Structured cabling is a system that requires a high-quality network. Every organization, such as schools, store locations, and so on use it. To set these systems up correctly, they require these key components of structured cabling.
Entrance Facilities
This is the location where the cabling connects from the outside of the building to the inside. Most of these cables come from underground since it’s often a longer cable. In addition to cables, this is also where to use connecting hardware and any protective devices.
Equipment Rooms
Just as it sounds, this is where all of the equipment resides. It’s a centralized location for everything to connect. This room has a lot of different connectors, hardware, servers, and so on. In other words, if you’re not working in IT, you probably shouldn’t be in this room.
Backbone Cabling
Also known as “vertical cabling,” this is where the entire building essentially connects, as experts will wire it floor to floor. All the cables, jumpers, patches, and so on are here, which is what makes this one of the key components of structured cabling.
Horizontal Cabling
These are most commonly run through ceilings, conduits, and even under the floors. Most commonly, professionals put these in straight paths or at least try to, as it will reduce the barriers of connectivity. An important note about structured cabling is that the distances between devices in the work area cannot exceed 90 meters (or about 295 feet). As such, many prefer to work with shorter lengths of cables, such as a 100-foot Ethernet cable, for example.
Work Area
Lastly, of course, is the work area. This is probably where everyone else is working, so the work area typically includes phones, computers, laptops, and other common office devices. Think of this as the office space, such as cubicles and offices.
While many people aren’t even aware that their building has these, their work wouldn’t be possible without them. Structured cabling exists in every industry, and without it, most organizations probably wouldn’t even exist.
