Structured Cabling for Your Office

 

The Best Structured Cabling for Your Office

If a modern office wants to maximize its productivity and efficiency then it needs modern cabling solutions. The common name for these modern groups of IT cabling London is structured cabling. And it’s something that your business needs to embrace. Naturally, you may be hesitant to take on a complete rewire of your office. But the benefits are so irresistible that it’s difficult to resist.

What is Structured Cabling?

The sheer number of devices that a modern office uses is remarkable. But it’s also crucial. After all, these devices help offices to enhance productivity by making complicated tasks easier. The majority of these devices rely on networks to run and this is where structured cabling comes in. Using twisted-pair Ethernet cables, structured cabling allows you to build an environment of connectivity where different devices can all be connected e.g. a PC network to a phone network.

Structured Cabling Standards

When it comes to data cabling there are a number of standards it must conform to which include:

How structured cabling enters premises and the manner in which it is terminated The details of any entrance facilities that the IT cabling Canary Wharf will pass through

Testing expectations and labeling methods for the cabling

Dimensions and build details of the communications room that the cables will enter

These standards, and many more, can be found within the BS 6701 guidelines which are part of the BS 7671 Wiring regulations.

Structured Cabling Categories

A number of different cabling categories are available that should be able to satisfy the needs of any office.

Cat 5 Cabling:

Available since 1995, Cat 5 cabling allows networks to deliver 10/100 MBps Ethernet capabilities up to distances of 100 metres. A number of improvements have been made to this category since 1995 with the latest specification being Cat 5e. This newest version of Cat 5e boasts less noise and crosstalk to deliver better data transmission.

Cat 6 Cabling:

Launched in 2002, Cat 6 cabling features copper wires which are wound more tightly than Cat 5 cabling. This has allowed it to deliver better performance with Gigabit Ethernet transmissions at distances of 100 metres and is perfect for offices. It’s also important to point out that Cat 6 cabling is fully compatible with Cat 5 cabling.

 Cat 7 Cabling:

Boasting a much thicker shielding than Cat 5 and 6 cablings, Cat 7 cabling is able to preserve data stability much better than its predecessors. Data transmissions of up to 40Gb can be achieved at 50 metres or even 100Gb at 15 metres. This is fantastic for smaller organizations, but a downside is that Cat 7 cabling is not compatible with Cat 5 or 6.

The Benefits of Good Office Cabling

Structured cabling has been developed to meet certain standards which bring a number of bene ts to its users. Therefore, if you go with a structured cabling system you can expect:

Simplicity: Structured cabling helps you build a uniform system containing either a combination of Cat 5 and 6 cables or one that contains only Cat 5, 6, or 7 cablings. This strategy allows you to minimize any complexities and makes identifying any network issues much easier. This reduces downtime and helps your office to remain productive.

Adaptability: The beauty of structured cabling is that it’s highly flexible. The high bandwidth associated with structured cabling helps you to easily integrate future applications as and when necessary. Installation of new hardware is equally easy to achieve thanks to the uniform cabling in place. Accordingly, your office can grow effortlessly and become a stronger unit with ease.

Cost-Effective: The initial install of structured cabling may seem expensive, but the long-term bene ts make it highly cost effective. Not only are IT costs lowered due to the simplicity it brings, but structured cabling also makes your employees more productive. This powerful combination will make significant savings over time and eventually pay for itself.

It is essential that you don’t underestimate the importance of cabling as part of your office setup. Proper cabling will help to ensure that you get the best from all your other equipment. For further information, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Original Source: Structured Cabling for Your Office

8 FAQ about Cat7 Ethernet Cable

 

What is Cat7 Ethernet Cable?

The Category 7 cable, which is often also called Cat7 Ethernet cable, is an advanced data cabling London solution. Cat7 has the ability of a range of transmission requirements such as Gigabit, 10 Gigabit, 40 GB, and 100 GB Ethernet setups. A Cat 7 cable offers performance up to 600MHz. Cat7a our performance up to 1000Mhz

However, in many situations, it is still an unknown cable category in telecom networks. Tests have shown that it can transmit 40 Gb at 50 meters and also 100 Gb at 15 meters 

What is the Cat7 Cable Specification? 

