Structured Cabling: A Quick Rundown
Structured Cabling: What is it? Structured cabling is all the communication wires that run throughout a building. Different systems can use these wires within the building. For example, a fire alarm system and all its related wiring may be a subsystem of the structured cabling of a building. Another subsystem could be the Networking cables that connect all the computers together to provide the internet. In each building, including homes, many systems that work together to provide you with the comforts of modern living. They operate quietly and, in the background, but are integral to our daily lives. In this article we are going to go over the different types of cables used in Structured cabling, the electrical codes involved, and some best practices used if you decide to tackle this on your own. Different types of cable: Phone cable (RJ-11): As a structured cabling installer, you will often run into this RJ11 wire when installing newer cabling. This type of cable is used for the old phone systems. However, this cable is usually avoided in newer installations because it simply doesn’t allow enough bandwidth for modern installations. It also isn’t compatible with modern Ethernet switches. Ethernet (Cat-5, CAT-5E, CAT-6): Ethernet cable is the king of all structured cabling wire types and standards. Almost all switches use these types of cables in modern data centers. There are three different types of cable, CAT5, CAT5E, and CAT6. One of the biggest differences you will notice is the amount of bandwidth each …