Telemedicine has become an increasingly popular industry in health care. It allows medical professionals to work with patients via technology. Of course, there’s still a need for brick and mortar health care centers, and all of these need to have up-to-date technology. Here’s four advantages connectivity brings to healthcare.

Team Member Collaboration

This is especially helpful in a hospital where multiple floors need to collaborate. One of the most reliable ways to increase speed and connectivity is to update your Ethernet cables. It’s important to note you’ll need a lot of cables to rewire a hospital or any other health facility for that matter. So, by going with bulk Cat5e cable you will certainly save a lot of money in the long run.

Real-Time Monitoring

With technology always improving, there continues to be a rise in wearables for clients. These products allow health care professionals to monitor factors such as heart rate and blood sugar levels in real-time. So, for the best interest in clients, you should have the best connectivity set up so you can react to any issues promptly.

Health Care Centers

Whether it’s an emergency room, hospital wing, or general doctor’s office, these facilities need a good connectivity strategy. Without it, it makes daily work difficult to navigate because hardware moves slowly or employees have to deal with unorganized data.

Data Organization

Lastly, there are copious amounts of data in health care. This data includes day to day information such as emails. But it’s also private client information that deserves the highest amounts of security. Connectivity can decrease due to old hardware, such as cables or routers, which weakens the security of networks over time. Hence the importance of replacing old cables. The great thing about our cables is that they all come with a lifetime warranty, so if they wear down over time from use, we will replace them!

These are some of the advantages connectivity brings to the healthcare industry. With this information, we encourage you to check your cables, routers, and processes.

Offices need reliable Internet speeds to allow employees to complete their day-to-day work and to help their customers efficiently. Some of the fixes are very easy, while others require more work or the purchase of new materials. Here are five ways to increase office Internet speed.

Run a Speed Test First

Before you begin messing around with any of the hardware, you need to know two things. The first is what your Internet service is supposed to be providing. Then, you need to run a speed test to see what you’re actually getting. This gives you a baseline to measure from once you make changes.

Check Your Router

It may seem a little silly, but the moving your router to a different location may be one of the most effective ways to increase office Internet speed. This is because a number of things affects the router’s connection. Some of these include appliances, walls, doors, and so on. Essentially, you want to place your router in a central location that’s about equidistant from each connection point.

Power Down

So many office spaces are skeptical about shutting down their computers, modems, and routers. However, this just means the devices are working a lot more than they need to, decreasing their lifespan and connection over time. Employees don’t need to power down their devices after every shift, but they could start powering down over the weekend.

Use the Right Cabling

Another important factor is having up to date Ethernet cables. Many office buildings don’t even realize that there are different types of cables or that they can change over time. At the very least, setting up a Cat5e patch cable is recommended. However, depending on the size of your organization and the amount of devices, you may need Cat6 or 6a cables.

Upgrade Your Internet Service

If you’ve checked off all the previous points, then the last step you should consider is upgrading your Internet service. If your company has been growing and you’ve found yourself adding more devices for new hires, you may just be at capacity for your current service. However, keep in mind that if you’ve checked off all these points, you’re still under capacity, and you’re still not getting the speed you’re paying for, then it may be time to call the servicer and see what’s going on.

Overall, it comes down to your servicer first and then your hardware—including the cables. In addition, one of the best things you can do is reduce barriers for the router and keep it in a centralized location. That way, no device is out of the router’s reach.

Most structural cabling is expected to last at least ten years, and in educational facilities, it’s ideal to get the most time out of your installation. This article introduces the importance of cabling systems for educational facilities and some other things to consider.

Why Are Cabling Systems Important for a School?

High Demand

Schools are always full of devices, from students with their phones and tablets to all of the devices in computer labs and classrooms. In addition, there’s a huge increase in cloud-based applications and storage. So, in other words, schools need some of the best technology installed in their facilities. With higher-quality internet throughout educational facilities, it will also encourage engagement throughout classes with real-time quizzes, videos, and PowerPoint presentations.

In addition to student activities, educational facilities need expert cabling for security reasons. This security can be everything from computer monitoring, cameras throughout campus, and server security. A high-quality cabling infrastructure allows departments to catch any issues early and stop problems quickly. Staff members often need a sturdy connection as well, because they’re using web conferencing more and more.

New Technology

It’s expected in schools to have quality and reliable connectivity—especially in higher education. This is one of the important reasons for having cabling systems in educational facilities. This is due to the expectation of career and skill development in schools. And with technology changing the way we work and function, it’s important to be exposed to the latest technology. These constant advances can be challenging to keep up with, but they provide a competitive advantage and an awareness that can’t be beat. It’s critical for schools to update their technology because students are going to be aware of the changes and will expect them.

Special Needs

Technology has proven many ways that it assists the development of students with disabilities. For example, technology allows students to become more independent. In addition, it offers the opportunity for students to write using their voices, since some individuals can’t hold a pencil or a pen. Put simply, technology gives students the opportunity to grow as individuals.

