Data Cabling Tips & Tricks for Your Facility

Data cabling for modern facilities differs from place to place simply because every building is different. Although there are standards for building codes, the structure and design of every site are unique, which requires a custom approach to data cabling.  Today’s blog outlines some data cabling tips and tricks for your commercial building that our employees use every time we’re on a project.

Planning Is Important

Dwight D. Eisenhower said when discussing preparing for battle, “I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”  Planning is also vital when you need data cabling for your facility. You can’t just buy cables and then start putting them in your ceiling. You need expert advice on what infrastructure you need in place now to future-proof your telecommunications requirements as new and faster data transmission protocols come online in the next 10 to 20 years.

Invest in the Future

The phrase “You get what you pay for” comes to mind when you think about data cabling. Your company can’t expect to compete when your telecommunications infrastructure is outdated and can’t expand readily. Investing now can put the conduits and cabling in place, which makes expansion cheaper in the future. If you wait, installation can get more expensive as labor costs rise.

Measure Everything

Your team must measure everything before making any firm decisions and a single length of cable is crimped, spliced, or cut. Distances aren’t just from point A to point B. You also don’t know what might be lurking in your ceiling or walls as you try to navigate sending and receiving lengths of cable. You’ll also need slack in each cable to ensure nothing breaks off or snaps. And avoid sharp bends. Cables lose their effectiveness when they bend at sharp angles.

Terminate Correctly

Here’s why slack is essential: It lets you terminate correctly. There aren’t sharp bends in the cables that create a J or an L shape, which weakens your connection. Terminate properly to ensure every cable connects securely to the equipment, whether you have a bundle of 20 cables going to a server or a single server terminating at a desktop computer.

Label & Secure

Cables must be adequately labeled along a run. Does a particular length come from your server room or the factory floor? How about cables to and from nodes within your facility? Labeling is vital for future expansion or when you need to switch out equipment. Securing your cables keeps them safe, whether you use Velcro, racks, runs, or plastic ties. Velcro has an advantage over plastic ties in that you don’t have to cut Velcro, which makes your cabling arrangement safer. Without sharps around your cables, you mitigate the risks of accidentally cutting into a line.

Hire a Professional Data Cabling Company

The best way to manage your company’s data cabling needs is to hire a professional company.  CKC Data Solutions has nearly three decades of combined experience in the telecommunications industry, bringing our design certifications to every project. Our team will appraise your current situation to help bring your existing telecommunications infrastructure up to modern standards. Contact us or call (417) 812-5251 for more information.