Multi-site / phones and networks
One network standard for every location you run
When every site was set up by a different person in a different year, each outage is a new puzzle. We put every location on the same tested build for firewall, Wi-Fi, voice and links between sites, and run it centrally.
The standard build
What every site gets
- A managed firewall with the same policy as every other site, adjusted only where the site is different.
- Separate networks for staff, phones, cameras and building systems, payment terminals and guests.
- Wi-Fi designed for the space, with staff and guest networks kept apart.
- A backup connection with automatic failover, tested by actually pulling the primary.
- SD-WAN or encrypted site-to-site links back to headquarters and the cloud apps you use.
- Phones on the same hosted system everywhere, with each site’s emergency address registered.
Rollout
How we bring sites onto the standard
- Survey. Each site’s circuits, devices, cabling and phone lines go into one inventory.
- Pilot. One site gets the build first, and we fix whatever the pilot reveals.
- Waves. Remaining sites move in planned groups, scheduled around their trading hours.
- Run. Every change after that goes through a written change log, and configurations are backed up automatically.
Security stack by layer
What protects each layer of the network
A multi-site network is only as strong as its weakest location. These controls are applied the same way at every site, and each one comes with a check you can run yourself.
| Layer | What we put in place | How you can check it |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit and edge | Managed firewall at every site, internet-facing management turned off, firmware kept on a supported release. | Scan your public IPs from outside. No admin login pages should answer. |
| Voice | SIP accepted only from the carrier, international and premium-rate dialing blocked unless needed, call limits per trunk, caller ID signed by the carrier (STIR/SHAKEN in the US). | Ask for the toll-fraud policy in writing and the list of countries allowed. |
| Segmentation | Separate networks for staff, voice, cameras and building systems, payment terminals and guests, with deny-by-default rules between them. | From guest Wi-Fi, try to open a printer or camera page. It should fail. |
| Wi-Fi | WPA3 or 802.1X for staff where devices support it, isolated and rate-limited guest Wi-Fi, no shared passwords that never change. | Check whether a former employee could still join the staff network. |
| Remote access | Zero trust access or a VPN with multi-factor sign-in. No port forwards to phone systems, cameras or servers. | List every port forward on the firewall. The target is none. |
| Management and change | Admin accounts with multi-factor sign-in, automatic configuration backups after every change, and a written change log. | Ask for the date of the last configuration backup for each device. |
| Monitoring | Devices and circuits watched in our Ares RMM platform, with alerts routed to our team and a monthly report for each site. | Ask what alerted last month and what was done about it. |
New locations
Opening a new site
A new store, clinic or depot gets the standard build shipped pre-configured, with phones labeled and numbers ready. Internet for new sites is coming soon via a partner; until then we coordinate with the carrier you choose and plan the work around its install date.
Questions
Multi-site questions
Our sites use different equipment. Do we have to replace it all?
Not at once. Supported equipment can stay until it is due for replacement. Unsupported firewalls and routers are the priority because they are a common way in.
Can a site manager see only their own site?
Yes. Portal users can be limited to the sites they manage, while head office sees everything.
Do you do the cabling?
Yes, structured cabling is part of what we have done since the start. Runs are labeled at both ends and tested.
Next step
Quote your multi-site network
Tell us how many locations you have, roughly how many people work at each and what equipment is there today.
Sources
- CISA: Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure
- NSA Network Infrastructure Security Guide (PDF)
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
- NIST SP 800-207, Zero Trust Architecture
- NIST SP 800-41 Rev. 1, Firewalls and Firewall Policy
- NIST SP 800-153, Securing Wireless Local Area Networks
- PCI Security Standards Council document library
- NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1, Contingency Planning Guide
