Artisan Communications - Network Cabling Specialists

A properly designed and implemented cabling system is the backbone for all business communications necessary for companies to operate and thrive.

Technical FAQs

What is Structured cabling system?
What are the benefits of structured cabling?
What is Category 1 Cable?
What is Category 2 Cable?
What is Category 3 Cable?
What is Category 4 Cable?
What is Category 5 Cable?
What is Category 5e Cable?
What is Category 6 Cable?
What is Category 7 Cable?
What is the TIA/EIA-568-A standard?
What is Fiber Optics Cable?
What are the benefits of Fiber Optics Cable?
What is Multi-Mode Fiber Cables?
What is Single-Mode Fiber?
What is Coaxial Cables?
What is Thicknet?
What is Thinnet?
What is RG-6/U?
What is RG-59/U?
What is RG-58/U?
What is CATV cables?
Types Fiber Optics Connectors?
What is a Plenum ceiling?
What is a patch panel?
What is a Demarc?
What is an MDF and an IDF?
What is RJ-45 connector?
What are some of the commonly used modular jacks?
What is a riser or backbone cable?

What is Structured cabling system?

Structured cabling system or structured wiring refers to all of the cabling and components installed in a logical and organized way. It's designed to be relatively independent of the type of equipment that uses it. A structured cabling system designed in accordance with international standards will ensure predictable performance across a broad range of connected equipment.

The term ‘structured” refers to a permanent, long-term wiring environment versus unstructured, which is free form, unplanned and temporary environment. Properly installed, a structured cabling system will provide expected performance and agility to adjust with the growth of the system. Even though the cabling system itself is a small percentage of the overall network cost, it should not be underrated because if it is improperly installed or designed, it can account of 80% of network downtime and lost productivity, including many other problems such as the unrealized capability of the network.

Structured cabling is defined by industry standards, primarily those created by companies participating in the TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) TR-42 committee in the US:

EIA/TIA 568A Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard
EIA/TIA 569 Telecommunications Wiring Pathways and Spaces
EIA/TIA 570 Light Commercial and Residential Telecommunications Cabling
EIA/TIA 606 Telecommunications Cabling System Administration
EIA/TIA 607 Telecommunications System Grounding and Bonding Requirements
Outside the US, IEC/ISO 11801 is the primary standard and is very similar to TIA standards

All premises cabling must meet local building and electrical codes, primarily defined by The National Electrical Code, written by The National Fiber Prevention Association.

What are the benefits of structured cabling?

Consistency
- A structured cabling system can use the same cabling system for everything. Do you really want to figure out how to install and troubleshoot the phone cabling, then figure out the Ethernet cabling, then figure out the ISDN cabling...? What happens when you revisit this in 6 months to make a change for two-line phones?
Support for multi-vendor equipment
- A standards-based structured cabling system will support your applications and hardware even after you change or mix & match vendors. With the proper structured cabling system you will not have to rework the cabling when you upgrade to another vendor or model.
Simplify Changes

Need to move a computer or TV from one room to another. Add a modem connection to the office. Add a two-line phone, DSL, AND fax to the office. Share files or printers between computers.

Simplify Troubleshooting

Even cables that were installed correctly can fail -- and they do. With a structured wiring system, problems are less likely to down the entire network, easier to isolate, and easier to fix.

Support for future developments

Your structured cabling system will support future applications like multimedia, video conferencing, and who knows what else, with little or no upgrade pain.

What is Category 1 Cable?

a.k.a. voice-grade copper is a grade of UTP cabling defined in the EIA/TIA-568B standard. Category 1 cable was designed for telephone communications.

What is Category 2 Cable?

CAT 2 is a grade of unshielded twisted pair cabling described by the EIA/TIA-568B standard. Category 2 cabling is capable of transmitting data at up to 4 Mbps. It is no longer commonly used.

What is Category 3 Cable?

CAT 3, is an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable designed to reliably carry data up to 10 Mbps, with a possible bandwidth of 16 MHz. It is part of a family of copper cabling standards defined jointly by the Electronic Industries Alliance and the Telecommunications Industry Association. Category 3 was a popular cabling format among computer network administrators in the early 1990s, but fell out of popularity in favor of the very similar, but higher performing, Cat 5 standard. Presently, most new structured cable installations are built with Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable. Cat 3 is currently still in use in two-line telephone systems, although Cat 5 or higher could do the same work while facilitating a transition to VOIP.

