Unlocking the Secrets of Structured Cabling Systems and Maximizing Network Performance

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So contact me if your company and your values are educate , encourage and enrich . So , as I said in the introduction , we're talking structured cabling systems . Now there's a lot of confusion in what actually is a structured cable system . What are the components of a structured cable system ? What are the subsystems ?

What are some of those definitions , and why do they really matter ? So in today's episode , we're going to define what is a structured cable system . What you might hear , though , is you might hear it referred to as an information transport system , its . You might even hear it called an ICT Information for Communication Technologies .

They all pretty much mean the same thing . The textbook definition of a structured cable system is the complete configuration of cabling and hardware that's designed to provide a comprehensive information transport system that's intended to serve a wide range of uses . A structured cable system should work with every phone system , every computer system .

See , there are some phone systems that literally need just one pair to work . So there are some phone systems that literally need just one pair to work Analog phone lines , like for fax machines or credit card machines and then there are some phone systems that need two pair to work . There are some that need four pair to work .

That's why the standards say that all four pair should land on one connector , so that way that cable will work with every telephone system . Same thing goes for data . There's some data , some Ethernet systems that literally just need one pair to work . It's called single-pair Ethernet .

There are other Ethernet systems that uses two-pair and they usually land on pins 1 , 2 , 3 , and 6 on the connector and then 10 gig over copper uses all four pair Again . So if you follow this standard and you terminate all four pair on one jack , it will work with every computer system out there . That's what the structured cable system does .

It doesn't matter . It is agnostic of the type of phone system or computer system . It wasn't always that way . When I first got in this industry you were pulling different types of cables for different types of cable plants . If you're putting in an IBM system , you might be putting in type 1 , type 3 , type 9 . You might even be putting in TwinX .

Those are different types of cable . We also were using Coax and some other types of cables as well , and since the average lifespan of a structure cable plant is 7 to 10 years , which is really driven more by new technology coming in than it is by the cable going bad .

That means when the customer wanted to change from their , let's say , their Wang computer system , which needed two coax cables , one terminated on a TNC , one terminated on a BNC . If they wanted to change from that Wang computer system to a new system , not only did they have to change all of the computers , they also had to change all of the cabling .

So the industry took a hard look at itself and it looked at the telephone industry . When you look at the telephone industry it doesn't matter what kind of a phone system it is , whether it's just an analog phone line or it's an old KSU , a key server unit , like an old telephone system , a PBX .

They all ran off of twisted pair cabling and then they said well , we need to do that with data . So the industry shifted to putting data over balanced twisted pair copper cabling . Now , that didn't happen overnight .

There was about a decade where you were finding some computer cabling done in balanced twisted pair cabling and others still done in the old legacy style type of cabling . Legacy what a funny term that is . Anytime you see it in the standards or best practices , the word legacy , they mean old . Don't use it anymore If it helps you to remember what legacy means .

Just think of Chuck Chuck's old . I'm legacy . At some point they'll be putting me out the pasture , so yeah , so it wasn't always that way . So we were using balins to connect those different types of cable together . So a balin is a device that matches a balanced cable to an unbalanced cable , like a coax cable to a balanced twisted pair cable .

It also matches the characteristic impedance . Coax cable can be a couple different varieties but you can find 75 ohm , 93 ohm and some others . But balanced twisted pair cable is 100 ohms , so it helps match that characteristic impedance . Thank goodness we have gotten past that .

So now pretty much all new installs are done typically in balanced twisted pair cabling optical fiber or some other type of cabling that's allowed by the standards . But the two most common are going to be balanced twisted pair cabling , which is available in Cat 5E , cat 6 , cat 6A and Cat 8 . Notice that I left out Cat 7 and Cat 7A .

That's because the show is really broadcast in the United States and we go by the ANSI standards , the American National Standards Institute . Cat 7 and Cat 7A are in the ISO 11801 standards .

That doesn't mean you won't ever install them if you're in the United States , because you might do work for a company in the United States that their parent company might be owned out of Europe and they might spec Cat 7 cable or Cat 7A cable . So just focusing on the ANSI cable .

Cat 5E performs up to 100 MHz , cat 6 performs up to 100 MHz , cat6 performs up to 250 MHz , cat6a performs up to 500 MHz and Cat8 performs up to 2 GHz . Now I could give you a show on the sinusoidal wave and bits and bytes and all those different types of transmission protocols like return to zero , non-return to zero and Manchester encoding .

Wait a minute . I've already done one of those episodes . It was actually one of the first episodes that I did . So go back and listen to that episode and I'll literally explain how they put more data on each of those cables . But in its simplest terms , think of those megahertz as lanes on a highway . Cat 5E is 100 megahertz , so it's got 100 lanes .

Cat 6A has 500 megahertz , so it's got 500 lanes . The more lanes it has , the more traffic it can handle , has , the more traffic it can handle . So when we're talking about structured cabling system in today's show I'm really going to be focusing on commercial building cabling , because structured cabling is done a little bit different .

