A lot of cable is normally required to support all the computers, printers, and other network appliances throughout an office building. You can imagine, and have probably witnessed, how fast an unprofessional installation can get sloppy, disorganized, and begin looking like someone just threw it together. I have seen many of these installations not even include labels creating a tremendous headache for anyone tasked to maintain the network. This is where the art of network structured cabling becomes apparent.
Experts like Orion Security Solutions perform professional network structured cabling installations regularly. A quick visual inspection of professional network structured cabling installations shows the value of investing in this service rather than attempting to do it with internal staff. Many of us have been in IT closets and seen network cable hanging randomly throughout the room and across the floor. Many of us have also seen properly installed network structured cabling projects that use cable management, labels, patch panels, and other accessories that neatly organize and centralize the cable to ensure ease of use and maintenance.
A neat network structured cabling project begins at the planning phase. These projects should be conceptually completed before any cable is actually run (installed) to ensure organization and proper attention to detail. Many decisions such as cable color, types of racks and panels, use of cable management accessories, label styles, and layout need to be made prior to beginning the installation. The conceived project plan can then be put on paper and passed along to the installation teams to guarantee consistency throughout the network structured cabling project.
It will usually cost a little more money to hire an expert installation company for the network structured cabling projects, but the system will cost less to maintain and will perform better if properly done. Inadvertently disconnecting network devices as you walk across a maze of wires, disconnecting the wrong device and not being able to identify where it should be connected, and spending endless hours trying to figure out where unidentified cables go are just a few of the problems that can be eliminated with a professional installation. There is a cost to each mistake that adds to the cost of ownership of the system. Eliminating these expenses will provide a nice return on the investment of the initial install. There is no reasonable substitute for a neat and organized network structured cabling installation.
Remember to join us here at The O next Wednesday for more exciting insights.
