Network design and architecture
We plan the core, distribution and access layers, the VLANs, the addressing and the redundancy, and write it down before anything is bought.
Network infrastructure from a networking company that stays accountable
Network infrastructure is the cabling, switches, routers, firewalls and wireless access points that carry every system your organisation runs. Arke Technologies is a Johannesburg networking company that designs, installs, secures and monitors that infrastructure for mid-sized and large organisations, public bodies and schools across South Africa, under one contract and one SLA.
What network infrastructure is, and what you are really buying
When organisations compare networking companies, they are buying three things at once: a design that fits how the organisation works, an installation that is tested and documented, and a team that is accountable when something fails. The equipment matters, but it is the easiest part to replace.
Computer network infrastructure is everything between a user's device and the systems that user needs. The network infrastructure devices are switches, routers, firewalls and wireless access points, the server rack and patch panels that hold them, the copper and fibre between them, and the UPS that keeps them running through load-shedding. A wireless local area network (WLAN) sits on top of the wired network, and your internet infrastructure, the fibre or LTE line from your provider, connects the whole estate to the cloud.
IT infrastructure and networking are now one discipline. Servers, storage and cloud applications are only as available as the switch and the link in front of them, and every IT network infrastructure decision is also a security decision. Network infrastructure technologies change every few years; the principles of a documented, segmented, monitored network do not.
What our network infrastructure services cover
Network installation
Cable network installation, cabinet builds, switch and router configuration and testing, on site. See structured cabling.
Business Wi-Fi
Site surveys, access point placement, secure sign-in and isolated guest access. See business Wi-Fi and wireless networks.
Firewalls and network security
Firewall configuration and monitoring, VPNs and hardening. See firewalls and network security.
SD-WAN and site connectivity
Branches, depots and cloud platforms linked with policy-based routing. See SD-WAN and site connectivity.
Network monitoring and support
Continuous monitoring, faults raised as tickets, and a monthly report. See network monitoring.
Connectivity
Business fibre and fixed LTE, supplied and supported by our connectivity division. See business connectivity.
Hardware
Switches, access points, firewalls, racks and servers supplied through Server Hub, configured and bench-tested before dispatch. See IT hardware supply.
Networks for every kind of organisation
Enterprise networks
Multi-site, multi-floor estates with separate networks for finance, operations, cameras, voice and guests, audited against your security policy. See enterprise IT services.
Government and municipalities
ICT networks for offices, libraries, clinics and depots, documented to the standard auditors expect. See IT for municipalities.
Schools and colleges
Classroom Wi-Fi, content filtering and separate networks for learners, staff and administration. See school networks and Wi-Fi.
Small and growing businesses
Network infrastructure design for small business stays simple: a firewall, managed switches with VLANs, a few access points and one documented cabinet. See IT for small and medium businesses.
Retail and e-commerce
Network infrastructure for e-commerce and stores keeps point-of-sale and payment traffic apart from everything else, with a backup link for trading hours. See IT for retail and e-commerce.
Homes
For home network installation services, such as mesh Wi-Fi on an uncapped home fibre line, our connectivity division Fibre Boyz (opens fibreboyz.co.za) serves households directly.
How to secure a network infrastructure
What is security in computer network terms? It is the set of controls that stop unauthorised people and devices from reaching, reading or disrupting what travels across the network. Network infrastructure and security cannot be separated, so we build these controls into every design:
- Segmentation. VLANs and firewall zones keep finance, cameras, guests, voice and building systems apart, so one compromised device cannot reach everything.
- A managed perimeter. Firewall policy, intrusion prevention and web filtering, reviewed and logged. See firewalls and network security.
- A protected management plane. The network management infrastructure (a separate management network, named administrator accounts and multi-factor authentication) replaces shared passwords.
- Patched firmware. Updates scheduled under change control, with end-of-life equipment flagged in your lifecycle plan.
- Encrypted remote access. VPNs for staff and sites, with access removed the day someone leaves.
- Email and web gateways. Filtering at the edge, for example an email security gateway such as Cisco ESA; see what an email security gateway does.
- Central logging. Logs kept in one place and reviewed, so an incident can be traced.
We align these controls with the CIS Controls, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO/IEC 27001, and our cybersecurity services take them further.
Network installation: what happens on site
What is network installation? It is the physical build: cabling, cabinets, power and network installation equipment such as switches, routers, firewalls and access points, followed by the configuration and testing that make them one network. Computer network installation follows the approved design and change plan, and nothing goes live untested.
Our team installs on site for organisations across South Africa, and takes on work beyond it. Where fibre cannot cross between buildings, we install point-to-point wireless links on directional dish antennas. For a branch network installation, equipment is configured and bench-tested by Server Hub before dispatch, so a small site plugs in and comes online quickly.
Server connections get the same care: network settings on Linux and Windows servers (bonded interfaces, VLAN tagging and addressing) are documented with the switch ports they use, so a network installation on Linux hosts is as traceable as the cabinet. Choosing hardware? Server Hub's guides to network switches for small businesses (opens serverhub.co.za), managed vs unmanaged switches (opens serverhub.co.za) and PoE switch sizing (opens serverhub.co.za) explain the options; we specify and install the result.
