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Recommended media for horizontal cabling
UTP: Low cost, 100-Ohm UTP cable supports a range of applications up to 100 MHz, making it a preferred medium for horizontal wiring.
If you plan to install UTP, you must decide which type (or category) of cable you will need.
Although Category 3 or 4 cable is sufficient for most data and voice systems, Category 5 and Enhanced Category 5 (CAT 5e) are highly recommended because they are certified to support application operating up to 100 MHz or higher.
Enhanced Category 5 is an excellent choice for high-speed network. If future upgrades will require faster speeds, then installing Enhanced Category 5 cable now could prevent the need for recabling in the future.
STP: This 150-Ohm twisted-pair wire is usually installed as a hybrid system. Called Type 2A, Hybrid cable consists of one 150-Ohm STP data cable and one 100-Ohm UTP Category 3 voice cable, both in the same sheath.
This type of cable is generally used for Token Ring applications. But thanks to its extended bandwidth, STP can also be used for broadband video applications up to 300 MHz or 155-Mbps ATM.
TIA/EIA TSB-53 defines STP's extended specifications
Fiber optic: Because of its increased bandwidth capabilities and the availability of work area outlet connectibility, fiber optic cable is becoming a popular choice for horizontal connections.
The TIA/EIA-568A standard recognizes two fiber types: 9/125-mm for single-mode applications and 62.5/125-mm for multimode applications.
Optical signal wavelengths of 1,310/1,550-nm for single-mode fiber and 850/1,330-nm for multimode fiber are commonly used to transmit data.
For testing, an 850-nm signal is recommended for multimode; 1300-nm for single-mode
Coaxial cable: As with backbone cable, coaxial is not recommended for horizontal wiring, since the entire system could collapse if one cable is disrupted.
Work area outlet
Work area encompasses all cabling from wall outlets, data voice outlet (DVO), to end-user devices such as terminals, workstations, telephones, etc. It included the wallplate itself, connectors, even the adapters that link cabling to the wall outlet.
Work areas are designed to tolerate frequent moves, but they still need careful management.
As noted, two outlet jacks are recommended for each work area, one for voice and one for data. The TIA/EIA defines two standard pinning specifications (T568-A and T568-B). All pin/pair assignments must conform to one of these specifications.
T568-A is generally used for analog voice applications requiring two lines. T568-B is more commonly used for data applications.
Take care to ensure that all terminating hardware has the same Category and pinning specifications as your cable, because mixing the two standards may result in crossed pairs that can bring down your network.
Also be careful to follow standard procedures when installing work area outlets. For example, because of patch-cord length limits, power cables and outlet locations must be properly separated.
Ensure the proper amount of twists in each cable, observe proper bend-radius limits, be careful not to bundle cables too tightly, etc.
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