What is Category 4 Cable?

Currently unrecognized by TIA/EIA. Provided performance of up to 20 MHz, and was frequently used on 16 Mbps token ring networks.

What is Category 5 Cable?

Cat 5, is a twisted pair cable type designed for high signal integrity. Many such cables are unshielded but some are shielded. Category 5 has been superseded by the Category 5e specification. This type of cable is often used in structured cabling for computer networks. It is most commonly used for 100 Mbps networks, such as 100BASE-TX Ethernet, although IEEE 802.3ab defines standards for 1000BASE-T - Gigabit Ethernet over category 5 cable. Cat 5 cable typically has three twists per inch of each twisted pair of 24 gauge copper wires within the cable.

What is Category 5e Cable?

Cat 5e cable is an enhanced version of Cat 5 that adds specifications for far end crosstalk. It was formally defined in 2001 in the TIA/EIA-568-B standard, which no longer recognizes the original Cat 5 specification. Although 1000BASE-T was designed for use with Cat 5 cable, the tighter specifications associated with Cat 5e cable and connectors make it an excellent choice for use with 1000BASE-T. Despite the stricter performance specifications, Cat 5e cable does not enable longer cable distances for Ethernet networks: cables are still limited to a maximum of 100 m (328 ft) in length (normal practice is to limit fixed ("horizontal") cables to 90 m to allow for up to 5 m of patch cable at each end). Cat 5e cable performance characteristics and test methods are defined in TIA/EIA-568-B.2-2001.

What is Category 6 Cable?

Currently defined in TIA/EIA-568-B. Category 6 is capable of a transmission frequency of 250 MHz and would use UTP or FTP/SFTP cable and R145 connectors. The cable standard is suitable for 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet) and is expected to suit the 10000BASE-T (10Gigabit Ethernet) standards.

What is Category 7 Cable?

An informal name applied to ISO/IEC 11801 Class F cabling. This standard specifies four individually-shielded pairs (STP) inside an overall shield. Designed for transmission at frequencies up to 600 MHz5e. Category 7 will use fully shielded cables (overall shield and individually shielded pairs) and a new connector type (GG-45 or TERA connectors) in order to achieve 600 MHz capabilities. Cat 6 and Cat 7 have tighter twists, which result in greater speeds

What is the TIA/EIA-568-A standard?

THe TIA/EIA-568 standard was developed and has evolved into its current form for several reasons:

To Establish a cabling standard that would support more than a single vendor application.
To provide direction of the design of telecommunications equipment and cabling products that are intended to serve commercial organizations.
To specify a cabling system generic enough to support both voice and data
To establish technical and performance guidelines, and provide guidelines for installation of the planning and installation of structured cabling systems.

The scope of the TIA/EIA-568-A standard specifies cabling that is “office-oriented”. The specifications address the following:

Subsystems of structured cabling
Minimum requirements for telecommunications cabling
Installation methods and practices
Connector and pin assignments
That the useful life of a telecommunications cabling system should exceed ten years
Media types and performance specifications for horizontal and backbone cabling
Connecting hardware performance specifications
Recommended topology and distances
The definitions of cabling elements (horizontal cable, cross-connects, telecommunication outlets, etc.)

The TIA/EIA-568-A standard publishes two wiring patterns for use with UPT jacks and plugs. These wiring schemes indicate the order that the wire pairs should be connected to the pins in modular jacks and plugs and are known as “T568A” and “T568B”.

What is Fiber Optics Cable?

There are two basic types of fiber used today and many different types of Fiber Optic Cable. The two types of fiber are called SingleMode (SM) and MultiMode (MM), and SM fiber is more expensive but more efficient than MM fiber. SingleMode fiber is generally used where the distances to be covered are greater. The industry recommends fiber optic cable be considered for distances greater than 295 feet, when electromagnetic interference is a problem or when transmissions bit rates exceed 350 MHz.

Fiber optics cable is a technology where electrical signals are converted into optical signals, transmitted through a thin glass fiber, and re-converted into electrical signals. It is used as transmission medium for the following Ethernet media systems: FOIRL, 10Base-FL, 10Base-FB, 10Base-FP,100Base-FX, 1000Base-LX, and 1000Base-SX.

Fiber optics cable is constructed of three concentric layers: The "core" is the central region of an optical fiber through which light is transmitted. The "cladding" is the material in the middle layer. It has a lower index of refraction than the core which serves to confine the light to the core. An outer "protective layer", or "buffer", serves to protect the core and cladding from damage.

