Data Cabling

The Bottom Line

Identify the key industry standards necessary to specify, install, and test network cabling Early cabling systems were unstructured and proprietary, and often worked only with a specific vendor's equipment. Frequently, vendor-specific cabling caused problems due to lack of flexibility. More important, with so many options, it was difficult to utilize a standard approach to the design, installation, and testing of network cabling systems. This often led to poorly planned and poorly implemented cabling systems that did not support the intended application with the appropriate cable type.

Master It In your new position as a product specification specialist, it is your responsibility to review the end users' requirements and specify products that will support them. Since you must ensure that the product is specified per recognized U.S. industry standards, you will be careful to identify that the customer request references the appropriate application and cabling standards. What industry standards body and standards series numbers do you need to reference for Ethernet applications and cabling?

Understand the different types of unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling. Standards evolve with time to support the need for higher bandwidth and networking speeds. As a result, there have been many types of UTP cabling standardized over the years. It is important to know the differences among these cable types in order to ensure that you are using the correct cable for a given speed.

Master It An end user is interested in ensuring that the network cabling they install today for their 1000Base-T network will be able to support future speeds such as 10Gbps to a maximum of 100 meters. They have heard that Category 6 is their best option. Being well versed in the ANSI/TIA-568-C standard, you have a different opinion. What are the different types of Category 6 cable and what should be recommended for this network?

Understand the different types of shielded twisted-pair cabling Shielded twisted-pair cabling is becoming more popular in the United States for situations where shielding the cable from external factors (such as EMI) is critical to the reliability of the network. In reviewing vendor catalogs, you will see many options. It is important to know the differences.

Master It Your customer is installing communications cabling in a factory full of stray EMI. UTP is not an option and a shielded cable is necessary. The customer wants to ensure capability to operate at 10GBase-T. What cable would you recommend to offer the best shielding performance?

Determine the uses of plenum- and riser-rated cabling There are two main types of UTP cable designs: plenum and riser. The cost difference between them is substantial. Therefore, it's critical to understand the differences between the two.

Master It Your customer is building a traditional star network. They plan to route cable for horizontal links through the same space that is used for air circulation and HVAC systems. They plan to run cable vertically from their main equipment room to their telecommunications rooms on each floor of the building. What type of cable would you use for:

1. The horizontal spaces
2. The vertical links

Identify the key test parameters for communications cables As you begin to work with UTP cable installation, you will need to perform a battery of testing to ensure that the cabling system was installed properly and meets the channel requirements for the intended applications and cable grades. If you find faults, you will need to identify the likely culprits and fix it.

Master It Crosstalk is one of the key electrical phenomena that can interfere with the signal. There are various types of crosstalk: NEXT, FEXT, AXT, among others. This amount of crosstalk can be caused in various ways. What would you look for in trying to find fault if you had the following failures:

1. NEXT and FEXT problems in 1Gbps links
2. Difficulty meeting 10Gbps performance requirements