Structured Cabling, Cabling, Washington DC

The 5 Most Common Structured Cabling Errors – Part 1

19 Oct 2017

Structured Cabling, cablesStructured cabling systems are so standardized that good practices should merely entail following ISO/IEC, CENELEC or Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) documentation for panel and outlet standards, cable pathway standards, maximum cable and patch cord lengths, patch testing standards, etc. Strictly doing so will invariably result in an installation that is professional and trouble free. In addition, as data speeds grow faster and faster, following industry standards becomes even more crucial.


Improperly installed cabling made up of shorter runs, which do not overly stress the system, may function well enough. In addition, data speeds may be quite beneath the cable specification capacity. As an example, CAT5e carrying 100Mbps and capable of 1Gbps will have ample margin of error. However, structured cabling systems still need qualified technicians for proper installation supporting maximum data speeds over the entire network as required.


The following will discuss the five most common errors of structured cabling. Remember to call an experienced and expert cabling installation team to get the best results for your company’s project.



Error No. 1


Considering cables as merely wiring is the first error. They are actually very important electronic components that provide the pathway for data from point to point within a network. These points may be a desktop PC, a network switch, server, router, and wireless access point. When you consider that cables make these connections possible, then you can understand how important it is to make sure that the cabling is of high quality and properly installed.



Error No. 2


Running data cables near power cables is the second error. Even when cables are screened, this practice is unsound. When data cables are running near and parallel to   power cables, noise emitted by power cables may infiltrate data cables. As the load carried by power cables fluctuate, resulting spikes or surges may radiate into the data cables, creating undesired noise decreasing the quality of the data transmission.


Part 2 will discuss three more common errors of structured cabling.



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.

Data Cabling,Network Cabling, Washington DC

Introduction to Network Cabling – Part 1

12 Jun 2017

 Data Cabling,Network Cabling, Washington DCCabling utilized for network infrastructure is a crucial aspect of networking, and it has grown in importance as new technologies are introduced, including virtualization, wireless access points, blade servers, network storage devices, etc.


Although wireless technology has greatly advanced, most of the existing computer networks are still using cables as the media for transferring data. Each standardized type of network cable is utilized for a specific purpose as discussed below.



Coaxial Cables


Patented in 1880 (yes, that long ago!), coaxial cable is most familiar as the cable that connects TV sets to their antennas and also as the standard for 10 Mbps Ethernet, which was common in the 1980s and early 1990s. During this time, networks utilized two coaxial cable types, thicknet, the 10BASE5 standard, or thinnet, the 10BASE2 standard. Composed of an inner copper wire surrounded by insulation and shielding, the stiff quality of these cables made them difficult to install and maintain.



Twisted Pair Cables


During the 1970s, Ethernet was developed at Xerox, which began collaborating with Intel and DEC for its standardization. The initial specifications, titled the Ethernet Blue Book or DIX from their three company initials, was published in 1980.


In the 1990s, twisted pair cables became the primary cabling standard of Ethernet, beginning at 10 Mbps with Category 3 or Cat3, which was followed by 100 Mbps Cat5 and Cat5e and up to 10 Gbps (10GBASE-T). Ranging up to eight wires wound together in pairs, this type of cabling is intended to minimize electromagnetic interference.


Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) and Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) are the two chief twisted pair cable types standardized by the industry. Due to lower manufacturing costs, modern Ethernet cables utilize UTP wiring. STP cabling is used by other types of networks like Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI). Clearly the most common network cable type globally, UTP cable is utilized for both networking and for the traditional telephone (UTP-CAT1) cabling.


UTP-CAT5e or Cat5e has become the most common UTP cable as it replaced coaxial cable, which was unable to cope with the increasing demand for networks that were faster and more reliable.


Part 2 will cover Fiber Optics, USB Cables, and Crossover Cables.



Union Network Cabling


When  your work requires a unionized cabling group, call on Progressive Office Inc. for your commercial Cat5e/6/6a and fiber cabling projects. Specializing in cabling for data, voice, security and even the latest WiFi and LiFi solutions. Phone: (202) 462-4290