Typical Installation Mistakes of Network Cabling – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1, network cabling installation errors may result in long-term problems and high costs. They can be avoided by following standard structured cabling practices. Continuing with the discussion of typical network cabling installation mistakes, Part 2 will cover Ignoring Regulations, No Testing, and Skimping On Labor.
Ignoring Regulations
There are codes, laws, and ordinances that regulate low voltage cabling, and they vary, depending on the municipality, city, and state. Experienced professionals who install network cabling are knowledgeable about the applicable requirements and how to complete a project to code. When the fire marshal or building inspector determines laws were broken or wiring is not up to code, a company can be penalized with large fines and required to remove and reinstall cabling if it is a fire hazard.
No Testing
When network cabling is installed, each cable should undergo testing. This should also involve the verification of a cable’s length and specifications. This process is crucial because it will confirm whether or not the network satisfies project specifications. The data also provides a basis for future testing and troubleshooting, along with supporting any warranty claims.
Skimping On Labor
Considering how important the network cabling installation is to the future, cutting corners in the hiring of cabling installers is unwise. It is crucial to always verify the qualifications and licensing of the cabling installation company you are considering. Make the time and effort to check each reference that is provided. This may save your company time, money, and problems if you avoid working with an outfit that provides substandard services support. Request the contact information of previous customers who had projects similar to yours and get their opinions before making a commitment. Finding an installer that is the right fit for your project is the first step for ensuring a successful network cabling installation.
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.
Planning the Cabling for Your New Location – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1, moving often overwhelms staff, and cabling for data, power, communications, and security may not be prioritized adequately. Part 2 will discuss Health & Safety, Flexibility, Future Growth, and Structured Cabling. Consult with an experienced and expert cabling company prior to starting your project to get the best results.
Health & Safety
Consideration should be given to the health and safety of both employees and staff when planning the cabling at your new facility. Wiring that provides connections to equipment and telecommunications and power companies should not endanger the welfare of people by blocking emergency exits, ventilation ducts, and cooling systems.
Ensure that regulatory compliance for securing certain types of sensitive or personal data will be met. This will require locating data storage, servers, and equipment processing transactions properly. Their positions should be considered during the mapping process.
Flexibility
Market conditions can become very fluid, and perhaps only a brief time after moving into a new location will an organization have to make changes in its cabling. Well-designed structured cabling will ensure flexibility that allows a company to make additions and revisions in the most efficient and fastest manner possible to reallocate resources.
Future Growth
The cabling of an organization should give allowance for future expansion of its IT infrastructure. The growth of its business may require the company to seek greater bandwidth, increased communication channels, more electrical power, and additional space. Although the future of a business is often very hard to predict, it is still possible to make projections given the current market and its prospects in the coming years.
Structured Cabling
Having your data, communications, and power cabling installed by several different contractors will work against a properly configured cabling system. This haphazard approach may also result in higher management and maintenance costs. Governed by proven industry standards, a structured cabling system will provide a company an integrated IT infrastructure that allows for ease of maintenance, flexibility, and expansion.
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 for Performance and Efficiency – Part 2
As 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.
The Benefits of Structured Cabling for IT Infrastructure
Utilizing best practices developed over time, structured cabling determines the design and construction of an organization’s IT infrastructure. Standardized practices ease modifications and additions and promote compatibility and reliability. The following will discuss the benefits of structured cabling for your organization’s IT infrastructure.
Efficiency
There will be times when it will be necessary to move forward with changes to your IT infrastructure. When this involves dealing with improperly placed cables without a labeling system, each project will take longer than what would be necessary for a well-organized system. Structured cabling’s best practices decrease downtime and minimize mistakes.
Flexibility
Structured cabling allows flexibility, meaning repairs and changes to the infrastructure become easier and faster to perform. This means data center managers will not hesitate to implement needed changes because they don’t have to deal with disorganized cabling that make their jobs much harder.
Future Proofing
The perpetual improvements of telecommunications technology make it crucial to have an IT infrastructure that can adapt to future technical advances. Structured cabling makes this possible by ensuring upgrades are not difficult to integrate with the existing system. Structured cabling enables future proofing, and so it can be considered a sound investment for companies anticipating expansion.
Redundancy
Structured cabling allows the creation of an IT infrastructure that features redundancy, which helps ensure reliability and accessibility, particularly during maintenance or repair. If a cable is somehow compromised, data communications can keep functioning over redundant cabling as repairs are being performed.
ROI
Business owners should consider structured cabling as an investment that will improve their IT infrastructures. As it will significantly increase the efficiency of its data operations, the ROI (return on investment) could far exceed the initial outlay for implementation over time.
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.
Data Center Cabling’s Emerging Trends for 2018 – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1, structured cabling is now considered the foundation of network infrastructure, and organizations and their data centers are seeking ways to improve its efficiency and functionality through several trends. Part 2 will discuss Modularization, Optimization, and Virtualization.
Modularization
New data centers are now being built to support ever-increasing networking demands. Companies are participating by determining which modular data center cabling solutions to implement in order to be future-proofed as this technology grows more sophisticated.
They are also seeking the ability to better scale data and network resources, which will decrease capital expenditure for infrastructure and thus increase the potential for profits.
These organizations are also rapidly implementing virtual data center solutions.
Featuring modules and components that are specially designed, modular data centers are portable, scalable, and containerized. Capable of supporting converged infrastructures, a modular data center requires sound data cabling infrastructure to be effective.
Optimization
An organization that may not be able to build a new data center can still upgrade its existing data cabling. In addition, data center providers are rapidly being chosen as a cost-effective method for optimizing network infrastructure.
Although copper and fiber cabling are considered adequate, there is a growing demand for connectivity that is speedier and more efficient for apps, computers, servers, and storage systems. Optimizing data cabling is the most direct way to obtain this by standardizing components such as cabling, racks, cabinets, etc.
Virtualization
Research has found that more than half of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are now running workloads on virtual machines. In comparison, data center providers are utilizing virtualization at a rate of at least 95%.
Virtualization technology is establishing itself as a proven, scalable, and cost-effective option for networking. Virtualization most commonly functions on computers, networks, servers, and storage systems. The most essential feature of network virtualization is well-designed structured data 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.
Data Center Cabling’s Emerging Trends for 2018 – Part 1
Organizations and their data centers have come to recognize that structured cabling is the foundation of network infrastructure. As time passes, they will look for methods to make their structured cabling designs work with more efficiency and functionality. This article will discuss the emerging trends for data center cabling in 2018.
Cloud Integration
The industry is seeking ways to further integrate cloud technology with structured cabling. Data centers are gravitating to affordable and effective cloud products that improve performance, enable expansion, ensure security, and handle big data. In addition, business owners are upgrading their data cabling with copper and fiber technologies.