Network infrastructure finance
Fund a whole-network refresh as one project, covering the active hardware, the cabling and the installation that ties it all together.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance network infrastructure?
Yes, and network projects are financed routinely, though they are a mixed bag from a funder’s point of view. The active hardware — switches, routers, access points, controllers — is identifiable equipment with a modest resale market. The cabling, the containment and the days of engineer time are not recoverable at all. Most projects are funded on hire purchase or lease against the business. Used equipment is rarely funded. The complication is subscription licensing: a growing share of network hardware only functions with an active licence, and a funder cannot repossess a subscription, which pulls the deal further towards a covenant decision.
Used kit: Rarely. Grey-market and ex-lease switching is plentiful but funders avoid it, because licensing entitlement often does not transfer with second-hand hardware and that destroys what little recovery value exists.
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What would network infrastructure cost per month?
Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
How lenders treat it
A network refresh is the classic mixed proposal and I look at the breakdown before anything else. Switches and access points I can identify and there is a channel that buys them, so I give some weight to that. Cabling is gone the moment it is pulled, installation labour has no value at all, and subscription licences vanish with the account. On a typical quote that leaves me lending largely unsecured, which means the accounts, the bank statements and the trading history do the work. I look favourably on multi-site businesses with predictable revenue, and I am cautious where the hardware is a small fraction of a large professional services bill.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cisco Catalyst 9300 switch | Stackable access layer switch |
| Cisco Meraki MS130 switch | Cloud-managed access switch for branch offices |
| Juniper EX4400 switch | Enterprise access switch for campuses |
| Aruba CX 6300 switch | Campus access switch with stacking |
| Aruba Instant On 1960 switch | Smart managed switch for small sites |
| Ubiquiti UniFi Pro switches | Managed switches with power over Ethernet |
| DrayTek Vigor 2927 router | Dual-WAN router for small offices |
| Fortinet FortiGate 70G | Branch firewall appliance for smaller sites |
| Netgear PoE+ switches | Value switching for cameras and phones |
| APC Smart-UPS units | Power protection for comms cabinets |
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Who buys one
Multi-site retailers, hotels, schools, manufacturers and professional firms running networks that were built for a smaller business than the one they now have. The trigger is typically a move to new premises, a merger that leaves two incompatible networks, equipment reaching end of support, or a cyber assessment that flags flat unsegmented networks. Warehouses and factories come to us when coverage gaps start affecting scanning and stock systems on the floor.
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We publish the deals we arrange, with no client named and no rate quoted. See what we have funded in IT and office equipment.
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Network infrastructure finance questions
Can a network project be financed across several sites at once?
Yes, and funders generally prefer it that way. One application covering a co-ordinated rollout is easier to understand than a series of small site-by-site requests, and it usually gets a better reception. We will need a schedule showing what goes where, since the funder wants to know the location of equipment it is lending against.
How do subscription licences affect the application?
They shift it towards the business rather than the equipment. Cloud-managed platforms often stop functioning when the licence lapses, so a funder knows repossessed hardware may be worthless. That does not prevent funding — these deals are placed constantly — but it means your accounts carry more of the decision than the kit does.
Should the cabling go on the same agreement as the switches?
Usually yes for simplicity, as long as you understand the funder treats it as an unrecoverable element. Splitting cabling out rarely improves the outcome and adds paperwork. What does help is a quote that separates hardware, cabling and labour clearly, so the underwriter is not guessing at the mix.
We are moving offices. Can finance cover the new network before we move in?
Yes, and it is a common scenario. Funders are comfortable with equipment installed at a new address, provided they know where it will be and that the lease is in place. Timing matters more than anything: start the conversation before the fit-out programme locks in, because approvals are quicker than office moves.
Is it better to lease network hardware or own it?
Networks tend to be kept until they are genuinely obsolete, which nudges many businesses towards ownership via hire purchase. Leasing suits organisations standardised on cloud-managed platforms they expect to refresh as a matter of policy. Both structures are available; your accountant should advise on the tax and balance sheet treatment.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Get your quote
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.