Patch Cable | Progressive Office Cabling

Cabling Pointers for Effective Data Center Management

5 Feb 2015

Structured Cabling,Office Cabling,datac enter The data center supports the lifeblood of corporate enterprises. Communications stop due to the malfunction of this facility. Unfortunately, multiple issues can affect the data hub and incorrect cabling can be one of them. Planning is the key to boosting the efficiency of data center cabling.

Here are some things to consider:

Measure cables with care. Otherwise, you produce a twisted “rat's nest” and an unnecessary waste of money.

Put a label on both tips of your cables which include patch and short runs. This will be useful if you need to test a cluster of circuits. It will not be confusing if you unplug several patch cables. You know where each single cable is connected. The marking system must be consistent at all times.

Never rush on termination of cables. And redo in cases where cables lose connectivity. Avoid purchasing and using cheap products. You will end up spending more in the long-term.

Test the cables first and make sure it passes the mark for continuity. If not, you have to do it all over again. And always use a high-quality tester to avoid unwarranted work.

Patch cables must be kept short. Remember that rack servers are only one foot away from each other. Patch cables with a length of three feet are definitely not appropriate. Combine testing and terminating capabilities to make sure that patch cables connect accurately. Additional lengths will cause a lot of twisting.

Come up with a color coding technique. A single color is ideal for patch cables and cable runs. However, it is possible to utilize specific color cables for specific purposes. Avoid random colors. It will be easier to follow cable functions and resolve problems if your color has a purpose. Blue for data, white for voice is a common standard.

Your design must be cable-friendly. Do not put a rack in a place where it is not possible to run your cable effectively. You may end up with cables dropping from the ceiling or scattered on the floor. Expansion should also be in your planning so you know when and how to make adjustments.

Separate electric wires from Cat5/6 cables. Power lines can distort communications. The effects will be to have connection and data transmission issues that can result in data corruptions.

Be careful about excessive temperature. Make sure that the cables are cool and not hot since this can result in cabling decomposition. The data center should be designed in a way that servers and networks are always at a comfortable temperature.

If you need help in designing your structured data cabling system, please feel free to call or contact us. We do free cabling site proposals.

Structured Cabling,,Office Cabling.connectors

Important Facts About Cabling Infrastructure

23 Jan 2015

Stu Kushner

Network cabling that has not been installed properly may result in various communications issues. Even minor problems such as a connector that has not been terminated properly can prevent Power over Ethernet from performing well.

Wiring Standards

See to it that you use appropriate wiring patterns which are T568a and T568b. Refrain from bringing together T568a and T568b in the same cable. And always use premium quality Cat6 or Cat5e cables. We prefer solid over stranded wire.

Essential Facts About Cabling System

14 Dec 2014

Stu Kushner

Network cabling, NetworkTopologies. Your office cabling system is costly and complicated investment. It's also a commitment to an office design and structure that is not easy to modify. If you add more workstations later, new cabling might be needed.

Most offices have a structured cabling topology that hardwires the cables from wallplate to patch panel. With this system, modifications are less likely because the initial installaiont includes a planning process that should anticipate some expansion. By pre-wiring potential locations in an existing or newly-constructed building, future moves, additions or alterations are avoided. You can just transfer patched cables in the wiring closet. Also, it is critical to number the wallplates to match the corresponding patch panel number. This will make it much easier to relocate a workstation or to troubleshoot a connectivity problem.

There are several sub-systems to consider:

The Demark refers to the point where the Internet Service Provider's (ISP) data line comes to an end and hooks up with the cabling in the building.

The equipment room serves as storage for all apparatus and wiring integration points.

Backbone cabling are high-speed cables (typically Cat6 or fiber) that connect various floors or wall closets.

The horizontal cabling for links up the network space to individual wallplates. These are done through conduits and ceiling spaces on every level.

