The biggest worries for network administrators are downtime and lack of
repeatable, installed performance. Researches have pointed out that more often
than not inferior cabling system is the cause. This is ironical, given the fact
that the structured cabling system investment is about just five percent of the
total network investment and it outlives most of the other networking
components.
Ironical still is the lack of attention for the selection of cables for the
network. The more visible and relatively hi-technology connectivity components
attract most of the mind share. The fact is that cable quality is the bottleneck
in most networks, and given that once installed cables are difficult to replace,
this bottleneck remains for the network’s life. Installing standards-compliant
structured cabling systems can reduce downtime to a large extent. Of course,
what is important here is that networks remain standards-compliant post
installation rather than under test conditions. For example, twisted-pair cable
must provide the user with superior electrical performance both
"on-the-reel" and in use.
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Category 6: As TIA Defines It |
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The TIA-published document contains Category 6 end-to-end cabling specifications, component specifications, field tester requirements and measurement procedures, together with accuracy and reproducibility guidelines that ensure a reliable cabling system.
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The standard satisfies backward compatibility with Categories 5e, 5 and 3 standards |
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Allows products from different vendors to work together |
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Patch cord plug-and-jack interoperability for modular (RJ-45 type) connections |
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Full system specification including testing of components, patch cords, channels and permanent links |
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Twice the bandwidth of Category 5e with positive power sum attenuation to crosstalk ratio (PSACR) up to 200 MHz |
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All specifications for components and cabling are tested to 250 MHz |
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The user (read enterprise) needs to view structured cabling as an investment
protection. The first step in deploying a structured cabling solution is to
establish the aims of network implementation. Besides software and hardware,
understanding the networking trends helps. Local area network (LAN) technology
has been around for over 20 years. The first decade of the LAN technology
development was on a department basis. It consisted primarily of Ethernet and
Token Ring products that delivered about 200–500 kbps per user. The entire
network was capped at 10–16 Mbps. But today, the corporate computing
marketplace has been almost completely converted to the LAN-based model, with
over 80 percent of all PCs attached to corporate LANs. The rate at which these
LANs process critical information has multiplied and new higher-speed LAN
technologies like switching, multiple 100 Mbps Ethernet replacements, and ATMs
have come to the forefront.
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