The short version
A warehouse network has to do more than an office one. Scanners and forklift terminals move constantly through racking that blocks Wi-Fi. Cameras cover docks, yards and fences as well as doors. Secure rooms need entry logs, and the whole site stops picking and dispatching when the internet drops.
For regulated storage, add one more rule. Design to the security conditions in your own licence, not to a general checklist.
| Area | What to plan | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Access points around the aisles and stock | Designing in the empty building |
| CCTV | Coverage, lighting and retention | Choosing cameras before deciding retention |
| Access control | Secure rooms, cages and staff entries | Logs nobody reviews or keeps long enough |
| Internet | Fixed service with 5G failover | Relying on one service for dispatch |
| Yards and second buildings | Fibre or point-to-point wireless | Consumer Wi-Fi bridges |
Warehouse Wi-Fi installation: scanners, forklifts and racking
Full racking absorbs and reflects Wi-Fi. A design that tested well before the stock arrived can leave dead spots halfway down the aisles once it does. Plan access points around the aisles, at heights suited to the ceiling and racking, and survey with the shelves stocked where possible.
Scanners and forklift terminals move while they work, so roaming matters as much as coverage. The device needs to hand over from one access point to the next without dropping its session. Check what your devices support before choosing the design, because some older scanners only work on older Wi-Fi standards.
Large buildings also hit cable limits. Copper Ethernet runs stop at 100 metres, so switching often sits in more than one place, linked by fibre. Docks and yards need outdoor-rated access points.
Warehouse CCTV installation: coverage and retention
Decide retention before choosing cameras. Work out how long it usually takes your business to notice a loss, then add any period your insurer or licence requires. That number drives storage, and storage drives the recorder.
Then plan coverage:
- Entries and docks. Position cameras to identify people and read vehicle plates, with lighting that works at night.
- Secure rooms and cages. A camera on each controlled door lets you check an entry log against the footage.
- Yards and fences. Overview cameras with enough light, or cameras that handle low light well.
- Stock areas. Overview coverage of high-value aisles and dispatch benches.
Put cameras on their own network segment, and check the PoE budget on the switches that feed them. The security cameras guide covers placement in more detail.
Access control for a secure storage room
A secure room, cage or vault needs more than a key. Electronic access control logs which credential opened the door and when, limits access by person and time, and lets you revoke a credential the day someone leaves. On UniFi Access, door events sit alongside the camera footage in the same console.
Each door still needs the right locking hardware, power with battery backup, a request-to-exit arrangement, and egress that meets fire requirements. Those are decided door by door, often with an electrician or locksmith.
Decide early who can view the entry logs, how long they are kept, and who can change access rights. Limit administrator accounts on the security system and the network to the people who need them.
Security requirements for a medicinal cannabis warehouse in Australia
The Office of Drug Control regulates the cultivation and production of medicinal cannabis. Manufacture of, and patient access to, medicinal cannabis products is shared between the Commonwealth and the states and territories. Kookaburra Comms’ customers include medicinal cannabis distribution offices, and the starting point is always the same: the security conditions in the licence or permit your business actually holds.
The ODC publishes a security guideline written for the cultivation, production and manufacture of medicinal cannabis. If your site stores or distributes finished products, your conditions may come from a different licence or permit, so confirm with the relevant regulator. For the licences it covers, and with examples written for cannabis above 1% THC, the guideline says:
- Accepted security arrangements become part of the licence conditions, and changes must be reported to the ODC. Moving a camera or changing a door can be a licence matter.
- The mandatory access control requirement includes recording movements at both internal and external perimeters.
- Cannabis should be protected by two or more layers of intruder resistant barriers. For refined product, one of those layers should be a secure storage unit such as a safe, vault or strong room.
- Video recording only counts as a detection control when it is actively monitored.
- Video recordings should be kept for at least 30 days, and electronic access records for the period of the licence.
- There should be controls on who can access and operate security and surveillance equipment, including monitoring of IT administrators and audits of their access.
Those last points are where the network matters. Recording, retention, admin accounts and audit logs all live on the system we install, so they need to be set up to match the conditions and documented.
Kookaburra Comms designs and installs the cameras, access control, network and recording. Intruder alarm monitoring and guarding are separate services. If a condition is unclear, confirm it with the regulator before the design is locked in, because moving cameras or door hardware after installation costs far more.
Comparing 5G business internet plans for warehouses and logistics
When the internet drops, a distribution site cannot scan, pick or dispatch. Most warehouses are best served by a fixed service as the primary connection and 5G as automatic failover.
When comparing 5G plans for a warehouse, check:
- Signal inside the building, because metal cladding and racking can weaken it
- Whether an external antenna is supported if indoor signal is poor
- Data allowance, if 5G may carry the site for days during an outage
- Static IP availability, if remote access or cameras depend on it
- Business support and fault handling
Business internet failover covers how the switchover works.
Business fibre quotes for warehouses in the outer suburbs
Online address checkers give a quick indication for standard services. Higher-grade business fibre is usually quoted per address, and an outer-suburban industrial estate may need construction before fibre reaches the building. Two warehouses on the same estate can have different options.
A carrier-independent provider can qualify the address across several carriers and return what can actually be delivered. Kookaburra Comms qualifies business internet address by address. Send the address before signing a lease if you can.
Yards and second buildings
A yard office, gatehouse or second building needs to join the main network for cameras, access control and scanning. Fibre is the best option where a cable path exists or can be built at sensible cost. Where trenching would be expensive or disruptive, a point-to-point wireless link between buildings with clear line of sight is often the better answer.
Helpful starting points
For the whole site, start with warehouse and distribution, which covers Wi-Fi, CCTV, access control and internet together. For secure rooms, cages and vaults, see access control and door entry. For camera coverage and retention, see security systems and cameras.