Great strides have been made in network cabling and it is important for a person new to the field to know how to get things done in the smart way. Understanding the network cabling architecture in detail including use of right components and cable types to eliminate unwanted costs is essential.  The following brief will give you some idea of how the system of network cabling works.

Identifying the Right Cable Type

There are several types of cables used in network cabling and each of them works in a different manner.  The topology, size and protocol of the network will determine the choice of the cable. A few of the cables used are:

• Shielded/Unshielded Twisted Pair: Areas where this type of cable is used include wireless access points, VOIP phones, network cameras, building maintenance systems, access control etc. These cables offer a high degree of reliability and incidences of network failure are very low.
• Fiber Optic: These cables are equipped with great broadband capacities and are used to transmit huge loads of data at superfast speeds over large distances. Low power consumption is another feature of this cable.
• Coaxial: These cables are normally used by your cable television contractor.

All cables have to be protected from mechanical abuse and corrosion so that they can provide best electrical insulating properties. A heat shrink boot is highly useful in this context as this forms a waterproof seal over the cables.

Understanding the Cabling Components

Several components play an important role in network cabling. Some of the components used are the patch panel, data jack, RJ 45 connector, cable supports, wireless access points, fire stop sleeves, wire managers and cable labels.

Installation of Network Cabling

The network cabling design should be done by qualified personnel. Several factors have to be considered here for an effective network cabling. Some of them are:

• Select the cabling solution: The customer has to select the type of cabling solution he wants to implement and also choose the cabling vendor.
• Decide the location of racks and network equipment: The room which will contain the equipment and the racks is called as the Main Distribution Frame Data Room. It has to be sufficiently large to house all items.
• Decide Cable Trunk Pathways above the Ceilings: Many precautions have to be undertaken here such as steering away from electrical light fixtures, using accessible region of the ceiling and so on.

As most of the new cable installations are of the polymeric type, at some places, the old paper-insulated cable technology has to be connected with new technology.  This is done by the transition joint which is playing an increasingly important role in this context.

Cable Terminations

A cutting and stripping tool should be used for cable terminations as that helps to obtain a smooth cut on the jacket of the cable. The pin-out of the cable has to be checked, the cable has to be uniformly and nicely dressed and the termination chart of the patch panels has to be well laid out.

Testing the Network Cabling

Cabling testing has to be done to ensure that all procedures have been done correctly. Several effective testers are available in the market and they give the test results in the form of cleaned up PDF files.