Structured cabling plays an important role in dealing with specific and complicated cabling. This cabling system supports a variety of management systems, including energy and security access systems, and supports video, multiple voices, data, and more. If you’re considering structured cabling for your business, your first step is determining what your needs are. But if you don’t have any experience with this type of cabling system, you’ll need the help of IT professionals.
For an accurate estimate of your structured cabling needs, you must consider the specific needs of your business, what the right components for your company are, and what your business goals are.
Structured network cabling typically consists of a variety of smaller elements. These systems are created by a series of trunks and patch panels, allowing for a connection from patch panels at the top of racks to hardware ports. The patch is connected to another patch via a trunk in the main distribution area. The main distribution area, or MDA, provides a place for all of the moves, adds, and changes to be made with patch cords.
These systems are often complex and require extensive planning, based on a company’s unique needs. While you may be tempted to install a structured cabling system yourself, it often requires the help of IT professionals with extensive experience designing and installing these systems.
A cabling system that’s designed properly can support a company’s infrastructure, which can take a company to the next level. To determine what your company’s structured cabling needs are first, you must identify how many endpoints and current devices you need connected and if you need broadband services.
Next, consider how you plan on growing your business and what’s needed to make that growth happen. This may include adding more locations and devices.
A company’s physical layout matters as much as its network layout. As a business owner, you’ll need to consider what types of cables will be used in your network to provide the right level of protection against heat, water, dirt, and dust. Some types of cables are able to withstand the elements, but others can easily be damaged.
It’s also important to design your system around potential unexpected changes. For example, if a company decides not to use phone conferencing and opts to switch to video conferencing instead, it would need to have the ability to support that type of change.
As you think about what your system needs, consider what processes your company uses. Each process requires different connections. If you have the wrong connection for a certain process, it can negatively impact productivity.
Defining your needs is a crucial step in this process, one that can help you create a superior cabling infrastructure.
When determining the needs of your business, ask yourself the following questions:
Knowing what your company’s goals and requirements are can help you install building cabling that’s aligned with your company’s needs.
As mentioned earlier, different types of network cables have different capabilities, so you must determine which cables you need for each process. Unfortunately, mistakes can happen if you’re not familiar with the different types of cables available and which ones you need to get the job done. Because of this, you must work with a cable service professional with extensive experience designing and installing structured cabling systems and working with different cable types, such as copper, fiber optic cable, Cat6A cables, coaxial cabling, Cat5 cabling, and more.
Heavy-duty cabling, such as fiber optic cabling, can take your business network to the next level, offering a wide range of benefits.
Inexperienced installation could be disastrous for your business. Instead of taking on this job yourself, contact industry experts who know how to get the job done right.
If you plan to grow your business, a modest cabling system should reflect this. Moves, adds, and changes are critical to the flexibility and scalability of your system. If your structured cabling system doesn't support moves it can be very limiting. Where in your office will server racks, conference tables, and desks be located? Is it likely that the cable layout in your office will need to be changed in the future? The structured cable that’s installed must match the furniture in your office. If not it can create an unsightly, twisted cable design and an unprofessional look.
While hiring a team of IT pros to come in and design and install a structured cabling setup for your business does require a certain amount of investment, in the long run, structured cabling will save your company more money than you’d expect.
Let’s break it down for you.
In the past, your company may have had its fair share of downtime due to cabling issues. Surveys have shown that every single minute a company’s operations are stopped due to IT issues, it loses one hundred dollars. Keep in mind, this number can vary, depending on the size of the business. Unfortunately, downtime caused by cable issues is very common and can be due to an unorganized cabling structure. When you invest in structured cabling, the risk of downtime significantly drops. Additionally, if you do encounter a cabling issue, your team can troubleshoot faster since everything is well-organized, making it easy to identify the culprit. To sum it up, downtown is less likely and if there is a problem, your team can identify the issue and rectify it faster.
