Managed IT & Support
Cybersecurity
Cloud, Backup & Network
You get a complete office network built, tested and documented by one local team, from the wall jacks to the firewall, so your staff can work on day one in your Chicago space.
Get a Free IT AssessmentA new office network is more than plugging in a router. Someone has to plan where the cables run, size the switches, set up the firewall, place the wireless access points and label every port so the next person can find it. Network installation services cover all of that as one project, so the pieces actually work together when your team walks in on Monday morning.
Chicago offices bring their own conditions. A suite in a Loop high-rise may share risers and wiring closets with other tenants, and the building may only allow work after 6 p.m. A converted brick warehouse in Fulton Market has thick walls and exposed ceilings that change where cable and access points can go. A storefront in Lincoln Park or a medical office in Streeterville has different needs again. A good installer looks at your space before quoting anything.
The goal is simple. Every desk, printer, phone and conference room gets a fast, stable connection, and the network is secured from the first day. You should end the project with a labeled rack, a network diagram, your equipment list and passwords in your hands. If something breaks in two years, whoever supports you next should be able to pick it up without guessing.
Most office networks that cause trouble were built in a hurry. Cables were run to whatever was closest, a consumer router was used because it was on sale, and nobody wrote down what went where. Two years later, Wi-Fi drops in the conference room, a printer disappears from the network every week and no one knows which closet holds the problem. Installing it properly once costs less than patching it for years.
Timing matters too. A move, a lease start or a new hire wave leaves little room for delays. Chicago winters can slow equipment deliveries and make a cold loading dock a poor place to unbox gear, so planning ahead helps. An installer who handles the order, the build and the testing keeps your move-in date on track and gives you one person to call if a port does not work.
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.
The project starts with a walk through your space. We note how many desks, printers, phones and screens you have, where the wiring closet is and how much room it offers. We also check ceilings, walls and building rules that affect cable paths.
From that visit you get a written design and quote. It lists every drop, switch, access point and firewall, with the reason each one is there. You can compare it line by line with any other bid before you commit to anything.
Cable is the part of a network you can least afford to redo. Runs are pulled to your desks, conference rooms and equipment areas, terminated cleanly and tested. Each end is labeled and matched to a patch panel.
In older Chicago buildings this can mean working around plaster, asbestos-era restrictions or tight shared risers. A careful installer asks property management early about access, insurance requirements and quiet hours so the work does not stall.
Access points are placed based on a survey of your floor plan, not a guess. Brick, glass and elevator cores all affect signal, so placement matters more than the number of devices you buy.
Staff, guests and equipment each get their own network so a visitor’s phone never sits next to your file server. Coverage is tested room by room before the project closes, including the corner office and the break room.
Business-grade switches and a managed firewall sit at the center of the network. They are sized for your staff count and configured for your phones, printers and cloud tools, with spare capacity left over.
Security settings go in at install time. That means updated firmware, closed ports you do not use, strong admin passwords and rules that match how your team works. Configuration is backed up so replacing a failed unit takes minutes.
If you are moving offices, the network is built and tested before your team arrives. Internet service, phones and printers are lined up so the old and new sites overlap for as little time as possible.
Cutover is scheduled for a weekend or evening. On the first morning, someone is on site to handle logins, printer mappings and the small problems every move produces. After that, remote support takes over.
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.
Chicago buildings range from glass towers to century-old brick. Each one changes how a network is planned, cabled and scheduled.
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.
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.
Who installs your network affects how well it runs for years. Here is how the common options compare for a typical Chicago office.
| Topic | Ping Chicago | General Electrician | DIY With Retail Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning & design | Site survey and written design | Often a basic cable plan only | Done by guesswork |
| Cabling | Tested, labeled and documented | Pulled well, rarely certified | Loose cable, hard to trace |
| Wi-Fi coverage | Surveyed and tested room by room | Usually not included | One router, dead zones likely |
| Security setup | Firewall and separate networks | Not their specialty | Default settings left in place |
| Documentation | Diagrams, port maps and device list | Invoice only | None |
| After the install | Same team supports the network | Call someone else | You are on your own |
| Typical cost | Fixed quote after assessment | Low for cable, extra elsewhere | Low upfront, costly later |
A clean installation shows up in everyday work, not in a technical report.
Wired and wireless traffic is planned for how your team really works.
Firewall rules and separate networks are set up before anyone logs on.
You receive diagrams, port maps and device lists you can hand to anyone.
Extra ports and capacity are planned in so new hires do not mean rework.
Most installations lead into a few other services that keep the network working well.
Structured cabling to every desk, room and rack, tested and labeled.
Commercial Wi-FiWireless coverage planned around your floor plan and your guests.
IT RelocationMoving your equipment and staff to a new space without a lost week.
Network MonitoringWatching your new network around the clock so small faults get fixed early.
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 a free assessment, you get a written quote listing every cable drop, device and labor item. No work starts until you approve it.
A small office of 10 to 20 people can usually be done in two to four days once equipment arrives. Larger floors take one to three weeks. Building access rules, after-hours restrictions and equipment lead times often set the schedule more than the actual work.
Cost depends on the number of cable drops, equipment and building access. Small offices typically spend a few thousand dollars, while larger or multi-floor sites run much higher. A free assessment lets us give you a written quote based on your actual space.
Yes. Older Chicago buildings often have plaster walls, tight risers and limited conduit, which slows the work but does not stop it. We check conditions during the survey and plan routes, access and building approvals before quoting.
Not the whole time. You need to be available for the initial walk-through and the final sign-off. Cabling can often happen after hours so your staff are not disrupted. A building contact or key holder usually helps with access.
We can coordinate with your internet provider so service is live when the network is ready. Lead times for fiber or business cable can be several weeks, so it is best to place the order as early as possible.
Most offices need both. Desktops, phones, printers and docking stations work best wired. Laptops, tablets and guest devices use Wi-Fi. A good design provides wired ports where they matter and wireless coverage everywhere else.
Security is set up during the install. That includes a managed firewall, updated firmware, separate guest and staff networks, strong admin passwords and closed unused ports. Ongoing monitoring and updates help keep it that way afterward.
Often yes. Cabling and equipment racks can be installed after hours or on weekends. Only the final cutover needs a short window, and we plan it for a time that suits your business, such as an evening or Saturday.
You receive a network diagram, a port label map, an equipment list with serial numbers, IP address information and admin credentials. Having this on paper saves time and money whenever someone has to troubleshoot or expand the network.
Yes. Many clients move to a monthly plan with help desk, monitoring and updates. You can also take the documentation and use another provider. Either way, the network is built so anyone qualified can support it.
Need something slightly different? These services cover the same ground from another angle.
A free assessment gives you a written quote for cabling, equipment and setup.