Stu Kushner | Progressive Office Cabling

About Stu Kushner

Stu Kushner began his career at Boeing Commercial Aircraft and then on to Hexcel and Case/Rixon where he specialized in CAD/CAM (computer design and robotics). In 1986, he started Progressive Office. The earliest years were about networking small businesses and providing IT support. But since 2008, the company has concentrated exclusively on providing office network cabling solutions. View all posts by Stu Kushner →

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Cabling Lessons Learned

14 Dec 2012

Stu Kushner

A magnetic field when running low voltages. Unfortunately, when this unshielded cabling creates a magnetic field created. Any electrical cabling bear by disrupts communication, slowing transmission or preventing Network cabling is a tricky. Even with a solid background, technicians without adequate knowledge and training can make mistakes that may shut down an entire system. Here are some typical mistakes seen in network cabling.

Plan for the Future. Cat5 may be the cheaper option, but can cause problems when upgrading is needed. Install Cat5e or Cat6 cables with options for upgrades to save labor costs.

Don’t Mix and Match. Twisted pair cabling was often out of the price range for many companies, so priority was given to data, while voice had with cheaper cabling. Now, VoIP has made voice equal to data in importance and need. Fortunately, a typical VoIP phone has a built-in Ethernet connection or pass-thru that is compatible with almost any data cable, which decreases installation costs.

Don't put Electrical Cables Next to Data Cables. Data cables use twisted pairs of wires inside that help produce transmissions altogether. This generally happens when the cables are running parallel, so if your cable is near a power line, lay them perpendicular to the power line.

Not Laying New Cable When You Need To. Ethernet switches are convenient, but can be misused. Mini-switches are often added to provide a few extra ports; but this can cause bottlenecks and instability. Add extra cable instead, if more network resources are needed.

Forgetting Cable Management. “Ladder racks” add extra cost to an installation, but they also make the installation look better, run better, and easier to maintain and update. Also, don't forget to color code or label your cables, so technicians can actually find the right cable later.

Pulling cable through a basket tray via remote control tank

30 Aug 2012

Stu Kushner

This video demonstrates how we used a remote control tank named Brutus to pull cable through a basket tray that is installed above the ceiling tiles in an office. For large cabling projects it is typically useful and necessary to install a ladder tray above the ceiling tiles to carry the large bundles of cables along the corridors of a floor. At this project, the General Contractor installed basket tray. Basket tray does not provide for easy access underneath which made it especially difficult to pull the cable along. Even getting a pull string through this tray was challenging. So, we bought a remote control tank. We named him Brutus. And we attached the pull string to his back and had him drive the string along the entire length of the tray.

Go Brutus!

International Cooperating Ministries – Cabling Project Notes

20 Aug 2012

Stu Kushner

Project Objectives and Details based on site survey by Richard Elbe

Number of Drops: 110 total cable drops

47 double network drops

1 single network drop

3 network printer drops

3 media box wallplates with (2 HDMI, 2 VGA and 3 RCA Jacks)

Ceiling: Non-plenum, separate ducting allows for Cat6 PVC cable rather than the more expensive plenum cable.

Racks: 6' x 19" Relay Rack

Switches: Five 24,port Netgear Gigabit switches that will leave room for 4 ports per switch for future expansion of the network.

Cat5e, Cat6/6a Cabling ,Structured Cabling

Do Not Use Basket Tray against a Tight Ceiling

8 Aug 2012

Stu Kushner

When a new office design is in its initial stages, it is critical to consider proper handling of utilities, power water and cabling inside the walls and ceiling. For cabling, it is necessary to use hooks to hold the cables above the drop ceiling. When the installation of cable involves large numbers of cables traversing lengthy expanses, it is normal to install cable ladder trays up in the ceiling to carry the bulk of the cable along the main corridors of the office. Cable ladders vary in quality and cable handling capabilities. The amount of cable and the budget of the project will determine the type of cable ladder that will be built.

A higher quality cable ladder will, in the long run, save time and money during the installation phase of a cabling project. The alternative to a cable tray is to install cable conduit. Considerations in choosing to use a cable ladder tray system include the following:

Office Phone Relocation Project for GFI

13 Jul 2012

Stu Kushner

Global Financial Integrity is relocating to a new office space in Washington, DC. We are assisting by installing network, phone and fax cabling into the new office. Additionally, we are going to relocate the phone system. Verizon will bring the service (in the form of a 25-pair cable) into the building and into the office. But we will need to physically move the phone equipment and reconnect it.

The three major challenges are:

Disconnecting and moving the equipment

Mounting and reconnecting the equipment in the new office

Working with Verizon to make sure that dial tones are reaching every phone

Here are some pictures of the phone system before the move.

US Court of Appeals Veterans Affairs – Cabling Project Notes

18 Jun 2012

Stu Kushner

Project Objectives (Do not call, this project has been COMPLETED)

Number of Drops: 360 (140 duals, and 20 quads)

Ceiling: Non-plenum, separate ducting

Racks: Enclosed, 19”, will already be installed by customer

Switches: Provided by customer, 48 port

Patch cables: None necessary. They will provide patch cables from wall plate to computers and from patch panels to switches.