Because these systems are very flexible, if you want to make changes to your network, you won’t be forced to overhaul your entire system like you would in the past. As mentioned above, downtime for a business of any size can be costly. Because your team can make changes to your existing system much faster, a structured cabling system will minimize installation time, saving your company some serious cash.
Every electrical cable is resistant to electricity to some extent, ensuring that a cable cannot overheat when it’s connected to a device. While this can certainly extend the life of your cables, you’re also looking at power loss, as the electricity travels from one end of the cables to the other. This type of power loss can result in higher energy bills. The best way to cut this cost is to minimize the distance from one end of the cable to the other. With a professionally designed structured cabling system, you can reduce the traveling distance from every component, to minimize power loss and save on your energy bill.
Because a structured cabling system is built with higher bandwidth compared to most systems, you won’t have to worry about upgrading your cabling system. Structured cabling systems can carry large amounts of data and are designed to support all types of functions with minimal disruptions.
Did you know a company’s cabling system is one of the simplest parts of a company to corrupt? An experienced hacker can easily redirect a company’s resources, which can completely devastate your business. Compared to other systems, structured cabling systems are much easier to secure, offering unique security features and functionalities that will minimize the likelihood of a cyber attack and increase your system’s security.
Structured cabling systems perform better than other cabling infrastructures, offer faster loading times, more reliable connections, and a higher data transfer rate. While some may not think this can save a company money, it definitely improves productivity in the office, which can maximize your potential revenue. A system that provides this type of optimal performance will have a major impact on productivity in the workplace.
What business owner doesn't want to cut costs, improve productivity, reduce the chances of a security breach, lower their energy bill, and minimize downtime? Basically, a structured cabling system can save your company money in a lot of ways. If you’re a new start up, you know how important it is to conserve your resources. However, that doesn’t mean you should try installing a structured cabling system yourself. In fact, while you do have to deal with installation costs, you need to hire professionals to get the job done right. At TechBldrs, our IT team has extensive experience designing and installing structured cabling systems that are tailored to your unique company’s needs. When you’re considering implementing a structured cabling system, you definitely don’t want to cut any corners to save money. This is an important investment, so you need to work with professionals who know how to design and properly utilize a structured cabling system.
Once you’ve determined your cabling needs, the design phase can begin. However, considering the complexity of the job, you must contact cabling infrastructure professionals. At TechBldrs, we can provide the cabling infrastructure solutions you need. Our team of cabling experts can help you develop a strategy and properly execute it so that your cable infrastructure meets the needs of your growing company and works with your budget. Contact your go-to structured cabling specialists today to get started and let us help you take your business to the next level.
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What Are the 6 Components of Structured Cabling?
Over the past several years cable systems have undergone significant changes. These systems used to consist of two to four pairs of copper wires that were connected to the main device with components. Modern systems offer cutting-edge connectivity, with systems that can now carry high-speed data and voice signals. New structured cabling systems consist of six components, each of which plays an important role.
Structured cabling is a comprehensive system of hardware and related cables that provides a future-ready, flexible infrastructure for data communications. Structured cabling breaks down components to make them easier to troubleshoot, manage, and track. Not only is this type of cable system more aesthetically pleasing, but it allows you to organize your cabling and hardware, making it easier to add or change components and, in the event of a move, these changes will require minimal downtime.
Structured Cabling starts with a DESIGN that allows for the maximum data throughput using the most cost effective devices and labor. Like plumbing, it includes everything “behind-the walls” that most people don’t see.
Horizontal cabling is found between the horizontal cross-connect in the telecommunications room and the workstation’s wall outlets. As you might have guessed, the cable runs horizontally, either beneath the floor or in the ceiling. As far as cabling distance goes, a horizontal cable, just like backbone cabling, has great demand.
Also known as vertical cabling, a backbone cable establishes a connection between the different rooms in the structured cabling system. The access provider area, entrance facility, equipment room, and telecommunications room all rely upon this cabling’s connection.
