Structured Cabling,Network Cabling ,Data Cabling Washington DC

Basics and Benefits of Zone Cabling – Part 3

20 Dec 2017

Structured Cabling,Network Cabling ,Data Cabling Washington D.CAs 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.

Cat5 Cat6 Network Cabling,Washington DC

8 Network Cabling Mistakes to Avoid – Part 1

9 Nov 2017

Cat5 Cat6 Network Cabling,Washington DC Improperly installed twisted pair cabling can result in poor network performance, maintenance issues, and concealed expenses. The following article discusses eight network cabling errors to avoid. To get the best results for your cabling project, make sure to consult with a company that is experienced and provides excellent service.



Mistake No. 1: No Future Planning


If your company is moving to a new office space and new cabling will be required, it would be wise to avoid outdated technology and install equipment that will meet both your current and future needs. Labor costs will likely be the costliest aspect of the project. Although high-quality cable will not be cheap, it will be well worth the investment for your firm’s network requirements the next several years.



Mistake No. 2: Poor Cable Management


Implementing rack-based and ladder rack cable management will certainly raise the outlay for a project. However, sound cable management will ease maintenance and decrease downtime. You should be aware that cabling tasks do not end after installation. Additional cables will probably be needed, and configurations may be revised. Use a standard system for labeling and color coding cables for faster and easier identification. Doing so will speed tasks like repair, reconfiguration, and replacement.



Mistake No. 3: Parallel with Electrical Wiring


Generated by low voltage, the magnetic field conducted by data UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cables is an important feature for the conveyance of data. However, when UTP cables run parallel to electric wiring, there will be a disruption of its magnetic field. This results in garbled and noisy communication. Sometimes transmissions completely fail from point to point. Another negative effect is the extreme slowing of transmission.



Mistake No. 4: Nearby Devices and Fixtures


Noise can be introduced onto data cabling by more than just electrical wires. Fluorescent lighting, motors, and similar items that shed electrical or magnetic interference will wreak havoc on your cabling infrastructure as well. Make sure that in your planning, you leave a data cable pathway that avoids these kinds of hazards.


Part 2 will discuss four more network cabling errors to avoid.



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.

Structured Cabling,Washington DC New York City

The 5 Most Common Structured Cabling Errors – Part 2

28 Oct 2017

Structured Cabling,Washington DC New York CityAs mentioned in Part 1, structured cabling systems are so standardized that good practices should merely entail following ISO/IEC, CENELEC or Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) documentation. Part 2 will discuss three more common errors of structured cabling.



Error No. 3


Failing to properly test a structured cabling system after installation is the third error. Structured cabling represents a large commitment of capital expenditure and will typically have the same length of service life as the facility itself. Ensuring that the entire system is installed to specification and the data is at the capacity and speed expected is crucial. Finally, properly testing the cabling system is required to validate the warranty.


Cables installed during the early period of construction may have been subsequently damaged by other workers performing their roles later during the project. Moreover, new cables that appear fine on the exterior may actually be faulty because of damage underneath the coating as a result of being mishandled. All cables require calibrated testing.



Error No. 4


Using unqualified technicians for installation is the fourth error. Scrimping on the quality of workers installing cabling is an unwise way to save money. Problems will eventually be revealed over time. Prior to committing to a service contract with a structured cabling service, review their credentials and confirm their references. Have conversations with previous customers whose project is similar in scope to yours. Working with a reputable structured cabling firm will help make sure your project will be successful for the long term.



Error No. 5


Letting structured cabling patch panels become disorganized is the fifth error. It will harm both the performance and reliability of a company’s IT systems. As time passes, the patch panel or switch ports may be damaged, causing intermittent problems that are very hard to pinpoint. The use of proper cable management hardware for supporting patch cables is good practice. Complying with the specified patching standards required for a particular structured cabling system will result in a sound and reliable network.



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.

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.

Network Cabling ,Data Cabling, Fiber-optic cable,New York City

Modern Cabling System Design Trends – Part 2

17 Aug 2017

Office Cabling,New York CityAs discussed by Part 1, the most significant trend in IT (information technology) is the greater reliance of organizations on high-performance data communications (datacom) cabling. Part 2 will cover High Performance Cabling and Aesthetics of Cabling.



High Performance Cabling


The use of high performance cabling of copper and fiber optic cabling is influencing the design of wiring and cabling management systems. Data transmission integrity must be maintained by cable bend radius specifications. Now available are specialized fittings for raceways and other management systems that ensure minimum cable bend radius, preventing damage and maintaining effectiveness. Upcoming technologies such as 10 G/s Ethernet will result in greater demands, making it even more important that every aspect of a structured cabling system ensures high performance.


