Structured network cabling, whether based on Category 5, 5e, 6, or 6 Augmented, consists of three main components within the building the network is installed in. The network nodes are the devices on the far side of the network cabling. Telecommunications closets placed throughout the building are where all of the cables for each floor are terminated. The cable plant is the cables themselves. In order for the cable system to be considered compliant with industry standards, they need to pass certain tests.
Phones and Computers Are Network Nodes
Devices that are connected to the network are called network nodes. A number of years ago, a network node would have been a piece of networking equipment such as a computer, server, or terminal. Then manufacturers began making their printers network compatible, so now we have networked printers that are also nodes on the network. Then came digital phones. Phones were originally analog devices, but they were clunky, and analog phone systems in commercial buildings were difficult to manage. Now, a user\'s phone can be programmed with extension number and other user-specific information and, in most systems, the administrator can pretty much forget it, even if the user changes offices. With the advent of VoIP, this has become even more the case.
Telecommunications Closets
The terminology covering telecommunications closets has changed a bit over the years. There used to be a time when they were all basically just known as telecommunications closets. However, the industry has adopted new names for the different types of closets that a building might have. The cable that connects the building to the outside world is called the entrance facility (EF), now. Small buildings may only need an entrance facility. Since the standards that govern network cabling specify Network Cabling in Kent lengths of no more than ninety metres, most mid-size to large buildings will also have a number of intermediate closets (IC). Telecommunications closets are connected to each other using multi-pair cabling. This may be 25-pair cables or it may be as much as 4800 pair (and more) cables, depending on how many network nodes the intermediate closet will serve.
Data Flows through the Cables
In the structured network cabling industry, cables that run between communications closets are called riser cables, especially when they go between floors. Cables that run from telecommunications closets and network nodes are called horizontal cables These are also known as the permanent link. When taken as a whole, these cables are known as the cable plant. Normally, most designers of network cabling systems will specify cables of different colours for different uses. As an example, all of the computers on the network may be supplied by cables with blue outer jackets, while the phones may have yellow jackets and the printers may use a white jacket.
Commercially, Cable Certification Is Essential
There are two main types of tests that cables are subjected to before the installer signs off on them. In residential applications, since the number of cables installed is so low and the distances are usually shorter, a wiremap, which ensures that each conductor is properly terminated, is fine. However, in a commercial environment, the cable plant needs to be certified. This means that not only is the wiremap correct, but the cables must also pass certain stringent tests for throughput, attenuation, delay and various forms of crosstalk (signal leeching from one conductor/cable pair to another). The allowable values for these measurements will depend on what category the structured network cabling is (5, 5e, etc).
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