In residential multiple dwelling units and hospitals those structured cable plans are actually designed a little differently . So I'm really going to focus on commercial office buildings because that's what most people do and ICT are all synonymous with each other . Just kind of depends on who you talk to as to which one they're going to use .

But before we get too much further along , we do have to talk about a couple terms . That confuses a lot of people . Those terms are permanent link and channel . So what is a permanent link ? Permanent link is the connector on the faceplate , the cable , maybe the optional consolidation point all the way back to the port on the patch panel . It is permanent .

Once it's installed , terminated and tested . Theoretically nobody's supposed to be pulling the faceplate off the wall . If they do a lot of times they will void their manufacturer warranty . It's permanent , hence the term permanent link . There's also a channel . Now .

The channel includes the permanent link but also includes the passcords on each end the passcord in the telecom room and the patch cord at the work area outlet . So that's the difference . The channel includes the patch cords . Parent link does not . You will also see those definitions when you start testing as well . So what is a horizontal cable ? Now it is .

It's called a horizontal cable , but don't let that fool you . A horizontal cable can run vertically . The horizontal cable is the cable that goes from the telecommunications outlet on the faceplate to the port . It's called a horizontal cable . You may have heard it called other things in the past Old Ma Bell , people called it station cabling .

You might hear somebody call it an Ethernet cabling , computer cabling , voice cabling , data cabling . But the generic term that you find in the standards is a horizontal cable . Let's talk about the work area outlet . Now you'll find the work area outlet in the work area , hence why it's called work area outlet .

A work area is someplace where somebody is interacting with the computer system and the data system . Somehow . It might be somebody's office , it might be a modular furniture desk , it could even be a printer out in the warehouse . That would be the work area . Each work area should have at least one work area outlet , wao .

The work area outlet is the faceplate and on the connectors in the faceplate are called TOs , telecommunications outlets . So TOs are mounted to the WAO which is in the WA .

Lots of acronyms Now the horizontal cabling . It can be a multitude of things . Most often it's going to be either a balanced twisted pair category rated cable or optical fiber cabling . If it's a balanced twisted pair copper cable , at minimum it should be a category 5E cable , although the standards recommend that you really should put in Cat6 .

Even though they both perform up to 1 gig , the Cat6 cable gives you a little bit more headroom . Now , what's headroom ? When you look at a test result from a certifier , you'll notice on the very bottom of the chart there's a red line and then there's some space and there's a bunch of squiggly lines above it . That empty space is called headroom .

The more space there , the better your cable is going to perform . That red line is the limits that are allowed by the standards . So the more space , the further you are away from the absolute limits that you're allowed to have . So Cat6A cable has more headroom . How does that help you to have ? So Cat6A cable has more headroom . How does that help you ?

Well , if you have a brand new technician who may be struggling with the half inch rule for the untwist of the pairs , you might actually get a cable to still pass . With Cat6A where 5E , it might have problems , but they can both still do one gig up to that full 295 feet . You can also optionally use two strands of optical fiber cabling .

That's called fiber to the outlet or fiber to the desktop . You see , you'll come across it sometimes but it's still kind of a rare thing even in today's world . In a structured cable system you're allowed to have up to three subsystems Subsystem 1 , subsystem 2 , and Subsystem 3 . Sometimes you're only going to have Subsystem 1 .

Sometimes you'll have Subsystem 1 and Subsystem 3. , no Subsystem 2 . And sometimes you'll have all three subsystems Subsystem 1 , subsystem 2 , and Subsystem 3 . Three subsystems subsystem one , subsystem two and subsystem three . Subsystem one is the cable that goes from the telecommunications outlet on that faceplate to the horizontal cross-connect , the HC .

The horizontal cross-connect is not a room , it's a cross-connect field and it's found in the telecom room . The telecom room can have multiple cross-connects . You can have an HC and an IC , an intermediate cross-connect and a horizontal cross-connect .

So subsystem one terminates on the connector on the faceplate and the other end terminates on a 110 block , a patch panel , a Bix block , some type of termination field . That is subsystem one . As I said earlier , you don't always have a subsystem two . You will find subsystem two .

Sometimes in some applications where they have multiple telecom rooms on the same floor or if they have multiple buildings on the campus . Subsystem two connects to subsystem one via some type of a backbone cable , balanced twisted-pair copper cable , multi-mode fiber or even single-mode fiber .

So the cable that goes from the work area outlet to the port on the patch panel the patch panel is really called the horizontal cross connect . It's found inside of the telecom room . See , a lot of people think the telecom room is the cross connect room . It's not . It's the room that houses one or more horizontal cross connects .

You've got one horizontal cross connect for the voice , usually found in the racks , and then another cross-connect for the voice , usually found mounted on the wall . You can have even other cross-connects . You can also sometimes find an intermediate cross-connect . Subsystem 1 is the cable that goes from the connector on the faceplate to the horizontal cross-connect .