Being able to provide adequate space for the accommodation of bend radius needs to work in conjunction with the goal of being unobtrusive visually. This objective is affected by the necessity of physically separating power and low-voltage channels to prevent EFT (electrical fast transient) disturbances. Fortunately, a new raceway design maintains complete separation through crossover fittings that provide more space inside the raceway, allowing the bend radius of 10G/s cable’s larger diameter.



Aesthetics of Cabling


The design of modern wiring and cable management systems now aspire to both form and function. Non-metallic raceways with visually attractive profiles in a variety of colors are now available in the marketplace. Stainless steel is also trending, featuring plates that conceal seams. Moreover, components can be combined in matching colors and styles. This ongoing aesthetic drive has led to almost invisible activations that are recessed and flush. Poke-through devices now feature datacom ports and receptacles with sleeker profiles. Accommodating a greater number of outlets, high-capacity service activations are much less obvious than dated low-capacity fittings.



Summary


Product development for wiring and cabling management systems must unceasingly keep pace with increasingly complex datacom requirements. Solutions from manufacturers must be compatible with a wide variety of datacom cabling, allow for both system and operational flexibility, and deliver eye-pleasing aesthetics in the workplace.



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 their clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Working together, their cabling teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call their toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

Structured Cabling,Washington DC New York City

Basics of Riser Cables

6 Mar 2015

Structured Cabling,Network Cabling Data Cabling Riser cables were designed for non-plenum vertical applications like between the floors of multi-story buildings. They are also described as backbone cables. These cables serve as the main conduit of a distribution system for data, video or voice. It originates from the point where communications go in through a particular edifice.  This cable comprises part of the structure backbone. Other components of this facility are the cable corridors, telecommunications cabinets, equipment rooms, correlated hardware, and support facilities. This cable variety must be fire resistant in accordance with electrical codes. Nonetheless, specifications are not as stringent compared to plenum cables.



Understand its Uses


Riser cables may be used for different forms of data communications which also includes CCTV video access. It is ideal as well for voice communications. One major concern is that requirements vary for each service. Hat is why planning can sometimes be quite complicated. Building managers are often pressed to predict their requirements given limited time and expertise. Quite often they will recommend creating split riser systems for multiple applications which follow parallel routes through the corridors, closets, and equipment areas.



How do you select the medium?


Perhaps, the primary concern is to stay within budget.  You can expect system designers to resort to trade-offs in delivering a broad assortment of services within the backbone system. Other factors that may influence their design are the following:




  • Provide an adaptable medium in relation to supported services

  • Identify the necessary useful life span of backbone cabling

  • Consider the technical needs of users


Standards are on hand to serve as a guide in the design of riser cable systems. There are appropriate benchmarks for optical and copper cable backbone structures. Some of the backbone cable categories include:




  • Copper-shielded and unshielded twisted-pair or UTP cables

  • Coaxial and twin axial cabling configurations

  • Single mode and micron multimode optical fibers


Physical locations supporting riser cables take into consideration the telecommunications service entrances and adjacent equipment rooms containing the main cross-connect. This can extend to the telecommunications closets that serve a particular location, intermediate cross-connects that serve a number of telecommunications closets, or horizontal cross-connects for a remote telecommunications closet or just one level of the building. The telecommunications cabinet is the point of interaction between backbone systems and parallel (same floor) wiring.


Riser cable systems in multiple-story buildings need to pass through equivalent closets making use of connecting conduits between the floors. Said design provides each floor access to the backbone and allows circuits to be distributed to all levels. The conduit and sleeves should go higher than the floor level by at least an inch and fitted with fire-stopping material. These should also adhere to electrical codes. The riser or backbone cable system essentially acts as the core of telecommunications infrastructure.


 
cable testing, Network Cabling ,Data Cabling ,cat6-cabling

Benefits of Copper Cabling Solutions

4 May 2014

cable testing, Network Cabling ,Data Cabling ,cat6-cablingThe conventional process of copper cabling has been used for several years and is still preferred by many network cable providers and end-users. Companies like Progressive Office Cabling offer a complete range of cabling solutions in Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6a and Cat6, providing clients with high-quality cable as well as connectivity components. Progressive Office Cabling makes use of highly effective cable management systems and well-trained technicians for installation jobs. It also employs a web-based online project management system to guarantee proper implementation and monitoring of any project.




How Does Copper Cabling Work?


