Network Cabling Data Cabling

Distinguishing between Cat5 and Cat6 Network Cables

12 Jun 2014

Network cablesCAT 5,Network Cabling Data Cabling connect and transmit information between personal computers, storage area networks and routers. You can now find various models of cables. Your choice may depend on configuration and topology of the system’s architecture. The most common variety is known as twisted pair cable in local area networks. Numerous Ethernet networks use this type of cable. It is composed of four pairs of fine wires or conductors. Each pair is entwined several times to prevent obstruction from other cables and devices.


The CAT5 or Category5 is an example of twisted pair cable

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Data Cabling Cat5e Cat6/6a Cabling

Should you upgrade your Cat5 cable to Cat6 or Cat6a?

23 Mar 2014
cable tester ,Data Cabling, Cat5e ,Cat6/6a CablingA business decision is approaching. Most companies have Cat5/5e cable in their offices. And it has served well in providing reliable data access to servers, peripherals and the Internet. Cat5/5e runs at speeds up to 1gb (also known as 1000Base-T). Cat6 runs at 10gb but has sorter runs. Whereas Cat5 can have cable lengths of up to 100m, Cat6 maxes out at 55m. This number falls to 37m in a hostile environment.  To achieve full 100m cable lengths maximum while minimizing the risks of crosstalk, it is advisable to install Cat6a cable.

Ultimately, this decision is about costs vs. gains. And before a decision can be made, it is critically important to determine if your existing cable infrastructure is running into bottlenecks that cause traffic slowdowns at the desktop for your users. Internet might only needs about 5 - 25mb of bandwidth. But if your office has a lot of workstations and/or a group of users that are utilizing data-intensive publishing or graphic applications, you might need more speed. We have sophisticated network monitoring tools that can determine the traffic across your network. If we determine that you are using all available bandwidth, than your decision will be based on solid information.

Cat6 and Cat6a will boost your network speeds to 10gb/sec. Can you afford to upgrade to Cat6/6a? If the costs justify the expense, please contact us. We will send out one of our top network cabling technicians to analyze your network and determine if this upgrade option is a good idea for your office. And if it is, we will follow up with a proposal all at no cost to your firm.

 
Office Cabling Network Cabling

Residential Network Cabling Solutions

17 Jan 2011

Office Cabling, Network CablingHome networking is essential for quick and convenient access to music, data and video files and for the ability to share access to important pieces of equipment like scanners and printers.  A home that contains multiple PCs for personal, school and work can greatly benefit from residential network cabling.


Just because your home has fewer PCs than your office and there are fewer people using them, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your residential networking cabling will be an easier project.  Don’t assume that just because your walls don’t contain metal studs and that your floor isn’t poured concrete that your home network cabling job will be a walk in the park. 

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Office Network Cabling,Cat6 Cable, Network Patch Cable

Determining Your Office Network Cabling Needs

14 Jan 2011

Office Cabling, Network CablingNetwork Patch CableA faster office is a more productive office right?  That means, because you wish your computer equipment to operate at the speed of light, that Cat6 cable is the only way to go – or is it?


Just because you are making upgrades to faster equipment office wide, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have to invest in Cat6 cable.  It’s true that Cat6 has twice the bandwidth of Cat5 and that it is far superior in performance than either Cat5 or Cat5e.  Cat6 is also capable of transferring data at a much faster rate, but in most regular office applications Cat5e is more than capable of handling the required workload.


Your new computers, internet service and office communication system may be much faster than the one that you are replacing, but that’s not the only thing to consider when selecting a networking cable.  If you aren’t transferring exceedingly large amounts of data or operating virtual PCs, Cat6 cable may be much more cable than you need and cost much more money than you need to spend.

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Network Cabling, Data Cabling ,Cat5e ,Cat6/6a Cabling

Computer Network Patch Panel

23 Dec 2009

Network Cabling ,Data Cabling, Cat5e, Cat6/6a CablingA patch panel is an in-line series of connections mounted onto a frame to enable network cables to be terminated in an orderly manner. Typically, the panel is the termination point of network cabling drops that are installed in a office or residential cabling system.It is numbered and comes in 12-port, 24-port, 48-port and 96-port configurations. The numbering of the panel ports allows for the network installer to label the wallplates to match the corresponding connection at the patch panel.


Patch panels are most commonly used for computer data networks but as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone systems become more common, we are seeing phone systems being terminated into panels. They are wall or rack-mounted. In small offices, a 12 or 24-port patch panel might be wall-mounted to a wooden mounting board. Larger office networks will usually require a rack mounted series of  panels.


