Online Survey Research: Harnessing the Power of "Big Data"
Septemberoctober2007
1. BICSInews
May/June2006
president’smessage 3
bicsiupdate 6
courseschedule 8
standardsreport 12
advancing information transport systems
Volume27,Number3
BICSInews
advancing information transport systems
September/October2007
president’smessage 4
EXECUTIVEDIRECTORMESSAGE 6
bicsiupdate 42
courseschedule 43-44
standardsreport 46
Volume28,Number5
Using the New ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A Label Standard as a Way to Compete SS 14
Determining the Appropriate Separation of Data and Power Cables SS 20
So Many Wireless Standards to Choose From SS 26
Connectivity: Wiring Trends in Optical Data Centers SS 35
2. N E T W O R K S U P E R V I S I O N
Turn your cable tester into an OTDR
4. | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
Are You Listening?
Successful people often cite unique
reasons for their accomplishments.
Some credit long hours of work. Others
refer to their ability to draw bright
people to their side. Still others attribute
their success to dumb luck. Yet there
is one trait that is found among most
successful people, and that is exceptional
listening skills.
There is a reason we have two
ears and one mouth—we should listen
twice as much as we talk. From a young
age, we are all told to listen. Parents,
guardians, teachers, trainers, bosses,
spouses . . . everyone has a long list of
people in their lives who have promoted the value of listening.
Of course, it is easy to dispense the wisdom of listening; it is an
entirely different matter to master the art of listening. Just ask my wife
about my apparent lack of skill in this area.
Seriously though, listening is hard work. It requires your full
attention. It is hard work because your brain can process much more
information than any person can deliver by speaking. As a result, it
is easy to drift during meetings, interviews or training. How many
times have you been in a meeting and started thinking ahead to the
weekend or trying to solve some other work issue? When you drift,
you aren’t listening.
Listening is hard work because it requires more than just
physically hearing what people have to say. Listening requires that
you synthesize what you hear into your own terms. Only after hearing
and understanding can you then make your own sound judgments
and decisions. If you are an active listener, you keep your brain
engaged by paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions and offering
feedback on what you have heard. If you are a selective listener—only
hearing what you want to hear or just missing important details
because you drift—you create a sure platform for failure.
The first step to listening is actually choosing to listen. Anyone
who is successful in business knows that the customer will tell you
95 percent of what you need to know and that listening is essential
to persuade, influence or negotiate. Anyone who has a strong
relationship with a spouse or child attributes that strong bond to
listening. You see, listening is much more than taking in information.
Listening tells those around you that you care what they have to
say. Listen to your peers, your children and your spouse. You will
be amazed at all of the brilliant people around you. Conversely, you
also will uncover the boasters and frauds who offer little wisdom
or insight.
Listening truly is the foundation for success. By listening, you
can learn. By learning, you can develop your abilities and grow your
confidence. Soon you are mentoring others and advancing your
company, your family and yourself. BICSI offers many opportunities
to listen through attending conferences, meetings and training events.
I am always glad to see industry professionals who have decided to
give back by mentoring others in the business. You will help those
rookies by first teaching them how to listen. n
President’sMessage
John Bakowski,
RCDD/NTS/OSP/
WD Specialist
jbakowski@bicsi.org
2007 BICSI Officers
PRESIDENT—JohnBakowski,RCDD/NTS/OSP/WDSpecialist;
St.Catharines,Ontario,Canada;905.646.5100;jbakowski@bicsi.org
PRESIDENT-ELECT—EdwardDonelan,RCDD/NTSSpecialist,TLT;
TelecomInfrastructureCorp;Pawling,NY; 845.855.4202;edonelan@bicsi.org
SECRETARY—PeterP.CharlandIII,RCDD/NTS/WDSpecialist;CET
ITSConsulting;Framingham,MA; 508.868.9080;pcharland@bicsi.org
TREASURER—BrianHansen,RCDD/NTSSpecialist;Leviton;
Rosemount,MN;651.423.9140;bhansen@bicsi.org
U.S.NORTHEASTREGION DIRECTOR—ChristineKlauck,RCDD/
NTSSpecialist;FiberConnectInc.;Brookfield,CT;860.355.9184;
cklauck@bicsi.org
U.S.SOUTHEASTREGIONDIRECTOR—Charles(Chuck)L.Wilson,
RCDD/NTS/OSPSpecialist;WilsonTechnologyGroup,Inc.;Brooksville,FL;
352.796.9891;cwilson@bicsi.org
U.S.NORTH-CENTRALREGIONDIRECTOR—JerryL.Bowman,
RCDD/NTSSpecialist,CISSP,CPP;CommScopeEnterpriseSolutions;
Columbus,OH; 614.853.3812;jbowman@bicsi.org
U.S.SOUTH-CENTRALREGIONDIRECTOR—MichaelCollins,
RCDD; ATT; Bellaire,TX; 713.567.1234;mcollins@bicsi.org
U.S.WESTERNREGIONDIRECTOR—SteveCalderon,RCDD/
NTS/OSPSpecialist; ITDesignCorporation; WestlakeVillage,CA;
805.777.0073;scalderon@bicsi.org
CANADIANREGIONDIRECTOR—RichardS.Smith,RCDD/NTS/OSP
Specialist; BellAliantRegionalServices; Moncton,NBCanada;
506.859.3106; rsmith@bicsi.org
EUROPEANREGIONDIRECTOR—Brendan“Greg”Sherry,
RCDD/NTS/WDSpecialist; QualitasLimited;Hertfordshire,UK;
+441708733032; gregsherry@qualitaslimited.com
EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR—DavidC.Cranmer,RCDD;BICSI;Tampa,FL;
800.242.7405or813.979.1991;dcranmer@bicsi.org
COMMITTEECHAIRS:BICSICARES—ChristineKlauck,RCDD/NTSSpe-
cialist;FiberConnectInc.;Brookfield,CT;860.355.9184;cklauck@bicsi.org
• CODES—Phil Janeway, RCDD; Time Warner Telecom; Indianapolis, IN;
317.713.2333; pjaneway@bicsi.org • EDUCATION ADVISORY—Monte
B. Lloyd, RCDD; ATT; San Antonio, TX; 210.886.4474; mlloyd@bicsi.
org • ETHICS—Carl Bonner, RCDD/OSP/WD Specialist; Network Com-
munications Supply Company; Milton, FL; 850.626.6863; cbonner@
bicsi.org and Alvin Emmett, RCDD; ATT; Tucker, GA; 404.532.7740;
aemmett@bicsi.org • EXHIBITOR ADVISORY—Kurt Templeman;
Sumitomo Electric Lightwave; Research Triangle Park, NC; 919.541.8100;
ktempleman@bicsi.organdDebraLeingang;IdealDatacomm;St.Charles,
IL;800.435.0705;dleingang@bicsi.org•INSTALLATION—DanielMor-
ris,RCDD;KitcoFiberOptics;VirginiaBeach,VA;757.216.2220;dmorris@
bicsi.org • MEMBERSHIP MARKETING ADVISORY—Edward Boy-
chuk, RCDD; Convergent Technology Partners; Flint, MI; 810.720.3820;
eboychuk@bicsi.org and James “Ray” Craig, RCDD/NTS Specialist;
Craig Consulting Services; Coppell, TX; 972.393.1669; j.craig@bicsi.
org • NOMINATING—John Bakowski, RCDD/NTS/OSP/WD Special-
ist; St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada; 905.646.5100; jbakowski@bicsi.
org • REGISTRATION SPECIALTIES SUPERVISION—R.S. “Bob”
Erickson, RCDD/NTS/OSP/WD Specialist; Communications Network De-
sign; Haysville, KS; 316.529.3698; rerickson@bicsi.org and Carl Bonner,
RCDD/OSP/WD Specialist; Network Communications Supply Company;
Milton,FL;850.626.6863;cbonner@bicsi.org•STANDARDS—Theron
J. (T.J.) Roe, RCDD; Garrett Com, Inc.; Hockessin, DE; 302.235.0995;
troe@bicsi.org • TECHNICAL INFORMATION METHODS—David P.