Vertical cabling covers plenty of ground, running through different floors or just a single floor, with the potential to run between different buildings.
The work area houses all of the end-user materials, such as computers, phones, laptops, and other types of equipment that a company relies on daily. Communication outlets and patch panels connect users with the entire network.
Patch panels are pieces of hardware that feature multiple points that allow you to organize a group of cables. Each port in a patch panel contains a wire that goes to a different location. Some panels are very large and equipped with hundreds of ports, while others will have just a few. Patch panels are compatible with a variety of cables, including cat5 and fiber optic cables.
The structured cables need a place for the remainder of its telecommunications equipment. The size of this room can depend on the cable terminations, cross-connects, distribution frames, and the amount of equipment a company needs space for.
The entrance facility is responsible for housing the connections between the cabling outside and inside the building. The equipment in an entrance facility includes a network demarcation point. This is the point at which a company’s private network begins and its public telecommunication network ends.
Other equipment in this location includes protection equipment, connecting devices, entrance cabling, other types of cabling components, and materials that are used to attach the public or private network provider.
An equipment room is a designated space used to store complex equipment. Termination devices for wiring systems, as well as telecommunication systems such as switches and servers, are often kept in the equipment room. The equipment room often houses very complicated technology compared to the equipment stored in the telecommunications room.
As IT infrastructures become more complex, high-performance cabling network systems become more valuable. Acceptable cabling systems make it easier for a network to change and grow, thanks to a modular design that supports new applications and equipment.
Proper planning of a structured network cabling system is essential. A company must plan out its cabling system with the future in mind, along with the standards that provide the foundation for structured cabling installation and design. An IT team will estimate the number of devices and users that need network connectivity, their location, and how much bandwidth will be needed to meet future demands.
At TechBldrs, we offer a wide range of network cabling system technology that meets the highest reliability, quality, and performance standards.
Don't settle for low-quality cabling systems. Our team of IT experts can design the right structured cabling system for your infrastructure based on the size of your company, future goals, number of employees and devices, and other factors, and ensure that the design and installation are EIA/TIA compliant. We can meet with you and go over the cable installation process, discuss cable layout, general maintenance of cable infrastructure, and how this cost-effective cabling solution can take your business to the next level.
If you’re interested in learning more about structured cabling solutions and the many benefits that it can offer your business, contact the leading structured cabling service provider. Call TechBldrs today to schedule a consultation with one of our IT specialists.
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What Are the 6 Components of Structured Cabling?
Structured cabling is a type of cabling system that supports a wide range of voice, video, and data systems. The cable system is planned and designed, as opposed to cabling that’s just thrown together. The neat, well-organized cabling system is designed specifically for each unique business and is cost-effective, flexible, and scalable. Now, structured cabling isn’t just for data centers, it’s also commonly used for small and mid-sized companies.
The network is your information roadway. System slowdowns due to networks are the hardest thing to troubleshoot, especially if the roadway is buried under a tangle of cables, and you can’t even see the warning lights on the devices. It is very hard to diagnose slowdowns versus out-right failures.
Some companies also tend to overlook the importance of structured network cabling in terms of safety. But if your business has a colossal heap of tangled cables under your employee’s feet or hiding somewhere in a back room, it could be a potential safety hazard. It can also make it difficult when it comes time to relocate your business or scale your technology.
Fortunately, structured cabling can be the solution you’ve been looking for.
These cabling systems are designed and organized in a way that helps with:
Essentially, a structured cabling system works as the glue that binds all types of electronic devices, including computers, fax machines, modems, phones, and other devices. A company’s network can benefit from improved reliability and versatility, making it a suitable choice for businesses of all sizes.
Structured cabling allows a business to run more efficiently. Companies that heavily rely on technology, as most companies do, will benefit from a structured cabling system that’s specifically designed for their business operations.
If you're looking for:
Here are some other ways a commercial cabling system can help a growing business thrive.
