S E R V I C E
Internet, Networks and Phones for Accounting, Law and Professional Services Offices in Melbourne
Internet sized for cloud apps and file sync, secure remote access, client Wi-Fi kept off the office network, and cloud phones with recording, for accounting firms, law firms, financial planners and consultancies.
Most accounting firms, law firms and other professional services offices working in cloud apps are well served by business NBN fibre sized for upload, with 5G failover on a different network. Dedicated fibre or Enterprise Ethernet earns its cost when upload is regularly saturated, the office hosts systems others reach remotely, or the firm needs a faster restoration target. Kookaburra Comms installs that alongside secure remote access, client Wi-Fi kept off the office network, and 8x8 cloud phones with recording, and works with your IT provider on the computers and software.
Key facts
- For an office working in cloud apps, upload capacity is usually what runs out first, because file sync, scanning, video meetings and calls all send data out.
- The Tax Practitioners Board has said that a registered tax practitioner who has been incompetent or reckless about IT controls, leading to a confidentiality breach, may face sanctions under the Code of Professional Conduct.
- A VPN's security comes from the gateway configuration and multi-factor sign-in, not from the internet provider, but the service type decides whether the office can be reached from outside at all.
Common use cases
- Accounting and bookkeeping firms moving files and practice software to the cloud
- Law firms, conveyancers and financial planners handling confidential client documents
- Consultancies and agencies running video meetings and large file transfers all day
- Offices with an on-site server that staff need to reach from home or another office
- Firms with two or more offices that should work the same way
- Office fit-outs, moves and expansions onto another floor
What's included
- Address qualification and a business NBN, Enterprise Ethernet or fibre service sized for upload
- 5G failover on a different network, with calls and cloud apps prioritised
- Gateway firewall, remote-access VPN with multi-factor sign-in, and site-to-site links between offices
- Separate networks for staff, phones, printers and devices, and client Wi-Fi with internet access only
- 8x8 cloud phones with call recording, a receptionist console and Microsoft Teams options
- Data cabling, meeting-room connections and Wi-Fi designed for the floor plan
- Fit-out and relocation coordination, with documentation handed to the firm and its IT provider
What a professional services office needs from its communications
Accounting firms, law firms, financial planners and consultancies have similar needs. Staff live in cloud apps and shared files, spend much of the day on calls and video meetings, and handle client information that has to stay confidential. Clients visit and want Wi-Fi. Some staff work from home part of the week.
We look after the communications layer of that office:
- Internet. A business NBN or fibre service sized for upload, with 5G failover.
- Remote access. A gateway with firewall, VPN and multi-factor sign-in, and links between offices.
- Separate networks. Staff, phones, printers and devices, and client Wi-Fi with internet access only.
- Phones. 8x8 cloud phones with call recording where the firm needs it, and Microsoft Teams options.
- Cabling and moves. Desks, meeting rooms and the comms rack, for fit-outs, expansions and relocations.
Computers, servers, Microsoft 365 and practice software stay with your IT provider. We agree the boundary with them at the start, so nothing falls between the two.
Fibre or NBN for a professional services office?
The question is usually between a shared business NBN service, often on fibre to the premises, and a dedicated fibre service such as NBN Enterprise Ethernet or carrier fibre. Both run on fibre. The differences are whether bandwidth is shared, whether upload matches download, the restoration target, the lead time and the cost.
| Business NBN | Enterprise Ethernet or dedicated fibre | |
|---|---|---|
| Suits | Most small and mid-sized firms working in cloud apps | Upload-heavy offices, head offices hosting shared systems, firms that can’t wait on a best-effort repair |
| Upload | Often lower than download, depending on the plan | Symmetrical speed tiers |
| Restoration | Depends on the plan and provider | Stronger commitments, set out in the service terms |
| Lead time | Shortest at an already-serviced address | Longer, sometimes with construction |
| Cost | Lower | Higher, sometimes with a build charge |
Our usual recommendation for a firm of up to a few dozen people in cloud apps is business NBN fibre sized for upload, with 5G failover on a different network. Move to dedicated fibre when upload is regularly the limit, when the office hosts a server or document system that other offices or remote staff reach, or when a day’s outage costs more than the price difference over the contract. NBN business fibre vs Enterprise Ethernet vs 5G compares the options in detail, and how much business internet do you need covers sizing.
