Can you imagine a world without the Internet? Whether you’re old enough to remember the days before the dot com boom or you were born with a smartphone in your hand, the modern digital world exists due to the connectivity offered by the worldwide web.
And what powers the Internet? Hardware and cables. Specifically, a structured cabling system.
In many ways, it’s the true foundation of our interconnected society. Without it, high-speed applications like video conferencing and data mining might not be possible.
But what is a structured cabling system? And what makes it different from the traditional point-to-point wiring during the early days of the Internet?
What is Structured Cabling?
Structured cabling refers to the complete wiring infrastructure of a building or facility for data and telecommunications use. It’s based on the ANSI/TIA-568 standard, jointly set by the American National Standards Institute and Telecommunications Industry Association.
Most structured cable solutions can be further subdivided into six interconnected subsections, each describing a specific area of a building or campus. Each subsection then defines the data cabling, hardware like routers, and network cabinets that make it up.
The first subsection is the entrance facility, which is officially where a structured cable system for the building starts. This is also the point where the wiring from the service provider and on-premise network meets. As such, hardware here focuses on network demarcation and protection devices.
From the entrance facility, the structure cabling then branches out into the various rooms and buildings within the network. The subsection that handles this is called the backbone cabling. Its main role is to take on the major traffic of the network, which means it’s predominantly composed of cables and wires. In addition, it also has connecting hardware and auxiliary equipment like grounding hardware and fire-stopping systems.
Horizontal cabling is the third subsection and refers to the cabling between rooms, workstations, and the telecommunications room. It got its name because it’s often used to connect endpoints within the same floor; thus, wires tend to run horizontally.
The fourth subsection, the telecommunications room, is the hub where the backbone cabling and horizontal cabling meet. It’s where the building or room’s telecommunications equipment is housed and cable terminations and distribution frames. Larger areas that need more coverage will typically have a bigger telecommunications room.
The equipment room is the main area of the building that houses all the major hardware. It also serves as the consolidation point of all the wiring in the building.
The last subsection is the work area. This is where the horizontal cabling connects with end-user devices, commonly through a LAN cable or via a Wi-Fi router.
At the heart of these subsections is a series of patch panels, switches, and trunks. These three make it easy to organize wires, troubleshoot problems, and make changes to the network wiring without messing with a bundle of cables.
Structured cabling also uses various types of cables for different sections. For example, high-speed fiber optic cables are mostly used to connect networks between two buildings or long distances. On the other hand, Twisted pair cables are predominantly for connecting telephones. Finally, coaxial cables are ideal for data, such as broadband Internet.
As you can see, these six subsections are all dependent on each other. Disruptions on one will likely bring down the whole system. Thus, carefully planning out a structured cabling solution is crucial.
Why is Structured Cabling Important?
Structured cabling systems are crucial for modern businesses that rely on fast networking and telecommunications. Consider that most organizations today rely on different streams like voice, video, and data. Using traditional point-to-point cabling will create a mess of wires that’s difficult to maintain. Structured cabling avoids this problem by organizing everything.
In many ways, structured cabling systems are the backbone of every company’s digital infrastructure. For example, Internet speeds are crucial nowadays to support the huge amount of data companies process. Technologies like fiber optic can increase your bandwidth, but you also need a support system to maximize it. Structured cabling can be that system.
Companies that work with big data will also need structured cabling solutions. It will need to course gigabytes of data per second throughout the organization, which can strain point-to-point systems.
Most organizations now have hundreds of workstations and end-user devices. Managing them all simultaneously is simply impossible with point-to-point cabling alone. But that becomes trivial with structured cabling. Adding additional users or even entire departments is just a matter of installing new hardware and connecting it to the network hub. This ability becomes even more important with the advent of the Internet of Things.
Security is another reason why structured cabling is essential. Your security cameras and sensors need to be online 24/7, which needs robust wiring. The versatility of structured cabling systems also makes it easy to expand your security system as your business grows.
What is the Difference Between Structured Cabling Solutions vs. Conventional Point-to-Point Cabling?
Let’s start with point-to-point cabling. As the name suggests, this is where network components, such as switches and servers, are wired directly to one another. This is the simplest way to create a network, but it’s also the most inefficient.
That’s because as the network grows, so does the complexity. Eventually, cables become a jumbled mess, and it is not easy to trace which wire goes into which hardware.
This also makes expansion next to impossible. Suppose you wanted to connect a new router, for example. In that case, you’ll have to unplug all existing cabling and re-route them to accommodate the additional component. Obviously, this is very inefficient, expensive, and time-consuming.
Structured cabling solutions solve this problem by organizing everything into hierarchies and subsections. Rather than direct connections, different network components are coursed through distribution centers. In addition, structured cabling solutions also incorporate standards, best practices, and management tools to help further streamline network cabling.
Patch panels are what make this possible. They are like connection hubs that act as the gateway between two different areas of a network. It can even interface with an outside network, such as how a LAN network can connect to an Internet service provider.
Therefore, the biggest distinction between structured and point-to-point cabling is organization and modularization. These two give structured cabling much of its flexibility and scalability.
Point-to-point cabling has some limited use, in any case. Mostly it’s for smaller networks that have no plans of expanding. However, structured cabling is the preferred method for most networks that anticipate a growing number of connections.
What are the Advantages of Structured Cabling Systems?
Structured cabling is an advanced cabling approach that simplifies a building’s telecommunications infrastructure. And doing this has major inherent benefits.
One is it gives you cost savings. While upfront expenses on hardware might seem higher, you’ll save more in the long run by reducing the need for constant maintenance. In addition, troubleshooting network problems becomes easier, so you don’t waste as much manpower and resources in solving them.
And because the network is easier to troubleshoot, structured cabling systems are also less prone to downtime. In addition, thanks to the organized nature of this system, it’s easier to locate the right cables or networks, helping to eliminate human error. Having structure also streamlines documentation, making maintenance easier even for new hires.
Structured cable systems are also safer. Traditional point-to-point cabling produces a jumble of wires that can become a hazard. In addition, there’s less risk of accidentally unplugging a wire because everything is securely in place. Furthermore, structured cables help avoid cooling issues when wires are bundled up in one location, as with point-to-point systems.
Another advantage is that structured cabling makes expansion easier and less expensive. It’s trivial to integrate new hardware simply by re-routing a few wires or switches – there’s no need to dismantle everything. This means an organization can rapidly increase data bandwidth, accommodate new network technologies, or even expand into a new building.
Speaking of expansion, structured cabling solutions are also easier to scale and relocate. For example, if you want to move your data center, you’ll get better flexibility in porting your entire infrastructure intact. This also makes expansions cheaper and with less downtime on your operation.
In summary, structured cabling can make your network reliable, cost-effective, and scalable. But, most importantly, it can help future-proof your organization.
Need a Structured Cabling Expert?
Since 1987, Signal Solutions has been San Francisco’s leading data transport solutions provider. Our network cabling contractors have the expertise and experience to install a comprehensive, structured cabling system in your facility.
Want to upgrade your existing cabling system? Contact us today to schedule a consultation.