New Office IT Setup Checklist: 25 Things to Do Before Day One

25 items to complete before your first day — so your first week is spent on business, not IT emergencies

On the opening day of a new office in Ngu Hanh Son district, a design firm's director (eight employees) discovered: the Wi-Fi router was misconfigured, the network printer would not connect, three new laptops had no Office installed, and no one knew the NAS password. The first week — the most important window for making an impression on new clients — was consumed by emergency IT calls.

The 25-item checklist below is what Vietify works through on every new office setup engagement in Da Nang. Complete it before opening day and your team starts focused on revenue, not troubleshooting.

This checklist is specifically useful for:

• Foreign-invested companies opening Vietnam offices for the first time
• Vietnamese SMBs relocating or expanding to a new location
• Expat business owners unfamiliar with the local IT supply chain

How to Use This Checklist

• Print and tick each item when complete
• Assign ownership: mark who is responsible for each item (IT contractor, admin, CEO)
• Start at least two weeks before your opening date — several items have lead times

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Group A: Network Infrastructure (Must be complete before Day 1)

A1. Business internet contract — Sign with VNPT, Viettel, or FPT on a Business plan (better SLA guarantees than residential). Installation takes 3–7 business days. Book at least two weeks in advance. In Da Nang, Viettel Business fiber is generally the most reliable for offices in Hai Chau and Ngu Hanh Son districts.

A2. Business-grade router and access points — Consumer-grade routers (TP-Link WR-740N etc.) are not designed for 10+ concurrent devices. Minimum: a router with QoS + a dedicated Wi-Fi access point. For 10–30 users: Ubiquiti UniFi or Cisco Meraki. Order a week early — these ship from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

A3. Ethernet cabling for fixed workstations — Wi-Fi is convenient but not as stable as wired connections. Desktop computers, network printers, cameras, and NAS devices should all be on CAT6 cable. Arrange cable installation at the same time as the internet line.

A4. Firewall — Protects the entire office network. Minimum: SPI firewall built into the router. For businesses handling sensitive data (finance, healthcare, legal): add a Fortinet FortiGate or pfSense appliance.

A5. Separate guest Wi-Fi — Clients visiting the office should be on a guest SSID isolated from your internal network. Configure on the access point with a bandwidth cap.

A6. Full network test — Run a speed test at five locations in the office. Check for Wi-Fi dead zones. Confirm every machine can connect via both LAN and Wi-Fi before moving in.

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Group B: Computers and Devices (Complete before Day 1)

B1. Purchase and set up computers — Order enough machines and install Windows 10 or 11 Pro (not Home — Home lacks Group Policy and domain join, which are essential for business management). If using Managed IT, enroll devices in Azure AD during setup.

B2. Install required software — Minimum list: Office or Microsoft 365, antivirus, accounting software (if applicable), and any industry-specific tools. Do not install cracked software — run Vietify License Checker on every machine before the office opens.

B3. Individual user accounts for every employee — Do not share a single Windows login. Create a separate account per person with Standard User privileges (not Administrator). This limits the damage from accidental or malicious actions.

B4. Network printer — A network-connected printer allows everyone to print without being physically plugged in. Install drivers on all machines and run a test print before Day 1.

B5. UPS (uninterruptible power supply) — At minimum, cover the server, NAS, and main network equipment. Power cuts are infrequent but do happen in Da Nang — a UPS prevents data loss and hardware damage during unexpected outages.

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Group C: Email and Communication (Complete before Day 1)

C1. Business email domain — Set up email at yourdomain.com (not @gmail.com). Options: Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Purchase the domain first if you do not already have one. See our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace comparison to decide which fits your team.

C2. Email accounts for all staff — Create an address for each employee following a consistent format (firstname.lastname@yourdomain.com or firstname@yourdomain.com). Store credentials in a password-protected file controlled by the admin.

C3. Shared mailboxes (info@, sales@, support@) — Set up at least one shared address for inbound customer inquiries. Multiple people can access it but one person owns it.

C4. Video conferencing — Microsoft Teams (included in M365) or Google Meet (in Google Workspace) or Zoom. Configure a virtual meeting room and run a test call before your first client meeting. In Vietnam, Teams and Zoom are both widely used by foreign-invested businesses.