Labuskes, RCDD/NTS/OSP Specialist; RTKL Associates, Inc.; Baltimore,
MD;410.537.6070;dlabuskes@bicsi.organdRobertY.FaberJr.,RCDD/
NTSSpecialist;SIEMON;Watertown,CT;860.945.4366;rfaber@bicsi.org
7. AirES®
technology is the only cabling design element that
improves virtually every attribute associated with Cat 6A
data cables, and soon it will be available from your
cable provider.
With AirES (“Air Enhanced System”), air is intro-
duced as an insulator in arched channels around
each individual conductor. Using air actually im-
proves dielectrics and increases signal strength
and transmission speed, while reducing crosstalk.
With AirES, Cat 6A cables can be up to 22% smaller.
Since one of the constraints of Cat 6A has been its large
diameter, AirES technology is a critical enabling force
in the implementation of 10 Gigabit ethernet.
The market has clearly shown a preference for
a single source “end-to-end” 10 Gig solution.
AirES is the critical enabling technology that
brings it all together.
Does your
cable provider use
AirES
®
technology?
Coming soon to your cable provider
Typical Category 6A Category 6A with AirES®
Get a smaller Cat 6A cable with better performance.
...now they can.
AirES is a registered trademark of ADC Digital Communications, Inc.
Make sure your cable provider can offer you the most complete, smallest diameter, “end-to-end”
10 Gig solution available. Contact your cable provider for more information.
8. | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
Sustainability is not quite a common term within the vocabulary of the telecommunications
infrastructure industry. Most of us would agree that compared with carbon-churning factories
or gas-guzzling automobiles, telecommunications cabling infrastructure is probably one of the
least likely industries to appear on the list of worst environmental offenders. However, within
the past several years, the issues of carbon emissions, the price of metals and energy and the
effects of climate change have become hot topics within the media.
CoverStory
ASustainable
Competitive
Advantage
Protecting the environment
requires that we reduce, reuse
and recycle. By aleks milojkovik
9. BICSINEWS | September/October 2007 |
We currently live in an economy fueled by
expansion and growth not just in North America
but now also within many other countries. This
rapid expansion has brought about questions on
how our actions are impacting our environment. The
rapid rise of large developing countries in Asia has also
resulted in new opportunities and challenges within
the information transport systems (ITS) industry. North
America has had extensive experience with cabling
infrastructure, and these lessons should be passed
forward to assist developing economies.
Within this global backdrop, we will provide an
overview of several concepts related to a sustainable
telecommunications infrastructure that is also financially
competitive. By informing our clients of sustainable
design alternatives, the ITS industry has a unique
opportunity to provide an environmental and business
advantage.
The Issues
Unlike carbon emissions and other pollutants that
affect our environment, disposed telecommunications
cabling is not a byproduct of an industrial manufacturing
process or means of transportation but is an obsolete
final product. By all accounts, ITS cabling is specifically
designed to function forever with no foreseeable limit.
For those unfamiliar with the composition of
telecommunications cables, two main cable types are
used within networks: copper and fiber. Optical fiber
cabling is an alternative method of carrying data;
however, this article focuses on copper cabling. The
components of a copper cable are composed of two main
materials: tightly braided copper conductors and a sheath
of plastic-based insulation. These two forms of cabling
form modern telecommunications infrastructure—a
highly efficient and reliable pathway designed to
transport tiny electrical signals at speeds of millions
(or billons) of bits per second. While these copper and
plastic components are the simplest way of explaining
the materials within a telecommunications cable, the
design materials may actually vary significantly in terms
of the gauge (thickness) of the copper, number of pair
twists per distance, metallic shielding and composition
properties of the plastic insulation and sheath. We will
examine what factors affect the life and eventual death
of these cables.
The Three R’s
Most of us have heard of the three R’s: reduce,
reuse and recycle. But how would this apply to
telecommunications cabling infrastructure? While
an average copper telecommunications cable appears
relatively light in terms of material usage per cable, the
overall number of these cables produced is staggering.
There are currently millions of miles of existing
telecommunications cable networks installed throughout
commercial buildings in the United States. Add in the
annual 375,000,000 pounds of copper used to produce
new telecommunications cables in 2005 (Source: CDA
Annual Data 2007) and it becomes apparent how much
we are investing in telecommunications infrastructure.
An issue that appears unique to the ITS industry
is that eventually the transmission characteristics of
cabling can no longer keep up with the electronics
they are intended to support. As the speeds of
telecommunications switches and end devices continue
to increase, certain types of “new” cabling may also
become obsolete. We should keep in mind that switching
technology continues to approach new performance
boundaries, such as 10 gigabits per second (Gb/s), at
a rapid pace. Less than a decade ago, 10 megabit per
second (Mb/s) infrastructure was considered state of
the art. Most of the new telecommunications cabling
being installed today may be obsolete within the next
several years. Following the three R’s theory, we propose
three methods to minimize this cycle of discarding
telecommunications cables:
Reduce the amount of cables being used in
new installations.
Reuse existing infrastructure until an upgrade
is actually required.
Ensure that proper recycling of cabling
actually occurs.
Cable Reduction
Convergence and alternative design technologies are
perhaps the best tools currently available to reduce the
cabling requirements within new building installations.
Several technologies are available to assist in reducing
the overall amount of cabling and to reduce the potential
of having to abandon cabling down the road.
Almost all traditionally independent building
systems, such as video distribution, telephone, intercom,
building controls, security, nurse call and closed-circuit
television (CCTV), are converging onto the same
structured cabling infrastructure. Any field device can
be plugged into a common data port and be segmented
by means of virtual local area networks (LANs) rather
than needing a separate cabling infrastructure. As an
example, the installation of voice infrastructure onto
category 3 cabling is often a less expensive installation
solution; however, this should only be seen as a short-
term solution considering the technologies that are
available. The use of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)
and desktop conferencing technologies should all but
eliminate the need for conventional category 3 cabling
infrastructure in new building developments, as this
10. 10 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
cabling will not support the data transmission speeds of
modern Ethernet.
The deployment of wireless networks has become a
standard means of reducing infrastructure costs in many
new commercial applications. Wireless technology is
often faster and less expensive to deploy than physical
cabling. Previous issues against adopting a wireless
infrastructure were speed, security and coverage. With
new wireless standards such as IEEE 802.11n being
finalized, wireless LAN technologies are improving
in both maximum bandwidth and broadcast range.
With the introduction of properly configured wireless
security protocols such as WEP, WPA and WPA2,
wireless networks can now be considered highly secure.
The deployment of wireless networks often requires
additional planning by the ITS designer to understand
characteristics of the radio frequencies and devices to be
used within the planned environment along with other
bandwidth allocation factors. With proper planning, a
well-designed wireless network may offer the greatest
amount of return in savings compared with traditionally
cabled installations.
Cable Reuse
The use of consolidation points and zone cabling
systems also may reduce the need for extensive cabling
infrastructure runs. As the price of fiber to copper media
converters decreases, there may be further consolidation
of infrastructure in the field to reduce the amount of
cabling required.
Aside from potential physical damage, a typical
copper cable could theoretically continue to function
indefinitely without performance degradation. One
might argue that this resiliency is a key benefit of the
cabling. The only issue here is that the engineered
transmission characteristic of cable type may not support
the required bandwidth. A foreseeable problem is that
the performance of cabling may not be sufficient to
support the needs of the telecommunications.
Existing cabling infrastructure could potentially
be reused within a renovation or even within a new
building construction. Too often cables are removed from
a renovation project and sent directly to the landfill.
Providing that the cabling is physically inspected and
properly tested before and after installation, structured
cabling should have an extensive lifespan for most
applications.
The reason for replacing existing cabling
infrastructure should be well defined. The benefits of
standardizing on category 6A versus category 5e cabling
may not apply equally to all organizations. An analysis
should be done factoring in the planned applications
and requirements of the organization prior to making
such an infrastructure shift.