Labeling and documentation of all cabling is important. How this looks is important to them. Please provide a spreadsheet of all wallplates and rooms.

Location is behind elevators.

All workstation runs will terminate in wiring closet behind elevators.

We will mount patch panels in this closet on the wall. Use 24port, Cat5e, patch panels.

They will mount racks for switches.

4 pairs of fiber will run from the closet to the server room on the same floor. We are to provide the cabling plant for the fiber.

Server Room:

2, 24 port patch panels per rack.

Cabling plant for fiber to switch closet.

Existing server room

They want cable management hardware to be part of the solution. What you see in this room is what they’re cleaning up and looking to make high end and professional in the new location. Photos here include existing fiber. Note the ceiling cable management rack. In the new location these will be in place in the server room and along the ceiling in the main hallways.

New server space - Roughed in area they’re moving to.

General Floor Space:

Quad drops in each office and cube in the technology area

Dual drops in all other offices

6 drops for cable t.v.

Wall facing outside is already dry walled and insulated

Part of that wall has large window with wall space under it. Customer is unsure if drops will go there or anywhere along that outside wall.

Includes the outside wall. They’re not sure if there will be drops along this wall. If so it’ll be interesting because of the insulation. Also note that they MAY want drops under the windows along this wall.

There are some pictures of the ceiling details. Also note that the client will already have cabling runners ceiling mounted down the middle of the two main hallways to the server room.

Special Fiber Optic Line Item Bid:

US Court of Appeals wants this as a line item so they can choose to add this work or not when they’re doing the budget.

Fiber runs between floors. The floor plan represents the 6th floor. 14 runs broken out as follows. A single 6-strand fiber cable will be run from the 6th to each floor in the table below. Three strands will be connected and three will be left as spares.

# of Runs	Floor
3	11th
3	10th
3	9th
3	2nd
2	Mezzanine

12’ ceilings, concrete floors.

Conduit already exists between the floors. We have to repack the conduit we use with fire stop putty to meet fire code. See photos of the “Switch closet” for conduit images.

Network Cabling, Data Cabling, Cat5e, Cat6/6a Cabling,voip

Constant Contact is Critical for Business Success

29 Jun 2011

Stu Kushner

Network Cabling, Data Cabling, Cat5e, Cat6/6a Cabling,voip Creating a happy and loyal customer base is difficult, if not impossible, without the ability to stay in contact. By upgrading from a traditional land line based phone system to a much more versatile VOIP phone system you can provide your employees with the communication platform they need for success.

Unlike traditional land line based business phone systems a voice over internet protocol system can easily be integrated with other methods of communication. With VOIP calls can be easily forwarded to cell phones and voice mail messages can easily be forwarded to e-mail inboxes. This allows employees to stay in contact with coworkers, vendors and customers regardless of their location. By facilitating communication between all parties involved in a business transaction VOIP makes it easier to instill confidence in customers and strengthen business relationships.

In addition to making communication easier upgrading to a VOIP phone system can also make office accounting operations easier. Instead of receiving multiple bills from different service providers for equipment, maintenance, long distance and overall usage the accounting department will only receive one simple bill per month.

An added bonus that goes along with minimizing the paperwork when it comes to billing is the fact that the total cost of VOIP is much smaller. Businesses who switch to VOIP service can expect all of the features and functions that they need for efficient communication at a savings of more than 50% compared to a traditional service. This makes VOIP a smart choice for any business that is looking to improve relationships at the same time that they work to improve their bottom line.

Why Businesses should use VoIP

27 Jun 2011

Stu Kushner

VOIP FOR YOUR BUSINESS Companies across the nation are reducing their cost of doing business and improving customer service by using VoIP. Companies send all their information over their broadband Internet connection, including voice calls from employees and information from PCs. Companies gain savings in areas such as start up, long distance, conferencing and network infrastructure.

VoIP turns Internet infrastructure into a huge global telephone network. All phone systems can take advantage of VoIP lines. Companies don't need an IP based (IP PBX) or an IP compatible phone system.

Affordable Growth with VOIP

24 Jun 2011

Stu Kushner

Every small business owner hopes that their endeavor is successful and that their business can continue to grow and expand. With a traditional land line phone system making the necessary changes for growth can be complex and expensive but a VOIP phone system allows for easy and affordable expansion.

Adding phones to a traditional business phone system requires additional equipment that needs to be installed by a technician. This additional equipment could take several hours to install and will most certainly drive up equipment leasing and maintenance costs. Just because your business is growing it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve got to spend more each month to communicate effectively with your expanding customer base though.

Seamless Communication from Anywhere with VOIP

22 Jun 2011

Stu Kushner

voip, network cabling, There is absolutely no doubt that portable forms of communication like cell phones have completely changed the way that businesses operate. A cell phone allows you to keep in contact with customers and coworkers from the road or from a hotel so you never miss an opportunity to improve your relationship, answer a question or secure a sale. By upgrading your traditional business phone system to a VOIP phone system you can take your business portability to an entirely different level though.

When you upgrade your land line based phone service to a VOIP service you can literally take your office phone with you wherever you go. If there is a broadband internet connection available at your home, at your hotel or even at your vacation rental

1 … 28 29 30 31 32 … 39