A Network That's a Platform, Not a Liability.
Business-grade network design, deployment, and 24/7 monitoring for Dallas–Fort Worth offices. Segmented, monitored, and documented — so your firewall isn't the reason your compliance audit fails.
Most SMB Networks Are One Consumer Router From a Breach.
Walk into an average 40-person DFW office and you'll find a consumer-grade router from 2017, one flat network where the guest Wi-Fi shares a subnet with the file server, a printer that's been broadcasting SMBv1 for three years, and a firewall log nobody has ever read.
The MSP will tell you "the network is fine" because the internet works. That's not what fine means. Fine means guest traffic can't see servers, IoT devices are isolated from workstations, remote workers connect via a real VPN with MFA, and every rule change is documented with a reason.
Real network design is an architecture problem, not a hardware purchase. We design for segmentation, monitoring, and defensibility — then document it in a way that survives your next auditor, insurance renewal, or MSP change.
Flat SMB network
- One VLAN — guest sees servers
- Consumer router as gateway
- IoT & staff on same subnet
- No network diagram — or an old one
48 Technologies network
48 Technologies network- Segmented VLANs by traffic type
- Business-grade firewall (Fortinet/Meraki/pfSense)
- IoT & guest isolated from production
- Documented diagram that matches reality
Four Pieces That Make a Network Defensible.
Buying a firewall isn't a network strategy. Real infrastructure is four disciplines working together — designed, deployed, monitored, and documented.
Design & segmentation
- VLAN architecture by traffic class
- Guest / IoT / staff / server isolation
- Zero-trust posture where feasible
- Growth plan for the next 3 years
Firewall & edge security
- Business-grade appliance (Fortinet, Meraki, pfSense)
- Rule set reviewed quarterly, not annually
- IDS/IPS with actual signature tuning
- External attack-surface scan monthly
Wireless & remote access
- Managed Wi-Fi (Meraki, Ubiquiti UniFi)
- Guest network on separate SSID + VLAN
- MFA-protected VPN for remote workers
- Site-to-site VPN for multi-office
Monitoring & documentation
- 24/7 uptime & performance alerts
- Netflow / firewall log ingestion
- Current network diagram, quarterly refresh
- Rule-change log with reason & owner
From "It Works, I Think" to Documented & Defensible.
Network transformation isn't a rip-and-replace — it's staged over 60 days so nothing breaks and every change is documented as it happens.
Map what's actually there.
Full network discovery: every switch, every VLAN, every firewall rule, every wireless AP. Compared to the diagram we were told exists. The gap between reality and documentation is where the risk lives.
- Physical & logical topology map
- Firewall rule inventory
- Wireless coverage & interference survey
- Written gap register
Design the target. Order the gear.
Segmentation plan drafted with your team. Business-grade firewall and wireless selected (usually Meraki or Fortinet for full-stack, UniFi for cost-conscious). Configured off-network before deployment.
- Target VLAN & segmentation design
- Hardware selection & procurement
- Off-network pre-configuration
- Change window scheduled with stakeholders
Cut over. Then write it down.
Staged cutover, usually a Saturday morning. Every firewall rule migrated with a documented reason. Diagrams updated to match reality. Monitoring enabled from day one.
- Off-hours staged cutover
- Firewall rules migrated + documented
- Live network diagram published
- 24/7 monitoring active
Design Once. Monitor Monthly. No Surprises.
Network engagements split into two lines: a one-time design & deployment charge (scoped to office size and complexity) and an ongoing monitoring & management retainer. Deployments typically run $6,000–$45,000 depending on square footage, number of offices, and whether we're refreshing existing gear or greenfield. Ongoing management is bundled into managed IT or standalone at $6–$14 per user per month for network-only.
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1. 1. Office count & sizeOne 5,000 sq ft office is very different from three offices with site-to-site VPN. Square footage drives access-point count; office count drives design complexity.
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2. 2. Firewall & wireless tierMeraki full-stack is different from Fortinet-plus-UniFi. We recommend based on your compliance needs, not the vendor with the best MSP margin.
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3. 3. Compliance requirementsHIPAA, PCI, and CMMC each add specific network controls (segmentation depth, logging retention, IDS/IPS tuning). We price the compliance overlay separately.
Consumer Gear vs. 48 Technologies vs. Enterprise Network Team
Three ways to run a network at a 25–150 employee DFW business. Only one of them is defensible in an audit without turning your office into a data center.
Consumer / Prosumer Gear
- Consumer router at the edge
- One flat VLAN, no segmentation
- No IDS/IPS, no log retention
- Nobody monitors it
- Fails HIPAA / PCI / CMMC audits
- Insurance carrier flags it
48 Technologies Network
- Business-grade firewall + segmentation
- 24/7 monitoring & alerting
- Quarterly rule review
- Diagrams that match reality
- Audit- & insurance-defensible
- Bundled with managed IT or standalone
In-House Network Team
- $180K+ fully loaded for 2 people
- $40K–$80K in tooling stack
- Requires 24/7 shift rotation for real
- 12+ months to hire in DFW
- Great — once you're 300+ people
- Turnover risk on single admin
At Lehman we ran the network like every packet mattered — because every packet was tied to a trade. That same discipline scales down. A 40-person business deserves segmentation, monitoring, and documentation. They just deserve it at an SMB price.
Does Your Network Diagram Actually Match Reality?
30 minutes on the phone. Bring your current firewall model and wireless vendor. We'll tell you honestly where the segmentation and monitoring gaps live.