Cable Recycling
If an organization establishes a need to upgrade
existing cabling infrastructure, it must determine
how to handle the obsolete cabling. Traditionally, the
copper material within telecommunications cables has
been recycled due to the high value of copper; however,
the plastic insulation has been a difficult material to
reuse. The burning of telecommunications cable to
quickly remove insulation to extract the remaining
copper continues to be a problem in several developing
countries. Burning cables is not permitted in the
United States because of toxic gases emitted from the
combustion of the plastic insulation.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most common
insulation and jacketing material for wiring in buildings,
mainly because of its good insulation characteristics
and low cost. However, some PVC wire insulation and
jacketing has a small percentage of lead by weight, which
is a significant environmental hazard if not properly
disposed of. Manufacturers have recognized the potential
hazard of lead-based products and are promoting lead-
free (or reduced) cables as a PVC alternative.
Recycling facilities exist, and the technology to
recycle abandoned cables is improving. The disposal
of abandoned cable at designated recycling facilities
must be a project requirement adhered to by owners,
contractors and consultants alike. Recent modifications
to fire and electrical codes are intended to encourage
the removal of abandoned cabling material. In addition,
the recycling of cable to recover copper has become a
growing business as the price of copper is currently at a
premium. The main issue is that the plastic insulation
is much more difficult to separate into a consumable
final product. Although recent advances in cabling
recycling methods are achieving higher grades of
material recovery, only 2,100,000 pounds of copper were
recovered in 2005 (Source: CDA Annual Data 2007).
While the recycling industry is growing, there is still
much progress to be made.
The Concept of Sustainability
Sustainability is essentially the idea that a process
or state can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely.
This concept also applies to manufactured products,
such as telecommunications infrastructure. Eventually,
the cost for producing new cables and the issues of
disposing of old cables may become a significant
environmental factor.
12. 12 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
In the past several years, the ITS industry has
done a good job of standardizing telecommunications
infrastructure and establishing design standards between
systems. Open standards combined with innovative
design technologies will be of universal importance
to the future sustainability of the ITS industry. As the
Ethernet protocol has become the unifying standard for
the Internet and networking, proprietary cabling media
and telecommunications formats have become relics of
past. Unfortunately, most of these custom cable types
already have been pushed into landfills as major cable
recycling facilities were not available at the time.
To avoid such drastic and costly removal of cabling
in the future, we must create a sustainable system for
planning, procuring and salvaging cabling systems and
infrastructure for the future. It took time for this change
to occur, however, and only with strong leadership
from manufacturers and industry associations has such
standardization finally been realized. The physical
product of this standardization is the relatively efficient
structured cabling system we know today. Under this
concept of collaboration, the ITS industry should seek
to set a precedent in terms of sustainable design and
waste management standards for telecommunications
infrastructure.
When looking for sustainable solutions, the
emphasis of designers and manufacturers should
be to identify the long-term needs of particular
applications within a customer’s organization. Rather
than approaching a new project as an extension of
the last design, the design community must approach
the customer’s needs from a growth perspective and
understand their expectations for information systems
and how we can apply the latest technology to support
the concept of sustainable telecommunications
infrastructure. Informed ITS distribution designers
must be willing to make recommendations that will
maximize the use of the customer’s telecommunications
infrastructure investment.
The Future
The cabling industry is constantly undergoing
changes. As the fabric that supports information
technology, there will be no shortage of investment in
new infrastructure. The future of the cabling industry
appears bright. As a whole, the structured cabling system
has created standardization and common protocols.
While there is no longer a need for product-specific
cabling, the telecommunications infrastructure industry
still needs further standardization for disposing of
abandoned cables.
As a challenge to cabling manufacturers,
the sustainability of the telecommunications
infrastructure industry will depend on the ability to
salvage cabling infrastructure to very high degrees
of recoverability. Current technology is focused on
the extraction of copper, and future improvements
in the extraction and management of plastic-
based waste are needed. There is ongoing research
in this field, and improvements are being made.
In the short term, the consolidation of various
building systems into a single telecommunication
infrastructure may provide the most benefit. As
end users, we should actively request sustainable
concepts within ITS projects so that we can develop
financially competitive design solutions and promote
environmentally conscious technologies within our
industry. n
Aleks Milojkovic
Aleks Milojkovic, RCDD is a communications
designer with Stantec Consulting Ltd., a
professional design and consulting service
firm providing planning, engineering,
architecture, surveying, economics
and project management. Aleks can be
reached at +1 604.696.8286 or at
aleks.milojkovic@stantec.com.
14. 14 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
Like most people, you have probably heard about
the ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A label standard, but have
never taken time to learn about it. If you are typical,
labeling is, at best, a necessary evil. At worst, it
can be a nightmare. Why not take something that
you consider a disadvantage and turn it into a strong
advantage? This is the basis for success in any business.
Success often means you have to add value. Going
the extra mile up front, by showing a potential customer
how you plan to label and administer the installation,
will go a long way to creating confidence and trust. Price
is not always the driving factor. However, you have to
show the customer that you can save them time and
money, now and in the future.
Labeling is probably one of the most talked about
benefits on any installation, yet it is also one of the
most forgotten when it comes down to actually doing
the work. What is the cost of NOT labeling or creating
your own method of labeling? It is hard to measure
in the short term, but in the long term it does have
consequences.
One obstacle to labeling is that everyone has their
own way of creating a structure to identify cables
and ports in an installation—even though it is better
for both the customer and the information transport
system (ITS) installer to create a unified labeling system
in the 606 standard. If the customer hires an ITS
installer who is using the new 606 standard and that
ITS installer goes out of business, or moves away, the
customer can hire a new ITS installer without having
to pay the new ITS installer additional money to learn
or re-learn their whole system from the ground up.
There is a cost to the customer associated with the time
required to test and locate cable connections in order
to make adds, moves or changes. The same applies to
the ITS installer who has to charge more to re-learn a
system that someone else has installed.
Using the New
ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-ALabel Standard
A careful design includes the ability to manage, label and record
the ITS. By Todd fries
Feature
as a Way to Compete
15. www.chatsworth.com or techsupport@chatsworth.com
800-834-4969
Data Center Myth Busters
Fact
With proper airflow management you can use
network switches in a hot aisle/cold aisle layout.
Myth
Network switches with side-to-side airflow should
not be used in a hot aisle/cold aisle layout.
Designed to meet
third party specifications for
Cisco®
6500 9500 switches
Do Network Switches With Side-To-Side
Airflow CompromiseYour Hot Aisle/Cold
Aisle Layout?
Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI) would like to introduce you to the new
N-SeriesTeraFrame™ Network Cabinet, engineered to combat thermal chal-
lenges and manage large amounts of cable in a hot aisle/cold aisle layout.
Thermal Management
• Remove Hot Exhaust Air – Isolate
and re-direct exhaust air from
network switches into the hot aisle.
• Maximize Energy Efficiency – CPI
Passive Cooling™ Solutions involve
no active components and decrease
total cost of ownership.
• Supports Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle
Layout – Allows switches and
servers to be situated next to one
another.
CFD shows hot exhaust air from a
side-to-side switch being re-directed
to the back of the cabinet through the
Network Switch Exhaust Duct.
Temperature Variation
NetworkSwitchExhaustDuct
16. 16 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
It is all about cost and efficiency. It is also about
the cost of making mistakes when trying to administer
something that is poorly labeled or not labeled at all.
The cost of not labeling can be very high in the long
run. Unfortunately, almost 50 percent of the smaller
installation companies do not take the time to label their
installation in any manner.
It is also about changing attitudes and habits. A day
is coming when ITS installers will proudly indicate that
their installations are labeled to the 606 standard; some
are already there. Someday this will make a difference in
getting the contract or being passed over for a competitor.
The 606 standard is well written and easy to
understand. The standard:
n Establishes classes of administration
n Accommodates scalable needs
n Allows modular implementation
n Specifies labeling formats to be portable across
multiple platforms
n Specifies identifiers to accommodate information
transfer from design drawings to cabling system
administration software
There is also the issue of how to label to the standard.
There are many types of labeling software and equipment
within the general market. However, you need to purchase
the right tool that fits the application in the most efficient
way possible.
There is no completely right or wrong answer on what
type of labeling system to purchase. It all comes down to
your label volumes, budget and methods of labeling.