Installation technicians have to follow specific policies and standards, particularly when it comes to building structure concerns. There are several steps to follow with regard to installation. First, the cable should have the appropriate covering or insulation, which is normally made of PVC, Plenum, Ultra-Violet, or mold-resistant varieties. The cable is cut according to the needed length, and outer covers are removed before connectors are attached. Use the appropriate stripping tools for this purpose. Cables should be mounted as orderly as possible.


There are instances when installers have to use ladder trays and J-hooks, which are made for network cabling, or shoot nails into concrete ceilings using a tool that literally propels nails like bullets into the concrete surfaces. Network cables must be installed away from electric power lines, fluorescent lamps and industrial machines; the risk of electrical coupling can increase dependent on proximity and voltage factors.



Different Benefits


Copper cabling has multiple benefits and is the most effective conductor out there. Copper cables are flexible, which is especially advantageous if you are using electrical wires. It is necessary to bend the wire during installation, so you need something durable that will not easily break after a lot of twisting. Copper does not easily melt, so even if a sudden surge of current or overload takes place, there is no risk of burning or melting. At the same time, copper is not difficult to work on. The majority of electricians opt for copper wires because they can be stripped easily or pulled through rigid spots.


With regard to structured copper cabling, there is the Power over Ethernet benefit. This means that it is possible to run power through devices such as Wireless Access Points, surveillance cameras, and power phones. There is an emergency power supply that continues to power mission-critical devices even if electrical power conks out. Copper cabling supports modern technologies and facilitates the convergence of different applications. Hence, it is important that copper cabling is optimized for your requirements. That is why you should make sure to get the services only of experienced and trustworthy providers in the industry. Choose the provider that ensures customer satisfaction and warranty after installation.

Data Cabling Cat5e Cat6/6a Cabling

Abandoned Cable Liability Issue

17 Oct 2013
Cabling,Data Cabling Cat5e Cat6/6a Cabling

As tenants come and go in a commercial building, the cabling infrastructure sometimes leaves behind abandoned Cat5, Cat6 and coax cabling. All that needs to happen is for the new tenant to request a reconfigured layout that relocates the main wall closet. Or, sometimes the old tenant will cut away the cabling in order to take the patch panels with them. If possible, keep the wall closet location. And always offer to buy the patch panels from a departing tenant.



Read More

Cat5 Cat6 Network Cabling,Washington DC

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Cabling Lessons Learned

14 Dec 2012

Cat5, Cat6 data cables ,connected to serversA magnetic field when running low voltages. Unfortunately, when this unshielded cabling creates a magnetic field created. Any electrical cabling bear by disrupts communication, slowing transmission or preventing Network cabling is a tricky. Even with a solid background, technicians without adequate knowledge and training can make mistakes that may shut down an entire system. Here are some typical mistakes seen in network cabling.


Plan for the Future.  Cat5 may be the cheaper option, but can cause problems when upgrading is needed. Install Cat5e or Cat6 cables with options for upgrades to save labor costs.


Don’t Mix and Match. Twisted pair cabling was often out of the price range for many companies, so priority was given to data, while voice had with cheaper cabling. Now, VoIP has made voice equal to data in importance and need. Fortunately, a typical VoIP phone has a built-in Ethernet connection or pass-thru that is compatible with almost any data cable, which decreases installation costs.


Don't put Electrical Cables Next to Data Cables. Data cables use twisted pairs of wires inside that help produce transmissions altogether. This generally happens when the cables are running parallel, so if your cable is near a power line, lay them perpendicular to the power line.


 Not Laying New Cable When You Need To. Ethernet switches are convenient, but can be misused. Mini-switches are often added to provide a few extra ports; but this can cause bottlenecks and instability. Add extra cable instead, if more network resources are needed.


Forgetting Cable Management. “Ladder racks” add extra cost to an installation, but they also make the installation look better, run better, and easier to maintain and update. Also, don't forget to color code or label your cables, so technicians can actually find the right cable later.

Cat5e, Cat6/6a Cabling ,Structured Cabling

Do Not Use Basket Tray against a Tight Ceiling

8 Aug 2012

When a new office design is in its initial stages, it is critical to consider proper handling of utilities, power water and cabling inside the walls and ceiling. For cabling, it is necessary to use hooks to hold the cables above the drop ceiling. When the installation of cable involves large numbers of cables traversing lengthy expanses, it is normal to install cable ladder trays up in the ceiling to carry the bulk of the cable along the main corridors of the office. Cable ladders vary in quality and cable handling capabilities. The amount of cable and the budget of the project will determine the type of cable ladder that will be built.


A higher quality cable ladder will, in the long run, save time and money during the installation phase of a cabling project. The alternative to a cable tray is to install cable conduit. Considerations in choosing to use a cable ladder tray system include the following:

Read More