We recommend a horizontally run, multimode fiber optics cable for indoor LANs. A multimode fiber optics cable has several hundred modes, individual parameters of light called "waveguides". A minimum of six (6) strands per cable is recommended, while twelve (12) strands are optimal. Cable can be PVC or riser type for non-plenum areas. Plenum areas require a plenum rated, Communications Plenum (CMP), type cable. Fiber optic connectors are single terminus (ST) or subscriber connector (SC) type connectors, either epoxy or crimp type. LIU boxes are used to allow a permanent fiber termination point. Fiber optics cable's high capacity supports video, data and interactive services of all kinds. Fiber optics cable technology is the future of computer applications and telecommunications networks.

What are the benefits of Fiber Optics Cable?

Excellent choice for horizontal station runs to central hubs and backbones. Fiber optics cable eliminates distance/distribution problems, which are typical of copper cable systems.
Immune to electromagnetic intrusions, crosstalk, radio frequency interference, impedance mismatches, ground loops and transmission frequency variances.
Fiber optics cable remains quite stable and presents a secure means for priority transmissions, which normally create problems for copper cable.
Fiber optics cable have exceptional ability to accommodate transmission bandwidths, when matched with the proper mode of operation.

What is Multi-Mode Fiber Cables?

Multi-mode fiber allows many "modes", or paths, of light to propagate through the fiber optic cable. The relatively large core of a multi-mode fiber allows good coupling from inexpensive LEDs light sources and the use of inexpensive couplers and connectors. Multi-mode fiber typically has a core diameter of 50 to 100 microns.

Two types of multi-mode fiber exist with a refractive index that may be "graded" or "stepped". With graded index fiber the index of be "graded" or "stepped". With graded index fiber the index of refraction of the core is lower toward the outside of the core and progressively increases toward the center of the core, thereby reducing modal dispersion of the signal. With stepped index fiber the core is of uniform refractive index with a sharp decrease in the index of refraction at the core-cladding interface. Stepped index multi-mode fibers generally have lower bandwidths than graded index multi-mode fibers.

The most popular fiber for networking is the 62.5/125 micron multi-mode fiber. These numbers mean that the core diameter is 62.5 microns and the cladding is 125 microns. Other common sizes are 50/125 and 100/140.

The primary advantage of multi-mode fiber over twisted pair cabling is that it supports longer segment lengths. Multi-mode fiber can support segment lengths as long as 2000 meters for 10 and 100 Mbps Ethernet, and 550 meters for 1 Gbps Ethernet.

What is Single-Mode Fiber?

Single-mode fiber has a core diameter in 10 micron to allow only single mode of light to propagate. This eliminates the main limitation to bandwidth and modal dispersion. However,the small core of a single-mode fiber makes coupling light into the fiber more difficult, and thus expensive lasers must be used as light sources. The main limitation to the bandwidth of a single-mode fiber is material (chromatic) dispersion. Laser sources must also be used to attain high bandwidth, because LEDs emit a large range of frequencies, and thus material dispersion becomes significant.

Single-mode fiber is capable of supporting much longer segment lengths than multi-mode fiber. Segment lengths of 5000 meters and beyond are supported at all Ethernet data rates through 1 Gbps. Single-mode fiber is significantly more expensive to deploy than multi-mode fiber because of the high laser equipment cost.

What is Coaxial Cables?

Coaxial cable is a type of communication cable in which a solid center conductor is surrounded by an insulating dielectric which in turn is surrounded by an outer conductor (usually a braid, foil or both). The entire cable may be rigid or flexible. Rigid types have a solid sheath, while flexible types have a braided sheath, usually of thin copper wire. The solid center conductor, also called the dielectric, has a significant effect on the cable's properties, such as its characteristic impedance and its attenuation. The dielectric may be solid or perforated with air spaces. Connections to the ends of coaxial cables are usually made with RF connectors.

Coaxial cables have a wide bandwidth and are capable of carrying many data, voice, and video conversations simultaneously.

What is Thicknet?

Thicknet is the 50-ohm "thick" (10mm) coaxial cable used with Ethernet 10Base5 networks.10Base5 is the original Ethernet system that supports a 10 Mb/s transmission rate over a 500 meter maximum supported segment length.