If we are to be true to the spirit of the standard, the
contractor should label horizontal link cables as they
are installed, labeling to within about 300 mm (12 in) of
either end of the cable, both at the back of the patch panel
and just behind the wall outlet plate at the work center.
By labeling the cables as they are installed, the ITS
installer avoids having to fight though a thick bundle
of cables at the back of the patch panel. It also prevents
having to remove the faceplate a second time to pull
enough cable through the wall to allow access to the cable
for labeling. It is best to have everything labeled before
testing cables.
ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A standard states that each label
must be mechanically generated, not handwritten.
This helps avoid confusion by others who have to read
handwriting that might not be written clearly.
Labeling Methods and Devices
In general, there are two methods for labeling.
Portable label printing uses self-contained handheld
printers that typically print on tapes or die cut labels.
This method is normally used in small to medium sized
applications for tens to hundreds of drops. Depot service
labeling requires a separate label printing software package
and utilizes desktop printing systems and is normally used
in medium to high volume installations for hundreds to
thousands of drops.
Across these methods, there are basic types of labeling
devices, each of which are described in more detail.
n Portable tape printers
n Portable die cut label printers
n Ink jet printers
n Laser printers
n Thermal transfer printers
Portable tape printers are best in low volume
applications where a quick label is needed on demand.
These printers are inexpensive and can be quite durable
for general applications. The label media will typically
be more expensive as the contractor is paying for the
convenience of the system built into cartridges that
contain label and ribbon stock. Typically, the user can
only print one label at a time, which must be cut off
immediately and used. These printers will also have slower
print speeds, but this is not critical in small installations.
Print speeds become more critical from a labor cost
standpoint when label volumes start to increase.
Portable die cut label printers are the next step up
in the label creation process. These printers are a little
more expensive per unit, but print very fast and because
the labels are die cut (as separate labels on the liner),
the contractor can set the printer to print large batches
of labels without having to keep an eye on the printer.
For example, the contractor can do other tasks while
the printer is printing. The label stock is typically less
expensive than a portable tape printer and is better suited
to larger jobs where labor and material costs become more
critical. In general, this device is best used in installations
where there are hundreds of drops.
For label printing software and printers, a good label
printing software package should be selected to allow the
contractor to design and store very simple to very complex
databases that can be used and saved over and over again.
A good Microsoft®
Windows®
-based label software package
will have the ability to import wire lists from a Microsoft
Excel®
or Access®
database and allow the ITS installer to
customize label designs to meet each application. These
systems provide the greatest overall capabilities for the
contractor and provide the greatest efficiencies in large
and medium volume applications.
Standard ink jet printers are inexpensive and
can also be used to print standard sheets of paper for
documentation, reports and other office uses. Ink jet labels
are convenient because most contractors may carry an
ink jet printer with them as part of their normal office
17. BICSINEWS | September/October 2007 | 17
inventory. Because the contractor is now printing sheets of labels, the print
speed is increased greatly and larger volumes can be printed at even lower
labor costs. It is important to test samples of proposed labels in the printer
before purchasing. Because ink jet printers spray jets of wet ink onto a
surface, the label must be able to absorb ink quickly to avoid smearing the
ink when handling.
Laser printers provide the highest speed printing. Again, many ITS
installers may already own a good laser printer and can use this printer for
multiple purposes. The toner is dry instantly so there is less concern for
smearing of the printed mark during handling of the media after printing.
The ITS installer should test sample sheets of the media in their printer
before purchasing. Some laser printers have a very tight paper path with very
tight bends in the machine. Since the sheets of labels are much thicker than
standard paper, there is a chance that sheets can jam or become stuck in the
machine during printing. If this happens, the ITS installer should try selecting
the alternate paper path, which is usually a straight paper path. Some printers
may or may not offer this feature and the user should check the capabilities of
their particular printer before purchasing label stock.
Thermal transfer printing will give the highest quality mark and provide
the most stable printing. Designed for higher volume applications, a thermal
transfer printer will provide high reliability in demanding environments.
There are no paper path issues to worry about and the printed mark is very
durable during post print handling. Thermal transfer printing systems will
typically yield the greatest labor and label cost efficiencies in high volume
applications, which can entail thousands of drops.
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LabelShelfLife
Alllabelshavealimitedshelflife,which
isapproximatelytwoyearsfromthedate
ofmanufacture.Labelsusedtowrap
aroundcablesarethemostsusceptible
toage.Iftheygettooold,thelabelscan
starttounwindfromthecableandcreate
apoorlookinginstallation.Thebestway
totestlabelsthatmightbesuspectisto
wrapsomearoundafewtestcablesand
letthemsitfor24hours.Mostlabelsuse
agoodacrylicbasedadhesivethattakes
afull24hourstocompletelysetupand
bond.Ifthelabelsare“flagged”after24
hours,thenthisiswhatyoucanexpect
whenplacedonyouractualcables.Ifthe
productisstillwrappedproperlyafter
24hoursatroomtemperature,theyare
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18. 18 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
Cost Comparison
It is useful to breakdown the actual costs associated
with labeling a typical installation. Assume a standard
labor rate of $25 per hour. This comparison includes all of
the following costs for each system mentioned above.
n Labor time required to print the labels
n Cost of each label
n Cost of any ribbon used to print each label
n Include the labor cost to manually apply a label
to a cable
These costs are based on average market prices for these
items. Label cost is based upon a typical label size of 25
mm (1 in) wide by 36.3 mm (1.43 in) tall.
Tape Printers
Based on a $25 labor rate and including purchased
label and ribbon costs and a hand-applied rate of 15
seconds per label, using a tape printer will average around
36 cents per mark.
Portable Die Cut Label Printers
Based on a $25 labor rate and including purchased
label and ribbon costs and a hand-applied rate of 15
seconds per label, using a portable die cut label printer will
average around 25 cents per mark.
Laser, Ink Jet, Thermal Transfer Printers
Based on a $25 labor rate and including purchased
label and ribbon costs and a hand applied rate of 15
seconds per label, using a desk top printing system will
average around 14 cents per mark.
Summary of Average Label Costs
Portable Tape Printers – 36 cents per mark
Portable Die Cut Printers – 25 cents per mark
Desktop Systems – 14 cents per mark
Again, price per mark is not necessarily the driving
factor in making a decision. If your volumes are very low,
it is better to use a portable tape printer as you might
never recover the cost of a complete desktop thermal
transfer printing system. However, if you are managing
and marking thousands of drops or are working in a data
center, then the control of data and managing that data
in relation to printing large volumes of labels allows you
to recoup your equipment cost very quickly by the large
labor savings associated with desktop systems.
This is even more of an issue in the data center
where labor rates may be as much as $60 per hour. The
key question to ask is how much time do you want
spent on printing labels as opposed to doing other
installation tasks and then weigh that cost vs. the time
spent labeling. The system you select and how you utilize
that system will make a difference in profit, cost and
competing in future bids.
Conclusion
If the 606 standard is taken at face value, it is easy to
use and understand. The growing emphasis on standards
in the ITS industry is creating more awareness of the
need to standardize on all labeling in an installation. This
standard should encourage many ITS installers who have
not traditionally followed 606 guidelines to move toward
common integration within the industry. In addition,
as customers become more aware of the standard, one
measure of an ITS installer will be the ability to manage,
label and record the system, which has been so carefully
designed. Compliance with the 606 standard will continue
to be a hallmark of quality.
The ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A standard has been a work
in process by many in the industry. Research and
development of this standard has crossed the boundaries
of many markets, industries and companies. There are still
elements that must be addressed, as in the case of data
centers, but it appears to be a standard that everyone can
embrace. n
Data Centers
TheANSI/TIA/EIA-606-Acommitteeisworkingonan
addendumtothe606standardthatwilldetailadditional
requirementsforlabelingwithinthedatacenter.Labelinginthe
datacenterwillstillincorporatealloftherequirementsofthe
606standard,butwilladdrequirementsforuniqueattributes
withinthedatacenterthatarenotcurrentlycoveredinthebasic
labelingstandard.Thesewillinclude,butarenotlimitedto:
n Rackandcabinetlocationidentifiers
n Cabinetandracklabeling
n Preterminatedcablelabeling
n Labelingsub-panels
Todd Fries
ToddFriesismarketingmanagerofidentification
systemswithHellermannTytoninMilwaukee,Wisc.
