Great Cabling Networks Start With Great Cabling Design
You build a house from the ground up.
That’s a common phrase you hear in various aspects of life - used literally when setting a foundation for a building or metaphorically like laying the groundwork for a sports team. It simply means you have to have a sturdy foundation in place before you build anything on top of it.
Data networks are no exception to the rule. You must first establish a foundation for your data network before utilizing a comprehensive telecom system. That foundation comes in the form of a structured cabling design. A structured cabling system is the foundation you build up from. If it isn’t well-designed or if it’s flawed, then everything reliant on it will be ineffective.
Structured cabling design attempts to separate complex infrastructure into smaller, manageable pieces and use the blocks together to increase network performance. The best designs ensure that the flow of information is as smooth, quick, and efficient as possible. The advantages of having a professional, well thought-out cabling design are numerous:
If any potential problems arise, they won’t cripple the entire system, because they are easier to pinpoint, isolate, and fix.
Reliability and consistency which makes the system cost-effective by having easier
There are less frequent maintenance issues
System downtime is a big money-eater - especially if you run a business with a large online component. If your system is down, you can’t communicate with the outside world. The 3 main causes of downtime are equipment failure, human error, or poor design. Design is manageable, making outages easier to avoid. Having a well thought-out cabling design minimizes the potential for downtime, and makes it quicker to get the system back up running if there is human error or equipment failure. Great cabling design will have to consider data centre space, heating/cooling, installation, ease of maintenance, risk avoidance, and cable pathways.
When designing the cable pathway, consideration must be spent on the plenum spaces of the building. Plenum is the space in the building used for air circulation, but also for cabling design. It is usually located between the structural ceiling and the suspended ceiling or underneath a raised floor. Cables used in plenum spaces must adhere to a strict set of safety guidelines that prevent any fires and severe damage to occur to the building. Cables run through the floors but not in plenum spaces are called riser cables. Riser cables follow slightly less strict rules and guidelines, meaning plenum cables can replace riser cables, but not the other way around. It is important for the design team to be aware of the available plenum space and make efficient use of it. They also should plan how much plenum cable or riser cable is necessary for the building.
Telecom By Design will work with you on the cabling design. We understand how important the layout is for a cabling system design plan. All of our technicians are professionally certified to meet all the required rules and regulations. But most importantly we work with you to ensure the design fits your specific needs - it meets your bandwidth requirement, your building's codes and regulations, and optimizes output.