Cabling a corporate office.

[moreeagles]

I've been tasked with cabling a 8000sq/ft office space for my company. There will be 60 total cat6 drops that will all terminate in a server room into punch panels. I've done installs like this before, just smaller in scale. I'm comfortable pulling cable through walls, punching down and the like.

*However* I'm wondering if anyone has any pointers on how to go about this as I am unfamiliar with a job of this scale.

Are there any considerations with cable routing in crawlspace or drop ceilings? All of my cable runs, save for the termination point to the server room, are in crawlspace or above drop ceilings.
The cable I've ordered is plenum rated, so I'm assuming using J hooks and velcro straps like I have in the past is the way to go?

I'm curious to know if anyone has had similar experiences =]

 

[stevech]

Of course. This is common.
You should get a consultant as you probably don't know what you don't know - on topics such as plenum fire codes vs. wiring, managed switches, intrusion detection, data transport security, and so on.

 

[tvyankee]

Hello.

I think if you are doing ip phones along
with this install you should do phones one color and computers another. Color coding is a good way for quick service as far as knowing quickly knowing what you are looking at.

I understand you said you were going g to use punch downs one the ra k side put if you are using solid core cable then make sure you use punch downs on both sides. Solid core cables really doesn't like to be crimped. It can be but never really last very long or doesn't rate well. Solid core for punch down stranded for patch.

Good luck on your job.

 

[sinshiva]

fun thread. EZ-RJ45 makes interesting connectors. probably pricey, though. supposed to be good for both solid and stranded

 

[Terry Kennedy]

I think if you are doing ip phones along
with this install you should do phones one color and computers another. Color coding is a good way for quick service as far as knowing quickly knowing what you are looking at.

There are two separate things at work here:

• Color-coding receptacles so end users know which jack to use.
• Labeling all cables with unique numbers so you can easily determine which cable is which at the far end

I understand you said you were going g to use punch downs one the ra k side put if you are using solid core cable then make sure you use punch downs on both sides. Solid core cables really doesn't like to be crimped. It can be but never really last very long or doesn't rate well. Solid core for punch down stranded for patch.

It is possible to crimp solid, or even shielded solid, cable but you need special tooling and plugs. In general, you don't want plugs on your infrastructure runs because eventually someone will damage the plug (usually by snapping off the retention tab) and you will need to replace it. Rack-mount patch panels at the server room end, and receptacles at the user end(s). Make sure they're rated for the type of cable you're using.

It would be a very good idea to either rent an Ethernet cable analyzer (look under "test equipment rental") or hire someone to come in and certify the runs for you. In either case, you'll end up with reports showing the performance of each run, which you should save in case you ever need to troubleshoot an issue. Note that I said "analyzer" - a device that generates graphs and detailed reports, not one of the less-expensive gizmos that gives you a simple "good/bad" indication.

 

[moreeagles]

Thank's for the replys guys.

Re: Punchdowns
Yes, I'm going to be punching everything down on both ends, and I'm using proper punchdowns on my keystones, not the "easy" ones (i've had bad luck with them in the past). All of my patch cables are being purchased pre-made, I never make patch cables unless absolutely I have to.

I'm working with our general contractor to make sure it's all up to code, and I don't have any runs that are in plenum spaces, but many runs are going inbetween the two floors, so that's something to consider.

I've had a hard time finding a place that will rent me a cable tester for less than a 1 month period. I'm in southern california, so there are plenty of rental places nearby, but they all seem to want around $500/month (I'm open to ideas here).
Also I've found this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J157WQ/?tag=snbforums-20 which seems promising, and in-budget, but I have no idea if it's actually worth purchasing.

I'll be posting progress pics as soon as I'm making any progress. This should be a pretty fun experience.