Technology rapidly changes. To keep up, you need a well-designed system of structured wiring. Whenever you invest in a new IT system, you must make it future-proof. With a custom-designed structured cabling system, you can easily upgrade with minimal downtime. If you have a disorganized cabling system, it can be difficult, frustrating, and time-consuming to add new hardware and reorganize your existing cabling system.
If you need to add more bandwidth, another server cabinet, or new workstations, if you have a well-organized cabling system, you can easily make these changes to your IT infrastructure, without having to reinstall the whole system. With a structured fiber optic cable system that’s custom-designed for your business, adding new hardware to your infrastructure is a breeze. Additionally, if your company moves to a new location, a structured wiring system is incredibly easy to disassemble and reassemble, meaning minimal downtime.
Some business owners are hesitant to pay for structured cable installation and design because of the high upfront costs. However, over time, this type of reliable neat cable network can quickly pay off.
Additionally, getting data cabling wrong could lead to many years plagued with frustrating troubleshooting. A tidy structured cabling setup provides significant cost savings in labor when troubleshooting a network problem.
Because these systems are scalable, flexible, and reliable, a custom-designed cabling system can grow your bottom line and save you money. Having everything well-organized will also save you money on downtime and repairs.
Having an unorganized system of cables lying around the office can make a workspace unsafe and also increases the chances of losing your connection and unplugging a cable. Because of this, a structured cabling system makes the workplace much safer. This type of system will minimize the chances of a person tripping, which could result in a serious injury.
Using properly grounded structured cabling is also essential to safeguarding expensive computer equipment from electrical surges.
An organized approach to your cabling system can make a world of difference. A structured cabling system can keep a company’s IT network organized and tidy. When all the wires, cabling equipment, and structured cabling components are organized neatly, it makes it more difficult for someone to accidentally unplug a cable or unplug the wrong cable. Additionally, aesthetically pleasing cabling will look much better than a tangled pile of wires, giving your business a more professional look.
A cabling system often includes hardware ports, horizontal cabling, backbone cabling, network cabinets, and racks. The structured cabling design and hardware are organized in a standard way that allows for future additions or changes as needed and makes each cable easily accessible. While a system can be personalized, the installation process must adhere to certain industry standards.
Regarding the standards for wire cabling, such as proper maintenance, design, and installation, cable manufacturers and cable installers embrace the standards of the Telecommunications Industry Association, the Electronic Industries Alliance, and the American National Standards Institute.
Did you know that a company’s cabling system can have a major impact on cybersecurity strength? The wiring may seem like a minor part of your company’s infrastructure, but well-organized cabling systems can have a huge impact on your infrastructure's ability to handle a cyberattack.
As technology continues to advance, the fear of security breaches continues to grow. With multiple processes and applications integrating at workplaces, boosting cybersecurity efforts has become critical.
A structured cabling system provides a business with unique security protocols that will limit access to authenticated users, preventing a company’s systems from attacks that could leak important resources and information.
The difference between an amateur and a pro cabler is that a pro will certify their installation work using expensive equipment that tests for noise / interference, length and tolerances for the cables standards (i.e. CAT5e, CAT6, CAT6a, CAT7) and know when to use which cable for the best performance. Also, since most people install their data cables once every 10 years or more, selecting the right cable for longevity is paramount for the most cost effective implementation.
The cabling vendor you choose should have extensive experience designing and installing structured cabling products. A structured network cabling installer with experience can handle any messy cabling infrastructure, is familiar with cabling standards, and can plan a structured cabling design that's perfect for your business and your growing needs. If you're looking for an experienced cabling vendor that can help you with your cabling congestion and provide the system you need, contact the team at TechBldrs.
A structured cabling system that’s well-designed and properly installed can provide superior flexibility and performance for your business. The system’s flexibility can also make it easier to accommodate changes, moves, and additions. For more information on cabling system installation and the benefits of structured cabling, contact TechBldrs today to schedule a consultation.