Data Cabling, Fiber optic cable

About Fiber Optic Cabling

3 Apr 2014

Data Cabling, Fiber optic cableAn efficient cabling system is one of the prerequisites for a functional network and is considered to be an investment that will comply with your networking needs in the long term. Fiber optic cabling is the product of modern technology. This type of cabling conveys information from one location to another through pulses of light in an optical fiber. It is important for users to learn the advantages of fiber optics.


Fiber optic cables possess more bandwidth, or communications capacity, compared to metal and copper wires. This variety can transmit more information with greater reliability, which is one of the reasons for cable television and telephone providers to opt for fiber. The optical fiber also generates minimal power loss, thereby allowing longer transmission. Such cables are resistant against electromagnetic interference; they can operate in loud electrical environments because the interference does not have any effect on fiber cables.


Moreover, data moves at higher speeds since the fiber optic signal ensures that only a small amount of signal is lost in the course of transmission. Data is safe with fiber cables. It does not give off signals and is relatively hard to utilize. You will easily find out if the cable has been tapped or infringement has been made on the system, as this tampering causes the cable to give away light and causes the whole system to break down. Fiber optic cabling allows users to store electronics and hardware in a particular area rather than wiring cabinets with equipment.


Fiber optic cabling facilitates consistent transmission of data. The central part is fabricated from glass, an insulator, so that electricity cannot pass through. It is barely affected by ebb and flow of temperature, unlike copper, and can be immersed in water without any negative effects. Fiber optic is lightweight and thread like, but tougher than copper wiring. Specifications are a lot more than the copper cable. Although it is more difficult to terminate compared to copper, modern connectors make it easier to terminate.


The costs of fiber as well as other components are decreasing gradually but installation is more costly. Of course, fiber is more expensive than copper but it become more cost-effective in the long run due to less required maintenance, networking and downtime.


Practical users value their money. There may be certain downsides, such as installation expenses, but these are decreasing steadily each year. Fibers are also prone to damages because of the fine and smaller strands. Nevertheless, you can always institute safeguards that will address these points. Make it a point to determine the benefits of using fiber optic cabling.  Install the highest quality of optic fiber cabling that your financial resources will allow.

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

Should we upgrade to Cat6a or to Cat7 cabling?

10 Nov 2023


Cat6a is a much more established standard than Cat7. It is easier to install and has less connectivity issues. We are not going to recommend or bid on a Cat7 solution. Cat6a can run at speeds of up to 10-Gigabit so if that is acceptable for the next 10 years, than we recommend Cat 6a or go to fiber.

We were asked to bid on a cabling project that was fairly straight-forward. It involved replacing the existing Cat5e cable with either Cat6a, Cat7 or fiber cable. The site was an open, standard modern office with a drop ceiling and hollow office walls. The client needed 64 single drops to existing faceplates, three new 24-port patch panels and patch cables.


The need for higher speeds by the client was created by a demand for faster access to larger files from the Server. This potential client was involved with heavy drafting and multimedia applications that require more bandwidth through the cabling system. Cat5e yields up to 1000Base-T, 1-Gigabit, data transfer speed.


The challenge is in deciding on which type of cable to use. Cat6a and fiber are very standard solutions. But Cat7 is not  at all a standard installation yet (and might not ever be one). The problems with Cat7 are that the cable is very heavy,

Read More

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.

Optical Fiber Cabling Usage and Methods

24 Apr 2009

Optical fiber is an effective medium for networking because it is flexible and can be bundled as cables. It is especially advantageous for long-distance network fiber-opticscommunications, because light propagates through the fiber with little attenuation compared to electrical cables. This allows long distances to be spanned with few or no repeaters. Additionally, the per-channel light signals propagating in the fiber can be easily modulated at 1 Gb/s.


Fiber cable saves space in cable ducts because a single fiber can carry much more data than a single standard data cable. Fiber is also immune to electrical interference; there is no cross-talk between signals in different cables and no pickup of environmental noise. Non-armored fiber cables do not conduct electricity, which makes fiber a good solution for protecting communications equipment located in high voltage environments such as power generation facilities, or metal communication structures prone to lightning strikes. They can also be used in environments where explosive fumes are present, without danger of ignition. Wiretapping is also more difficult compared to electrical connections, and there are concentric dual core fibers that are said to be tap-proof.


Both multi-mode and single-mode fibers are used in communications, with multi-mode fiber used mostly for shoOffice Cabling ,Network Cabling,fiber-optic-cablingrt distances, up to 550 m (600 yards), and single-mode fiber used for longer distance links. Because of the tighter tolerances required to couple light into and between single-mode fibers (core diameter about 10 micrometers), single-mode transmitters, receivers, amplifiers and other components are generally more expensive than multi-mode components.


quote-iconClick 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.