Thick Ethernet coaxial cabling includes a "mark" every 2.5 meters to indicate proper placement of the 10Base5 transceivers (or MAUs) used to connect stations to the network. Transceivers may be placed at any multiple of 2.5 meter intervals. This minimizes signal reflections that may degrade the transmission quality of the cable segment. The outer jacket of Thick Ethernet cables is typically a bright color (often yellow) with black bands at 2.5 meter intervals to mark valid transceiver placement points

10Base5 transceivers are attached through a clamp that makes physical and electrical contact with the cable. They are also called "transceiver taps" because they are connected through a process known as "tapping" that drills a hole in the cable to allow electrical contact to be made. The transceivers are called "non-intrusive" taps because the connection can be made on an active network without disrupting traffic flow.

The standard allows a 10Base5 coaxial cable segment to be up to 500 meters in length. Up to 100 transceivers may be connected to a single segment at any multiple of 2.5 meters apart. A 10Base5 segment may consist of a single continuous section of cable, or be assembled from multiple cable sections that are attached end to end. If multiple cable sections are used, it can result in "impedance mismatches" that are caused by slight differences in the impedance of each cable section. When excessive, these mismatches can cause signal reflections that result in bit errors and discarded frames. Segments with multiple sections are often built with cable that comes from a single spool.

What is Thinnet?

Thinnet, also known as Thin Ethernet, is the 50-ohm "thin" (5mm) coaxial cable used with Ethernet 10Base2 networks, supporting a 10 Mb/s transmission rate over a 185 meter maximum supported segment length.

The Thinnet cable for 10Base 2 has the advantages of being cheaper, lighter, more flexible, and easier to install than the Thicknet cable for 10Base5.However the thin cable has the disadvantage that its transmission characteristics are not as good as the thick cable. It supports only a 185 meter maximum segment length (vs. 500 meters for 10Base5) and a maximum of 30 stations per cable segment (vs. 100 for 10Base5).

10Base2 transceivers (MAUs) are connected to the Thinnet cable segment through a "BNC Tee" connector, and not through "tapping" as with 10Base5.As the name implies, the BNC Tee connector is shaped like the letter "T". The horizontal part of the "T" includes female connectors that mate with the male BNC coaxial connectors on each end of the attaching cable sections. The vertical part of the "T" includes a male BNC connector that either computer station, or to an external thin Ethernet transceiver that is then attached to the NIC through a standard AUI cable. If stations are removed from the network, the "T" connector is removed and replaced with a "BNC Barrel" connector that provides a straight through connection.

Each end of a 10Base2 coaxial segment must be terminated with a BNC 50-ohm terminator. For safety reasons, a ground wire should connect the segment to earth ground at one point, typically at the terminator on the end of the segment.

What is RG-6/U?

RG-6/U is a common type of coaxial cable used in a wide variety of residential and commercial applications. The term "RG-6" itself is quite generic and refers to a wide variety of cable designs, which differ from one another in shielding characteristics, center conductor composition, and dielectric type. RG-6 was originally a military spec where RG means Radio Guide, but is now obsolete; in practice, the term "RG-6" is generally used to refer to coaxial cables with an 18 AWG center conductor and 75 ohm characteristic impedance.

The most commonly-recognized variety of RG-6 is CATV distribution coax, used to route cable television signals to and within homes, and RG-6 type cables have become the standard for CATV, mostly replacing the smaller RG-59, in recent years. CATV distribution coax typically has a copper-coated steel center conductor and a combination aluminum foil/aluminum braid shield, typically with low coverage (about 60%). RG-6 type cables are also used in professional video applications, carrying either baseband analog video signals or serial digital interface (SDI) signals; in these applications, the center conductor is ordinarily solid copper, the shielding is much heavier (typically aluminum foil/95% copper braid), and tolerances are more tightly controlled, to improve impedance stability.

RG-6 cables typically are fitted with some type of connector at each end; in CATV distribution applications, these are typically F connector style; in professional baseband video, BNC connectors; and in consumer a/v applications other than RF and CATV, RCA plugs.

What is RG-59/U?

RG-59/U is a specific type of coaxial cable, often used for low-power video and RF signal connections. The cable has a characteristic impedance of 75 ohms.

It can be used at baseband video frequencies or, for short distances, at broadcast frequencies. Its high-frequency losses are too great to allow its use over long distances at broadcast frequencies; in these applications, RG-6 or RG-11 is used instead. In cases where the transmission distance is too great for these mediums, such options as UTP (unshielded twisted pair) or fiber optic can be used.

What is RG-58/U?

