates outside shift changes.
Many companies in Oak Brook, Naperville and Schaumburg run a suburban headquarters with a city branch. Managed IT connects both sites securely and supports staff at either location.
You can get a network review from your provider, from a one-time consultant or from a free vendor scan. They differ in depth, independence and what you can do with the results.
| Topic | Ping Chicago | Independent IT Consultant | Vendor Free Scan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical scope | Wi-Fi, wiring, switches, firewall & internet | Varies by consultant, often broad | Mostly one product or service |
| On-site walkthrough | Yes, with Wi-Fi coverage tests | Usually yes | Often remote only |
| Report format | Plain-English report with diagram & ranked fixes | Detailed report, sometimes technical | Short summary leading to a quote |
| Independence | Quote for fixes is separate and optional | Independent of any hardware sale | Findings tend to favor their products |
| Cost | Free to start for most businesses | Typically a few thousand dollars | Free, with a sales follow-up |
| Time to results | Days after the visit | One to three weeks | Same day, but shallow |
| Follow-up support | Can fix, monitor & manage afterward | Usually ends with the report | Offers their own products only |
You finish with facts you can act on, whether you work with us afterward or not.
Weak signal areas, failing cables and misconfigured devices are identified and listed.
Findings come in plain English with a diagram of your network as it stands today.
Each recommended fix has a rough price and a suggested order, so nothing surprises you.
Open ports, outdated firmware and weak settings are called out before someone else finds them.
A network review often leads to other work, depending on what it finds.
A wider review of your systems, security, backups and budget beyond the network alone.
IT ConsultingOngoing advice for planning upgrades, vendors and technology decisions.
Network MonitoringRound-the-clock watching of your equipment so problems are caught early.
Network CablingNew or repaired wiring when the assessment finds aging or damaged runs.
Our old provider took a day to answer. Now a typical ticket is closed in about 12 minutes, and password resets happen while I’m still on the phone. Our staff stopped complaining about IT within the first month, which never happened before.
We were nervous about changing providers with deadlines ahead. The whole move took three weeks, email and files kept working throughout, and every login and device was documented. Not one person missed a day of work because of it.
We used to get surprise invoices every time something broke. Now it’s one predictable monthly bill, and problems get flagged before we notice them. Planning our IT budget takes five minutes instead of an argument with the owner.
After your free assessment, you get a written quote with clear prices and no obligation. Nothing is repaired or replaced without your approval.
Many providers, including us, offer a free initial assessment for small and mid-sized offices. Paid independent reviews typically run from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on size, number of locations and depth. Ask what the report includes before you agree.
For a typical office of 10 to 50 people, the on-site visit takes half a day to a full day. The written report usually follows within a few business days. Larger offices, several floors or multiple locations take longer and may need more than one visit.
Very little. Most testing runs in the background while people work. Some speed and coverage tests are best done at busy times, so we plan them with you. Anything that could interrupt service, like restarting equipment, is scheduled outside business hours.
An assessment looks at performance, reliability, equipment age and basic security. A security audit goes deeper into threats, policies and compliance. Many businesses start with an assessment, then add a security review if the findings point that way.
No. The report is written in plain English, with a diagram and a ranked list of findings. Each item explains the problem, why it matters and what it would cost to fix. We also walk you through it on a call and answer questions.
Yes. We review each site and the links between them, such as VPN connections and shared systems. Remote offices are often handled partly online, with on-site visits for Wi-Fi coverage and equipment checks where needed.
Most businesses benefit from a review every two to three years, or when something big changes. Good reasons include moving offices, adding staff, changing internet providers, adding a phone system or noticing repeated slowdowns.
No. A good assessment separates what must change now from what can wait. Many networks need a few targeted fixes, not a full rebuild. The report ranks each item so you can spend on what makes the biggest difference first.
Yes. These buildings often have shared risers, older wiring and limited carrier choices. We check what the building allows, work within property management rules and schedule after-hours work when needed.
You decide. You can fix items yourself, give the report to another provider or ask us for a quote. If you want ongoing help, we can manage and monitor the network. There is no pressure to move forward.
Need something slightly different? These services cover the same ground from another angle.
A free assessment shows what works, what is at risk and what it would cost to fix.