Business network design and engineering, done remotely
We design, configure and troubleshoot networks for organizations of about 50 to 500 people: firewalls, switching, WiFi, multi-site connections and point-to-point wireless links. It's all done remotely, for customers across the US and Canada.
We build on equipment you own outright, so you're never paying a yearly license fee just to keep your network running.
Why organizations hire us
- UniFi Certified Partner Listed nationally on Ubiquiti's installer directory
- Peplink Certified Gold Partner SD-WAN, bonding and failover
- More than a decade teaching networking On the Crosstalk Solutions YouTube channel
- Remote, US and Canada On site for larger projects
Sound familiar?
These are the moments when organizations usually call us.
- You're opening a new office or moving, and the network has to work on day one.
- The WiFi is slow, or the network drops out and nobody can say why.
- The person who built your network left, and nobody knows how it's set up.
- You've outgrown the consumer router and switches you started with.
- A cyber insurance questionnaire is asking about firewalls, VLANs and remote access, and you need real answers.
- You have two or more locations that need to share files, phones and systems securely.
- Your network license renewal costs more than the hardware did.
Network consulting and engineering services
Whether it's a new network design, a problem nobody can pin down, or a second set of eyes for your IT team, here's where we can help.
Network design
We start with how your organization actually works, then design the network around it: what goes where, how it's segmented, and how it grows. You get a design and a parts list you can buy from.
Firewalls and security
We configure UniFi gateways, Fortinet FortiGate, pfSense and OPNsense firewalls, with VLAN segmentation, VPNs and threat filtering that keep guests, cameras and IoT devices away from your business data.
Switching and VLANs
We plan your core and access switching and the PoE budget for phones, cameras and access points, then set up VLANs that separate voice, data and guest traffic so each one gets what it needs.
Business WiFi
We design WiFi from your floor plans with professional planning tools, so access points go where they'll actually do some good. Then we tune channels, power and roaming once it's installed.
Business WiFi
Multi-site networks
Site-to-site VPNs, SD-WAN and overlay networks like Tailscale tie your offices and remote staff together, so every location shares the same files, phones and systems as if they were down the hall.
Zero-trust remote access
Point-to-point and outdoor wireless
Wireless links between buildings, across a campus or out to a remote site, plus point-to-multipoint networks for RV parks, campgrounds and WISPs. It's one of our favorite kinds of project!
Point-to-point wireless
Troubleshooting and cleanup
Inherited a network nobody understands? We'll figure out what's there, fix what's broken, clean up what's messy and document all of it.
Internet failover and 5G backup
When the internet going down means the business stops, our sister company Crosstalk Mobile has the Peplink routers and unlimited 5G data plans to keep you online.
Visit Crosstalk MobileHow a remote project works
You don't need us standing in your server room to get a great network. Here's how we do it remotely:
Checkup or discovery call
We learn what you have and what isn't working, and discuss your goals. For most organizations, that starts with a Network & Security Checkup.
Design and parts list
You get a network design and a parts list built on equipment you own outright. We don't recommend gear with expensive yearly licenses that has to be renewed just to keep your network running.
Equipment goes in on site
Your staff or a local contractor mounts the gear and gets it online with a basic configuration, and we walk them through it. For new cabling, we recommend a licensed low-voltage electrician.
We configure it and cut over
Once the gear is online, we take it from there: the full configuration, testing and the cutover, scheduled when it will least disrupt your team.
Documentation and handoff
You get documentation of how everything is set up, so your network never depends on one person's memory again. That includes ours!
Ongoing support, if you want it
Keep us on call with prepaid hours, or let us watch over the network every month with a Managed Network plan.
Why Crosstalk?
Equipment you own
Our expert team can work with any equipment, and we specialize in UniFi, Fortinet, TP-Link Omada, pfSense and OPNsense. We steer clear of gear that stops working when a license lapses, so once you've bought your network, it's yours.
More than a decade of teaching networking
Chris has spent more than a decade teaching networking on the Crosstalk Solutions YouTube channel. The same best practices we teach there go into every network we build for our customers.
Certified partners
We're a UniFi Certified Partner, listed nationally on Ubiquiti's installer directory, and a Peplink Certified Gold Partner.
Honest about what we do
If your project is outside what we do well, we'll tell you up front. We'd rather pass on a job than build something we're not sure of.
Projects we're proud of
Two of our favorites, both on video.