Formoreinformation,phone800.822.4352,
e-mailtocorp@htamericas.comorvisit
www.hellermann.tyton.com.
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20. 20 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
When telecommunications cables are routed next
to large electromagnetic fields, surplus voltage and
current can be induced on them. If the power level
of the electrical cable is large enough, the electrical
noise can interfere with operation and performance of
the telecommunications applications running on the
cabling. Electrical and data systems designers must be
familiar with this phenomenon and ensure that the two
systems can work in harmony.
For analog voice communication, electromagnetic
interference (EMI) can create psophometric noise, which
degrades transmission quality.
In data communication, excessive EMI reduces
the ability of distant receivers to effectively detect data
packets. The result of this inability to detect data packets
is an increase in network congestion and network traffic
as a result of errors and due to packet retransmissions.
Sources of Coupling Between Electrical
and Data Cables
The coupling between power lines and
telecommunications cables may be a result of one or
more of the following types of coupling—conductive,
capacitive or inductive coupling.
Conductive coupling is the transfer of energy by
means of physical contact. This type of coupling is also
known as direct coupling. In a commercial and industrial
facility cabling installations, the incidence of conductive
coupling is typical when the grounding and bonding
systems utilized for power and telecommunications
systems are not appropriately isolated from each other.
Capacitive coupling is the transfer of energy from
one circuit to another by means of mutual capacitance
between circuits. This coupling can be intentional or
accidental. Capacitive coupling can develop between
telecommunications and power cables that run in
parallel for long lengths through a building or other
structure.
The capacitance between two cables or conductors is
caused by coupling between the power and data circuits.
The value of the capacitance will vary with and depend
upon the distance between the power and data circuits.
The value of this capacitive coupling will be less for large
distances and more for short distances. To reduce the
voltage noise level from the capacitive coupling between
cables, either the impedances can be increased or the
capacitance can be decreased. Screened twisted-pair
cabling (ScTP) can be utilized to shield the cables from
the circuit with the noise. This screening of the cable will
reduce the value of capacitance.
For situations where it is not an option to increase
the impedance or decrease the capacitance, screened
cabling may be the only option.
Inductive coupling refers to the transfer of energy
from one circuit component to another through a shared
magnetic field. A change in the current flow through
one conductor or cable can induce a current to flow
in another conductor or cable. This coupling may be
intentional or unintentional. The common building
transformer works based on this type of coupling.
When current flows in a circuit while feeding a load
in the system, it develops a magnetic flux proportional to
As data transmission speeds increase, separation of power and
data cables is more critical. By keith lane
Determiningthe
AppropriateSeparationof
DataandPowerCables
Feature
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22. 22 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
the current that is flowing in the circuit. This magnetic
flux may induce noise voltage into a nearby conductor.
This can result in a current in the data or voice circuit.
This type of coupling is very common between data and
power conductors in commercial facilities.
The layout of the conductors and the space between
two cables establishes the strength of the inductive
coupling. The use of metallic or nonmetallic raceway or
cable tray or other pathways can affect the amount of
induced fields that affects the data or voice cables.
The strength of the magnetic field is directly
proportionate to the current in the disturbing cable and
inversely proportionate to the distance between the
telecommunications and power cables. As illustrated in
the examples below, power cables with higher power
levels (kilovolt-ampere [kVA]) will require greater
separation between voice and data cables.
In order to minimize the effect of inductive coupling
between circuits, it is essential to safeguard cable
geometry for the complete cable length and to keep
adequate separation between power and data cables.
Design for Proper Separation of Cables
When considering the effects from interference
between power and data cables, electrical and data
system designers must consider all of these effects
together. This combined effect comes from conductive,
capacitive and inductive coupling. These combined
effects can be very destructive to data and voice signals
Providing the proper separation between electrical
and data systems is essential. Too little separation and
the 60 hertz (Hz) noise from the electrical system can
effect the transmission of the data signals. The project
could be impacted significantly on the cost side from too
much separation.
There are many sources for a designer or engineer
to identify the appropriate separation between the
electrical and the data systems. The two main sources
should be the National Electrical Code (NEC®
) and BICSI’s
Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM).
The TDMM references standards from ANSI, TIA and EIA.
ANSI/TIA/EIA–569-A indicates that the installed
separation of both the telecommunications cable and
the electrical cable should be governed by the applicable
electrical safety code. The NEC (NFPA 70), Article 800.133
(2005 NEC) indicates the separation requirements. This
section of the NEC specifies the following: “Communica-
tion wires and cables shall be separated at least 50 mm
(2 in) from conductors of any electric, power, Class 1,
nonpower limited fire alarm, or medium power network
powered broadband communication circuits.”
Two exceptions are noted in the NEC:
Exception #1: Where either (1) all of the conductors of
the electrical light, power, Class 1, nonpower limited fire
alarm and medium power network powered broadband
communications circuits are in a raceway or in metal
sheathed, metal clad, nonmetallic sheathed, type
AC, or type UF cables, or (2) all of the conductors of
communications cable are encased in raceway.
Exception #2: Where the communications wires and
cables are permanently separated from the conductors
of electrical light, power, Class 1, nonpower limited fire
alarm, and medium power network power broadband
communications circuits by a continuous and firmly
fixed nonconductor such as porcelain tubes or flexible
tubing, in addition to the insulation of the wire.
Electrical and data system designer and engineers
should remember that NEC is primarily written for safety
purposes; it is not intended to make recommendations
for optimum performance of communication systems.
The 50 mm (2 in) separation should be viewed as a
safety issue only, not driven by performance issues of the
sensitive data systems.
There are many excerpts about how important
separation is. Network cable solutions supplier Siemon
recommends the following separation for pathways and
spaces based on the power levels of the power cable.
Unshielded Twisted-Pair
n For less than 3 kVA: 50 mm (2 in) for pathways and
50 mm (2 in) for spaces
n For 3 6 kVA: 1.5 m (5 ft) for pathways and 3 m
(10 ft) for spaces
n For 6 kVA: 3 m (10 ft) for pathways and 6 m (20 ft)
for spaces
Screened and Shielded Cables
n For less than 3 kVA: 0 mm (0 in) for pathways and
0 mm (0 in) for spaces
n For 3 6 kVA: 0.6 m (2 ft) for pathways and 0.6 m
(2 ft) for spaces
n For 6 kVA: 0.9 m (3 ft) for pathways and 0.9 m
(3 ft) for spaces
The separation requirements for screened and
shielded cables are obviously not as significant as for
unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable, but the cost for this
cable would exceed standard UTP cable. The decision to
either utilize the more expensive cable or to ensure that
separation requirements are met must be weighed by the
designer to ensure that the most effective methods or
cables are utilized.
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24. 24 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
Examples of Separation Calculations
To illustrate the required separation using the
Siemon model, the power level of a 20 amp circuit at 120
V = single phase with 10 amps of load:
10 amps * 120 Volt = 1.2 kVA The recommendation would
be for 50 mm (2 in) of separation for both pathways and
spaces.
If the power cable was fed at 208 volt single phase
from a 30 ampere breaker with 15 amperes of load, the
total kVA would be as follows: 15 amps * 208 V = 3.12 kVA.
For this example, the recommendation would be for
1.5 m (5 ft) for pathways and 3 m (10 ft) for spaces for
UTP and 0.6 m (2 ft) for both pathways and spaces for
screened or shielded telecommunications cable.
For a final example, assume a 5 horsepower motor at
240 volt single phase. The total full load amperes are 28:
28 amps * 240 V = 6.72 kVA. For this example, the
recommendation would be for 3 m (10 ft) for pathways
and 6 m (20 ft) for spaces for UTP and 0.9 m (3 ft) for
both pathways and spaces for screened or shielded
telecommunications cable.
By utilizing the proper physical separation distances,
the data system designer can still avoid EMI with the
use of UTP cabling. In most design situations where
proper physical separation can be maintained between
power and data systems, UTP cabling is the ideal cabling
media. On the other hand, in situations where minimum
separation distances cannot be maintained for UTP
cabling, screened twisted-pair (ScTP) or shielded shielded
twisted-pair (SSTP) cable can be utilized.
