Get a Site Survey Before Cabling Installation
During the process of selecting a cabling installation company, you will meet with candidate contractors at the new office space. Each visit will typically be a free consultation as each contractor they will make a site survey in order to make an evaluation and prepare a quote for the project. Below are items and information a business owner should be ready to provide to make each site survey as efficient and productive as possible.
Advantages of Upgrading to Structured Cabling – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1, point-to-point cabling systems are outdated and companies should strongly consider making the transition to structured cabling to remain competitive.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.
Structured Cabling’s Top Ten Tips
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.
Basics and Benefits of Zone Cabling – Part 3
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
- 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.
- Extra ports within the ZE facilitate fast MACs (moves, adds, and changes) of current service configurations.
- For easing installation and decreasing labor costs, tested trunking and factory pre-terminated cables can be utilized.
- Increased efficiency of pathway utilization will be realized for the entire facility space.
- 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.
8 Network Cabling Mistakes to Avoid – Part 1
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.
The 5 Most Common Structured Cabling Errors – Part 2
As 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.
The 5 Most Common Structured Cabling Errors – Part 1
Structured 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.
Modern Cabling System Design Trends – Part 2
As 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.