Simple Steps to Optimize Your Structured Cabling Strategy

Simple Steps to Optimize Your Structured Cabling

Is your structured cabling providing the solid foundation for your business network that you need? These tips will help speed up your network and improve operations.   

The term ‘structured cabling’ encompasses much more than simply hooking together your business computers. When you’re creating a structured cabling strategy, you are actually adhering to national standards created by the Electronic Industry Alliance/Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA) that outline how the system is designed and installed — including everything from cabling, servers, switches and more. While no two structured cabling strategies are exactly alike, there are some generally accepted ways that you can optimize your setup and ensure that your business operations run smoothly and efficiently.

Strategic Structured Cabling Network Design

Whether you are wiring a new office or upgrading your current space, be sure to think through the various ways your business components will need to communicate both now and in the future. The amount of network traffic today is many times that of only a few years ago, and the load on our network infrastructures is only going to continue to rise. Graphics-heavy websites, large file sizes and teleconferencing all require a great deal of bandwidth and without the right cabling and network backbone, you will find yourself faced with expensive upgrades in the all-too-near future.

Simplify Cable Pathways

There are several main cabling components in a structured cabling system, including horizontal cabling that runs between floor and ceiling and the backbone cabling that serves as the main data conduit between telecommunications or equipment rooms and facilities. Generally accepted principles state that telecommunications rooms — the “hub” that fits between horizontal and backbone wiring — should be placed on the floor it serves to simplify the wiring schema. By keeping your cabling pathways as simple and well-plotted as possible, you’re easing the challenges that others may face in the future as they’re upgrading or fixing any cabling that becomes a problem.

Use High-Quality Cables and Components

There are times when saving money is important, but scrimping on your network infrastructure is rarely a good idea. Cabling is something that can’t be easily stripped and upgraded, making high-quality cables and other components a vital part of your structured cabling strategy. If you plan to provide enough bandwidth and speed for your current business needs, you’ll almost certainly find yourself having problems in the future. Space is generally at a premium when you’re cabling, but don’t be tempted to re-use twisted wire or other cables can cause degradation of the entire system, slower-than-acceptable speeds and dropped connections.

Color-Code Cables

Staying organized when you’re defining your network cabling will help ensure that you don’t miss any crucial steps. If you have several individuals or groups working to define your cabling system, there’s a higher possibility that you’ll have trouble in the future without a strong organizational structure. Color-coding your cables may be one of the easiest ways to keep everything on track, but be sure to assign the colors to both ends of the cable. You can use the type, purpose or destination for the cable as your primary color requirements, or all three!

Structured Cabling Services In Houston, Austin and San Antonio

If you still have questions about how best to set up your business network, contact the cabling experts at ICS for more information at 833-568-9353 or fill out our quick online form. Our team works with organizations of all sizes to ensure that your network cabling and business infrastructure are fully optimized to help your business run more efficiently. We provide each potential client with a free initial consultation to determine if we are a good fit for your Houston, San Antonio or Austin business. We take pride in helping our clients improve their regulatory compliance and reduce the risks associated with technology every day.