Here at Project Skills Solutions we offer cable installation services and free network cabling surveys catered for your project needs. But what exactly does this mean and how can it benefit your project? In this week’s blog, we’ll be breaking down what cable installation is and how you can benefit from free network cabling surveys.
What Is Cabling Installation?
Cabling installation is when engineers work in homes or businesses to install and repair telecommunication cables. This includes phone lines, internet cables or cable television.
With the increasing popularisation of network applications in our daily life, the terms ‘ethernet cable’ and ‘network cable’ are becoming more common. But what is the difference? We’ll be explaining the difference so you can have a better understanding.
What Is Network Cabling?
Network cables are used to connect and transfer data and information between computers, routers, switches and storage area networks. These cables are essentially the carrier or media through which data flows.
It is important to note the various communication cables available and the appropriate type to use will depend on the structure and topology of the overall architecture of the system.
What Is An Ethernet Cable?
Ethernet cables are one of the most common forms of network cable used on wired networks. They are used to connect devices within a local area networks, like PCs, routers and switches. Ethernet cables are limited by the distance that they can stretch and still carry proper signals via their durability. These limits are one reason there are different types of Ethernet cables optimised to perform certain tasks.
The difference between ethernet cablings can be hard to identify to a casual observer. Yet, there are a variety of Ethernet cables which can be obtained, including speed variations, crossover cables, Cat 5, Cat 5e, Cat6, etc.
The Types Of Ethernet Cables
Ethernet cables support one or more industry standards including Category 5 and 6. Most technicians refer to these standards as Cat5 and Cat6, respectively so many online shopping carts use the abbreviated language as well.
Cat5 – Category 5 cabling also known as Cat5 is an older type of network cabling. Cat5 cables were made to support theoretical speeds of 10Mbps and 100Mbps. However you may be able to get gigabit speeds on a Cat5 cable if the cable is shorter, however this isn’t always guaranteed.
Cat5e – Category 5 enhanced cabling also known as Cat5e, is an improvement on Cat5 cabling. It was made to support 1000 Mbps ‘gigabit’ speeds, which is means it’s faster than Cat5. Cat5e cabling also cuts down on ‘crosstalk’ which is the interference you can get between wires inside the cable. These improvements are a means to generate faster and reliable speed out of Cat5e cabling.
Cat6 – Category 6 cabling is also an improvement of Cat5e cables. Cat6 cables have stricter specifications when it comes to interference and is capable of 10-gigabit speeds. You’ll probably not require these speeds in your home as the extra interference improvements won’t make a huge difference in regular usage. Which means it is not an urgent requirement to upgrade to Cat6 cabling, however there will be an improvement if you formerly used Cat5 and Cat5e cables.
Free Network Cabling Survey
Our free network cabling survey enables us to understand your requirement and discuss the best possible options, whilst producing an accurate quotation with cost and the time required for your project needs. Get in touch today to have your free network cabling surveyed.
But why is it important to have your network cabling surveyed? Well, there are various reasons such as;
- An avoidance of costly mistakes
- Onsite discussion with engineer’s to cover queries & concerns
- An assessment of findings
- A valuable insight is provided once proposal is received
- Eliminating worthless budgetary quotes as exact requirements are provided
Having a free network cabling survey will also mean you will benefit from;
- Cable routes, timescales & installation methods
- Cable management requirements
- Material list to prepare quotation
- Additional works such as electrical testing, rack & patch panel installation
- Site hazards & risk assessments to prepare method statements for safe working
- Project specific requirements for handover documentation