An IndyCar team trades Cisco Meraki for gear it owns, overnight
We replaced an IndyCar team's Cisco Meraki network overnight with Peplink equipment they own outright, saving them about $80,000 over three years compared with renewing and replacing the old gear. Then we took the same network trackside, where bonded fiber, cellular and Starlink kept every location online. Peplink liked it enough to write it up too.
A ghost town goes online
Cerro Gordo is an 1800s silver mining town high in the California desert, miles from anything. We designed and configured a point-to-multipoint wireless network to bring WiFi to the town.
Here's how the pricing works
Most troubleshooting jobs take an hour or two, and larger network projects can take 10 to 20 hours, roughly $1,755 to $3,510. Bigger projects get a quote up front.
Network & Security Checkup
$795 per site
Fixed price per site, done remotely
We review your network and security setup and send you a written report with what we found and what we'd fix first. Start a project or a Managed Network plan within 30 days, and we'll credit you the cost of the Checkup.
Request a Checkup See what the Checkup coversPrepaid hours
| 2-hour block | $390 | $195/hr |
| 10-hour block | $1,755 | $175.50/hr |
| Pay as you go | $225/hr |
Purchased hours can be used for networking or VoIP phone system services as needed.
Managed Network plans
From $99/month
We monitor your network around the clock, keep firmware and security patches current, and back up your configurations, so problems get caught before your team notices them.
See the plansNetwork design FAQs
How much does network design cost?
Most troubleshooting jobs take an hour or two. Larger network projects can take 10 to 20 hours of engineering time, which is roughly $1,755 to $3,510 at our 10-hour block rate. Bigger projects get a quote up front, so there are no surprises.
Not sure where you fall? Start with a Network & Security Checkup, $795 per site. If you start a project or a Managed Network plan within 30 days, we'll credit you the cost of the Checkup.
What does a network consultant do?
A network consultant designs, configures and troubleshoots the network an organization runs on: the firewall, switches, WiFi and the links between sites. We do that remotely, from the first design through ongoing support, and we document everything we build.
Can you really design and configure our network remotely?
Yes! Nearly all of our work is remote, for customers across the US and Canada. Once your equipment has power and a basic internet connection, we can do everything else from here: the full configuration, testing, cutover and documentation. We travel on site for larger projects when it makes sense.
Who installs the equipment on site?
Usually your own staff, and sometimes a contractor you hire. We'll walk them through mounting the gear and getting it online with a basic configuration, and we handle the rest remotely. For new network cabling, we recommend a licensed low-voltage electrician.
What size organizations do you work with?
We work best with organizations of about 50 to 500 people. Some have an IT team that wants an extra set of hands on network projects, and some don't have IT staff at all. Either way, we fit in wherever you need us.
Can you work with our IT person or MSP?
Absolutely. A lot of our work is alongside an in-house IT person or an outside IT provider. They keep handling computers, users and email, and we handle the network.
Which brands do you use, and why not Cisco Meraki?
UniFi is our first choice for most organizations, and we're a UniFi Certified Partner. We also work with Fortinet, pfSense and OPNsense firewalls, and we're a Peplink Certified Gold Partner for SD-WAN and failover.
We prefer gear you own outright, with no license fees or only small ones. Meraki hardware needs an active license to keep working: under Meraki's co-term licensing, their own documentation says devices stop passing traffic if the license lapses past a 30-day grace period. We'd rather your network not have an expiration date.
Do you sell the equipment?
We supply Peplink and Fortinet gear directly. For UniFi, you can buy straight from the UI Store or your preferred reseller using the parts list from your design, since there's little to gain by running it through us.
What kind of work is the best fit for you?
Network engineering: firewalls, switching, WiFi, wireless links and security, from the first design through years of support. We work alongside your IT team or IT provider, who keep handling computers, email and users, and when a project needs new cabling we can recommend a licensed low-voltage electrician. Looking for help with your home network? Our sister company Rogue Support takes care of home users.
What happens after the project is done?
You get documentation of how everything is set up. From there, you can keep prepaid hours on hand for whenever you need us, or have us monitor, update and back up your network every month on a Managed Network plan.
Do you offer anything for non-profits?
Yes! Each month we do free Network & Security Checkups for 4 US 501(c)(3) organizations. See if you qualify.
Not sure where to start?
Request a Network & Security Checkup and we'll tell you exactly where your network stands. If it's in great shape, we'll tell you that too!
Non-profit? Each month we do free Checkups for 4 US 501(c)(3) organizations. See if you qualify.