Site office internet options compared
Most projects use more than one of these over their life. The table shows what each is good for and where it falls short.
| Option | Ready when | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4G/5G router | As soon as it's on-site | No line needed; moves easily with the sheds | Upload is limited and site-dependent; signal varies around the site |
| New fixed service at the site address | From a couple of business days to several weeks, depending on the address and existing equipment | Steadier speeds, and much more upload on the right plan | Lead time; the address may not be ready early in the project |
| The existing building's service (refurbishments and fit-outs) | Straight away, if the owner agrees | Already installed | Shared with the building, and may be cut during works |
| Fixed service with 4G/5G backup | Once the fixed service is live | Steady day to day, with a fallback if the line drops | Two services to plan and look after |
Activation times vary by address. Ask early; the guide to how long internet takes to connect explains what drives them.
Choosing site office connectivity for your project
Project length decides most of it. A few weeks of early works or a short refurbishment can usually run on a 4G/5G router placed where signal is strongest. A build that runs for many months justifies ordering a fixed service at site establishment, with the mobile router covering the gap until it's live and staying on as a backup afterwards.
Upload is the other deciding factor. Site teams upload progress photos, reports, marked-up drawings and sometimes camera footage, and many standard plans offer upload at a small fraction of download. Activation speed varies widely: in our 5,000 m² warehouse case study, a 2000/500 Mbps fibre service, chosen for its upload, was active by day 3 after the first enquiry, but other addresses take weeks. Ask about the address as soon as the site is confirmed.
Sizing the connection for a site office and crew
Worked example: a site office with 20 staff, each with a laptop and a phone, plans for 30–40 devices. A crew lunch room with 60 workers on phones adds about 60 more. At about 0.5 Mbps per active device, that's (40 + 60) × 0.5 = 50 Mbps of download if everyone is busy at once, which typically happens first thing in the morning and at lunch.
Add the site meeting: if three people join separate video calls at the same time, that's 3 × 1.5 = 4.5 Mbps each way. Upload then comes to the calls plus photo and report uploads, plus any off-site camera viewing. On a 4G/5G connection upload usually runs out first, so the plan sets it before download. On capacity, 100 devices ÷ 50 = 2 access points, but steel sheds block WiFi, so each shed where people work usually needs its own.
Running site cameras on the same network
Cameras and site WiFi share switches, cable routes and the internet connection, so they're planned together. Camera positions themselves are covered in the temporary CCTV planning guide.
One switch, two jobs
A PoE switch powers both the access points and the cameras over their network cables. Ports are reserved for cameras when the switch is chosen, with a spare for later additions.
Cameras on their own VLAN
Someone on the lunch-room WiFi can't see or reach the cameras or the recorder, and camera traffic stays out of the way of the office network.
Recording stays on-site
The recorder sits in the locked site office and keeps recording whether or not the internet is up. Recording itself doesn't use the internet connection.
Off-site viewing uses upload
Watching cameras from elsewhere sends video out over the connection. On 4G/5G that's a real share of the upload, so it's included when the connection is sized and agreed in the plan.
Cable routes across a live site
Runs to gates and compounds are routed away from plant movements and protected where they cross. Data cabling connected to the telecommunications network is done with our partnered ACMA-registered cablers.
How the site network changes as the project progresses
Sites change shape constantly. Planning each stage's network in advance avoids rushed moves when the program shifts.
| Project stage | Internet and WiFi | Cameras | Plan ahead for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site establishment | 4G/5G router in the first shed; fixed service ordered | Gate and site office | Shed positions, power from the temporary supply, induction for installers |
| Early works | WiFi added as sheds and the team grow | Materials compound added | Where deliveries and stored materials will sit |
| Main build | Fixed service live, with 4G/5G as backup | Cameras added or moved as the structure rises | Shed relocations and new laydown areas |
| Fit-out | Coverage extended to floors where supervisors and trades need it | Cameras on floors holding stored fittings | Higher-value stock on-site and after-hours access |
| Completion and handover | Team moves to the building's own service, or the network is packed down | Recordings kept as agreed, then cameras removed | Handover date, footage to keep, final pack-down visit |
Every project runs differently. Tell us the stages you already know about, and relocation visits can be planned rather than rushed.
Questions to settle with the head contractor and site manager
These come up on almost every construction site. Settling them early stops the network and cameras becoming a source of argument later.
- Whether the head contractor has its own IT rules for networks, devices or cameras
- Who approves camera positions and any areas cameras must not cover
- The signage and privacy requirements that apply for your state and site
- Where the recorder and network equipment will live, locked away
- Who can view the cameras, and from where
- Who receives the office, crew and visitor WiFi passwords
- Site induction and access requirements for installers
- Where power comes from at each shed and camera position
- Known dates for shed relocations or gate changes
- The handover date, and what happens to recordings afterwards
Handover: what happens to the network at completion
Near the end of a project the site team often moves into the finished building, and the temporary network has to go. Either the team switches to the building's own service and the site network is packed down, or both run side by side for a short overlap during the move. Agree which, and the date, before the final month.
Cameras need a decision too. Before they come down, agree which recordings the project needs to keep, who exports them and who holds them. Then cameras, switches, access points and recorder are removed, passwords are retired and the site is left clear. Our network and CCTV packages cover this full cycle, and construction site internet explains how the network is set up at the start.
Questions people ask
What are the internet options for a construction site office?
A construction site office can run on a 4G/5G router, a new fixed service ordered for the site address, or an existing building's service on refurbishments. Many projects start on 4G/5G, move to a fixed service once it's activated, and keep the mobile router as a backup. Project length and upload needs decide which fits.
How long does it take to get internet at a construction site?
A 4G/5G router can be working as soon as it's installed, if mobile signal is reasonable. A new fixed service at the site address can take from a couple of business days to several weeks to activate, depending on the address and existing equipment. Ask about the fixed service at site establishment.
Do construction site cameras need internet to record?
No. Construction site cameras record to a recorder on-site, usually in the locked site office, so they keep recording even if the internet drops. The internet is only used when someone views the cameras from off-site, which uses upload. On a 4G/5G connection, that upload is planned for when the connection is sized.
How do you get WiFi into steel site sheds?
Steel site sheds block WiFi, so each shed where people work usually gets its own access point. The sheds are linked back to the main router by cable or by mesh nodes that connect by radio, depending on the layout. One internet connection then serves the whole compound, with separate networks for office, crew and cameras.
Is 4G/5G fast enough for a construction site office?
4G/5G is often fast enough for a small site office if signal is strong where the router sits. Download for everyday work is usually manageable; upload is the limit, especially for progress photos, large drawings and off-site camera viewing. For longer projects or bigger teams, a fixed service with 4G/5G as backup is steadier.
Who should control WiFi passwords and camera access on a construction site?
The site manager, or whoever the head contractor nominates, should hold the admin details and decide who receives office, crew and visitor WiFi passwords and camera viewing access. Keep a written list, change the crew password when subcontractors finish if needed, and retire everything at handover. Camera viewing options are agreed in the plan.
What happens to site cameras and recordings at the end of a project?
At the end of a project, agree which recordings need to be kept, and who exports and stores them, before the cameras come down. Then cameras, recorder, switches and access points are removed together, passwords are retired and the site is left clear. Leaving the decision to the final day risks losing footage the project needed.
Sources
Planning figures on this page are starting points. Every network is confirmed against the actual site.
