How Improper Cabling Causes Network Issues – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1, the performance issues of your company’s network may be directly related to improper cabling. Part 2 will discuss Compatibility, Patch Cords, and Poor Installation.
Compatibility
Issues occasionally arise when coupling cabling and connectivity from various manufacturers. The use of jacks from one manufacturer with cabling from another, and then patch panels from a third firm is an example. This combination may result in compatibility problems. When components that are not intended by design to function together are used, network performance issues will likely result.
Purchasing top of the line high-performance cables, while utilizing lower-quality connectivity components, will produce a weak link in the chain. Cable of the highest quality will be unable to attain its full performance potential when it is married to jacks, patch panels, and plugs that are not rated to support its capabilities.
Patch Cords
Patch cords may be the top reason why there are issues in network performance.
Your company may have installed a high performance cabling infrastructure of the highest quality, but if low-quality patch cords were purchased to economize, network speed, signal quality, and overall performance will be compromised.
Poor Installation
Vetting the cabling services team you hire is perhaps the most important factor in the prevention of network performance issues. Check that the company you are considering has technicians that are properly trained and certified to install the cabling system you have chosen.
When cable installers are not properly trained, it will greatly increase the probability that your company’s structured cabling system will not be properly installed. Incompetent installation can result in problems such as improper pulling, excessive bending, and cable being installed too near sources of signal interference like large motors and machinery.
Poorly trained technicians will leave cabling that is not properly terminated or correctly polished. Sloppy work and insufficient attention to detail during installation will usually result in poor network performance, along with costly and time-consuming efforts to address the problems the substandard work caused.
Progressive Office Cabling
Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.
How Improper Cabling Causes Network Issues – Part 1
Your employees are dissatisfied by their company’s network performance, and it is affecting their productivity. A number of factors must be taken into consideration. How many users are attempting to use resources simultaneously? Have you taken into account how much the use of devices has grown? Is your network equipment sufficient to meet demand? Answering the above questions will help, but network issues may be directly related to your company’s structured cabling.
Outdated Cabling
In many instances, the age of your structured cabling system may be responsible for poor network performance. 15-year-old cabling may have met standards when it was installed, but now it may be unable to handle the ever increasing network traffic needs of your company.
An internet service provider (ISP) provides the cable that provides the connection from your company’s network to the internet. When this backbone component fails to meet today’s bandwidth standards, bottlenecks may occur.
In situations where you are attempting to operate at speeds that are too high or carry excessive bandwidth via a cable that not rated for the capacity, it will be noticeable to users and their productivity will decline, hampering business operations.
Quality of Cabling
Cabling manufacturers rate their cables in terms of capability and performance. For example, CAT6 and CAT6a cabling have different capabilities, CAT being an abbreviation for category. A manufacturer must meet the performance standards set by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) for each category of cabling.
Cabling that exceeds minimum standards will attain higher network speeds without having to upgrade your cabling. In contrast, for cabling that only meets the minimum standards, the company network speed will be unable to expand much beyond the rating of the cable.
It is helpful to understand cable standards and ratings. Even though a cable is labeled Category 6A, it is not automatic that it meets the minimum performance standards of this category. The brand name and manufacturing quality will play a big role in the cable’s output.
Part 2 will discuss Compatibility, Patch Cords, and Poor Installation.
Progressive Office Cabling
Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Pittsburgh and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.
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Why Cable Pros Select Fiber Optic Over Copper Cabling
During your consideration of the kind of cable that should be selected for your IT network, several factors come into play. One of the decisions you will need to make is whether to use copper or fiber optic cabling.
Copper certainly has plusses. It is already installed in numerous sites and is less costly for connecting network components. Although fiber optic cabling has a higher price tag, it has key advantages that make it more attractive than copper for creating structured cabling infrastructure.
The following are five reasons why most cable professionals select fiber optic over copper cabling.
Durability
Fiber optic cables have longer service lives than copper, decreasing maintenance costs and downtimes from replacements. Although fiber optic wires are made of glass, copper wires are more susceptible to being damaged.
Fiber Optic is Faster
When evaluating the transmission of copper wire to that of fiber optic, the contest can be simplified to the comparison of the speed of electrons to the speed of photons. Although C transmissions do not move at the speed of light, they are still extremely fast by moving just 31% slower than the speed of light!
Low Attenuation
Over long distances, fiber optic cables will undergo much less signal loss than copper. This quality is termed “low attenuation.” Due to attenuation, copper cables are capable of transmitting information up to a maximum of 9,328 ft, when it then loses power. In contrast, fiber optic cables are capable of transmissions up to 24.8 miles.
Resistance to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)
If improperly installed, copper cables will generate electromagnetic currents that result in EMI inside nearby wires, which can cause serious problems throughout a network. On the other hand, fiber optic cables are not conductors of electricity.
Safer
Fiber optic cabling is safer because it won’t be a fire hazard. The reason is no electrical current travels through fiber optic cables.
Progressive Office Cabling
Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.
Top Ten Tips for Business Data Cabling – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1, business cabling projects can be a challenge to properly design, install, and accomplish on schedule. The key to success is finding an experienced team that will provide structured cabling services of high quality. Part 2 will discuss Maintaining Standards, Planning Well, Respecting Regulations, Staying Up-to-Date, and Testing Infrastructure.
Maintaining Standards
Maintain the established standards and best practices of structured cabling. Neglecting to do so will probably reduce quality and the efficiency of a data network. For guidance, refer to the standards set forth by the Telecommunications Industry Association.
