What You'll Learn From A CAT 5 Wiring Diagram
What You'll Learn from a CAT 5 Wiring Diagram
Setting up a CAT 5 network operations center starts with one simple drawing: the CAT 5 wiring diagram. Together with a set of detailed instructions, these will help you put together a network that you can depend on.
If you want to make sure that the job of setting up your CAT 5 network is done just once, you must plan it well. This means you must start with the CAT 5 wiring diagram. What follows is the information that will be pictured on your diagram--and the details of how to set up your operations center.
Before you begin, remember the old carpenter's adage: Measure it twice and cut it once." This applies just as much to cables as it does to wood and benches. Unless you have a good reason to go a different path, make sure your diagram uses a hub-and-spoke configuration for the network (This is also called a star configuration). This will put a central router at each of the network's nodes. The router will have a cable running to each connected machine. This is the classic layout and has been used for more than two decades. It's popular, quite frankly, because commodity routers are inexpensive. It also has the advantage that, as long as the router is running, if a single machine goes down, it won't affect the others using the same switch. And finally, this layout is easier to troubleshoot. If you see a problem and everybody is off the network, then you know the problem is in the router.
When you run your cable plant out, keep in mind the different kinds of cables and their various transmission lengths. You should never run a cable at full transmission length. Rather, 90 to 95 percent is a safe place to begin. This will give you room for being selective in placing your computers within the room.
When running your cable out, keep in mind that, despite appearances, cable is fragile. You should never put more than ten kilograms of stress on it. Also, don't bend the cable to a curve that is tighter than four times its diameter. If you exceed this, you could cause the insulators within the cable to break in places where you can't see them. This will make troubleshooting the break quite a pain.
When you terminate cables, you should not strip more than 25 mm of the cable housing from the cable end. Then, make sure that your terminating connectors are constructed solidly and that they have not been damaged. A cable pro will use a crimper to terminate the cable after running it out.
When you tie down cables, do it loosely, and never put your ties at regular intervals. Instead, leave some slack. use broad supports if you're suspending cables. If you use narrow hooks, the weight on them could crush the cable in time. Also, never assume that your ceiling tiles will hold up well enough to support cables; this is often not true. Remember, too, to route your cables far away from light fixtures and other items which use electricity along the cable's length. This will cut down on excessive interference.
After you have your cable installed, there might still be some maintenance issues to address, but if you've done everything right, these should be few and far between. Therefore, after the job is done you need to document it. This means it's time to create one more CAT5 wiring diagram, using your floor plan. Draw on the plan where all of your cable runs are, using colored pens. Note on there as well the location of coax cables and rj45 connectors. ID anything that you might possibly need to locate in the future. Make a couple of copies of this diagram, storing one in a safe spot. Now, any time you pull new cable, update the diagram. This will make future work a whole lot easier.
