Broadband has gone into the new offices just 2 days before we move.

I am very happy about the successful test to the internet using an identical Draytek 2820 Router to the one we use in our current office.

I decided not to migrate our current broadband across, rather have a new installation. It means if all else fails, we can still operate at our old base. The cost is minimal for a new install and the ISP Nildram use only 1 month contracts. By the way, Nildram is by far the best ISP I have ever had the pleasure in using and I also now use them at home.

So that makes step one nice and easy, just install new broadband, no worries on the timing of the migration.

Step two, how do you test the new broadband before your entire office moves. You don't want to find its not working or even 'turned on' when you’re booting up the server.

Step two was taken care of by my good friends at Prognosys. They are a local I.T company which I use to outsource one or two things and they are unusually helpful. The sold me the current office Router. A Draytek 2820. Which I can also say, is a very nice piece of kit. Again, I now use a Draytek at home too, not the same model of course. The guys at Prognosys, copied my current Router config (which is a built in feature of the router) and imported it into another 2820 which they have now loaned me and is currently installed in the new site.

So armed with laptop, I am able to test net access through the loaned router without disrupting my own office or without having to buy extra kit. This loaned router will stay in place through the whole office move and once we have settled in, I can swap out the routers and return the one on loan. As the routers config is identical, I was also able to test the wireless network too without changing a single thing and without having to re-configure a new router as the config was copied across remember.

I can now be confident that come Friday, I will be able to take our server over and it will be up and running easily and very quickly without the stress of finding out too late.

I am all about taking the sting out of these things and I am convinced that three things here helped me do just that. Draytek, Nildram and Prognosys. Having a good setup in the first place makes things so much easier further down the line.

Draytek: A highly configurable router (which did in fact replaced 3 different previous pieces of old kit)

Nildram: An excellent ISP who’s low cost but reliable short term contracts make working with them simple.

Prognosys: Sometimes it’s just nice to know you have someone to fall back on and an extra pair of hands to help you.