RG-58/U is a specific type of coaxial cable often used for Thin Ethernet (10BASE2) and low-power signal connections. The cable has a characteristic impedance of either 50 or 52 ohms.

When used for Ethernet, it provides a maximum segment length of 185 meters. Most radio communication systems, such as marine SSB, marine VHF, amateur, police, fire, WLAN Antennas etc., are designed to work with 50O cable.

RG-58 cable is commonly used as a generic carrier of signals in physical laboratories, since it is commonly combined with BNC connectors that are common on equipment such as oscilloscopes. However, interconnecting equipment with multiple coax cables can lead to ground loops, which can pick-up 50-60 Hz fields from the AC mains.

RG-58 cable can be used for moderately high frequencies. Its signal attenuation depends on the frequency, e.g. from 0.11 dB/m at 50 MHz to 1.4 dB/m at 2 GHz.

What is CATV cables?

CATV cabling is a 75 ohm coaxial cables commonly known for transmission of Cable TV signals, but is also used with Ethernet 10Broad36 networks. CATV stands for "community antenna television".

CATV cabling is used for "broadband" transmission as opposed to the "baseband" transmission used by all other Ethernet physical layers. A broadband cabling system supports transmission of multiple services over a single cable by dividing the bandwidth into separate frequencies, with each frequency assigned to a different service. This technique is used in cable TV transmission systems to transmit multiple channels over a single cable. Each channel uses a different frequency range. This capability can allow 10Broad36 share a single cable with other services such as video.

Types Fiber Optics Connectors?

Fiber optic connectors use bayonet, screw-on, or snap ‘n’ lock methods to attach to the jacks.

What is a Plenum ceiling?

According to the National Electric Code (NEC) a plenum is a "compartment or chamber to which one or more air ducts are connected and forms part of the air distribution system." In other words, the open space between your drop-down ceiling and the hard ceiling of the building. In a plenum ceiling air can circulate through the air ducts in your space and possibly through the whole building.

What is a patch panel?

Patch panels offer the most flexibility in a telecom closet. All incoming wires are terminated to the back of the patch panel on 110-style punchdowns (again watching the 1/2 inch limit of untwisting pairs). Then patch cables are used to interconnect the cables by simply plugging into the proper jacks. A connecting hardware that typically provides means to connect horizontal or backbone cables to an arrangement of fixed connectors that may be accessed using patch cords or equipment cords to form cross-connections or interconnections. Patch panels may connect either copper or optical fiber cables.

Patch panels offer the convenience of allowing technicians to quickly change the path of select signals, without the expense of dedicated switching equipment. This was first used by early telephone companies, where the telephone switchboard (a massive array of patch panels) and a large room full of telephone operators running it was ubiquitous.

What is a Demarc?

Demarc stands for demarcation point. It is the transition point where outdoor cabling interfaces with the indoor cabling.

What is an MDF and an IDF?

MDF stands for Main Distribution Frame and IDF stands for Independent Distribution Frame.The MDF is the main computer room for servers, hubs, routers, DSL's, etc. to reside. The IDF is a remote room or closet connected to the MDF by fiber optic cable. In the IDF you can expect to find hubs and patch panels.

What is RJ-45 connector?

RJ45 connectors are recognized by people in the industry as an eight position eight conductor modular plug. It was originally developed as a wiring scheme for Registered Jack (RJ) per Universal Service Ordering Codes (USOC).

What are some of the commonly used modular jacks?

Below are some commonly used modular jack designations and their configuration:

Designation	Positions	Contacts	Used for	Wiring Pattern
RJ-11	6	2	Single-line telephone	USOC
RJ-14	6	4	Single or dual-line telephone	USOC
RJ-22	4	4	Phone cord handsets	USOC
RJ-25	6	6	Single, dual, or triple-line telephones	USOC
RJ-45	8	8	Data (10Base-T, 100Base-TX, etc.)	T568A or T568B
RJ-48	8	4	1.544 Mbps (T1) connections	System dependent
RJ-61	8	8	Single through quad line telephones	USOC

What is a riser or backbone cable?

The riser is a vertical shaft used to route cable between two floors. Often, this is nothing more complicated than a hole (core) that’s drilled in the floor and allows cables to pass through. A type of cable used in vertical building shafts, such as telecommunications and utility shafts. Riser cable typical has more mechanical strength than general use cable and has an intermediate fire protection rating. Riser cable can be copper or fiber optics based.