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.

Network Cabling, Data Cabling,cat5 cat6 cabling

The Advantages of Fiber Optic Cabling

7 Apr 2014

Fiber optic advantages Network Cabling, Data Cabling,cat5 cat6 cablingSophisticated technology has made it possible for the new generation of entrepreneurs to enjoy Cat5, Cat6, and fiber optic cabling. These technologies amplify speed, enhance performance and reduce costs.



Cat5


Cat5 refers to structured cabling for transmission of data signals. This is used primarily for computer networks. Standard performance is a maximum of 100 MHz and fits into the Gigabit and Fast Ethernet. Cat5 carries other signals for video and telephony. Almost all Cat5 cables are unprotected and depend on balanced lines and twisted pair designs as well as differential signals to reject noise.

Cat6


Cat6 is considered standard for Gigabit Ethernet along with network protocols that require more speed than Cat5 cables. Cat6 is made up of four pairs of wires comparable to Cat5. Using all four pairs allows this model to support communications that are double the speed of Cat5. This translates to speeds of one gigabit/second.

Fiber Optic Cabling


Fiber optic cabling or optical fiber is distinct from Cat5 and Cat6. It utilizes light rather than electricity to transmit signals. It has a better signal compared to the traditional copper cables, so it sends signals more rapidly than is possible with copper cable. Optical fiber is also impervious to interference from electricity, which means that users can use it anywhere and anytime. Fiber optic cabling also allows for much longer transmission distances. Cat5 and Cat6 are limited to only 100m of cable from wallplate to computer.

Even telephone companies have started to phase out copper wires in favor of fiber optic cables. Technical experts of these firms are working to reduce the vulnerability of fiber optic cables to water. Using fiber optic provides enterprises the adaptability of augmenting bandwidth in just several days compared to the conventional copper circuits, which usually take a maximum of one month to upgrade. Fiber optic connections generally start at two megabytes, with dedicated upload and download speeds of up to one gigabyte.

Fiber Connection


The fiber connection will also facilitate the business-mode Service Level Agreement or SLA. This implies that business entities obtain a secured 99.99 percent uptime. If power failure and other issues occur, technical specialists can conduct repairs within a maximum period of four hours. Your business reaps the benefits of speed, assured uptime and fast service by a reputable company like Progressive Office Cabling. It makes use of high-quality cables along with connectivity parts as well as the most efficient systems in cable management. The company’s technicians have been trained properly to be able to respond to your demands. With a proven project management approach, effective communication is guaranteed during the entire project.

This kind of service is practically unmatched in this industry. Savvy users and business proprietors will know how to choose the service provider that can deliver solutions based on their requirements.
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.



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Network Cabling ,Data Cabling

What is “Alien Crosstalk”?

8 Mar 2013

Network Cabling, Data CablingNo, it’s not ET calling home. “Alien Crosstalk” is defined as “unwanted signal coupling from one balanced twisted-pair component, channel, or permanent link to another”.


Alien crosstalk is not generally affected by common noise from motors, transformers, or florescent lighting fixtures. Alien crosstalk is specified as “a parameter for cabling to approximate the energy present when all cabling pairs are energized”.

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cat6-cabling,data cabling,

Shielded or Unshielded Cat6 cable?

22 Feb 2013

cat6-cabling,data cabling,With high bandwidth applications and network systems venturing into factory environments, the need for shielded Cat 6 cable has increased. In these new areas of installation, the environment where the network cable is run has large amounts of EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference). Although Cat 6 cables have improved cable twist to reject noise and handle gigabit Ethernet this by itself is not enough for high EMI environments. A shielded Cat 6 cable helps in high EMI installations. These high performance cables ensure the data within the cable will be protected from EMI, resulting in higher speeds and better data transmission.


Grounding Necessities for Shielded Cat 6 cables

Shielding helps protect the data from electromagnetic interference from outside sources that  could alter or weaken the signal traveling through the copper in the cable. The shields of the two connectors are electrically tied together by the drain wire. However, they will only become grounded if the jack they are placed in has its shielding tied to ground.  If you are setting up a network with Category 6 shielded cables, you should use Cat 6 shielded couplers and jacks.



Installation caveats


Category 6 and 6a cable must be properly installed and terminated to meet specifications. The cable must not be kinked or bent too tightly (the bend radius should be at least four times the outer diameter of the cable). The wire pairs must not be untwisted and the outer jacket must not be stripped back more than 1/2 inch (1.27 cm).


