| Setting up the wiring of your network operations | | | | Doing so can break the insulators inside the cable |
| centre (or the rest of your facility) for network | | | | where you can't see them, and troubleshooting |
| access requires a fair bit of work. If you want to | | | | that is a pure pain. |
| make sure the work is done only once, it also | | | | When terminating cables don't strip more than |
| requires some planning. There are entire courses | | | | 25mm of housing from the end of the cable. |
| on how to set up a properly configured network; | | | | Make sure your terminating connectors are solidly |
| this article is not a substitute for one, but should | | | | constructed and haven't been damaged. (Cable |
| give you the bare bones basics. | | | | pros tend to have a crimper on their belt and |
| First, the old adage of carpenters of "measure | | | | terminate after running them out. When tying |
| twice and cut once" applies to cables, and to | | | | down cables, do so loosely and don't put the ties |
| configuring your network. Unless you have an | | | | at regular intervals - leave some slack. If you're |
| excellent reason to do so otherwise, you'll want a | | | | suspending cables, use broad supports rather than |
| hub-and-spoke (or star) configuration for your | | | | narrow hooks; the weight of the cable on a |
| network. This puts a central router at each | | | | narrow hook can be sufficient to crush it over |
| network node that has cables running to each | | | | time. Don't assume that ceiling tiles can support |
| machine. This is the standard and has been for | | | | cables, and route them as far away as possible |
| going on 20 years, since commodity routers | | | | from light fixtures or other items that use |
| became cheap. Its advantages are that so long as | | | | electricity along the length of the cable; this cuts |
| the router is up, one machine going down or losing | | | | down on interference. (The European standard |
| connections does not impact the others on the | | | | cabling run has fewer issues with this, because |
| same switch; it's also much easier to troubleshoot | | | | the cable is shielded from stray electromagnetic |
| - if everyone is off the net, it's the router. | | | | phenomena). |
| When running your physical cable plant out, | | | | Once the cable's installed, it's not entirely |
| remember the differences in types of cables, and | | | | maintenance free, but it's close, so the first thing |
| their transmission lengths. Never run a cable to its | | | | you do once it's done is document it. Take a floor |
| full transmission length; 90 to 95% is a good safe | | | | plan and draw out with coloured pens where all |
| point to start; this leaves you with room to be | | | | the cable runs are, and ID them. Make two copies |
| selective in placing the computers in the room. | | | | and store one in a safe place. Whenever you pull |
| When running cable out, remember that cable is | | | | new cable (and you will) update the document to |
| (despite all appearances) fragile. Don't put more | | | | preserve the sanity of whomever has to deal |
| than 10 kg of pull stress on it, avoid bending the | | | | with it again. What makes sense to you now and |
| cable to a curve tighter than 4x it's diameter (so | | | | is blindingly obvious now will look like a plate of |
| for a 7.5 mm diameter cable, no curve should be | | | | coloured spaghetti in four months. |
| tighter than 30 cm, and absolutely avoid kinking it, | | | | When in doubt, replace rather than patch or |
| crushing it, stepping on it, rolling a chair over it, or | | | | mend. Cable is cheap and the time you think |
| rolling a cart over it, or otherwise flattening it out. | | | | you're saving is usually illusory. |