Conclusion
Installing cabling with no consideration of potential
sources of EMI can be harmful to network systems
performance and data transmission quality.
Shielding, barriers and the use of optical fiber
also reduce separation requirements. Optical fiber
transmitters are devises that include lasers or LED sources
and do not emit or receive EMI. With immunity to both
EMI and radio frequency interference (RFI), optical fiber
is a more suitable solution for certain applications.
Circuit imbalance, the presence of harmonics and
the physical separation of the wires (i.e., bus duct has
more separation between the phases than pipe and wire,
and metal clad cable with its twisted wires has the least
separation) determine the actual EMI emitted from the
power cables. Harmonics present in the electrical system
represent higher frequencies (orders of magnitude above
60Hz) and can more negatively affect data systems
than current traveling at the fundamental frequency.
Unfortunately, many office or data center environments
with high volumes of data cables house a large number
of computers and other switch mode power supplies
that cause harmonics to be reflected into the electrical
power system.
The data system parameters will also determine
the amount of bit error rate (BER) and amount of
crosstalk and noise allowable. Data systems with higher
transmission speeds will be more adversely affected by
EMI. Therefore, as transmission speeds of data systems
continue to increase, the design engineer must be more
concerned with maintaining the separation between
the systems.
The design engineer should be aware of all code
requirements and issues of good design practice as
well as an understanding of the type of power and
communication systems involved in a project prior
to determining the appropriate separation. The intent
of this article is to illustrate some of the issues
involved in making this determination. n
References:
1. The NEC 2005
2. Siemon white paper, Electromagnetic Interference
Keith Lane, P.E., RCDD/NTS
Specialist, TPM, LC, LEED A.P.
Keith Lane is a principal and partner of
LANE COBURN ASSOCIATES, LLC,
which offers complete electrical engineering
including electrical and data systems
infrastructure design. Keith can be
reached at +1 206.499.5221 or at klane@
lanecoburn.com or at www.lanecoburn.com.
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26. 26 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
SoManyWireless
StandardstoChooseFrom
You have probably heard the comment, “The nice
thing about standards is that there are so many
to choose from.” In the wireless data network
marketplace this is an applicable statement.
In the Wi-Fi world, the IEEE 802.11a/b/g standards
are entrenched and IEEE 802.11n is emerging. In
the cellular world, enhanced data Global System for
Mobile Communications environment (EDGE), code
division multiple access (CDMA), universal mobile
telecommunications service (UMTS), and high speed
packet data access (HSPDA) are potential “1000 pound
gorillas” for high speed mobile connectivity. Soon the
IEEE 802.22 ultrahigh frequency (UHF) standards may
offer single transmitter solutions for coverage zones up to
64 km (40 mi) and, don’t forget IEEE 802.16 worldwide
interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX).
Within information transport systems (ITS), the
structured cabling marketplace has fully entered a new
era. With it, two dramatic changes are confronting
those of us who make a living creating today’s complex
communications infrastructure.
The first challenge is that essentially every customer
who is installing cable for a wired data network is also
cabling to support Wi-Fi access. While wall jack locations
for wired Ethernet and telephone can be specified based
on furniture and floorplan layouts, Wi-Fi access point (AP)
locations can only be determined after a radio frequency
(RF) engineer has performed a site survey. This means that
you face a workflow challenge when pulling cable. You
want to pull cable once but you’re faced with two different
sets of specifications for cable drop locations.
The second challenge is that the evolution of
wireless data networking offers an alternative to wiring
at some office, hospitality and government sites. As
wireless technology continues to grow in capability
and acceptance, the shift from a wired to a wireless
infrastructure will continue to grow. If you are pulling a
lot of cable today you are going to be pulling less cable
in the years to come. Now is the time to watch, learn and
plan for what will be a reasonably certain future.
Within a five-year time frame you want to be
positioned to deal with the wireless infrastructure with
the same level of expertise that you deal with the wired
infrastructure today. It is probable that you are going
to expand your staff to include RF engineering and site
survey design resources. Today you may expand your
capabilities by partnering with a third-party RF design and
survey contracting company either to provide capabilities
you may not have in-house or to augment your current
staff. In both cases, the challenge is to identify the
evolving needs of your end-users, get the resources to
meet those needs, and develop an active plan to meet
those needs.
This year marks a significant point of demarcation in
the wireless network marketplace. Many technologies that
were uncertain “futures” in the past few years have now
become part numbers in manufacturer’s and distributor’s
catalogs. It may be cliché, but it’s true, “the future is now.”
A case in point is the Apple iPhone™. Over 500,000
units were sold immediately after it was released. What is
significant is that a Wi-Fi and cellular multimode device,
with audio, video, voice, and data transfer capabilities, has
now made an impact into the marketplace. Convergence
between voice, video and data is becoming an assumed,
necessary aspect of daily life. Today (in some markets), you
can buy a cell phone with monthly converged Wi-Fi and
cellular service. When you walk into a hotspot the phone
finds its way through the Internet, back to the provider,
and roams off the more expensive cellular network onto
the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) Internet. No
local VoIP gateway is required at the hotspot. In most
cases, testing has confirmed that this technology does
find its way through proxy servers and firewalls without
requiring special configuration. Access to a converged
communications infrastructure is becoming an assumed,
necessary part of daily life.
Feature
A perspective on wireless standards and their applications.
By joe bardwell
27. phone: [800] 822 4352
email: info@htamericas.com
www.hellermann.tyton.com/bicsi
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28. 28 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
Recall when touch-tone telephones arrived in the
marketplace. Today, caller-ID, callback and other phone
services are the status quo. Many of us remember the days
of the “brick” mobile phone and car phone. Today it is
surprising when someone does not have a cell phone and,
in the business world, a Blackberry or other wireless PDA.
In the future we will look back to the days (today) when
localized hotspots limited the places where high-speed
wireless data was publicly available. In the workplace, the
complexity of computer and voice system portability will
be a thing of the past.
You need to have a solid perspective on wireless
technology today and that perspective has to grow into a
strong proficiency in the coming years. This discussion
lays out some of the wireless standards that you are
going to encounter. Let’s approach this from the
standpoint of end-user application requirements and
see the degree to which various standards, current and
emerging, meet the needs.
One way to categorize the various wireless
communication standards is to compare and contrast
the coverage range typically expected from a single base
station transmitter. Diagram 1 shows how different
standards provide service in the personal area network
(PAN) range, through the local area network (LAN),
wide area network (WAN), metropolitan area network
(MAN), wide area network (WAN), and the global
connectivity network.
The Mobile User
Anyone in cars, subways, work trucks, trains and airports
need to stay in touch with their office and with co-
workers, exchange documents, work orders, or other data,
access databases to look up client information, equipment
specifications, and other information. This may, or may
not, involve the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Consider package delivery companies, public service and
law enforcement, and other groups that have internal
requirements that probably do not demand the Internet.
The first thing that must be considered is the geographic
range spanned by the end-user community. An electrical
contractor, limousine service or local delivery service may
only require connectivity with a 50-mile radius of the
office. Today, analog radio communications are common
in this environment.
In the emerging market there are some interesting
alternatives. 3G cellular has the advantage of wide
geographic scope with the downside of monthly
subscription costs. You will see data rates growing from
768 kb/s up to the 2 Mb/s range. Standards such as CDMA,
EDGE, HSPDA, MediaFlo, and UMTS are part of the
cellular space, providing data and voice communications
with options for video.
A company could purchase a WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e)
base station and mount an antenna on their central
building. While today’s WiMAX offerings are hard pressed
to cover a five mile radius, the future has the potential for
Diagram1: Asrangeincreases(fromlefttorightinthediagram)thepowermustincrease,thereceiver’ssensitivitymustincrease,orthebit-ratemustdecrease.