All shielded cables must be grounded for safety and effectiveness and a continuous shield connection maintained from end to end. Ground loops develop when there is more than one ground connection and the difference in common mode voltage potential at these ground connections introduces noise into the cabling.

Data Cabling, Cat5e, Cat6/6a Cabling

US Court of Appeals Veterans Affairs – Cabling Project Notes

18 Jun 2012

Project Objectives (Do not call, this project has been COMPLETED)




Number of Drops: 360 (140 duals, and 20 quads)

Ceiling: Non-plenum, separate ducting

Racks: Enclosed, 19”, will already be installed by customer

Switches: Provided by customer, 48 port

Patch cables: None necessary. They will provide patch cables from wall plate to computers and from patch panels to switches.

Labeling and documentation of all cabling is important. How this looks is important to them. Please provide a spreadsheet of all wallplates and rooms.

  • Location is behind elevators.

  • All workstation runs will terminate in wiring closet behind elevators.

  • We will mount patch panels in this closet on the wall. Use 24port, Cat5e, patch panels.

  • They will mount racks for switches.

  • 4 pairs of fiber will run from the closet to the server room on the same floor. We are to provide the cabling plant for the fiber.


Office Cabling Network Cabling

Server Room:




  • 2, 24 port patch panels per rack.

  • Cabling plant for fiber to switch closet.


Existing server room


Click HereThey want cable management hardware to be part of the solution. What you see in this room is what they’re cleaning up and looking to make high end and professional in the new location. Photos here include existing fiber. Note the ceiling cable management rack. In the new location these will be in place in the server room and along the ceiling in the main hallways.


New server space - Roughed in area they’re moving to.




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


General Floor Space:



  • Quad drops in each office and cube in the technology area

  • Dual drops in all other offices

  • 6 drops for cable t.v.

  • Wall facing outside is already dry walled and insulated


Part of that wall has large window with wall space under it. Customer is unsure if drops will go there or anywhere along that outside wall.

Includes the outside wall. They’re not sure if there will be drops along this wall. If so it’ll be interesting because of the insulation. Also note that they MAY want drops under the windows along this wall.

There are some pictures of the ceiling details. Also note that the client will already have cabling runners ceiling mounted down the middle of the two main hallways to the server room.








Special Fiber Optic Line Item Bid:


US Court of Appeals wants this as a line item so they can choose to add this work or not when they’re doing the budget.

Fiber runs between floors. The floor plan represents the 6th floor. 14 runs broken out as follows. A single 6-strand fiber cable will be run from the 6th to each floor in the table below. Three strands will be connected and three will be left as spares.



























# of Runs Floor
3 11th
3 10th
3 9th
3 2nd
2 Mezzanine

12’ ceilings, concrete floors.

Conduit already exists between the floors. We have to repack the conduit we use with fire stop putty to meet fire code. See photos of the “Switch closet” for conduit images.
Network cabling,Office Cabling in DC

Upgrading or Adding to Your Network – Progressive Office can Help

12 Jan 2011

Office Cabling in DCThere could be any number of reasons that your voice and data system may be changing.  You might be adding more PCs or phone lines; adding a dedicated server to store critical data or adding scanners or printers to more adequately serve customer needs.


In order to ensure a seamless transition into your larger, upgraded network there’s a very good chance that you’ll need upgrades or

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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.

Need more help? Click here to go to a page that will put you in touch with us. Answer all of the questions that you can and we will get back to you with a quote.

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IT support, computer repair

Bad Power Supply

4 Oct 2008

bad power supplyHow do you know when you have a bad power supply? Well, the symptoms are fairly basic. I had a client call me last week. He said his computer would not turn on. So, I asked him to tell me if anything came up on the monitor. He said, "No, the monitor is blank". So, I asked if he could see any lights come on the CPU and he told me that the CPU's LEDs were also dark. So, I asked him to put his ear to the power supply and tell me if he could hear the fan turning. He said it seemed quiet.


So, as a final test, I asked him to carefully look at the power supply and to tell me if the fan is spinning. He said it was not. Therefore, the power supply was bad. The next trick was in looking up the exact make and model and finding a generic replacement that would fit into the system. We did and we were able to get his computer back up and working the same day.


Call Progressive Office if you need IT Support at 202-462-4290.