Implementing or upgrading a structured cabling system is a great investment for most organizations. When you put that money to work, though, you will want to maximize your investment. Fortunately, you can make the most of structured cabling at your location by focusing on these 5 things.
Make a Map
Ultimately, the goal of a structured approach is to know which cables go where. That only works if you have a map of where the cables will go. Consequently, you'll want to identify the specific cables, their associated assets, and the associated locations.
Map everything before you even consider installing any cables. Take measurements, too. Lay everything out on grid paper at a one-foot scale so you can map the measurements to the plan. You can then decide what types of cables will go where and at what lengths.
Similarly, the structured cabling contractor can map the color codes of your assets. If a set of cables goes to a back-office server room, for example, you can use one color for anything that runs in that direction.
Include Redundancies
You never want to have to run more cable in an emergency. It is better to run the extra structured cabling now. Have at least one spare line for every cable in the system. If you have a failure on one line, you can then have technicians at each end unplug the old lines and plug in the new ones. Your recovery time following catastrophic incidents involving the cables will be much better.
Plan for Growth
You should also have additional cables in place to account for projected growth. If you expect a location to need twice the capacity in the next five years, for example, make sure you'll have the right cables to carry the data. Likewise, add some spare cables as overhead for when you need to attach new systems to the network.
Physically Protect the Cables
Whenever possible, route your structured cabling system with an eye toward physical security. Leave as little cabling exposed as possible. Also, avoid sending cables through high-traffic areas or ones with lots of electrical interference.
Match the Right Types of Cables to Each Asset
Never use worse cables than the job calls for. Suppose a video editing team needs to send terabytes of data over the network just to save work files for 8k productions. The editing team needs fiber optic cables to do the job well. Install cables that exceed your specifications so you can have some overhead, too.