Planning Well
Planning well will help future proof your organization. Do your best in estimating what your company will need for the next five years. CAT5E is now the standard, and it can support a maximum of 1000 Mbps. If your company needs more bandwidth, CAT6 is rated at a maximum of 10 Gbps. Re-cabling soon after installation will be disruptive and expensive.
Respecting Regulations
Compliance with codes, laws, and ordinances typically protects the lives of employees and first responders. A company found to be violating regulations will be fined and required to rewire the cabling so it is up to code. In the event of injury or death that is attributable to a violation, individuals found responsible may be held financially and perhaps criminally liable.
Staying Up-to-Date
Staying current with technological developments and regulations related to structured cabling and IT infrastructure will allow you to provide guidance to your company that has foresight. Knowledge of trends will let you anticipate what your IT infrastructure will need in the future.
Testing Infrastructure
Testing IT infrastructure during the installation of cabling is good practice. For efficiency, tests should be performed in phases to detect and fix problems quickly. Testing only after the installation of hundreds of feet of cabling will discover issues far too late and result in time wasteful revisions, repair, or replacements.
Progressive Office Cabling
Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.
Planning – Network Design Requirements
After receiving the requirements for a network, it is common for designers to prioritize their implementation and integrate them into the format of the design. Occasionally, they initially rely on best practices, instead of focusing on planning. This is unfortunate because the planning process often leads to discovering multiple viable design solutions.
Designers should first make business-centric decisions determining either the solution or design that supports the company’s objectives or strategy. Although it is advisable to follow best practices for network design, reliance on them is more typical on occasions when a network is being designed from the ground up, which is usually not the case for large service providers and enterprises.
Let’s consider optimizing office buildings as a comparison. The standard procedure for civil engineers and architects is to perform an evaluation of a building by identifying existing problems, understanding the organization’s goals, and gathering business requirements. Afterwards, they begin optimizing the office building’s existing features. As examples, this may involve replacing the elevators or expanding the lobby.
The above is similar to the procedure for revamping network design. There will always be faulty designs that were poorly planned. Sometimes they are unable to scale, or adopt emerging technologies, or adapt to changing business conditions. Thus, designers must first make a comprehensive study of the existing business problems, IT requirements, and network design. Next, they should develop solutions that will optimize the present architecture. This may entail redesigning several components of the network. It can also require the addition of a new data center.
In order to choose the correct design choices and technologies, network designers must gather the necessary information that will allow them to make a sound analysis during the planning stage. This also lets them correctly determine the new requirements that will support the company’s business goals. At this point, network designers typically utilize the decision tree and the decision matrix for easing and simplifying the process.
Progressive Office Cabling
Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.
Typical Installation Mistakes of Network Cabling – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1, network cabling installation errors may result in long-term problems and high costs. They can be avoided by following standard structured cabling practices. Continuing with the discussion of typical network cabling installation mistakes, Part 2 will cover Ignoring Regulations, No Testing, and Skimping On Labor.
Ignoring Regulations
There are codes, laws, and ordinances that regulate low voltage cabling, and they vary, depending on the municipality, city, and state. Experienced professionals who install network cabling are knowledgeable about the applicable requirements and how to complete a project to code. When the fire marshal or building inspector determines laws were broken or wiring is not up to code, a company can be penalized with large fines and required to remove and reinstall cabling if it is a fire hazard.
No Testing
When network cabling is installed, each cable should undergo testing. This should also involve the verification of a cable’s length and specifications. This process is crucial because it will confirm whether or not the network satisfies project specifications. The data also provides a basis for future testing and troubleshooting, along with supporting any warranty claims.
Skimping On Labor
Considering how important the network cabling installation is to the future, cutting corners in the hiring of cabling installers is unwise. It is crucial to always verify the qualifications and licensing of the cabling installation company you are considering. Make the time and effort to check each reference that is provided. This may save your company time, money, and problems if you avoid working with an outfit that provides substandard services support. Request the contact information of previous customers who had projects similar to yours and get their opinions before making a commitment. Finding an installer that is the right fit for your project is the first step for ensuring a successful network cabling installation.
Progressive Office Cabling
Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.
Constraints of Network Design
The constraints of network design are existing factors that cannot be altered, often impacting architecture and functional requirements. These constraints can have a significant effect on network design and must be taken into account. Below are the most familiar design constraints that must be addressed by a network designer.
Cost
Cost is certainly a limiting factor that must always be considered during the design process.
Experienced & Expensive Staff
In order to quickly adapt to new technology, a company may decide to hire technical employees who are expert in the new technologies, but cost more in salary. The greater operational costs for their expertise may exceed the benefits from the decreased TCO (total cost of ownership) derived from the latest technology.
Expertise of Staff
It may be the case that the most efficient, cost-saving design with state-of-the-art technology was presented by the network design team. However, the current staff may not have the experience or know-how to implement this new technology.
Infrastructure Equipment
In cases where an organization has not planned how to replace legacy network devices, the situation can lead to severe limitations on network design. This is quite apparent when new protocols and features cannot be supported.
Location
This is a difficult kind of constraint because location involves limitations that have an indirect effect on design. To illustrate, a rural site might be in a region where fiber infrastructure is not present and wireless is the only connectivity.
Staff Training
Due to the lack of experience of technical staff in a newer technology, issues may take longer to detect and repair until they are adequately trained. This will lead to longer downtimes that render a data center nonfunctional, resulting in business losses.
Time
When choosing an architecture or technology, time becomes a constraint when the time frame plays a part in remaining on schedule for the completion of the project.
Progressive Office Cabling
Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.