Req: Network cabling Advice

Thanks to all those who replied to my earlier post regarding contractors.

A couple suggested I should try it myself, since the office is modern and
quite simple to route cables I will consider it at the same time as getting
a few quotes.

I am familiar with Networking but not cabling wall plates/patch panels so do
any of you have any pointers to sites with information about how to plan
such a network?

Also any recommendations of suppliers will be appreciated

Thanks

Ben

"Ben" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1mjPb.7968$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks to all those who replied to my earlier post regarding contractors.
>
> A couple suggested I should try it myself, since the office is modern and
> quite simple to route cables I will consider it at the same time as
getting
> a few quotes.
>
> I am familiar with Networking but not cabling wall plates/patch panels so
do
> any of you have any pointers to sites with information about how to plan
> such a network?
>
> Also any recommendations of suppliers will be appreciated
>
> Thanks
>
> Ben
>

Modern building your lucky - the electrician I worked with for a month
running cables opened my eyes onto how much work these guys do. Up and down
ladders, lifting roof tiles drilling holes cabling tying some people still
do an honest days work out there. I had the opportunity to work with him for
a longer period but it bored the hell out of me and tales he told of finding
cockroaches and shit when lifting tiles put me off.

Your in the lucky of position of having a budget to spend to get some other
mug to do it. If your the DIY type then go for it.

> Your in the lucky of position of having a budget to spend to get some
other
> mug to do it. If your the DIY type then go for it.
>

It's more about learning imo.

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Your in the lucky of position of having a budget to spend to get some
> other
> > mug to do it. If your the DIY type then go for it.
>
> It's more about learning imo.
>

Yeah its a dirty job but someones got to do it - we all gotta earn money
somehow it just wouldn`t be my choice not when you can sit on your arse all
day for money.

"Ben" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Thanks to all those who replied to my earlier post regarding contractors.

>A couple suggested I should try it myself, since the office is modern and
>quite simple to route cables I will consider it at the same time as getting
>a few quotes.

>I am familiar with Networking but not cabling wall plates/patch panels so do
>any of you have any pointers to sites with information about how to plan
>such a network?

First step is to sketch out the office plan. Work out where all the
network points need to go. The material costs are only a small
proportion of the overall cost - most of it is labour, lost time etc
so in the long term if you skimp now it'll cost you more later when
you ever need to move or add cable runs, fix faults etc. It's better
in the long term to "flood" wire; fit sockets on opposite sides of
every office, not just where people sit now, and make them all double
sockets. Wherever you think you need a double already fit two doubles
instead!

Determine where the patch panel(s) and network equipment will be
located. If you need to install a network cabinet look to fit one
approximately twice as big as the equipment and panels you're fitting;
you'll need some room in which to work and potentially accommodate
additional equipment later. Somewhere roughly central to all the
installations is ideal but physical constraints, availability of
power, cooling, accessability, existing use of offices etc often end
up dictating the location.

Work out which is the longest cable run (normally the further corner
of the furthest floor), walk the route and get a rough measure of the
length of the cable required to run between the cabinet and the
furthest network point. Take a good look in ceiling voids, wall
panels, ducts etc to work out how you're going to run the cables.

If your longest run exceeds 100m you'll need to either move your
network cabinet or opt for dispersed smaller cabinets with hubs to
bridge the distance.

As a rule of thumb you can multiply your longest run by the total
number of points (remember to multiply by two if you're installed
double sockets!) to work out roughly how much cable you need to buy.
If you think your environment is particularly electrically "noisy"
price for shielded cable, although you'll probably be fine without in
an office building.

It's really just common sense and good honest graft! ;-)

--
>iv< Paul >iv<

[ Mail: (E-Mail Removed) ]
[ WWW: http://www.hopwood.org.uk/ ]

On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 00:10:10 -0000, "Nick Le Lievre"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> tales he told of finding
>cockroaches and shit when lifting tiles put me off.

They're very nutritious, actually. I understand frying them is best.
;-)

--
Walt Davidson Email: g3nyy @despammed.com

[Apologies, rather longer than expected post approaching]

Ben wrote:

> I am familiar with Networking but not cabling wall plates/patch panels so do
> any of you have any pointers to sites with information about how to plan
> such a network?

Having recently moved offices and re-cabled virtually everything, I have
the following tips to offer you.

