Every care facility has one: the closet, the back room or the corner of the maintenance shop where the network equipment lives. Cables run in from every wing, a firewall blinks quietly and a collection of switches hums along. It is often hot, cluttered and shared with floor cleaner and spare mattresses. It is also the heart of the facility's network, and if it fails, nothing works.
A walk-through audit takes less than an hour and often reveals issues that are cheap to fix now and expensive to fix during an outage.
Bring a camera or phone, a notepad, a flashlight and your IT contact's phone number. If you do not have a network diagram, plan to start one. Take photos of the racks from the front and back before touching anything. You are inspecting, not rearranging.
Is the door locked, and who has keys or codes? A closet with a broken lock or a propped-open door is an open invitation.
Is access logged or limited to people with a reason to enter?
Is anything stored in there that does not belong, such as cleaning supplies, linens or boxes?
Are cameras or door sensors covering the entrance, where practical?
Physical access is covered by the HIPAA Security Rule's facility access control standard. An unlocked network closet is a finding waiting to happen.
Temperature: Is the room hot? Network equipment shortens its lifespan in heat. Check for ventilation or cooling and look for blocked vents on equipment.
Water: Look for pipes overhead, a history of leaks or floor drains nearby. Keep equipment off the floor.
Dust and debris: Heavy dust inside equipment can lead to overheating.
Fire protection: Know whether there is a suitable extinguisher, and do not store flammable materials there.
Is the equipment connected to an uninterruptible power supply, or UPS?
Is the UPS healthy? Check its display for battery warnings, and note the age. Batteries typically need replacement every few years.
How long would the UPS keep things running, and is it connected to a generator circuit?
Are outlets overloaded with power strips daisy-chained together?
Are the firewall, switches and main wireless controller all protected?
Are patch cables neatly dressed and labeled, or a tangle that nobody dares touch?
Are ports on the patch panel labeled with room numbers or locations?
Are any cables stretched tight, kinked or draped over sharp edges?
Are there unused cables plugged in that lead nowhere? Each may be an unneeded open port.
Unlabeled cabling slows every repair. A weekend of labeling pays off many times over.
Make a list of every device with make, model and approximate age.
Note devices that show amber or red lights, or unusual noises from fans.
Check whether the firewall, switches and access points are still supported by the manufacturer. End-of-support devices no longer get security updates.
Look for consumer-grade equipment, such as a small home router, which has no place in a clinical network.
Check that equipment is mounted in a rack or on a wall mount, not stacked on a shelf with cables hanging.
Is there a current network diagram, including IP address ranges and VLANs?
Is there a list of administrator logins stored securely, such as in a password manager, not on a sticky note inside the closet?
Do you know where the configuration backups of the firewall and switches are stored?
Is the internet provider's account number and support line written down?
Are there warranty and support contract details for key devices?
Ask your IT provider to confirm:
Default passwords have been changed on all devices.
Management interfaces are not reachable from the internet or guest networks.
Firmware is up to date.
Unused switch ports are disabled or placed on an isolated network.
Logging is sent somewhere that is reviewed.
Sort what you find into three groups:
Fix this week: unlocked door, overloaded power strips, missing labels.
Fix this quarter: failing UPS battery, missing documentation, cooling.
Budget for this year: end-of-support equipment and rack improvements.
Assign owners and dates and keep the photos with the audit date for your records. Repeat annually and after any renovation.
UnityCare IT performs on-site infrastructure assessments for care facilities across Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, including closet reviews, documentation and prioritized recommendations. If your closet has never had a formal look, we are happy to start there.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172