Subsystem 2 goes from the horizontal cross-connect to the intermediate cross- . Subsystem 2 goes from the horizontal cross connect to the intermediate cross connect and then subsystem 3 goes down to the equipment room . Sometimes you don't have a subsystem 2 .

Sometimes there's only one closet per floor and you run a backbone cable from that all the way down to the equipment room , again , the data center , the PBX room that is subsystem 3 . So again , you can have three . Butx room , that is subsystem three . So again , you can have three , but most often you can have one or two at the most .

The cable that runs between those subsystems is called backbone cabling . Now , backbone cabling can also be balanced , twisted , pair , category rated cabling , or it can be optical fiber as well . Again , it could be multi-mode or single mode , again starting off with a minimum of OM3 fiber . So let's talk about maximum distances .

The maximum distance for that horizontal cable is 295 feet is 295 feet . Now , if you follow that rule , your cable will work with 95% of the installs you'll ever come across . There are some systems out there that can go past 295 .

When you start putting on extenders or using game changer cabling , you're adding extra complications to that cable plant which could cause it to fail . Sometimes it's equipment that can fail , and sometimes a game changer cable can give you a fit as well too . So if you follow the standards , it's always going to work .

That 295 is a number that a lot of people don't truly understand . How that it works . You see , the 295 was written into the standards back in the early 90s when they wrote the first set of standards . It's based upon Ethernet protocols . The way that Ethernet works is when you are typing on your computer .

You're creating ones and zeros , and those ones and zeros filter their way down through the OSI model . All people seem to need some data processing . We're layer one , the physical layer . That's where you find the transmitter .

So the transmitter is going to take those ones and zeros and they're going to put it into a packet and then they're going to put a start bit on that packet . You see , the start bit tells the receiver , once it gets that packet , to start listening . And then the transmitter is also going to put a stop bit on that packet .

That will tell the receiver to quit listening . It will then transmit signal down the cable . When the receiver gets that signal it will remove the start bit and the stop bit . So it's left with the ones and the zeros and it's going to send that to the next layer , the OSI model .

The receiver will then send the transmission back to the transmitter hey , I got it that to the next layer of the OSI model . The receiver will then send the transmission back to the transmitter hey , I got it . Send the next packet . Once the transmitter hears that confirmation , it sends the second packet . That transmitter only listens for 570 nanoseconds .

So if it doesn't get it within that 570 nanoseconds well it actually depends on the frequency , but 570 is a good number . If it doesn't get that confirmation within 570 nanoseconds , it assumes that packet was lost and it's going to resend the first packet . By the way , that's called an asynchronous transmission because it works on start and stop pulse bits .

It works on a start and stop pulse bits . You see , there's also a synchronous transmission where the transmitter will send the signal at predetermined timed intervals , thus not needing a start and stop bit . So it's going to be more efficient .

That signal goes from the transmitter to the receiver , the receiver to process it and send the signal back to the transmitter , and the furthest we can go is 295 feet to the transmitter . And the furthest we can go is 295 feet . But that was based on category three cable and 10 megabit ethernet 10 megabit ethernet .

Today we're using Cat 5E , cat 6 , cat 6A , cat 8 . But we also have faster networks one gig , two and a5 gig , 5 gig , 10 gig . So we're still limited to that 295 feet . Now that doesn't mean it's kind of like when I learned to go diving . So I'm certified to dive up to 100 feet .

If I go to 102 feet , it's not like the diving police are going to show up with their flashing red light under the water and give me a ticket for going past 100 feet you might actually have a cable that might work at 297 feet . Well , technically , the 295 is plus or minus 10% . When they do the testing , 10% of 295 is 29.5 feet .

So you can literally go up to 295 feet feet plus another 29 and a half feet and maybe still get a pass . But if you aim for that two 95 , like I said earlier , you know that that cable plant will work with every phone system , every computer system . If you go past the two 95 , you might as well be at Vegas at the slot tables . You're taking a chance .

It might work . It might not work . There's a better chance . It'll work if you follow the other rules that we have in our industry , like don't use staples , don't over-cinch tie wraps , don't allow the cable to get kinked .

Your number one job as an installer while you're out in the field is to keep your cable from getting kinked , crushed , stepped on , cut , burnt , even painted , because all of those can affect the performance of the cable . So if you have it as close to condition as it came from the factory , it will be a little bit more tolerant if you breach that 295 .

But don't try to breach that 295 because you're taking a chance at the slot tables and , trust me , the customer's not going to care if you're taking a chance . If it doesn't work , they're just not going to be happy .

So I know that today's show was a little bit of a short one , but I'm just coming back off of vacation , just trying to recover from an eye injury , just trying to get back into the groove again . So I figured I'd give you a nice short episode to digest .

If you have any questions on this , anything I discussed here tonight , just shoot me a question because I might use it in a in one of my after hours live shows . So until next time , remember knowledge is power and always wear your PPE .