The patch panel comes in Cat5, Cat5e and Cat6 types to match the cable being installed. The connections on the panel are RJ45 that are designed to allow for a cable to "punch-downed" into the connector. The connector has 8 punch down points to accommodate the 4-pairs of wires in a Cat5/6 cable.

Plenum Cable Definition

24 Sep 2009
Plenum cable is cable that is laid in the plenum spaces of buildings. The plenum is the space that facilitates air circulation for heating and air conditioning systems, by providing pathways for either heated/conditioned or return airflows.patch cable

Space between the structural ceiling and the dropped ceiling or under a raised floor is typically considered plenum. The plenum space is typically used to house the communication cables for the building's computer and telephone network. Additionally, no high-voltage powered equipment is allowed in the plenum space because presence of fresh air can greatly increase danger of rapid flame spreading should the equipment catch on fire.

quote iconNote that diligence is required to make sure that a non-plenum airspace stays that way. A non-plenum airspace can become a plenum airspace by accident if the ductwork is disconnected and not properly repaired. Ductwork degradation can occur due to building damage such as earthquakes, aging or adverse environment causing the metal to corrode and fall apart, or simply negligence on the part of building contractors that leave work unfinished. Discovery and repair of unintended plenums is difficult due to the hidden nature, limited space, and difficult access of most installed drop ceilings. For highest fire safety it is best to assume all drop-ceiling airspaces are plenums, whether or not they are officially designated as one.



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Cat5/5e Network Cabling Usage and Methods

27 Aug 2009

Category 5


Ethernet_RJ45_connectorCategory 5 cable includes four twisted pairs in a single cable jacket. This use of balanced lines helps preserve a high signal-to-noise ratio despite interference from both external sources and other pairs. It is most commonly used for 100 Mbit/s office computer networks, such as 100BaseTX Ethernet, although IEEE 802.3ab defines standards for 1000BaseT - Gigabit Ethernet over category 5 cable.

Category 5e


Cat 5e cable is an enhanced version of Cat 5 that adds specifications for far end crosstalk. Although 1000BaseT was designed for use with Cat 5 cable, the tighter specifications associated with Cat 5e cable and connectors make it an excellent choice for use with 1000BaseT. Despite the stricter performance specifications, Cat 5e cable does not enable longer cable distances for Ethernet networks: cables are still limited to a maximum of 100m (328 ft) in length.

Connectors and other information


quote iconThe cable exists in both stranded and solid conductor forms. The stranded form is more flexible and withstands more bending without breaking. Taking these things into account, building wiring (for example, the wiring inside the wall that connects a wall socket to a central patch panel) is solid core, while patch cables (for example, the movable cable that plugs into the wall socket on one end and a computer on the other) are stranded. Outer insulation is typically PVC or Plenum. Plenum cable is designed to go into drop ceilings that are used as air returns for the air-conditioning systems in modern office buildings.

Nearly always, 8P8C modular connectors, commonly referred to as "RJ-45", are used for connecting category 5 cable.

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Network Cabling ,cat5 cat6 cabling

Choosing between Cat5e and Cat6 at your Office

24 Apr 2009

Trends


The trend is towards higher speeds, of course. Offices have faster computers, faster Internet and more demanding applications. But does this translate into a need for Cat6 cable?

cat5 cat6 cabling,Data CablingCategory 5e and Cat6 Cable


Cat 5e cable is an enhanced version of Cat 5 that adds specifications for far end crosstalk. Cat 5e cable does not enable longer cable distances for Ethernet networks: cables are still limited to a maximum of 100m (328 ft) in length. Each Cat 5e cable can carry up to 100mb/sec of data.

Cat 6 cable carries 1gb/sec of data and therefore has 10 times the data capacity of Cat 5e.

The Decision Considerations


Cat 6 will not make your Internet speeds faster. Even at fiber speeds, the Internet still only runs at a fraction of Cat 5 speeds. Cat 6 will also not make VOIP phones were better because VOIP uses only 60-90k per phone line. So, VOIP is a very unlikely reason for using Cat6 cabling

The only reason for using Cat 6 is because you are pushing a lot of data over your cable. This is true when you are running applications off of a server as in the case of a virtual PC environment where applications do not reside on the local desktop system. It is also true when you have applications that have very large data files as in CAD/CAM and other demanding graphic design systems.

A secondary, yet important, consideration is cost. Cat 6 cable is twice as expensive as Cat 5e and it also r

equires Cat 6 jacks, inserts, patch panels and switches. This can add considerably to the overall cost of a project. Any Cat 5 component will slow the connection down to 100mb.

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