Tag Archives: Cabling Systems

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.

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.

If you are busy running a business every day, you probably don’t consider the IT infrastructure of your company very often. However, if you let it become outdated, you will make your enterprise un-competitive and prevent it from achieving its potential.

Think of your IT network as the transport system for your data and some of the services your firm provides. Using structured cabling is the best way to ensure its efficiency. This system is advantageous because it allows the connection, movement, and removal of devices without needing new cables every time there is a change.

A structured cabling system that is up-to-date can run optimally in the present and also allow a company to readily expand in the future as its business grows. The following are five advantages of a structured cabling system.

Decreased Maintenance Costs

Replacing old cabling with superior high-quality cabling will ensure better performance and longevity. Structured cabling also makes it much easier to trace and repair problems, resulting in less downtime and monetary losses from maintenance work. The unification of data, voice, and video on a single IT network will also reduce the time needed for maintaining and repairing components.

Ease of Management

The consolidation of cabling under a single system that can handle data in several formats will be much easier to manage than a disorganized system of multiple point-to -point wiring. Structured cable also allows longer cable runs, which help decrease errors and interference affecting data. Cabling will also be easier to remove and install.

Greater Speeds

Slow data transmission hurts the bottom line because time is money. If your company still has obsolete CAT3 cables, upgrade to CAT5e or CAT6 cables to keep up with your competitors. Fiber optic cables will provide even better performance. Upgrading will also allow your organization to more easily expand when more bandwidth is needed.

Less Clutter

A well-organized office projects the desired image for clients and customers. It also helps promotes company pride among employees. Clutter and poor data transmission caused by bundles of disorganized wires and cables will be eliminated by the simplified organization 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 Office teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

As discussed in Part 1, point-to-point cabling systems are outdated and companies should strongly consider making the transition to structured cabling to remain competitive. Part 2 will discuss the advantages of upgrading to structured cabling.

The Advantages

Cost Effectiveness – Flexible and scalable, structured cabling can transmit data reliably and more easily handle increasingly large loads. This allows an organization to raise the productivity of its employees, helping to achieve its business goals. Its bottom line is further aided because structured cabling decreases the costs of maintenance and energy consumption.

Decreased Downtime – There is a greater chance of human error when there are several disorganized cabling networks, which result in disruptions and downtime. In contrast, a sound structured cabling system provides greater reliability; in addition, troubleshooting expenses are reduced because problems are easier to identify, find, and repair.  Downtime is decreased, business losses are minimized, and a company  will be more reliable and profitable.

Future Proofing –Structured cabling provides greater bandwidth and this allows a company to easily expand when its business grows. Having adaptable and scalable IT systems makes a company more competitive when it needs to evolve with its industry. Structured cabling ensures that an organization’s network infrastructure will remain capable of supporting new applications and technologies.

Greater Flexibility – Structured cabling can improve performance levels allowing a business to expand with greater ease. Move, add and change requests can be handled faster and more efficiently. Companies with structured cabling can develop and deploy services much faster because its data center can accommodate network infrastructure modifications more readily.

Maintenance Easier – Structured cabling provides a organizational approach that makes maintaining data centers and networks much more straightforward. In normal business environments, a variety of IT equipment and devices are being used simultaneously. When they are functioning on only one system, this removes the need for several wiring systems to be installed.

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 Office teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

If it has been a while since your company has upgraded your network cabling, you and your team may not be achieving your potential. As you know, an organization’s IT network is the very heart of its operations. Lacking a network that is up-to-date, staff members will not be as efficient and productive as possible.

Updating from Point-to-Point Cabling

The update that yields the most benefits is having your network make the transition from an outdated point-to-point cabling system to a far more effective structured cabling system. As you may know, there are only two ways for transmitting data over network cables. Numerous companies persist on using point-to-point cabling. Unfortunately, it tends to become problematic, especially when a company needs to significantly expand the network’s size and capabilities. Let’s dig deeper to understand the reasons.

Point-to-point cabling directly connects a switch, device, network, a server, or network, to another network component via fiber optic cable. For the last few decades, this wiring method provided an innovative way to swiftly build a network. However, during that period, the majority of networks at IT departments were not large.

Nowadays, as networks expand and speedy transmissions of massive data amounts become routinely expected, the maintenance of outdated point-to-point cabling systems, along with the thousands of cables required for operations, becomes a large burden on a company’s IT resources.

As a result, organizations have transitioned to structured cabling systems. Rather than directly connecting every single network component to another, a structured cabling system directly links storage units and servers to a communication backbone.

Installed in every part of a facility, local cabling panels are linked to the communication backbone with only one cable. This enables users to easily connect their devices to the whole network by connecting a cable to the nearest cabling panel.

Part 2 will discuss the advantages of upgrading to 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 Office teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

Structured cabling that is properly installed can help your business grow by helping to improve its network performance and IT capability. The following will discuss structured cabling’s Top Ten Tips for installing cabling systems.

