Structured Cabling,,Office Cabling.connectors
Written by Stu Kushner

Important Facts About Cabling Infrastructure

NetworkStructured Cabling,,Office Cabling.connectors cabling that has not been installed properly may result in various communications issues. Even minor problems such as a connector that has not been terminated properly can prevent Power over Ethernet from performing well.

Wiring Standards

See to it that you use appropriate wiring patterns which are T568a and T568b. Refrain from bringing together T568a and T568b in the same cable. And always use premium quality Cat6 or Cat5e cables. We prefer solid over stranded wire.

CAT5e is the most popular cable which has a 100 MHz bandwidth. Although Cat6 is rapidly becoming the new statndard as higher speeds of internet and cloud computing drive demand. Cat3 is no longer used. Cat6 has up to 250 MHZ while Cat6a possesses 500 MHZ. Cat 7 and Cat7 A have frequency limits of 600 and 1,000 MHZ respectively but are not solidly established standards yet.

You can opt for high-quality Cat 5e or Cat 6 cabling for gigabit connectivity even if your current switches and routers support only 100 Mbps. This guarantees that the cabling infrastructure is in position when the gigabit upgrading is performed.

Equipment Requirements

Cabling must conform to design statndards. The distance between transmitters and receivers cannot be more than 100 meters. In socket installation, the distance between the electrical outlet and desktop computer should be up to 90 meters for horizontal routes and up to 10 meters for patch cabling. Cabling should not be side by side with electric wires. This can lead to signal interferences. Also beware to not hang cabling from drop ceiling supports because this breaches fire safety regulations and building regulations. Never use metal staples in securing cable runs because they can damage the wires. Special staples with arched clearances should be used.

Appropriate Connectors

Network connections utilize modern RJ45 telecommunications connectors designed for either stranded or solid cables but the types should not be mixed. Always use the correct crimping tool for the particular connector. The RJ45 connector must be certified to match the cable model used. This could be Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) or Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP).

The network cable is made up of four pairs of twisted wires. The wires are color codes which are blue, brown, green and orange. Specifications were designed for effective data transfer and minimized cross-talk. No more than six millimeters of the cable should be untwisted at both edges. Otherwise, cross-talk issues may arise which will have a negative effect on your network.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.

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.