The telecommunications enclosures are wall or floor mounted cages that hold the network equipment; primarily the patch panels ands switches but also sometimes the server and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) too.

Installation and design of structured cabling is regulated by standards that identify the following:

Network data switches

Offices layout for voice & data communications for Cat5e or Cat6 cable

Fiber Optic cables for backbones

Modular connectors at the wallplate

These components will guide the layout of cables in order to fulfill the data access requirements of your office. All of the cables start at the patch panel on a mounted rack (about 19 inches wide) in the wall closet. From there, they traverse through the drop ceiling and down the walls to individual wallplates. Quite often a wallplate will host 2 or more connections. At the wallplate a short patch cable, usually 7 to 14 feet in length wil connect the computer, phone, printer or other networked device.

All cabling standards require that all of the eight conductors in Cat5, Cat5e and Cat6 cables are inter-connected in a precise color-coded pattern. The network cable connects each device but some devices can share a single cable. This is true for VoIP phones. Most VoIP phones have a jack for the network cable and then a jack on the phone for connecting the computer. This pass-thru enables the two devices to share one connection.

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

Should we upgrade to Cat6a or to Cat7 cabling?

10 Nov 2023

Stu Kushner

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,

How to Install a Patch Panel

27 Jun 2013

Stu Kushner

The process of installing a patch panel onto a wall begins with the preparing the wall to hold the rack. Most offices have drywall walls. Sometimes the walls are concrete if they lie along the structural boundaries of the building. This installation involved mounting the patch panel onto a wall that is drywall on top of concrete.

The photos below will illustrate what is involved in mounting a rack that holds the patch panel and switch.

Cabling Issues

11 Apr 2013

Stu Kushner

data cabling,,DC One of the most important things about cabling is to purchase cable not just for what you’re using now but for what you may run in the future. A rule of thumb is to install the highest-grade cable that your budget allows.

The standard is Ethernet. That means there are two basic types of cables to use: copper Ethernet and fiber optic Ethernet. Copper Ethernet cabling is generally used to connect the data center equipment to the end-user, while fiber optic cabling is used to network the infrastructure and to

Cat6 Installation Tips

9 Jan 2013

Stu Kushner

Always study and document the required cabling layout and the distances between the equipment to be cabled before starting a Cat6 cable installation.

Refer to ANSI/TIA/ EIA 606 Document for color coding the different functions used in the system guidance. Use either PVC or plenum cable as required depending on where the cables are run. Fiber optic and/or copper cable may be required depending on the transmission speed and type of equipment.

Wireless Access at Hotel Saves Clients

28 Dec 2009

Stu Kushner

I met with the General Manager of a Holiday Inn in Northern Virginia. She manages a 200-unit building in Arlington, Virginia, an affluent suburb of Washington, DC. Her property provides rooms and facilities to handle meetings and conferences for vacationers and business travelers. She told me that she is trying to get wireless access installed into her building because she is losing business and wasting money.

She said that her hotel is providing free Internet access but her competition is providing free wireless access. Clients and management prefer wireless because it is much easier to manage and access. Clients don't like having to plug in a cable and having to make changes to their network settings to enable network access. Management does not like having to deal with multiple failure points in managing the hundreds of routers spread throughout the building. There is one in each room.

So, they have a lot of complaints about Internet access. It is not convenient. Sometimes clients don't even have a patch cable. So, the problems are overwhelming for both sides. Additionally, they have Meeting and Conference Rooms that are not hard-wired. So, every time they schedule a Conference for a business client they also have to pay their Internet Service Provider (ISP) to extend a bundle of network cables into the Meeting and Conference Rooms. As you can imagine, this is a hassle and a large financial expense. It cuts into their profit margins. And it is also a major inconvenience for both the staff and the customers.

We have presented a proposal to install network cabling and I expect to get approval in the coming weeks. It will save them time, money and reduce their efforts in providing reliable and fast Internet to their clients. I will update this posting as things progress.

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