#1 Cable Labeling

Although cable labeling will slow installation, it will help save lots of time and effort during future repair, reconfiguration, and maintenance tasks.

#2 Cable Testing

Ensure every cable is tested and confirmed to be functioning properly during the installation process. A cable with a nominal performance should not be utilized as it may decrease overall system performance.

#3 Short Patch Cables

Do not use long patch cables when they aren’t required. They are inefficient, look disorganized, and are prone to tangling.

#4 Select Quality Terminations

Avoid purchasing cheap terminating cables because time will be unnecessarily spent on troubleshooting in the future. Select those that are of high quality and terminate properly and rapidly.

#5 Avoid Overheating

Keep in mind that maintaining proper cable temperatures to avoid overheating is crucial for stable and reliable network performance.

#6 Measure 2X, Cut 1X

Precise measurements prior to cutting will minimize damaged and wasted cables during installations.

#7 No Kinky Fiber Cables

As fiber cables have great flexibility, they can kink bend, and knot. These will result in flaws in the fiber cables, negatively affecting performance of the network.

#8 Maximum Cable Length

Do not exceed the maximum length of a cable run, which is typically 100 meters for network cabling systems.

#9 Allow for Expansion

Network cabling systems should always have room for interior expansion. As a business grows, its network should have the room to be able to upgrade or expand.

#10 Qualified Installation Company

In order to ensure that a company’s network cabling system will be properly installed, management must select a qualified installation company and request references.  Their technicians should be BICSI certified and experts in ANSI standards.

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.

As discussed in Part 2, there are considerable cost savings from the deployment of zone cabling systems. Part 3 will continue discussing the basics and benefits of zone cabling.

Additional Zone Cabling Benefits

1. Additional IP devices for audio & video, BAS, digital signage, voice, data security, digital signage, WAPs (wireless application protocols), etc. can be integrated easily into the current structured cabling system through ZE (zone enclosure) connections.


2. Extra ports within the ZE facilitate fast MACs (moves, adds, and changes) of current service configurations.


3. For easing installation and decreasing labor costs, tested trunking and factory pre-terminated cables can be utilized.


4. Increased efficiency of pathway utilization will be realized for the entire facility space.


5. Structured cabling system deployment will be speedier and cause less disruption.

Smart & Green Building Designs

Perfect for smart and green building designs, zone cabling systems can reduce labor expenses and waste of cabling materials. Centralized connections inside ZEs achieve greater efficiency for the routing of pathways. LEED credits provided by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) can be maximized. In addition, cable sharing can support several low-speed and low pair count applications functioning on a single 4-pair cabling system. This achieves greater efficiency in cable and pathway utilization.

Summary

Modern workspaces are becoming more social and flexible, and they are increasingly reconfigured and updated with greater frequency.

Zone cabling systems allows flexibility in work spaces, facilitating faster and less disruptive moves, adds, and changes than traditional cabling systems.

Zone cabling allows for greater efficiency in the use of pathways and materials, which is required for smart and green building designs.

CAT 6A shielded cabling is recommended in zone cabling designs to achieve maximum performance.

Shielded CAT 6A zone cabling designs result in greater performance, better support of remote powering applications, and ZE termination flexibility at practically no additional cost in comparison to CAT 6A UTP designs.

Regardless of size, zone cabling installations planned with 25% spare port availability will considerably decrease client disruption and allow the facility owner to recover the expense for extra ports inside two to five years or after achieving the threshold for ROI.

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.

As mentioned in Part 1, data center efficiency can be improved by properly planning and implementing structured cabling principles. In addition, structured cabling best practices should be the foundation of every data center. Part 2 will discuss Cabling Infrastructure and Improved Network Function.

Cabling Infrastructure

It would be wise to constantly keep the future in mind while you are installing your cabling infrastructure. Setting aside space will allow for expansion. The goal is to make your structured cabling both sound and dependable.

Testing Policy – After the addition or removal of equipment, testing every connection makes sure that a data center will be reliable over time. Performing these tests as a standard practice will help prevent issues that result in downtime. Inconsistent testing practices will result in an unreliable data center.

Standardization – The standardization of cable and rack usage will significantly facilitate maintenance. When there is a meltdown, the managers and engineers of a data center won’t have any doubts as to the types of cables and configuration of racks that are being utilized.

Documentation – When proper documentation is neglected, the training of new staff members will be much more difficult and take longer. The addition of equipment and related components will also result in more errors. Good documentation is integral for every sound structured cable system.

Spare Cables – The stocking of spare cables to prepare for contingencies will help prepare a data center for crises that may strike a structured cabling system.

Improved Network Function

A data center will have losses of up to $10,000 for each minute of unplanned outage. Implementing the best practices of TIA/ISO standards will raise the performance of a structured cabling system and make a data center more reliable. Its computer network will have the following benefits:

• Greater responsiveness


• Increased reliability and overall performance


• More secure data backup, storage, and retrieval


• Flexibility for accommodating additional computer terminals and components


• Capable of supporting telephony and other network-dependent systems

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.