Data Cabling, Cat5e Cat6/6a Cabling, Washington DC
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Written by Stu Kushner

Choosing the Correct Cabling for Your Business

Data Cabling, Cat5e Cat6/6a Cabling, Washington DCIf you are starting a business, relocating or upgrading the network of your company, it is crucial to select the right cabling. Doing so will help you raise productivity and efficiency. In contrast, choosing the wrong cabling can lead to losing money. This article will discuss how to choose the correct cabling for your business.

Needs

The bandwidth and speed your network needs for supporting the operations of your business now and in the future should be determined. Work with a cabling provider to estimate this and answer the following questions:

How many workstations are connected to the existing network?
What is the data volume to be handled?
What are the required cable lengths?
How much have you budgeted for this project?

Performance

Copper and fiber cables are both growing in capacity and performance as bandwidth requirements grow, and the cost difference between them is narrowing. Fiber optic cabling can deliver data faster and farther, but less expensive copper cabling may be sufficient for the requirements of a business.

The lengths of cabling needed for a facility play a factor in whether an organization should choose fiber optic or copper cabling. Over longer distances, fiber optic cables will have much less signal loss or significantly lower attenuation than copper cabling. Copper cables are capable of transmitting data a maximum of 9,328 feet before experiencing signal loss, while fiber optic cables are capable of transmissions up to 24.8 miles.

Copper cabling can also be affected by electromagnetic interference (EMI) from nearby cabling and electric equipment, especially if improperly installed, while fiber optic cabling is immune to this type of problem.

Budget

As demand grows, the price of fiber optic cabling has been dropping, but the additional cost for its superior performance may not be affordable for some businesses. As mentioned above, copper cabling may be sufficient. By working with a cabling provider, you can perform a cost-benefit analysis that will consider future-proofing to guide you in making the correct choice.

Progressive Office Cabling

Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking cost-effective solutions. Working together, Progressive teams are committed to getting your data cables installed and operating while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

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About Stu Kushner

Stu Kushner earned an Engineering Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. From there he worked at Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Hexcel Corporation and Case-Rixon as a computer design engineer and systems manager. He now works as the marketing director and project manager here at Progressive Office since its founding in 1986.