Network Cabling Explained
Copper - Cat5, 5E & 6,
Fibre Optic/Wireless LAN & WAN
You need a computer
network for your business but what do you need to know to help
you make the right decision? Here we give you a few pointers to
help you understand?
What you really need to
know about network cabling:
The Industry Standards:
To guarantee that network cable transmissions are running
efficiently and effectively, the industry bodies (TIA/EIA,
ISO/IEC & BS EN) set standards. All cable
 installations
must be certified to these standards, via testing after
installation. Once completed the test results should pass these
standards and be given to you.
The Design:
The design of your network structure is very important.
Without a structured design, problems such as interference,
future growth, new technology and management start to become an
economic issue. Guided again by industry standards a proper
design will help ensure that the cabling system will be
application independent, reduce long term building operation
costs and last more than ten years.
 The
Installation: Installing a few cables may
sound easy, but when important business data has to travel at
its highest speed, how the cable is laid, where it is most
susceptible and how it is terminated will dictate performance.
Cable and installations do have determined guidelines by
manufacturer and industry standards. Tip: Always use a
certified installer.
The Testing:
Even though data may be sent and received through the cable, at
what rate does it travel? Do the transmissions comply with the
industry standards? Only by testing the completed installation
will this be known. Again look for a certified installer, this
guarantees that testing standards are industry set.
Financial Planning: It is a fact
that that while your structured cabling system may account for
as little as 5% of your total network investment it is critical
to the life of your network and its performance. So if you
estimate your physical server & PC cost per unit, inclusive of
operating software, then calculate the total and find what 5% is
you will have a rough idea what cost you may be looking at or
budgeting for.
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