Cat7 Ethernet cable is specified in the ISO / IEC standards as a "Class F " cable. This follows on from the previous Classes such as Cat5e - Class D, Cat6 - Class E, Cat6a - ClassEa. The specifications are to cover generic data cabling situations for a wide range of applications. Therefore, whatever the technology employed, they will all perform the same over a set standard of data cabling Watford class rating

What is the Cat7 Cable Speed? 

The Cat 7 was designed to support 10 Gbps Ethernet. However, certain tests have shown it to be much higher. Furthermore, showing capability for 40 Gbps and even 100 Gbps. The 100 GB capability has been tested to 15 meters – however, an exact setup of synchronized hardware will be required. It must be kept in mind however that these are lab tests and not standards set by the cabling standard authorities.

When comparing to previous categories, it is 6 times higher than Cat5e cabling (100 MHz), and 2.4 times higher than Cat6 (250 MHz). However, it is only a slight increase up from Cat6a which has a bandwidth of 500Mhz. Although, when considering Cat7a, the performance jump from Cat6a to Cat7a is double. Thus, 500Mhz to 1000Mhz

What is the Cat7 Max Length

Cat7 standards are standardised at a permanent link of 90 meters, the same as all previous categories. There is an allowance of 5 m patch leads at each end. A direct link of 100 m is also applicable. The Cat7 max length should be considered and adhered to in all designs. Outside of these distances, the performance of the cable will be unknown

What is the Cat7 Connector?

A Cat7 connector looks in many ways similar to those of the previous data cabling categories. The RJ45 plug connector is still present. However, there are additional connection points within the termination connector. These new connectors are commonly known as TERA or GG45 connectors. These changes are replicated whether they are within a termination jack/modules, a termination plug, or a Cat7 patch cable. Also, the hardware used for transmitting and receiving must be capable of operating over these additional termination points. Therefore, a Cat7 cabling system is a large undertaking and consideration 

Is Cat7 Backwards Compatible?

Cat7 connectors are very similar in look and nature to those of the previous data cabling categories. The connector has an RJ45 central connector as the previous cabling systems also do. However, there are 4 additional connectors within the connector to increase the transmission capabilities. These connectors are commonly known as TERA or GG45 connectors.

Due to the central RJ45 connector, Cat7 cabling will plug into the previous Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a systems. The reverse is also true. However, a cabling system is only as fast as its weakest part, Therefore, when combining systems, the overall performance will only be as good as the lowest category of cabling within that link. For example, plugging a Cat7 patch leads into a cat5e system doesn't change the performance from a Cat5e system. By contrasts, plugging a cat5e patch lead into a Cat7 system reduces its cabling standards to a Cat5e cabling link 

Cat7 vs Cat6 and Cat7 vs Cat6a

How do we compare Cat7 vs Cat6? We have already seen that Cat7 has an increased bandwidth of 600Mhz and Cat7a, an increased bandwidth of 1000Mhz. Cat6 and Cat6a had previously been capable of 250Mhz and 500Mhz.

The construction of the Cat7 cable is also further advanced. It has greater shielding to protect better against EMI and alien crosstalk. Both of which hinder higher speed transmissions. Cat7 has individual shielding for the inner pair twists as well as an overall shielding for the entire cable. This is the core standard in Cat7 cables. However, it is also seen in some options for Cat6a cables, although not as the common standard.

Cat7 vs Cat8 - What is the difference between Cat7 and Cat8 

The first main difference between Cat7 vs Cat8 is the bandwidth. Cat7 Ethernet cable is rated at 600Mhz, Cat7 cable at 1000Mhz, and cat8 at 2000Mhz

Cat8 is a standard that differed from previous cabling categories. In previous categories, the standard of 90 meters was used to judge the performance of the cable. Also, what transmission speeds it was capable of over that link length. However, with Cat8 its ability over 90 m isn't of any difference to Cat6a and Cat7 in that it still only achieves 10 Gigabits at that distance.

Cat8 cable has a maximum Permanent Link Length of 24 meters and a max Channel length of 30 m when supporting 25Gbps and 40Gbps speeds. It is the first cable to be ratified at these distances. Therefore, the main difference in Cat7 vs Cat8 is the ability of Cat8 to be rated for 25 Gigabit and 40 Gigabit

Original Source: 8 FAQ about Cat7 Ethernet Cable