Cisco, Fortinet, MikroTik and the rest: vendor-neutral by design
We configure equipment from Cisco, Fortinet, Sophos, MikroTik, Ubiquiti UniFi and TP-Link Omada. That is experience, not a reseller agreement: we recommend what fits your estate, your budget and your team's skills, and we say when a simpler option is enough.
For Cisco network infrastructure, the vocabulary alone can be a barrier. Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) applies policy-based networking inside the data centre. Cisco SD-WAN splits the network into a management plane (vManage), a control plane (vSmart controllers) and edge routers (vEdge and cEdge), and describes each transport link as a TLOC (transport locator). Whatever the vendor, the same questions apply: who holds the licences, what happens if a subscription lapses, and who can administer the network if your provider changes.
Analyst rankings such as the Gartner Magic Quadrant for network switches are a sensible long list for large enterprises. They do not replace a design: the right switch depends on the ports you will need in three years, power over Ethernet, VLANs and the distance to the next cabinet. Server Hub's guide to server networking switches, NICs and transceivers (opens serverhub.co.za) covers the data-centre end.
Network support and troubleshooting
What is network support? Network support services keep the network available day to day: fault response, changes, firmware updates, moves and the documentation that goes with them. IT network support is included in our managed IT services, or runs on its own as managed IT network services under a network SLA.
Faults reach our IT service desk through monitoring or a call, and are worked on the SLA clock. Network troubleshooting follows a method: confirm the symptom, isolate the layer, check recent changes, fix, and record the root cause so it does not recur. Computer network support is only as fast as the documentation behind it, which is why we keep the as-built pack current after every change.
Local area network support issues, explained
Asked to explain local area computer network support issues, most engineers name the same few:
- IP address conflicts and exhausted DHCP scopes. Devices join the network but cannot reach anything.
- Switching loops. One patch lead plugged in at both ends can take down a floor; loop protection prevents it.
- Overloaded PoE budgets. Access points, phones and cameras reboot when the switch runs out of power.
- DNS failures. Everything looks down when only name resolution is.
- Faulty or uncertified cabling. Intermittent errors that no amount of restarting fixes.
- Wi-Fi interference and poor placement. Covered on our business Wi-Fi page.
- Undocumented changes. The most common cause of all, prevented by change control.
Monitoring is the safety net, not the cure: the cure is a documented network.
Governance, compliance and procurement
- Service governance. An SLA that fixes scope, response and resolution times, exclusions and on-site policy; a named service lead; escalation paths; change control for every production change; documented runbooks; and a monthly service review and report.
- Documentation. An as-built pack: topology diagrams, rack elevations, VLAN and IP plans, configuration backups and cable test results.
- Compliance. Controls aligned with POPIA's security safeguards, King IV Principle 12 on technology and information governance, and ISO/IEC 27001. Public-sector clients get audit-ready records that support PFMA and MFMA reporting.
- Procurement. Arke Technologies (Pty) Ltd is a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor, giving 135% procurement recognition (sworn affidavit available on request). Company documents, our CSD supplier number, SARS tax compliance status and a bank confirmation letter are available on request, and we complete standard bidding documents (SBD forms) when a bid requires them. See our company facts.
- Buying route. Assessment, proposal, SLA and purchase order, or a response to your tender.
- Continuity and exit. You own your configurations, credentials and documentation. If you change provider, we hand over the as-built pack and administrator access in an orderly way.
What network infrastructure costs, and what drives it
We quote network projects per project, and price ongoing network management within an SLA agreed after an assessment of your organisation's needs. What drives the cost:
- the number of users, devices, ports and sites;
- the building: floors, distances, ceiling access and whether old cabling must be replaced;
- redundancy, such as a second core switch, paired firewalls or a backup link;
- licences and support contracts on firewalls, switches and cloud-managed access points;
- power protection for cabinets and PoE equipment through load-shedding;
- after-hours work to avoid disrupting operations.
For context, published rates for IT project work in South Africa run from about R550 to R750 an hour ex VAT, and published managed IT rates from about R180 to R400 per user per month (matnet.co.za, September 2026). Current hardware prices, in rand with VAT included, are on Server Hub (opens serverhub.co.za).
What a network installation quotation should contain. Use this as a sample checklist when comparing bids: an itemised bill of materials; labour by phase; cable runs with the test standard; configuration and documentation deliverables; exclusions; equipment warranty; and the support terms after go-live.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
How to choose among IT networking companies
Many IT network solutions look alike on paper. The top IT networking companies differ less in the brands they sell than in how they work, so ask each one:
- Who designs the network, and will we receive the design in writing before we buy?
- Which vendor certifications do the engineers on our account hold? For a Cisco SD-WAN estate, for example, Cisco's 300-415 exam is the relevant one. Ask to see the certificates.
- Do we receive the as-built documentation, configuration backups and administrator credentials?
- What does the SLA say about response, resolution, on-site visits and after-hours work?
- How are changes approved, and how are they rolled back?
- What is your B-BBEE level, and can you supply procurement documents?
We answer each of these in writing in our proposal. We hire engineers for experience, education and certifications, in step with the contracts we sign. For a wider view, read how to choose an IT company in South Africa.