So, how does all of this relate to cabling? Firstly, the latest technology, more often than not, is not optimized for older ethernet cables, routers, and modems. For example, if you’re running Cat5 or lower, you’re probably going to have some noticeable connectivity issues. Secondly, it’s important to have a reliable connection because it gives the impression that the organization cares about its infrastructure.

Hardware

Most Common Cabling for Educational Facilities

In most scenarios, a school is likely to have hardware that supports at least Cat5e cables. This is because they’re essentially universal in the industry, but it’s also because they’re the most cost-effective. So, it’s best to have hardware that can support Cat6 or Cat6a cables at least—it will provide a noticeable increase in reliability. While these cables are copper-based, with a generic coating holding them together, some facilities are aiming for higher quality. For example, they may opt for a fiber optic cable. These provide the best connections that are available today, but they come with an upfront cost as well.

Routers and Modems Matter

Educational facilities should have high-quality modems, routers, and bridges to ensure the best connection possible. While this article is mainly focused on quality cables, it’d be foolish to talk about cables without mentioning routers and modems. This is important, considering your connection starts with your internet provider, but then the connection immediately goes to the router and modem to connect to the internet. With all of these moving parts and updates, it’s helpful to ensure that someone’s in charge of having a regular schedule to maintain these systems. This position will not only clean and update the hardware as needed, but it will also include running software updates and anti-virus protection on computers. If there’s not someone on site that’s able to do this, you should hire a certified contractor to come out and update anything that needs it.

Plenum vs. Non-Plenum

In relation to the cables, a common debate is if educational facilities should be using plenum or non-plenum cables. Plenum refers to both the jacket around the cable and where cables are running throughout the building. The term “plenum” is from the HVAC industry, deriving from the term “plenum spaces.” These spaces are most commonly between the ceiling and a drop ceiling, though it also refers to the space between the floor space. In simple terms, it’s the space where air moves throughout, which is where heating and cooling comes into play. These spaces allow fire and smoke to move rapidly, which reduces the smoke’s toxicity, since the jacket around plenum cables is fire resistant.

So, here’s where the debate comes in. Some argue that it has to be in every educational facility for the kids and staff safety in the event of an emergency. Others argue that it’s unnecessary because it’s a more expensive cabling option. So, most will meet in the middle and go with a Cat5e plenum, because it’s a plenum cable but it’s still the more affordable cable option.

How Cabling Helps Education

Communication

A reliable internet connection through quality cabling improves communication throughout your educational facility—even communication from offsite locations. For example, if a student is emailing an instructor from their personal device at home, the instructor’s computer is still at the school. That means the connection needs to reach that server before the instructor gets the email notification. It also makes internal communication that much more reliable.

Teaching

Instructors need a consistent and reliable internet connection to teach effectively in the classroom. Arguably the most teaching tool is the PowerPoint presentation, and without a solid connection, the presentation would run slowly.

Higher Education

An effective cabling infrastructure supports professors working on their research. The professors may be studying and researching the systems themselves, or it will assist their research by being reliable. Lastly, online courses have become increasingly popular throughout colleges and universities. With these courses being operated from the school’s servers and infrastructure, there’s no question that it needs to be reliable.

Cabling has tremendous benefits for educational facilities—if it’s done right. But if it’s done wrong, it can give the impression that the school doesn’t care or is “being cheap.” Some of the benefits include reliability, improved communication, increased inclusion for students with disabilities, and improved connectivity for online courses.

It’s important to note that the biggest difference between outdoor and indoor cables is the jacket. This article will specifically discuss outdoor vs. indoor Cat6 network cables and their uses.

Indoor

Cat6 cables are most commonly used because of their increased connectivity, as they’re the next generation from Cat5e cables. While residential settings may use these, it’s much more common to use these cables in industrial or commercial facilities. This is because businesses often need the best quality connection possible to serve their customers efficiently. Another thing to note about indoor cables is that since they’re designed for indoor use, they’re also typically designed for shorter connections. Though others will say differently, indoor cables should never be used for outdoor installation, and this includes burying them.

Outdoor

To reiterate, the main difference between indoor and outdoor cables is the outer jacket. The jacket on outdoor graded cables are specifically designed to handle the weather and temperature changes. For example, an outdoor Cat6 cable can be buried and will last for many years, and it can handle the temperature changes underground. If you do not plan on burying the cables, that’s okay too, because they can also withstand UV rays. Some have mistakenly made the argument that you could use indoor cables and put an exterior paint over them, however, that will not work, and it certainly won’t last. In general, outdoor cables should always be used if the cable will be near any outdoor elements such as humidity, moisture, UV rays, and changing temperatures.

In other words, the question of outdoor vs. indoor Cat6 network cables answers itself. The indoor cables are typically used for shorter distances and in office buildings or factories. Outdoor cables, on the other hand, are designed for outdoor use. These have a stronger jacket that can hold up against the environment and it’s elements, which is a huge benefit when burying cables.