Moving the firm to the cloud: will the internet cope?
Moving files and practice software to the cloud moves load onto the internet service. Every file opened, saved or synced now crosses it, and scanning to the cloud is upload. Three things catch firms out:
- The first sync. Uploading the existing file archive can run for days. Schedule it after hours, or limit the sync’s bandwidth so calls and video still work.
- Upload during the day. Several people on video meetings while files sync is where a connection with a low upload speed runs out.
- The outage that used to be minor. Once files and software are in the cloud, losing the internet stops the office. That’s the point to add failover.
We measure the current service at a busy time before recommending a change. Sometimes the fix is scheduling and traffic prioritisation rather than a bigger plan.
Secure remote access and VPNs
Remote access is a gateway question more than an internet provider question. On the UniFi gateways we install, the remote-access VPN, site-to-site links between offices and firewall rules are all configured in one place. Remote access should require multi-factor sign-in.
What the internet service does decide is whether the office can be reached from outside. A business plan with a static public IP suits a firm whose staff connect in to an on-site server or whose offices link together. Many mobile services, and some low-cost fixed plans, sit behind carrier-grade NAT and can’t accept incoming connections. If the firm has moved everything to cloud apps, a VPN to the office may no longer be needed, and the effort is better spent on multi-factor sign-in for those apps, which your IT provider sets up.
Client Wi-Fi and the office network
Clients in a meeting room need the internet, not the office network. We put client Wi-Fi on its own network that reaches the internet only, with a bandwidth limit, and keep staff computers, servers, printers and phones on separate networks. Multi-function printers and scanners get attention here, because they hold copies of client documents and are often the least-updated device in the office.
Cloud phones with recording
Financial planners, accountants and lawyers often want calls recorded, for file notes, disputes or compliance. On 8x8, recording can be turned on for the people or queues that need it, depending on the licence, with retention and access set deliberately rather than left at a default. 8x8 call recording, reporting and compliance covers what to decide and the notification rules. A receptionist console suits a front desk that transfers most calls, and firms on Microsoft Teams can use 8x8 inside Teams.
Privacy, the TPB and the Essential Eight
A firm’s obligations depend on what it does and its size, so confirm them with your adviser or professional body. Some reference points:
- Privacy Act. Businesses with annual turnover over $3 million are generally covered, along with some smaller ones, as the OAIC explains for small businesses. Covered businesses must take reasonable steps to protect personal information under Australian Privacy Principle 11.
- Tax practitioners. The Tax Practitioners Board notes that registered tax practitioners already have obligations to protect tax file number information, and that a confidentiality breach caused by incompetent or reckless IT controls may lead to sanctions under the Code of Professional Conduct. Its notifiable data breaches page sets this out.
- Essential Eight. The Australian Signals Directorate’s Essential Eight is a set of mitigation strategies designed to protect internet-connected IT networks, and a useful reference for a firm of any size. It covers patching applications and operating systems, multi-factor authentication, restricting admin privileges, application control, restricting Office macros, user application hardening and regular backups.
Most of those controls are applied on computers and in software. Our part is the network: the firewall, VPN with multi-factor sign-in, separated networks, secure Wi-Fi and locked-down admin access to the network equipment, documented so your IT provider and auditor can see what’s in place. We don’t certify compliance.
Office moves and fit-outs
When the firm moves or expands, the internet needs ordering the week the lease is signed, and cabling has to be in before the ceilings close. Office relocation and fit-out technology covers how we run a move, with the phones ported and the network working before staff arrive. To get started, send us the address and a rough headcount, and we’ll check what the building can get and how the current setup is performing.
Why Kookaburra Comms
- Internet, network, phones and cabling from one team, coordinated with the IT provider who looks after your computers and software
- Carrier-independent, so the connection is chosen for the address and the workload rather than from one provider's range
- ACMA registered cabler, Ubiquiti partner, 8x8 partner and Aussie Broadband Certified MSP Partner
- After-hours cutovers, so the office doesn't lose a working day
Frequently asked questions
- How do we choose between fibre and NBN for a professional services office?