PAN LAN MAN WAN GLOBAL
802.15
Bluetooth
WUSB
WirelessUSB
802.15.3a
UWB
(Ultra
Wideband)
802.15.4a
Zigbee
802.11
Wi-Fi
802.11b/g
802.11a
802.11n
802.16a
WiMax
802.16e
NomadicWiMax
WRAN
(Wireless
RegionalArea
Network)
802.22
3GCellular
EV-DO
CDMA2000
GSM
EDGE
UMTS
HSPDA
100ft
1mW-30mW
1Mbps
1,000ft
30mW-100mW
100Mbps
10,000ft
100mW-2W
1Gbps
100,000ft
1W-4W
155 Mbps
1.367x1015
ft
30mW-200mW
10Mbps(500Kbpstoday)
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30. 30 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
wider coverage range. The advantage to WiMAX is that
you own the system (one-time up-front cost) with the
downside that the geographic scope is limited. Again, you
get voice, data and video services using a laptop computer.
There are no mobile WiMAX handsets in common use
but the year 2009 may see that start to change. Several
cellular carriers (including Sprint and ATT) are starting to
roll out WiMAX metro-area services in limited markets. In
Australia, WiMAX is already in larger cities. WiMAX data
rates are higher than 3G cellular but the range is smaller.
The IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standards (IEEE 802.11b, g, a, and
n) are unsuitable for central-radio service outdoors. A
mobile Wi-Fi user must be relatively close to an AP radio to
get high-speed service. We are talking under 305 m (1000
ft). Add a little noise and interference in an outdoor Wi-Fi
environment, and put in a requirement for VoIP or video
and the range starts to drop below 122 m (400 ft) in some
cases. This means that a large number of specialized Wi-
Fi radios must be deployed over a metro area, truck yard
or warehouse facility, corporate or educational campus,
Indoorinstallationstypicallyuse
power-over-Ethernet(PoE)to
powerwall-orceiling-mounted
APs.Concernforaestheticsand
tamper-preventionindoorsis
muchmoresignificantthanwhen
installingoutdoorequipment.
Outdoorequipmentoften
requiresa120Voltalternate
currentpowersourceand
workingwithType-Nconnectors
andLMR-typecableisaskill
setsimilarto,butnotexactly
liketerminatingANSI/TIA/EIA-
568-BEthernet(e.g.,you’ll
needaType-Ncrimpingtooland
coaxialcablestripper).Theuse
of38mm(1-1/2in]galvanized
steelpipeforantennamasts
upto3m(10ft)inlengthis
appropriatewith1.2m(4ft)
beingheldsecurelyatthebase
(withUnistrutorY-bracketson
thebuildingexterior)and1.83m
(6ft)abovethetopattachment
point.Therule-of-thumbis“1
down,2up”meaningthat1/3
ofthemastlengthisattached
tothebuildingand2/3are
free-standing.)
31. BICSINEWS | September/October 2007 | 31
or other outdoor area to provide consistent, high-speed
outdoor coverage. The terms mesh router and wireless
distribution system (WDS) refer to integrated systems of
Wi-Fi APs used to provide outdoor Wi-Fi coverage. The
radio technology is similar in these devices but the mesh
router has more features and capabilities while WDS
systems generally require manual configuration and lack
many of the redundancy features in a wireless mesh. On
the flip-side, a mesh router may carry a $3000 to $5000
price tag while a WDS radio may be less than $2000 (and,
sometimes, less than $1000).
The Wi-Fi mesh or WDS
provides throughput in the range
of 20 Mb/s to 30 Mb/s (using 54
Mb/s IEEE 802.11g or 802.11a
modulation) and up to 60 Mb/s
or more using IEEE 802.11n.
These data rates fall off quickly
beyond 500 ft from the Wi-FiAP.
The new standard on the
horizon (5+ years or more in
the future) is called IEEE 802.22.
This standard speaks to the
transmission of high-speed
data in the ultrahigh frequency
(UHF) television frequencies
that will be de-allocated by the
FCC as part of the move to HD,
digital television. IEEE 802.22
may provide central-radio
data connectivity with range
similar to over-the-air broadcast
television (e.g., 64 km [40 mi]
or more).
The Campus User
There are two key
distinguishing factors for the
campus user. First, mobility is
limited to a small area, perhaps
less than a 1.6 km (l mi)
radius from a central location.
Secondly, throughput and quality
requirements are generally much
more demanding than those of
a fully mobile user. In addition,
the campus user will be moving
in and out of buildings, and will
probably have an office in one of
the buildings.
In this case there is an
inherent downside to 3G cellular
service. Unless a local repeater
is installed to assure in-building
coverage it is not unexpected to find that some offices,
conference rooms, or other places indoors lack suitable
coverage. The cell tower on the hillside may not be able
to light up the entire indoor campus area.
WiMAX may be a good solution from the standpoint
of data rate and range; however, the availability of
notebook computer WiMAX is very limited today. Intel
has been talking about their commitment to mobile
WiMAX for a number of years but we have yet to see
HP, Dell, IBM, Fujitsu, or any other notebook computer
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32. 32 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
manufacturer bring an internal WiMAX radio to the mass
market to match the way Centrino®
wireless has become a
de facto standard.
The same is generally true for IEEE 802.11a. All
notebook computers have the option for an internal IEEE
802.11b/g radio, and IEEE 802.11n is close on its heels.
Not everyone offers an internal IEEE 802.11a radio. The
advantage of IEEE 802.11a is, primarily, the fact that
fewer people use it.
Hence, there is less interference from nearby IEEE
802.11 transmitters. There are some technical advantages
to the 5.8 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band used by IEEE
802.11a but, at the end of the day, the technology is
effectively the same as IEEE 802.11g in the 2.4 GHz band.
In both cases you get a 54 Mb/s “modulation rate” with
roughly 30 Mb/s of maximum TCP/IP data throughput. In
both cases you can often “bond” two adjacent channels
to get double the throughput (using vendor-specific,
proprietary methods).
To summarize, WiMAX is rare or non-existent in the
notebook computer space, IEEE 802.11a networks have
much less interference than IEEE 802.11b/g but not all
notebooks support IEEE 802.11a, and IEEE 802.11n is still
a draft standard.
It is common to see a campus network covered with
a Wi-Fi network utilizing a centralized wireless LAN
(WLAN) switch system. APs in a WLAN switch system
are referred to as “lightweight.” This is because some or
all of the management and control functionality that
is associated with a Wi-Fi AP is removed from the radio
unit and relocated in a central hardware device to which
the APs are attached. The advantage of the WLAN switch
system is that the central controller is aware of the overall
configuration of the system and the location of the users.
Power levels, channel configuration, and load balancing
between APs is controlled by the central switch.
There are some similarities between WLAN switch systems
and mesh router systems. In both cases, the radios are
aware of each other’s presence and power levels, channels,
and load balancing is available. The difference lies in the
awareness of individual client devices. Mesh routers are
essentially aware only of each other, not as much of the
behavior of the client devices.
A mesh router is responsible for determining a best
path back through the mesh architecture to get to a
point of Ethernet egress. The paths are through wireless
links and most mesh routers are not connected to an
Ethernet network; they talk to each other to get back to
the point where an Ethernet (and, hence, the Internet or
the corporate server) is accessible. In the WLAN switch
system all the APs are already connected to an Ethernet/IP
infrastructure. They receive wireless traffic from wireless
clients and send that traffic back to the WLAN switch. It’s
the WLAN switch that becomes the actual point of origin
for the traffic back onto the wired network for delivery to
the ultimate wired destination.
Mesh routers are intended for deployment when
wiring is not an option (e.g., between light poles) WLAN
switch systems are connected to an existing Ethernet
network—then the system self-organizes to create a
homogenous Wi-Fi network. It is centrally managed
and controlled and provides a level of security and
functionality that goes far beyond simply deploying a
large number of standard (“fat”) APs.
It is generally recognized that any enterprise-class Wi-
Fi network with more than a handful of APs is best served
by a WLAN switch system. Hospitals, hotels, warehouses
and other large-scale deployments are all based on one
or another vendor’s WLAN switch system. If you are
considering a Wi-Fi system for more than 5575 m2
(60,000
ft2
) you will want to strongly consider the advantages of a
WLAN switch system.
