A wires a wire a wire… Right?

Ethernet Cable Connected To A Compartment Port 2881232

When it comes to any job you want the best man for the job! When the job is ensuring that your organization can properly and quickly connect to the outside world the wrong choice can cost you thousands in time, money and reputation. The land of low voltage is constantly shifting and is a mess of cat5, fiber, telephone and security wires. Low Voltage installations follow a structured system that includes 6 subsystems: Horizontal Cabling, Backbone Cabling, Entrance Facility Structured Cabling, Consolidation Point Structured Cabling, Telecommunications room, Telecommunications enclosure.

Horizontal Cabling – Includes the bulk of telecommunication wires and is responsible for connecting the telecommunications closet to the telecommunications work area. The Horizontal cabling will also contain cable terminations and telecoms outlets.

Backbone Cabling – As the name suggests this system is the backbone of the entire system as it is responsible for connecting telecom rooms, equipment rooms, and entrance facilities to each other.

Entrance Facility Structured Cabling – Connects a building to an outside data/telecommunications service provider. The expertise of a specialized low voltage contractor comes into play here as the required components for this system differ based on the location of the building.

Telecommunications Room – This is where the backbone and horizontal cable terminate and cross connect.

Work Area Components. – This connects all of your organization’s devices to the telecommunications connector. Some components include the outlet, patch cables, PC adapters, fiber and other cables.

Consolidation Point Structured Cabling – This is normally required for larger networks and it is responsible for housing routers, servers and mechanical termination components. In smaller systems the mechanical termination components are housed by the telecommunication room or entrance facility.

After a brief dive into the subsystems of a low voltage installation we see “a wire is a wire is a wire” does not hold up when the wires are running every which way. To read more about the intricacies of low voltage installations check out The Ultimate Guide to Structured Cabling Installation. The next time you need to connect your business to the internet, increase your telecommunication systems or boost your security contact TPC for a qualified specialty low voltage contractor and a free consultation.