Connecting branches: what to settle before buying any hardware

Connecting branches is not buying boxes and plugging them in. These are the decisions that determine the outcome.

1. The addressing plan If every branch uses the same default address range, you cannot link them later without reconfiguring everything. A unified addressing plan from the start saves a week of work later.

2. What needs to reach what? Not every device in a branch needs access to head office. Decide early: the tills need the server; the CCTV may need nothing outside the branch. This drives both segmentation and security.

3. What stops if the link drops? If a branch stops entirely when the internet goes down, the design is wrong. Critical systems should run locally and sync afterwards.

4. Who manages the devices? A device with no central management means a site visit for every change. Choose equipment you can administer remotely from one console.

5. Documentation Network diagram, device inventory and credentials in a shared vault. Without them, every fault starts with rediscovering the network from scratch.

6. Wi-Fi is not a detail Coverage in a warehouse or restaurant needs an actual survey, not a guess. Metal racking and thick walls change the result entirely.

In short Hardware is the last decision, not the first. Start with the addressing plan, the access boundaries and the outage scenario, then choose equipment that delivers them.