As tenants come and go in a commercial building, the cabling infrastructure sometimes leaves behind abandoned Cat5, Cat6 and coax cabling. All that needs to happen is for the new tenant to request a reconfigured layout that relocates the main wall closet. Or, sometimes the old tenant will cut away the cabling in order to take the patch panels with them. If possible, keep the wall closet location. And always offer to buy the patch panels from a departing tenant.
The process of installing a patch panel onto a wall begins with the preparing the wall to hold the rack. Most offices have drywall walls. Sometimes the walls are concrete if they lie along the structural boundaries of the building. This installation involved mounting the patch panel onto a wall that is drywall on top of concrete.
The photos below will illustrate what is involved in mounting a rack that holds the patch panel and switch.
One of the most important things about cabling is to purchase cable not just for what you’re using now but for what you may run in the future. A rule of thumb is to install the highest-grade cable that your budget allows.
The standard is Ethernet. That means there are two basic types of cables to use: copper Ethernet and fiber optic Ethernet. Copper Ethernet cabling is generally used to connect the data center equipment to the end-user, while fiber optic cabling is used to network the infrastructure and to
While WI-Fi and other wireless network technologies have improved greatly over the years, nothing beats the reliability and performance of a wired network in your home or business. One challenge that people face is what kind of cable they need for their needs.
Although there are dozens of network cable types, the fact is only 3 types of network cable is commonly used in home and small business networks: Category 3 (Cat3), Category 5 (Cat5), and Category 6 (Cat6).
Structured cabling is a telecommunications cabling infrastructure consisting of a number of standardized smaller elements called subsystems.
No, it’s not ET calling home. “Alien Crosstalk” is defined as “unwanted signal coupling from one balanced twisted-pair component, channel, or permanent link to another”.
Alien crosstalk is not generally affected by common noise from motors, transformers, or florescent lighting fixtures. Alien crosstalk is specified as “a parameter for cabling to approximate the energy present when all cabling pairs are energized”.
Category (Cat)5, 5e, 6 and 7 are different standards for cables used to transmit data through networks. All are twisted copper cables. The difference is based on their performance level.
Cat5 has become the world standard for connecting Ethernet devices. It is inexpensive and very effective; making it the most commonly used cable for connecting Ethernet devices. There are two types, the Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), and the Screened Twisted Pair (SCTP). SCTP adds a protective covering to protect against interference. Cat5 is ideal For long distance communications as it is rigid and has the capacity to support 10-100 Mbps and 100MHz.
The gradual shift from standard 10/100 networks to gigabit networks has challenged Cat5 as it cannot support high speeds. This led to an upgraded version, Cat5e.
Cat5e was developed to makeCat5 compatible with gigabit networks and provide extra protection from interference. However Cat5e does not completely remove interference, which results in slow and often poor performance, but Cat5e does makes networks more reliable and faster.
Cat6 is more advanced than Cat5 and Cat5e. Like Cat 5 and 5e, it uses 4 twisted pairs of copper cables, but with much better performance. The difference comes from a longitudinal separator that keeps all 4 wires separate from one another, reducing interference or “cross talk”, and a faster rate of data transfer. Cat6 can be used in any network that employed Cat5 and Cat5e. Cat 6 is the next level standard for Ethernet connection.
Cat7 is the next generation cabling device for Ethernet connections. It improves internal signaling and exterior protection over Cat5 and Cat6 and can support 10gigabit connections adaptable to standard Ethernet connectors.
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.
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!