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Group D: Storage and Backup (Complete before Week 2)

D1. Cloud storage for business files — OneDrive for Business (M365) or Google Drive (Google Workspace). All working documents must be saved to cloud storage, not only on individual laptops. This is the single most important protection against data loss.

D2. NAS or file server (if needed) — For large internal files (CAD drawings, video, photography), a NAS device (Synology DS223+ or equivalent) provides on-site shared storage. Set user permissions by department.

D3. Automated backup — Enable OneDrive PC Folder Backup on every machine. For NAS or servers: configure daily backup to cloud using Veeam Free or Acronis. Test a restore before it matters.

D4. Accounting software database backup — Misa and Fast databases need a separate backup procedure. Schedule daily automatic backups to an external drive or cloud storage. Run one test restore to confirm it works.

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Group E: Security (Complete before Day 1)

E1. Strong unique passwords on every device — Router, NAS, individual computers, email accounts, and the router admin panel all need strong, different passwords. Use a password manager or at minimum a locked spreadsheet.

E2. Two-factor authentication on business email — Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace support 2FA. Enable it on all admin accounts on Day 1.

E3. Antivirus on every machine — Windows Defender is enabled by default on Windows 10 and 11 and provides solid baseline protection. For higher-risk environments (finance, healthcare): upgrade to Bitdefender GravityZone for centrally managed endpoint protection.

E4. Software license audit — Run Vietify License Checker on every machine before the office opens. Identify and remove any cracked software. Getting caught with unlicensed software during a government inspection results in fines of 15–25 million VND per machine.

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Group F: Physical Security and Cameras

F1. IP cameras — At minimum: one camera covering the main entrance, one covering any high-value area. Choose cloud-enabled cameras (viewable remotely via mobile app). Hikvision and Dahua are the most common brands in Vietnam.

F2. Camera storage — Configure 24/7 recording to a local NAS or cloud storage. Vietnamese law requires retaining footage for a minimum of 30 days.

F3. Access control — If the office includes a server room or area with sensitive materials: card access or a PIN lock provides a basic layer of physical security.

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Recommended Timeline: 2 Weeks Before Opening

Day	Tasks
T-14	Sign internet contract, order network equipment and computers
T-10	Install cabling, router, and access points
T-7	Receive computers, set up Windows and software
T-5	Configure business email, create employee accounts
T-3	Set up cloud storage, backup, NAS
T-2	Security check, run License Checker on all machines, change all default passwords
T-1	Full test: print, send email, join a meeting, restore one file from backup
T-0	Opening day — IT ready

Budget Estimate: New Office IT for 10 People in Vietnam (2026)

Item	Estimated cost (VND)
10 laptops (Core i5, 16GB RAM)	70–120 million
Router/AP (Ubiquiti UniFi basic setup)	5–10 million
Network printer	3–8 million
UPS for network equipment	2–4 million
Microsoft 365 Business Standard × 10 (1 year)	25 million
Antivirus (or included in M365 Premium)	0–8 million
4× IP cameras + NVR	5–10 million
Installation and configuration (Vietify)	5–15 million
Total	~115–195 million VND

Actual costs depend on hardware specifications and complexity. Contact Vietify for a detailed quote matched to your requirements.

Managed IT vs. Self-Setup

Self-setup makes sense when:

• You have an in-house IT person
• The office is small (<5 people) with simple requirements
• Budget is very tight

Managed IT makes sense when:

• You have no in-house IT
• You want everything done correctly from day one without the risk of missing items
• You want ongoing support after the office opens
• You are a foreign-invested company unfamiliar with local suppliers and regulations

Vietify offers a full turnkey new office setup service — planning, procurement, installation, and staff training in one engagement. See Da Nang IT services.

Conclusion

These 25 items reflect what Vietify has learned from 100+ new office setup projects in Da Nang. Completing them before opening day means your first week is focused on customers — not on fixing the printer, resetting passwords, or tracking down a lost license key.

Next step: print this checklist, assign each item to someone, and set a deadline. If you need help with any item — contact Vietify for a free consultation and quote.

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Read more:

• Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace 2026: Which for Vietnamese SMBs?
• Free Software License Checker: Audit Your Business Software
• IT Services Da Nang — Vietify

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Vietify IT Services — Full turnkey new office IT setup in Da Nang, Vietnam. Updated: June 2026 | Author: Thanh Nguyen, Founder