1. You never have enough sockets.

Regardless of how many sockets you think you need, double up everything.
If you have a large room only used for storage, stick a double socket
in there too, as sooner or later someone will try and make it their office.

2. Make sure you have the right tools.

Don't attempt to wire patch panels and wall sockets with a couple of
small screwdrivers, because A) you'll break them, B) they won't be
reliable if you don't break them, and C) it will take you ten times as
long. Get a proper punchdown tool, and practice for a while before
starting the main job. I find that the molex tool (rswww.com, p/n
197-952) is OK, but the automatic wire cutter will break down after a
while. I tend to leave it turned off, and trim the wires by hand
afterwards, because there's always one wire that will bend around a
connector rather than go straight down into it.

I suspect you will need:
Punchdown tool (the molex tool referred to above does KATT, Krone and
110 style cabling, all of which are fairly common)
Flat screwdriver, approx 5mm blade
#2 philips screwdriver
Wire stripper. In find the most useful type is the rotary style thing
I bought from CPC (.co.uk) for about three quid. p/n TL0197766. Cheap,
plastic, but very effective.
Wire cutters (I have a few, ranging from small dainty ones to dirty
great heavyweight cutters that will happily remove fingers ;-)
Supply of small cable ties

Also: Hammer drill, 6mm masonry drill bit, rawlplugs, cable clips,
hammer, step ladder.

You may also require s length of steel wiremans tape (also known as a
spider) for pulling cable through ducting, depending on where you are
working.

3. Use the right cable, and secure it.

It's very difficult to put stranded copper cable into the back side of a
wall-mounted RJ45 plate. Use solid core CAT5,5e, or 6 for premises
wiring, and keep that wiring out of sight of users, who will otherwise
trample on it. Doubling up each and every line will also provide
insurance against a duff wire being laid.

Also, if you put in enough extra cabling, you can shove additional phone
signals, ISDN, and who knows what else down those spare cables. Just be
sure to label everything in a consistent manner.

If you are going to allow users to plug network connected objects in,
lay down a few simple ground rules. I use different colour patch cables
for different things. The users are allowed to play with green ones,
because they are used for user PC's. Blue ones are used for user's hubs
(so they know that by unplugging it, they may be inconveniencing their
neighbours). Red and yellow cables are MINE. Do not mess with red or
yellow cables or the network admin will get mad at you. The white or
grey cabling is the solid-core premises wiring, and I've made sure that
they can't even see that, so they can't mess with it.
I also use black cables for 'insecure' cabling (I.e. unfiltered internet
traffic, and so forth)



> Also any recommendations of suppliers will be appreciated

I get bulk cable, ready-made patch cables, single gang plastic wall
boxes, and RJ45 face plates from Bluepoint/Redstore
I get double gang wall boxes from the hardware store down the road, as
Bluepoint/Redstore don't seem to do them.
The rest of the assorted stuff and tools I get from CPC, Farnell, RS,
and other major electronics wholesalers. CPC are by far the cheapest in
most cases. (and I can spend hours drooling over their catalogue
sometimes..;-)

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Paul Hopwood
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Determine where the patch panel(s) and network equipment will be
>located. If you need to install a network cabinet look to fit one
>approximately twice as big as the equipment and panels you're fitting;
>you'll need some room in which to work and potentially accommodate
>additional equipment later.

And grab plenty of free access space around the cabinets. Office
planners might want to pack them into the most cramped space available
on the theory that "nobody ever goes into them". Where I used to work we
suffered from cabinets with the side and back doors only 6 inches from
the walls.

--
Mike Clarke

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Mike Clarke
<(E-Mail Removed)> scribes
>In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Paul Hopwood
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Determine where the patch panel(s) and network equipment will be
>>located. If you need to install a network cabinet look to fit one
>>approximately twice as big as the equipment and panels you're fitting;
>>you'll need some room in which to work and potentially accommodate
>>additional equipment later.
>
>And grab plenty of free access space around the cabinets. Office
>planners might want to pack them into the most cramped space available
>on the theory that "nobody ever goes into them". Where I used to work
>we suffered from cabinets with the side and back doors only 6 inches
>from the walls.
>
And if there is a lot of cable then do make sure the cab is 800mm wide.
--
Snowy