IT infrastructure, Progressive Office Cabling

Why Your Company Should Avoid CCA Cabling – Part 2

30 Oct 2018

Cat6 Office Cabling Dallas TX Pittsburgh PAAs discussed in Part 1, companies that have a limited budget for network infrastructure may end up buying copper clad aluminum (CCA) cabling to save money. Although marketed as a sufficient substitute for solid copper cabling, CCA cables are far from being the right answer for trimming budgets. Part 2 will continue discussing CCA cabling related issues and counterfeit copper cabling.



Shortened Cable Runs


As lengthier CCA cable runs approach the 100-meter maximum, there will be a decrease of signal strength in comparison to solid copper CAT5e cabling. Reduced signal strength can result in data loss because increased packets of data must be retransmitted.


Unsuitable for Power Over Ethernet (PoE)


Since CCA wires have a higher DC resistance (about 55% greater) than solid copper, its conductors may need to be 60% larger than solid copper to compensate. Without resistance compensation, the drop in voltage will be greater for any channel length.


Longer cable runs of 65 meters or more will surpass TIA’s channel DCR requirements, limiting the available voltage for the device. In addition, higher resistance will result in a faster buildup of radiant heat, which may damage the device.



How to Identify CCA Cabling


CCA wire is also much more brittle than solid copper wire. Identifying CCA is easy because all you need to find is the silver color of the tip of the conductor. Another way is scraping away the thin copper surface of the conductor to reveal the aluminum.


CCA cables also weigh much less than solid copper cables. Go to the CCCA website for the CableCheck™ mobile app (http://cccassoc.org/news/free-apps/), which provides the approximate correct box weights to help detect CCA conductors being used to fraudulently substitute for solid copper conductors.


When a CCA cable is labeled as a Category 5e, 6 or 6A cable or CMP or CMR rated, it is counterfeit cable. It will also be non-compliant with industry performance standards and will pose a hazard by being unable to pass UL fire safety testing.



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. 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.

Cabling Network Cable Twisted Pairs

Why Your Company Should Avoid CCA Cabling – Part 1

22 Oct 2018

Cabling Network Cable Twisted PairsIf your company has a limited budget for network infrastructure, your team may be tempted to find numerous way to economize. Unfortunately, this may lead to buying CCA cabling in order to save money. Although marketed as a sufficient substitute for solid copper cabling, CCA cables are far from being the right answer for trimming budgets.



Definition of CCA


CCA stands for copper coated aluminum. A CCA cable’s core is an inner aluminum conductor that is coated with copper. As a result, it weighs considerably less than solid copper cables.


A CCA cable can be made at a significantly reduced cost than the solid copper version. This gives a manufacturer an increased profit margin and a significant competitive edge over those companies who continue making solid copper cable.


CCA cables may look similar and are advertised to function just like standard CAT5e or CAT6 cabling, but they have serious flaws that could result in network issues, business continuity problems, and safety hazards as discussed below.



Non-Compliant


CCA twisted pair cables are non-compliant with UL and TIA standards, which require solid or stranded copper conductors. The National Electrical Code (NEC) also does not provide CCA cabling a valid safety listing. Thus, CCA cables cannot be installed legally if the facility requires CM, CMG, CMP, CMR, or CMX rated cables.



Inflexible


As CCA conductors are brittle and easily break, just transferring a faceplate or patch panel can result in failures. CCA wires have low tensile strength, and they are known to break from shearing or pulling, which can happen during packaging or delivery. Moreover, CCA cables have a very limited bend radius.



Oxidation


Aluminum begins oxidizing very rapidly when it is exposed to air. This oxidation and the resulting corrosion may lead to failed terminations inside the network infrastructure, resulting in connectivity issues.


Part 2 will continue discussing CCA cabling related issues and counterfeit copper 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.

Office Cabling Network Data Cabling

Office Cabling for Performance and Efficiency – Part 2

31 May 2018

Office Cabling Network Data CablingAs 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


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.

Cabling Installations New York City Atlanta GA

Get a Site Survey Before Cabling Installation

7 Feb 2018

Cabling Installation , Network Cabling New York City Atlanta GADuring 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. 

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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.

Network Cabling,Cat6 Cable New York City

Basics and Benefits of Zone Cabling – Part 2

14 Dec 2017

Network Cabling,Cat6 Cable New York City As mentioned in Part 1, zone cabling designs provide benefits in materials savings, decreased installation times, and easier MACs (moves, adds, and changes). Part 2 will continue discussing the basics and benefits of zone cabling.



Designs


Experts recommend CAT 5e and 6 UTP (unshielded twisted pair) zone cabling topology with a connecting block system within the ZE (zone enclosure). This configuration will render unnecessary the stocking of factory pre-terminated and tested interconnect cords for connections in the ZE, simplifying cable management through the elimination of cable slack.


Please note that CAT 6A UTP media is not recommended for zone cabling due to reasons involving performance and flexibility. UTP cabling is vulnerable to crosstalk in particular installation scenarios. In addition, it is not the best media for supporting remote power applications with loads of 30W or more. Because CAT 6A UTP zone deployment is dependent on modular connections inside the ZE, connections provided by pre-terminated and tested interconnect cords need to be available for rapidly enabling MACs. Affordable shielded zone cabling solutions are recommended to address these situations.



Cost Savings


Even though more CAPEX (capital expenditure) will be necessary for a zone cabling installation, assessing total costs should also account for OPEX (operating expenditure). The performance of MACs is classified as OPEX, and studies by Siemon found there are hundreds of dollars in savings from each move, addition, or change when using a zone cabling design versus a traditional cabling design. Their study also discovered a tipping point when ROI begins accruing from utilizing a zone cabling design.


IT (information technology) needs for many organizations evolve constantly, which requires being able to quickly reconfigure floor space. An improved capability of supporting MACs will allow owners of facilities to achieve considerable ROI benefits from deploying zone cabling systems in a two to five year period. According to Siemon, the combined costs of CAPEX and OPEX for zone cabling designs will be invariably less than traditional cabling designs


Part 3 will continue discussing the basics and benefits of zone 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.

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.