Structured Cabling System
A structured cabling system is a complete system of cabling and associated hardware, which provides a comprehensive telecommunications infrastructure that consists of a number of standardized smaller elements (hence structured) called subsystems.. This infrastructure serves a wide range of uses, from telephone service to data transmission via internet.
A well-planned structured cabling system facilitates the continuous flow of information, enables the sharing of resources, promotes smooth operations, accommodates ever-changing technology, offers plenty of room for growth, and evolves with your organization. Plus, it will be around far longer than your current PC, server, and network switches.
Structured cabling falls into six subsystems
- Entrance facilities is the point where the telephone company network ends and connects with the on-site wiring at the building premises.
- Equipment rooms house equipment and wiring consolidation points that serve the users inside the building.
- Backbone cabling connects between the equipment/telecommunications rooms, so named because the rooms are typically on different floors.
- Horizontal cabling wiring can be IW (inside wiring) or plenum cabling and connects telecommunications rooms to individual outlets or work areas on the floor, usually through the wire ways, conduits or ceiling spaces of each floor.
- Telecommunications rooms or telecommunications enclosure connects between the backbone cabling and horizontal cabling.
- Work-area components connect end-user equipment to outlets of the horizontal cabling system.
Structured cabling design and installation is governed by a set of standards that specify wiring data centers, offices, and apartment buildings for data or voice communications using various kinds of cable, most commonly category 5e (CAT5e), category 6 (CAT6), and fiber optic cabling and modular connectors. These standards define how to lay the cabling in various topologies in order to meet the needs of the customer, typically using a central patch panel (which is normally 19 inch rack-mounted), from where each modular connection can be used as needed. Each outlet is then patched into a network switch (normally also rack-mounted) for network use or into an IP or PBX (private branch exchange) telephone system patch panel.
Structured Cabling Overview
Structured Cabling Building View
Structured Cabling Device network