Cabling | Progressive Office Cabling

Top Ten Tips for Business Data Cabling – Part 2

22 Aug 2018

cabling, network cabling,Washington DC 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.

Typical Installation Mistakes of Network Cabling – Part 2

31 Jul 2018

Stu Kushner

cabling installations,cable 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

structured cabling,Network Cabling,Washinton DC

Typical Installation Mistakes of Network Cabling – Part 1

25 Jul 2018

Stu Kushner

Technical & Application Requirements of Network Design – Part 2

30 Jun 2018

Stu Kushner

Office Cabling Network Cabling As discussed in Part 1, contemporary network design requires meeting the technical and application requirements of ever expanding and evolving IT and business demands.

Part 2 will continue discussing Application Requirements.

Importance of User Expectation

Networks or IT technologies that are unable to achieve a satisfactory level user expectation or QoE (quality of experience) will be considered to have failed meeting an important business goal. As a result, they will be considered a cost, rather than tools that allow a business to succeed.

A network’s design must take into account how a satisfactory level of user experience will be attained. From the point of view of a user, QoE when utilizing services and applications will determine their level of satisfaction.

The deployment of services and applications before taking into account their features and network requirements will result in a failure to achieve business goals.

To illustrate, a financial services company that wants to provide a video communication application to their customer service representatives, but fails to secure enough bandwidth, will likely frustrate their reps and displease their customers when calls are dropped or interrupted because of excessive latency. Thus, their corporate goal of differentiating themselves from their competitors will be a failure until they meet the network requirements of the application.

Evaluation of Application Requirements

Network designers should keep in mind their responses to the key questions below for the evaluation of application requirements:

What are the application’s features and characteristics?

What is the length of time the application needs to reset its session or state after losing connectivity?

What is the amount of network traffic that is required by the application?

How important is the application to the organization and what is the service level it will require to function properly?

For its compliance with industry regulations and company security polices, will the application have separation requirements?

Progressive Office Cabling

Office Cabling for Performance and Efficiency – Part 2

31 May 2018

Stu Kushner

Office Cabling Network Data Cabling As discussed in Part 1, office space has become very valuable and costly in many cities. Some companies will need to implement space optimization, and designing their structured cabling network is a good place to start. Part 2 will discuss Cabling System Performance and Densification of Networks.

Cabling System Performance

The TIA 568 standard sets the limit for runs of copper cable to 90 meters (295 feet) from floor distributor to workstations. Exceeding this length will cause greater signal losses or insertion loss and delay limitations due to the Ethernet protocol, which can decrease the performance of the network.

An expansive floor size with a proper number of floor distributors will oftentimes result in cables longer than 90 meters and greater insertion losses. Moreover, short cable runs are affected by crosstalk and return loss.

Due to the increasing implementation of 2.5, 5G, and 10G Ethernet, along with the newest high performance WAP (wireless access points), it is crucial to install a category cable, such as CAT6A, capable of handling higher bandwidth demands in the future.

Densification of Networks

Horizontal distributor optimization inside the equipment room will result in increased floor space and improved network densification. The optimization of floor distributors can improve the usage of LAN Ethernet switches, minimizing intra-building backbone runs. Implementing optimized distributor placement will ease the management of the network and increase reliability.

The use of fiber and copper panels with higher port density should also be considered by network managers. One way to gauge design efficiency is to calculate the number of ports per unit of rack space. This assessment will result in the optimization of rack space, decreasing racks and maximizing floor space.

Using wall-mounted panels for terminating cables and easing their management should also be considered. This will also ensure the prioritization of LAN equipment and fiber panels for rack space. This method suits companies who desire the convergence of building applications and IP networks.

Progressive Office Cabling

Combined Voice and Data Office Cabling

27 Apr 2011

Stu Kushner

VoIP phones have reduced costs for phone communications. The obvious benefit is that you no longer need to use Verizon for your business phone service. You can buy VoIP phones and plug them in to your office cabling and have a high-quality business phone system without the need of a high-priced PBX system in your office.

The side benefit to this solution is that you also do not need to have a dedicated cable to a VoIP phone. This is why. Modern VoIP phones plug into your Cat5 or Cat6 network connection and your computer plugs into the phone. That means that you simply don't need half of your cabling infrastructure.

So, if you want to save money on your phone bill and eliminate half of your cabling infrastructure, switch to VoIP immediately. This is especially important to consider if you are moving or considering a cabling upgrade. At $75 to $165 per drop, the savings are substantial.

Network Cabling Repair Solutions

9 Feb 2011

Stu Kushner

Network Cabling, Washington DC Installing network cabling in your business is one of the best decisions that you can make for increasing efficiency and improving customer service capabilities without increasing staff. Employees connected to a network can often share information with co-workers and customers in a manner that is much faster and much safer than is possible with PCs that operate independently.

There is no doubt that a functioning computer network can give you a number of advantages when it comes to conducting business and servicing customers. But serious problems with communication and security can arise though if there happens to be issues with your network cabling system. A network cabling system that hasn’t been properly installed or that

Network Cabling,Structured cabling, Washington DC

The Importance of Hiring a Professional for Your Office Networking

7 Feb 2011

Stu Kushner

Network Cabling,Structured cabling, Washington DC Small office networking projects consisting of only a few PCs and additional pieces of equipment may seem like a reasonably easy undertaking, but even a small networking project shouldn’t be taken lightly. The installation of new network cabling can have a number of advantages, but if the wrong materials are used or if the work is not properly performed, serious issues can arise in your business operations.

A consultation with a networking professional can shed some light on exactly what materials will be required for your networking job to achieve the best possible performance for the smallest investment. In most cases a network specialist will also be able to complete the installation in a much shorter time than a private individual would be able to on their own. This means that you’ll be able to

Keeping Your Small Business Updated and Up-to-Date with Network Cabling

4 Feb 2011

Stu Kushner

Office Cabling ,Network Cabling In the days before office networking was common, upgrading necessary software programs could be a monumental expense for an office with several PCs. A small business owner with meager margins may have struggled to pay for the purchase of individual programs for every single PC in the office in order to make a full upgrade.

Many software manufacturers now offer licensing agreements for networks that is a much more cost effective option for initializing a complete office upgrade for an expensive program. A licensing agreement can make it possible for a business owner to upgrade the software on a

Choosing Between Wired and
Wireless Networking for your Home

2 Feb 2011

Stu Kushner

nework cabling,Home Cabling Solution Many consumers automatically choose wireless residential networking for the convenience of mobility, but there are a number of other factors that should be considered prior to making your final decision. Things like cost, security, ease of installation and a true measure of the mobility of your home PCs should be taken into account before the important decision is ultimately made.

In terms of mobility wireless networking obviously has an advantage over a hard wired network. But how often will that mobility be required to get full, regular use out of your PCs. If the majority of your PCs are of the desktop variety, then you

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