The guide to structured cabling is a comprehensive manual that provides an overview of the principles, practices, and techniques involved in designing, installing, and maintaining a cabling infrastructure. It covers a range of topics such as cable types, connectors, installation methods, and testing procedures. It serves as a valuable resource for network professionals and IT managers looking to implement a robust and efficient cabling system in their organization. Read now!

1. A Guide to Structured Cabling
Technology and telecommunication are essential to almost every business, regardless of their
size or industry. An essential component of a company's network is its cabling infrastructure,
which binds everything together & dictates the speed at which it runs.
Often, network administrators hear that their network is down because of cables, with studies
suggesting that up to 70 percent of network issues are a result of low-quality cabling systems.
When the cabling infrastructure is inadequate, performance is lower, maintenance is
increased, the network is unreliable, and productivity is low. And considering cable systems
have an average lifespan of only 10 years, it's essential to deploy cable systems accurately
and with reliable networking equipment at the beginning.
The solution? Installing a Structured Networking Cabling System will help you to stay
ahead of all the technological developments, so that you have the right infrastructure in place
to support new and latest technologies as they emerge.
What is a Structured Cabling System?
Rather than a jumble of tangled wires (which is all too common!)A Structured Cabling
System is organised and neat and follows the regulations and standards for commercial
cabling, ensuring greater safety, security, efficiency, and future-proofing. As the name
suggests, this 'structured' approach to cabling offers a single-mixed media network system
that controls all data traffic such as voice, data, and video.

2. Structured cabling can be broken down into a few components, the most basic being cables,
switches, patch panels and trunk cables which can all then be grouped into a sub-system.
There are six subsystems that make up a complete structured cabling network:
Entrance Facilities: An entrance facility, in a structured cabling system, is the physical point
where the premise's wiring begins and the telephone company or internet provider's wiring
ends. In other words, this is the point at which the facility or premise company is now
responsible for the cabling.
Equipment Room: Equipment rooms are any rooms on the premises that house any
equipment or consolidation points for the system. This will be where you usually find
switches and routers for structured cabling.
Telecommunications Room: A telecommunications room houses the termination points for
your system's backbone cabling and horizontal cabling, including fiber jumpers or patch
cords.
Backbone Cabling: Backbone cabling is made up of the actual cables that run throughout the
system. It can either be cabling between horizontal cross-connects and intermediate
cross-connects or the cabling between the intermediate cross-connect and the main
cross-connect.
Horizontal Cabling: Horizontal cabling in a structured cabling system connects the
telecommunications room to outlets or the work areas on the premises. It is usually the
cabling and data drops that run to the computers in the office.
Work Area: The work area is where an end-user's equipment is. This will then hook up
equipment such as computers, hosted phones, or any Wi-Fi enabled devices that plug into a
wall outlet are in the work area.
Why Is a Structured Cabling System Important?
A well-designed & perfectly installed structure cabling system technology provides such a
cabling infrastructure that delivers magnificent performance and gives you the extra
flexibility to accommodate moves, additions, & changes; maximises your system availability;
and future proofs the usability of the cabling system.
Cost Effective
Having a fully engineered and properly installed structured cabling system technology is one
of the most cost-effective and timely decisions you can make for your business.

3. It'll make routine moves, adds & changes faster, much more efficient and has tangible &
intangible advantages.
The enhancement in productivity, faster rollout of strategic company applications and more
efficient troubleshooting features and capabilities will help any business to be more
successful.
Adaptability and Growth
Structured cabling systems technology is built with adaptability and extreme growth in mind.
Generally, these kinds of systems can support very high and accurate bandwidth. Being able
to continuously upgrade your telecommunication system needs without an overhaul of your
current cabling technology saves your company so much time & money. Additionally, when
your business outgrows your current building, transferring your cabling system technology
and reinstalling your network infrastructure is much more approachable than relocating a
complex, old cabling system.
Less Downtime
Unorganized cabling systems make it hard to identify & resolve errors. Also, disorderly
cabling systems are most likely to cause confusion & mistakes in the initial setup process.
When a situation occurs, & your telephone lines go down, troubleshooting your proper
hardware takes more of your time if the staff needs to sort through a jumble of networking
cables. Your voice & data center product systems are more effective and reliable when the
infrastructure accommodates faster and effortless repairs.
Well Organized
Structured cabling systems are extremely organized, effortless to use, and are the most
effective methods to be implemented in your workspace. A structured cabling system is
simple to manage and maintain and is also an initial one-time investment that profits your
company for years to come.
Supports Multiple Systems and Applications
Fiber-structured cabling works in conjunction with other systems and applications to make an
ideal business environment. Many businesses today have their operations centered in several
locations, and holding business meetings in such types of settings is a bit complicated.
The complexity brought about by different locations can be easily simplified by adopting a
structured cabling system in your business. This system gives you the VoIP software, which
can be used to hold business meetings remotely.

