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An In-Depth Introduction to Structured Cabling

<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">At its core&comma; a structured cabling system is simply an organized plan to handle all of the communication cabling needs in a commercial or residential building&period; Flexibility and longevity are key&semi; a properly structured cabling system should be cable of supporting a wide variety of different communications systems for at least ten years with minimal revision&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">A building&&num;8217&semi;s structured cabling system is also sometimes called a premises distribution system&period; The goal is to provide a convenient and practical path for delivering every sort of cabling need&comma; including telephone systems&comma; computer networks&comma; video systems&comma; imaging systems&comma; and others&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h2>Why Opt For Structured Cabling&quest;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<hr &sol;>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">A key part of the structured cabling philosophy is building a robust system that is workable with a variety of different products from different vendors&period; Making changes to the <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wireguys&period;ca&sol;voice-and-data-cabling&sol;">communications cabling<&sol;a> carried by the system should involve minimal expense and maintenance while the system is in operation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">A cabling system includes many features beyond cables themselves&period; It also includes cable pathways&comma; equipment for grounding and bonding the system&comma; support structures&comma; and dedicated building spaces&period; Planning a structured cabling system involves setting standards for support and maintenance as well as installation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><strong>Regulatory Standards<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Cabling is governed by three main statutes based on geographic location&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">EIA&sol;TIA 568-C&colon; This standard is favoured in the United States<br &sol;>&NewLine;ISO&sol;IEC 11801&colon; This is an international standard<br &sol;>&NewLine;CENELEC EN 50173&colon; The standard is favoured throughout Europe&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><strong>The American standard &lpar;568-C&rpar; is broken down into four main sections&colon;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Section 0&colon; Generic Telecommunications Cabling<br &sol;>&NewLine;Section 1&colon; General Requirements For Telecommunications Cabling In Commercial Buildings<br &sol;>&NewLine;Section 2&colon; Component And Cabling Standards For Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications<br &sol;>&NewLine;Section 3&colon; Fiber Optic Cabling Components Standards<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h2 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Subsystems In Structured Cabling<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<hr &sol;>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">A building&&num;8217&semi;s full cabling system is made up of independent subsystems that increase functionality and flexibility while retaining modularity for ease of operation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Subsystems can be identified by the fact that they are each designed and installed independently&period; The system is not complete until all of the cabling subsystems are interconnected to provide full functionality for end users&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Compartmentalizing the system&&num;8217&semi;s function into independent subsystems makes is easy to add or change one part of the system without affecting the others&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><strong>Key subsystems found in virtually all structured cabling systems include&colon;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">1&rpar; Work Area Subsystem<br &sol;>&NewLine;2&rpar; Horizontal Subsystem<br &sol;>&NewLine;3&rpar; Telecommunications Backbone<br &sol;>&NewLine;4&rpar; Equipment Room &lpar;ER&rpar;<br &sol;>&NewLine;5&rpar; Telecommunications Room &lpar;TR&rpar;<br &sol;>&NewLine;6&rpar; Entrance Facility &lpar;EF&rpar;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h2 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Detailed Subsystem Descriptions<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<hr &sol;>&NewLine;<h3 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">1&rpar; Work Area Subsystem<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">This is where telecommunications devices and end users connect to the structured cabling system&period; Connections at this level tie into the wall outlet which leads to the horizontal cabling&period; All of these components can be included in a work area subsystem&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">a&rpar; Cat5e&comma; Cat 6&comma; adapter cables&comma; fibre patch cords &lpar;jumpers&rpar;&comma; and modular cords<br &sol;>&NewLine;b&rpar; Adapters &lpar;e&period;g&period; baluns&rpar; that change a cable&&num;8217&semi;s signal or impedance<br &sol;>&NewLine;c&rpar; Station equipment&comma; e&period;g&period; telephones&comma; computers&comma; data terminals&comma; fax machines&comma; etc&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h3 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">2&rpar; Horizontal Subsystem<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Horizontal cabling links individual work areas to telecommunications closets&period; The work-area terminations for horizontal cabling are telecommunications outlets&period; Horizontal subsystems can also include&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">a&rpar; Cabling from patch panels to work areas<br &sol;>&NewLine;b&rpar; Telecommunications outlets<br &sol;>&NewLine;c&rpar; Cable terminations<br &sol;>&NewLine;d&rpar; If permitted&comma; cross connections<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h3 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">3&rpar; Telecommunications Backbones<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">These subsystems are designed to link the dedicated telecommunication spaces &lpar;entrance facilities&comma; telecommunications rooms&comma; and equipment rooms&rpar; described below&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Besides the <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wireguys&period;ca&sol;structured-cabling-premise-wiring&sol;">backbone cabling<&sol;a> itself&comma; the backbone subsystem can also include mechanical terminations&comma; patch cables&comma; cross-connect cables&comma; and any other equipment that may be required to tie backbone cabling together&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h3 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">4&rpar; Equipment Room<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Equipment rooms are spaces specifically dedicated to handling specific telecommunication or data equipment needs&period; The complexity and fragility of such equipment demand dedicated spaces where access and environmental conditions can be precisely controlled&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The equipment room is a space &lpar;frequently centralized&rpar; that can be used to operate equipment more complicated and sophisticated than that housed in the entrance facility or telecommunications rooms&period; Equipment used for telecommunications and data networking&comma; including routers&comma; hubs&comma; and switches&comma; can be sited here&period; Cabling specifications call for backbone cabling to terminate in the equipment room&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h3 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">5&rpar; Telecommunications Room<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The telecommunications room is sometimes colloquially referred to as a telecommunication closet&period; The purpose of this space is to terminate horizontal and backbone cabling&period; The hardware and equipment required for this termination need building space&semi; this is what the telecommunications room provides&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">In some systems&comma; further networking equipment can be installed in the telecommunications room&period; Examples include LAN hubs&comma; routers&comma; switches&comma; and repeaters&period; The telecommunications closet is where backbone rooms terminate&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h3 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">6&rpar; Entrance Facility<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The entrance facility is the point where a structured cabling system meets the larger cable networks of service providers like the telephone company&period; The connection between the facility&&num;8217&semi;s cabling system and the providers&&num;8217&semi; networks is essential to provide building occupants with any sort of telecommunications functionality&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">All cabling from external sources &&num;8211&semi; including antennae pathways and inter-building cabling &&num;8211&semi; should be planned to enter the building at a single centralized point&period; Local building regulations typically oblige service providers to terminate their lines within 50 feet &lpar;or less&rpar; of an entrance to a building&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

Hardik Patel

Hardik Patel is a Digital Marketing Consultant and professional Blogger. He has 16+ years experience in SEO, SMO, SEM, Online reputation management, Affiliated Marketing and Content Marketing.

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