S E R V I C E
Retail Fit-Out Cabling, Wi-Fi and CCTV in Melbourne
POS and EFTPOS cabling, internet with failover, store and customer Wi-Fi, cameras and door access for shop fit-outs, refits and new store openings.
For a retail fit-out in Melbourne, Kookaburra Comms cables the POS, EFTPOS and back office, sets up internet with 5G failover, separates payment systems from staff and customer Wi-Fi, and installs CCTV and stockroom door access. We work to the shopfitter's programme and centre rules, and use one standard design for every store in a chain or franchise.
Key facts
- A store that can't take card payments can't trade, so EFTPOS and POS need an internet path that survives a fixed-line outage.
- Customer Wi-Fi should sit on its own network, kept apart from POS, EFTPOS and back-office systems.
- Cameras, door access and Wi-Fi all need cable, so they cost least when they're planned into the fit-out rather than added after opening.
Common use cases
- New store fit-outs and refits in shopping centres and on the high street
- Franchise store openings that must follow a head-office specification
- Retail chains standardising every store on one network design
- Pop-up and short-term stores that need to trade quickly
- Adding cameras and stockroom access control to an existing store
What's included
- Data cabling for POS terminals, EFTPOS, printers, back office and access points
- Business internet with 5G failover, so payments keep working if the fixed line drops
- Separate networks for payment systems, staff devices and customer Wi-Fi
- CCTV over entries, counters, stock areas and the back door, with retention sized to need
- Access control for stockrooms, back-of-house and staff entries
- 8x8 cloud phones where the store needs them
- A standard design, pre-staged hardware and documentation for multi-store rollouts
The communications side of a shop fit-out
A shopfitter builds the store. The communications have to be ready when the doors open, and they depend on decisions made weeks earlier. Those decisions are where the POS and EFTPOS sit, where the access points and cameras go, where the comms cabinet lives, and whether the internet has been ordered.
We plan and install that side of the fit-out:
- Cabling. Runs to the registers, EFTPOS, printers, back office, access points, cameras and doors, terminated, tested and labelled.
- Internet with failover. A fixed service plus 5G, so card payments keep working when the fixed line drops.
- Separate networks. Payment systems, staff devices and customer Wi-Fi each get their own network.
- Cameras and doors. CCTV over entries, counters and stock, and access control on the stockroom and staff entry.
- Phones. 8x8 cloud phones where the store needs a line, with the number ported if it’s moving.
The work runs to the shopfitter’s programme. Cabling goes in before the ceilings and joinery close, and the network is tested before stock arrives.
Keeping the store trading when the internet drops
For a shop, an internet outage means no card payments. That’s why a franchise fit-out checklist may require a backup connection. “Install 5G failover” usually means a second internet service over the mobile network. The store’s gateway switches to it automatically when the fixed line fails, then switches back.
It works well when mobile coverage inside the shop is good, which isn’t guaranteed in a basement or the middle of a large centre. We test coverage on site before relying on it, and use an external antenna or a different carrier where needed. Business internet failover explains how it works.
Store Wi-Fi for customers and staff
Customer Wi-Fi is a service to shoppers. It shouldn’t be a path into the business. We put it on its own network with no route to the POS, EFTPOS or back office, and limit its bandwidth so it can’t slow the registers. Staff tablets and handheld scanners get a separate network, and the payment systems another.
Access points are positioned for the shop floor and stockroom, not wherever the cable was easiest to run.
Opening more than one store
For a retail chain or franchise group, the problem is consistency. When each store is set up by whoever was available locally, they drift apart. You end up with different hardware, network names and documentation, and a different person to call each time.
We turn the head-office specification into one standard store design. Hardware is configured and pre-staged in Melbourne, so each store is installed the same way, and every store is managed from one cloud console. Adding a new location becomes a repeat of a known job rather than a new project. Interstate stores of a Victorian group are pre-staged and supported remotely in the same way.
Pop-ups and short-term sites
A pop-up needs to trade quickly and leave cleanly. A business 5G service can often be in place much faster than a fixed connection, with a compact network for payments and staff, and everything can move with the business to the next site.
Why Kookaburra Comms
- Experience fitting out retail locations, alongside offices and commercial sites
- One team for cabling, network, internet, cameras and doors, working to the shopfitter's programme
- Hardware pre-staged in Melbourne, so each new store is installed the same way
- After-hours work for stores that can't close during trading
Frequently asked questions
- Is 5G reliable enough to run EFTPOS if the store's internet goes down?
- As a backup, usually yes, provided mobile coverage at the shop is genuinely usable, which we check on site rather than from a coverage map. The fixed service carries the store day to day, and the gateway switches payments and POS to 5G automatically when the fixed line fails.
- Should customer Wi-Fi be on the same network as the POS?
- No. Customer Wi-Fi goes on its own network with no route to payment terminals, POS or back-office systems, and usually a bandwidth limit so a customer streaming video can't slow the registers. Staff devices get a separate network again.
- Can you work to a franchise or head-office fit-out specification?
- Yes. We build to the specification you've been given and tell you early if something in it doesn't suit the site, such as a failover requirement where mobile coverage is poor. For a group opening stores regularly, we can turn the specification into a standard design that every store follows.
- Can you install in a shopping centre?
- Yes. Centres usually have their own rules for contractor access, working hours and how services enter the tenancy. We work to the centre's requirements and coordinate with the shopfitter so communications fit the fit-out programme.
- Where should cameras go in a shop?
- Over every entry and exit, the counter and registers, the stockroom, the back door and any high-value stock. Entry cameras are positioned to identify faces, while others give an overview. Retention is set from how long it usually takes the business to notice an incident.
Helpful guides
- Retail Store Fit-Out Technology Checklist — POS, 5G failover, store Wi-Fi and CCTV, in fit-out order.
- Rolling Out Networks Across a Retail Chain — A standard store template for chains and franchise groups.
- Business Internet Failover & Redundancy — How a second connection keeps the store trading.
- How Many Security Cameras Does a Business Need, and Where? — Planning camera positions before the quote.
- UniFi vs Meraki vs Cisco vs Aruba vs Fortinet — Choosing a platform for a multi-store rollout.
Related services
- Commercial Fit-Outs — The full communications package for new builds and extensions.
- Business Internet — NBN, Fibre & 5G — The fixed service and the 5G failover behind the EFTPOS.
- Security Systems & Cameras — Commercial CCTV and UniFi Protect.
- Ubiquiti Network Services — One cloud-managed network across every store.
Talk to Kookaburra Comms
Get a no-commitment quote for retail fit-out communications across Melbourne, regional Victoria or interstate. Call 03 9008 4199 or send a message.
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