4. Apart from the famous VoIP software, structured cabling systems support security camera
systems. With the surveillance cabling system in place, you'll be in a position to monitor the
variety of activities of your company from any location.
An Investment for the Future
While common cabling systems are mostly directed to current business operations,
fiber-structured cabling systems have an eye on the future. This trait makes the
fiber-structured cabling system one of a kind. Also, the system has a high bandwidth which
makes this system more convenient for supporting the growth of your company.
Retaining old clients and then continuously acquiring new ones is a great concern for every
organization. Investing in a structured cabling system for data & voice gives room for instant
& continued communication with all consumers. With the prospect of winning new clients
and customers in place, a structured cabling system is indeed a project for the future.
What Are the Regulations and Standards for Structured Cabling?
Over the years, cabling has undergone a lot of changes. It was common for cabling systems to
be proprietary, vendor-specific, and less flexible until the early 1990s, but as cabling
installations have evolved, proprietary systems have given way to flexible, open solutions
that can be used by a variety of vendors and applications. A standard-based, structured
cabling system has led to this change. As a result of the cooperation between many
telecommunications vendors and international standards organizations, this acceptance is not
only driven by customers but also by international standards organizations.
ISO (International Standardization Organization): This is the main international
telecommunications systems standards organization.
IEC (International Electro technical Commission): This is an organization that certifies
component parts for electrical performance. Along with the ISO, the IEC developed the
ISO/IEC 11801 (Generic cabling for customer premises) standard.
CENELEC (European Committee for Electro technical Standardization): CENELEC
developed the ENS0173 standard used throughout parts of Europe - they basically
regionalized the ISO/IEC 11801 standard.
AS/NZS (Australian/New Zealand Standard): AS/NZS developed a similar standard, called
the AZ/NZS 3080.

5. CSA (Canadian Standards Association): CSA developed the CSA T529, a similar standard to
the ISO/IEC 11801, used throughout Canada.
ANSI/TIA-568.D Cabling Standard
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) is an organization that has other organizations
and standards bodies reporting to and through it,
including TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) and EIA (Electronic Industries
Association).
The TIA and ANSI have joined forces to develop communications standards for commercial
premises, including the ANSI/TIA-568.D, (Commercial Building Telecommunications
Cabling Standard). Originally published as ANSI/TIA-568 in July of 1991, ANSI/TIA-568A
in October of 1995 then 568B and in recent times updated to the ANSI/TIA-568C and now
ANSI/TIA-568D set of standards. Its purpose is to enable the planning and installation of a
structured cabling system for commercial buildings, specifying a generic telecommunications
cabling system that will support a multi-product, multivendor environment. In other words, to
provide a common baseline for the design and installation of telecommunications cables and
connecting hardware in commercial buildings.
ISO/IEC 11801 Ed. 2 Standard
The ISO/IEC 11801 is called the Generic Cabling for Customer Premises Standard. Its
purpose is to provide a world standard for the design, installation, and administration of
commercial building telecommunications systems. All other standards that follow have
adapted the ISO/IEC-11801 to their particular regions.
Why Is Certification and Obtaining a 25yr Warranty Important?
Reliable network infrastructure is directly responsible for productivity, service efficiency, and
expanded services in modern corporations. Every network's copper and fiber
telecommunications wiring is a critical component that should not be left untested.
Certification is the most thorough testing for network cabling, ensuring that a cabling system
meets rigorous performance and installation standards. By certifying the cable network,
failures can be reduced. Some benefits include:
● Keeps out substandard materials and workmanship
● Cable certification is less expensive than repair
● Cable certification and recertification future-proof the infrastructure
● Uncertified cabling = stranded capital
● Reducing waste is good policy

6. A certified cable is far more valuable than an uncertified cable. We always want to get the
most value out of our investments. Looking at copper and fiber cabling plants, one of the best
ways to gain more value is to ensure it comes with a long-term replacement warranty directly
from the cable manufacturer. Obtaining a full manufacturer's warranty can only be
accomplished through cable certification testing. Without proving passing certification test
results, your cabling will not be fully covered by most manufacturer warranties.
Acquiring a fully certified manufacturer's warranty should be thought of as an insurance
policy against future outages caused by any physical-cabling defect. Once a cable plant is put
into production, even a short outage lasting a few minutes can significantly impact an
organization from an operational and profitability point of view. Depending on the type and
duration of the outage, it can cost a company hundreds to thousands of dollars in lost revenue.
The piece of mind to be running fully warrantied copper and fiber optic cables is an added
layer of protection against outages that may crop up due to poorly made or installed cabling.
Certifying and fully warranting copper and fiber is not only beneficial to the end customer –
it's beneficial to the cable installation contractor as well. The contractor is no longer obligated
to back the quality of the cabling themselves. Instead, having a manufacturer-backed
warranty removes any risk the installing contractor may have in terms of physical defects to
the cabling that may be discovered down the road. Thus, if any faults in the cabling were to
be identified in the future, it is replaced at the manufacturer's expense. In the end, both the
end customer and the structured cabling contractor benefit. That's why proper certification
testing to achieve a full warranty is so important.
DINTEK's 25 Year Warranty
DINTEK's 25-year warranty will provide the recipient with the security and assurance of
knowing that their installed DINTEK cabling system will provide the performance and
stability they need to meet their long-term networking needs. The program offers a 25-year
standards-based, system performance, and application assurance warranty, that applies to all
certified and registered DINTEK cable links in an installation project.
The program warrants that these links will meet minimum performance requirements as
specified in the relevant ANSI/TIA or ISO Commercial Building Telecommunications
Cabling Standards.
Source:https://www.dintek.com.tw/index.php/Articles/A-complete-guide-to-structured-cabling.html