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Managed Network Upgrade for a 60-Person Abu Dhabi Office
Replacing a legacy unmanaged switch network with a full Huawei eKit managed infrastructure — eliminating broadcast storms, restoring VoIP reliability, deploying WiFi 6, and adding full VLAN separation.
The Challenge
A 60-person professional services firm in Abu Dhabi had been running on a network of consumer-grade unmanaged switches for several years. The problems had become severe: broadcast storms were occurring once or twice a week, bringing down the entire network for 15–30 minutes at a time. VoIP phones — a critical tool for client calls — were dropping calls unpredictably due to contention on the flat network. There was no VLAN separation, meaning staff devices, guest WiFi, and VoIP phones all shared the same broadcast domain. The IT manager had zero visibility — no traffic monitoring, no fault alerts, nothing.
What the Client Needed
- ✓Managed switches with Spanning Tree Protocol to eliminate broadcast storms permanently
- ✓VLAN segmentation: separate VLANs for staff, VoIP phones, guest WiFi, and management
- ✓QoS configuration on the core switch and gateway to prioritise VoIP traffic
- ✓WiFi 6 access points replacing existing consumer routers in the open-plan floor
- ✓Centralised management — single dashboard for switches, APs, and router
The Solution
Netbiz Technology supplied and configured a complete Huawei eKit managed network. The S530-24T4X acts as the core switch, handling inter-VLAN routing and uplink aggregation to the AR160FG gateway. Three S110-8P2ST 8-port PoE access switches distribute to three floor zones, each connected via uplink to the core. Four AP362E WiFi 6 access points replaced the existing consumer units, providing consistent coverage across the open-plan office, two meeting rooms, and reception. All four VLANs were configured and DSCP-based QoS applied for VoIP.
Network Design Overview
Internet edge: AR160FG gateway — internet routing, firewall, DHCP server per VLAN, and QoS policy enforcement.
Core layer: S530-24T4X — inter-VLAN routing, trunk uplinks to three S110 access switches and four AP362E access points.
Access layer: Three S110-8P2ST PoE access switches — one per floor zone, serving desk ports and powering APs.
VLAN map: VLAN 10 (staff data), VLAN 20 (VoIP — QoS EF class), VLAN 30 (guest WiFi, internet-only), VLAN 99 (management).
Management: Huawei iMaster NCE-Campus — single dashboard showing all switches, AP uptime, port utilisation, and PoE consumption.
Products Supplied
Huawei eKit S530-24T4X
Core Managed Switch
1 unit — core aggregation, inter-VLAN routing, uplink
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Huawei eKit S110-8P2ST
8-Port PoE Access Switch
3 units — workgroup access switches per floor zone
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Huawei eKit AP362E
Wall-Mount WiFi 6 Access Point
4 units — open plan, meeting rooms, reception
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Huawei eKit AR160FG
Business Gateway / Router
1 unit — internet gateway with firewall and QoS
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Results
0
Network storms since the managed switch upgrade
3x
WiFi throughput improvement with WiFi 6 APs
100%
VoIP call stability — zero unexplained drops
4
VLANs: staff, VoIP, guests, and management
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes network storms in an office and how are they fixed?
Network storms (broadcast storms) are caused by looped cable connections and the lack of Spanning Tree Protocol on unmanaged switches. Managed switches run STP automatically, detecting and blocking loop paths before a storm starts. Replacing unmanaged switches with managed switches is the definitive fix.
Why do VoIP calls drop on a business network?
VoIP calls drop when there is no Quality of Service (QoS) prioritisation on the network. Without QoS, large file transfers consume bandwidth, starving voice packets of the low-latency delivery they need. Managed switches with QoS mark VoIP traffic as high priority so voice is always delivered first.
What is the best managed switch for a 60-person office in Abu Dhabi?
A Huawei eKit S530-24T4X core switch combined with S110-8P2ST access switches is effective for a 60-person office. The S530 handles uplink aggregation and inter-VLAN routing, while the S110 units distribute to workgroups — all managed via the Huawei iMaster NCE-Campus platform.
Time to Upgrade Your Office Network in UAE?
Netbiz Technology designs and supplies Huawei eKit managed networks for offices across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and the UAE. Contact us for a free network assessment.