All the WLAN switch systems have options for
combined IEEE 802.11b/g and IEEE 802.11a integration in
a single, homogenous network. Most vendors have IEEE
802.11n on their near-term roadmap. WiMAX and 3G
cellular are completely different technologies relative to
WLAN switches and they aren’t part of the WLAN switch
landscape.
The key integration challenges in a campus network
relate to subnet roaming. When a user connects to the
network in Building #1 and then walks across to Building
#2 they are physically in a location served by a different
IP subnet. The APs in Building #2 are connected to a
different side of a router than those in Building #1.
Something has to be implemented to allow the client’s IP
address to work properly in both buildings.
There are two basic approaches to solving this
problem—virtual LAN (VLAN) tunneling and mobile
IP. While different vendors have different specific ways
of implementing subnet roaming the basics of the two
methods can be described in general terms.
VLAN tunneling involves configuring a virtual
connection between the AP and the WLAN switch
through the use of packet-level “tags” on the data
packets related to theAP. The tags define a virtual
“tunnel” that conceptually acts like a separate network
within the network. In this case, the VLAN existing as a
completely separate network, is
a single IP subnet that extends through the switches
and routers in the network, transcending the actual IP
routed infrastructure of the actual physical network.
The user obtains an IP address that’s consistent with
the VLAN and the VLAN extends throughout the entire
corporate campus.
Mobile IP is a technology that is defined by various
Internet request for comments (RFCs) and has been a
standard in the wired world for many years. A router that
33. BICSINEWS | September/October 2007 | 33
supports mobile IP has special software running in it that
listens for an attempt on the part of a mobile client device
to contact the “home” router (the router in the other
building.) The mobile IP software (called foreign agent
software) pretends to be the router in the “other” building
and the client believes it’s still on the original subnet. The
foreign agent software then sends the data packet back to
the original, home router where the data is placed on the
home network for delivery to the final destination.
In one case, the routers must support VLAN
tunneling—in the other case,
the routers must support mobile
IP. Some WLAN switch vendors
offer clever, vendor-proprietary
solutions to pass traffic back from
remote APs to the WLAN switch
with a minimum of router and
switch reconfiguration.
What should be evident
in this discussion is that there
are complexities in the campus
environment that are minimized
in the metro-area environment.
By the same token, there are
challenges in the metro-area
mobile environment that are not
present on the campus.
The In-Building User
Corporate enterprises have
users that meet in conference
rooms, roam to different parts of
the building or different building
floors, and generally demand
high-speed data transfer over
the wireless network They’re
comparing the 1 Mb/s to 30 Mb/s
Wi-Fi data throughput rates to
the 100 Mb/s wired Ethernet
data rates. (Remember that data
throughput for IEEE 802.11b/g
and 802.11a is generally half the
“modulation rate” of 11 Mb/s or
54 Mb/s or less.)
Nurses and doctors in a
hospital using computer on
wheels patient monitoring
and management mobile carts
have very low data throughput
requirements. They are looking
up patient medical information
and uploading blood pressure,
temperature, and other data-
related information to a server.
While medical data rate requirements are typically low,
there is often the requirement for wireless VoIP in the
hospital. This demands slightly higher data rates but,
more importantly, it requires absolutely high-quality
connections with a minimum of “jitter” (variance in the
rate of delivery of data packets). Even a small amount
of environmental noise or interference can dramatically
introduce jitter to a wireless network which, while it won’t
negatively impact data transfer, will wreak havoc on a
VoIP system.
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34. 34 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org
A computer-on-wheels medical cart used in hospital
environments
In the hospitality sector, hotel guests are typically
provided with minimum bit-rate service at the edges of
coverage areas. One strong challenge in hospitality relates
to capacity planning. Today’s guest may be satisfied with a
1 Mb/s connection (512 kb/s throughput) to check email
and lookup an address on an Internet map. In the near
future, , that same guest will expect VoIP roaming for their
cellular handset, iPhone, or other wireless PDA. They will
expect support for streaming video so they can watch
their favorite movie. The hospitality sector is probably
trailing when it comes to the future evolution of wireless
networking. They have created networks that offer a
minimal level of service and they are entering an era when
users will demand high levels of service and capacity.
We could detail warehouse and manufacturing
networks, wireless video security systems, multi-tenant
dwellings, school classroom buildings and more. At the
end of the day, the bottom line always comes back to the
bandwidth, jitter and coverage quality requirements of the
end-user community.
Developing an In-Building System Design
You will be able to obtain specific engineering
requirements from manufacturers of wireless VoIP
equipment, wireless video cameras, or simply
requirements regarding data throughput and the number
of simultaneous users that will be active on the wireless
network. From this you develop your set of performance
metrics. Some representative of the kind of metrics you
might develop include general office workers that load
and save documents, spreadsheets, and other files that
do not use wireless VoIP. The wireless network is used in
addition to a wired Ethernet to every desktop.
In this case you can assume a 10:1 oversubscription rate
(meaning that only 1 in every 10 users will be active at
any given moment). If each user is given 2 Mb/s of data
throughput that implies that they’ll need at least 5.5
Mb/s IEEE 802.11b modulation (or 6 Mb/s IEEE 802.1g).
This implies that RF power levels of at least -80 dBm to
-85 dBm will probably be required (depending on which
vendor’s equipment is selected for the project.) A single
AP can support roughly 20 simultaneous low-bit-rate users
so, with the oversubscription rate, up to 200 users could
be served with oneAP. In reality, one AP may provide
coverage out to roughly a 24 m (80 ft) radius (at 5.5 Mb/
s) indoors. A 24 m (80 ft) radius is roughly a 1860 m2
(20,000 ft2
) area. This would give a 200 user community a
3 m x 3 m (10 ft X 10 ft) workspace for each person. This
scenario is realistic.
If these same general office workers are going to use
wireless VoIP then signal coverage must be provided
at roughly -65 dBm to -70 dBm for most vendor’s
VoIP handsets. The coverage radius probably drops to
something approaching 15 m (50 ft), which shrinks the
coverage zone to roughly 740 m2
(8000 ft2
). The result is
that four times more APs will be required to support VoIP
compared to support for data only. Moreover, a single AP
may only support between four and ten simultaneous
VoIP calls (with some vendors making more generous
claims). In this case, it may be the user density, rather
than the RF signal strength, that becomes the limiting
factor. If users occupy 9.3 m2
(100 ft2
)each (e.g., cubicles,
offices, and hallway circulation space), and if you are
using an AP that supports ten VoIP calls, then you’ll need
an access point for every 93 m2
(1000 ft2
).
Assume the network requires support for streaming
video. This may be from security cameras, users accessing
YouTube.com or other on-line video sites, or because the
corporate training department makes instructional videos
available on the company’s intranet. A video stream may
require a 1 Mb/s throughput. It turns out that the signal
power levels required for wireless VoIP are greater than
those required for streaming video so the VoIP design
becomes the controlling factor.
Wireless VoIP requires high power levels (-65
dBm) to overcome noise and interference that would
cause jitter and degrade call quality. Recall that jitter
is the characteristic when data packets carrying voice
conversations arrive at differing times and with
different delays between them. VoIP is not particularly
data intensive. Wireless, non-real-time video typically
tolerates jitter because the video stream is buffered on
the receiving end to smooth out variances in receive
times. At -65 dBm (for the VoIP) a device will be
operating at 54 Mb/s modulation for IEEE 802.11g or
802.11a. This provides up to 30 Mb/s of throughput in
the air. Hence, the 10 users connected to the AP share 30
Mb/s and, even if they transfer data simultaneously, they
each have 3 Mb/s of actual TCP/IP throughput.
There are some specific variables that relate to each
other. In any design and implementation you develop
specifications based on user community requirements,
manufacturer’s equipment specifications, and the
results of an on-site RF survey or virtual RF survey
using 3-dimensional RF CAD modeling and simulation
software. The RF survey tells you how and where the
signal will penetrate through the building, and what the
signal power levels will be in each area. The vendor’s
specifications tell you how the equipment will perform
in the presence of each level of RF power. The user
requirements tell you how much equipment will be
necessary, and what wireless standards should be used, to
provide sufficient bandwidth capacity, jitter limitations,
