I'm Moving Office – Do I Need to Upgrade My Firewall?
Your organisation has outgrown its existing premises a while ago, and now it's finally time to relocate. Whether you're scaling up, modernising your workspace, or taking advantage of faster connectivity, a move often brings an opportunity to refresh your IT infrastructure.
Upgrading the wireless network for a smooth worker experience is often the top priority, and that will bring demands on the network switching alongside the Wi-Fi Access Points. However, one critical component is frequently overlooked during planning- your firewall.
I was recently working with a business planning to move into a new, larger, and more modern premises. As we discussed the details and built network diagrams together, it became clear to me that their existing firewall purchased only a year previously was about to become a significant bottleneck with their new 10Gb internet line. This isn't an isolated case, and it serves as a great example of why reviewing your network edge is essential during any office move.
The Hidden Bottleneck: Your Firewall
Many organisations assume that their firewall will "just work" in the new location. After all, if it handled things fine before, why wouldn't it now?
The issue is simple- As internet speeds and internal network capabilities evolve, firewalls need to work harder and faster to keep up performance levels. Firewalls are not just security devices anymore—they actively inspect, decrypt, and manage traffic. This processing requires significant throughput power. I have outlined this organisation's network implications below:
Old office:
- 1Gb internet connection
- Standard Wi-Fi 5/6
- 1Gb switching infrastructure
In this legacy setup, all components were aligned at roughly the same performance level, with enough bandwidth to cope with the current number of users and organic growth. The only issues that arose were due to their growth outpacing their network capabilities.
New office:
- 10Gb internet connection
- Wi-Fi 7 deployment
- Multi-gig (2.5/5/10Gb) switches
As the firewall was designed to cope with 1Gb throughput, it simply cannot fully utilise a 10Gb circuit. Even though the network has been upgraded, the firewall throttles performance for everything behind it. The result?
- Underutilised bandwidth on the network
- Reduced performance during peak usage
- Poor user experience for cloud apps, VoIP, and video
It's Not Just About Internet Speed
Although the new faster internet line is the most glaring performance enhancement in the new office, the firewall isn't the only upgrade consideration. A move is often an opportunity to for broader infrastructure improvements, especially:
Wi-Fi 7 Adoption
Wi-Fi 7 introduces:
- Multi-gigabit throughput per device
- Lower latency
- Increased simultaneous device capacity
Although the number of end-user devices, such as laptops, and phones, that can currently benefit from WiFi 7 capabilities is limited, we expect that to change significantly over the next 12-24 months. When upgrading the wireless access points, our recommendation is to future-proof the deployment to ensure that it will be able to cope with client device improvements over the next 5-7 years. But the benefits of faster, more powerful internet are only realised if the upstream infrastructure can keep up.
A firewall limited to 1–2Gb throughput cannot support high-density Wi-Fi 7 environments effectively, and even devices with this capability will not be able to effectively use it, unless the network is built with this in mind.
Multi-Gig Switching
Modern access switches now support:
- 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb ports
- Increased PoE budgets for advanced access points
These upgrades allow traffic to pass through them with speeds previous reserved for datacentre deployments, but again, Your network is only as fast as its slowest point.
What is the true speed of my firewall?
Modern firewalls provide more than basic filtering:
- SSL/TLS inspection
- Intrusion prevention (IPS)
- Application control
- Malware scanning
Each of these reduces effective throughput. A firewall rated at "X Gbps" for basic routing may deliver significantly less once full security features are enabled. It is crucial to check the datasheet specs for a firewall and identify the true speed with all security features turned on, as well as comparing CPU and Memory utilisation on the existing firewall!
Key Questions to Ask Before You Move
When planning your new office, consider:
✅ 1. What is my new internet speed?
If you're moving from 1Gb to 10Gb, your firewall likely needs upgrading.
✅ 2. What is my real firewall throughput?
Check:
- Threat protection throughput
- VPN throughput (if applicable)
- SSL inspection performance
✅ 3. Am I upgrading wireless?
Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 deployments increase demand on the entire network.
✅ 4. Are my switches multi-gig?
If yes, your firewall should match that capability—or it becomes the choke point.
✅ 5. How many users/devices will I have?
✅ 6. What are my growth plans over the next 3-5 years?
Growth expectations matter just as much as current requirements to ensure that the bandwidth is fully utilised, security devices run without impacting performance, and the network is future ready.
What happens if I don't upgrade?
Sticking with an underpowered firewall can lead to:
- ❌ Poor application performance (Teams, Zoom, SaaS apps)
- ❌ Latency spikes under load and potential dropped sessions due to the firewall going into conservation mode or disabling security features
- ❌ Frustrated users and lost productivity
- ❌ Wasted investment in high-speed internet
- ❌ Reduced effectiveness of new Wi-Fi infrastructure
Ironically, the firewall- intended to protect and optimise- ends up limiting the entire environment.
In Summary:
An office move is more than a change of location—it's a chance to modernise your IT.
Upgrading your internet, Wi-Fi, and switching is a great step forward, but without aligning your firewall capabilities, you risk creating a critical bottleneck.
If your infrastructure is evolving, your firewall should too. Match your firewall to your new environment- not your old one.