- Start from upload and the cost of an outage, not download speed. Business NBN fibre suits most firms working in cloud apps. Enterprise Ethernet or dedicated fibre is worth the extra cost when upload is regularly saturated by file sync, scanning or video, when the office hosts systems that other offices or staff at home reach, or when the firm needs a faster restoration target than a best-effort service offers. Either way, add 5G failover.
- Our accounting firm is moving everything to the cloud. Will our current internet cope?
- Check upload at a busy time of day before the move. Cloud file sync, scanning to the cloud, video meetings and cloud phones all send data out, and the first upload of the file archive can saturate a connection for days, so schedule it after hours. If the office already struggles on calls or video, upgrade the service or move to fibre first, and add 5G failover, because once files live in the cloud an outage stops the office.
- Which internet provider should a small accounting firm choose for a secure VPN?
- The provider matters less than the setup. The VPN's security comes from the gateway configuration and multi-factor sign-in. What you need from the internet service is a business plan with a static public IP if staff or another office connect in, good upload, and business support. Many mobile services sit behind carrier-grade NAT and can't accept incoming VPN connections. If the firm is fully in the cloud, it may not need a VPN to the office at all.
- How do 5G business internet plans compare on security and uptime for a law firm?
- Security is much the same on any connection type: confidentiality depends on encryption in the firm's applications, the gateway, multi-factor sign-in and how devices are managed. Uptime is where 5G differs. It depends on coverage and congestion at the building, so it makes a strong backup but a less predictable primary for a permanent office. Test signal on site, then use 5G behind a fixed service.
- What is the best business broadband for accountants and professional services firms that need secure connections?
- Usually business NBN fibre, or Enterprise Ethernet for larger or upload-heavy offices, with 5G failover on a different network and a business-grade gateway doing the firewall, VPN and network separation. The secure part is the gateway and how it's configured, so choose the service for reliability, upload and support, and spend on the network behind it.
- Can clients use the Wi-Fi in our meeting rooms without reaching our files?
- Yes. Client Wi-Fi goes on its own network that reaches the internet only, with a bandwidth limit, and no route to staff computers, servers, printers or phones. The separation is set on the gateway and switches. A separate Wi-Fi name on the same network isn't enough, because devices on it can still see each other.
- Does Kookaburra Comms implement the Essential Eight for our firm?
- Not on its own. Most Essential Eight strategies, such as patching, application control, Office macro settings, admin privileges and backups, are applied on computers and in software, which is your IT provider's work. We cover the network side: the gateway and firewall, VPN with multi-factor sign-in, separated networks, secure Wi-Fi and admin access to the network equipment, documented so your IT provider can fit it into the firm's plan.
Helpful guides
- NBN Business Fibre vs Enterprise Ethernet vs 5G — The fibre-or-NBN decision in detail.
- How Much Business Internet Do You Actually Need? — Sizing the service from what runs at once.
- Business NBN vs Home NBN — What a business plan adds over a home plan.
- NBN Enterprise Ethernet Explained — Dedicated fibre with symmetrical speeds.
- Business Internet Failover & Redundancy — Keeping calls and cloud apps up when the line drops.
- Business 5G Internet — Where 5G fits for an office, as primary or backup.
- 8x8 Call Recording, Reporting and Compliance — Deciding what to record and who can listen.
- Office Wi-Fi Upgrade Planning — Separating staff, guest and device networks.
Related services
- Business Internet: NBN, Fibre & 5G — Choosing between NBN and fibre for the office, with 5G failover.
- Wi-Fi & Network Solutions — Staff, client and device networks kept apart.
- Business Phone Systems & UCaaS — Cloud phones with the existing numbers ported.
- 8x8 Cloud Communications — Recording, reporting and Teams integration on 8x8.
- Office Relocation & Fit-Out Technology — Moving the firm without losing a working day.
- Commercial Fit-Outs — Cabling and communications for a new or extended office.
- Data & Fibre Cabling — Desks, meeting rooms and the comms rack.
- Managed Services — Ongoing support for the network, internet and phones.
Talk to Kookaburra Comms
Get a no-commitment quote for professional services office communications across Melbourne, regional Victoria or interstate. Call 03 9008 4199 or send a message.
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