The IT industry is rife with “buzzwords”, and one of the latest and greatest is network lifecycle management.   Although it may appear that IT managers simply want an excuse to draw still more flow charts and network diagrams, this buzzword actually makes a great deal of sense in many ways.

What is Network Lifecycle Management?  It is a new concept that simply means that a company’s network needs tender love and care from the planning phase all the way through the EOL phase when a new network is installed.   And careful lifecycle management means that the length of time before that happens will be extended.

A network lifecycle begins with the conceptual stage.  Careful planning as to the customer’s current as well as future needs must be taken into consideration, and scalability must be built in from the start.  An assessment of existing infrastructure and needed upgrades is performed at this time.

Installation is the next phase of the lifecycle – and this is followed by a thorough validation of the install to make sure no present or future “gotchas” exist.  Any latent point of failure is identified and rectified to make sure the network is robust.

During the operational phase of the network lifecycle, it makes sense to remotely monitor the network for any signs of new problems through services like Cisco’s Smart set of services or Broadsoft’s PacketSmart technology.   Proactive network management is far superior to trying to figure out what went wrong after the fact, with irate employees with no Internet, email or phone service asking what is going on.

Any issues discovered during the monitoring phase should be dealt with immediately, so that small problems never escalate into large ones.

If designed properly in the conceptual phase, a network should scale and grow to meet the needs of employees over time by simply adding new wiring and equipment.  Equipment upgrades can be performed remotely (in the case of SW upgrades), or by swapping out pieces of equipment for newer models without replacing the entire network.

When the time finally comes and an entirely new network is required to keep pace with technology – proper lifecycle management will make this task painless too!

To make sure your network is managed properly in every phase of its useful life, why not call structured wiring experts?  They will create a comprehensive plan for your network that will allow you to gain maximum value from it for the longest time frame possible, making it a cost effective and logical choice.   They will carefully assess your unique needs, as the right installer should understand that “one size does not fit all” when it comes to a network.

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Being tethered to a desk, cubicle, or conference room is just no fun, and with the advent of wireless networks, no one has to be “siloed” anymore.    The newest 802.11n specifications also provide for greater range and security than ever before, so the old worries about hackers discovering vital data from the airwaves are not as prominent.

What IS a concern with wireless networking is coverage, and access point handoff for mobile devices.  With any wireless network, you will have some dead spots in a building. Rather than getting upset about it, simply plan for it.   Walk through your offices with test equipment from a reputable firm like Air Magnet, locate the dead spots, and make sure that tethered 10/100 Fast Ethernet connections are available in those areas.

A thorough magnetic review of your office space will also help you plan where to place access points, or areas where signals are received and rebroadcast.  It is best to purchase newer access points if you have employees who “roam” – like technicians, warehouse workers, or forklift operators.  Newer access points have longer ranges and can handoff the signal more quickly to a new access point once your employee travels outside the best range for the first access point.   Otherwise, the signal drops and an interruption in service is seen.  Advances in predictive technology, similar to that used in read channels for disc drives is applied in newer WiFi equipment.

802.11 as a standard also provides for something called “antenna diversity” – which simply means that several antennas are used and the signal picked up from the best placed one.  If you are WiFi-enabling mobile objects such as hospital beds, you have no way of predicting proper antenna placement.  Having more than one increases the probability that one of the antennas will have a clear, strong signal.  It’s like buying more than one lottery ticket, your odds of winning increase.

Make sure your antennas are placed in locations where they have no nearby EMI sources such as other wiring.  Place them correctly so the signal can rise above any metal shielding or other obstacles.

It goes without saying that a solid wired foundation is necessary before building a strong wireless network.   Your service provider should be good to his “SLA” or “service-level-agreement” and you should have at least cat 5e cabling connecting your WAN service to the wireless router and access points you have installed.  If you need to upgrade your internal wiring or would like expert help in planning your wireless network installation, call professional data installation experts for assistance.  The right professionals are more than willing to help plan, design, implement or upgrade a wonderful 802.11x network for your company.

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One way of running a small business or home network with no new wires is by moving to a powerline networking scheme, which has been the subject of much study and interest due to its simplicity.  However appealing this simple scheme may be, it is not suitable for all networks and does have its pros and cons.

The pros of this technology are obvious – most rooms have multiple electrical outlets so there is no need to run new wires or add additional terminations; printers now no longer have to be located near computers; the newest power line technology called PowerPacket runs at 14MBps so it is quite fast compared to earlier power line networking; and kits to install this technology are inexpensive (around $50-100 is all that is needed).  Companies like Cisco and Netgear offer off-the-shelf power line networking switches and routers that are very cost-effective and easily installed.

This technology does have its cons, however, which is why it is not more popular than wireless technology today.  Although chip manufacturers claim that their chips circumvent this problem, users of the technology say that network performance varies with electrical usage.  This means you could have difficulty downloading a large file while running your dishwasher, for instance.   Quality of electrical wiring varies from home to home and business to business – and some older buildings have very poor wiring.  If you are in an older building, it is probably best to run some new cat 6 or cat 6e Ethernet cabling and call it a day.

Also, the adapter you need to plug in to run a home powerline network cannot be plugged into a surge protector, which may be inconvenient in some cases.   Plus 14Mbps is not nearly enough bandwidth to allow video streaming or a good quality VoIP phone system to run properly.

If you have a simple one or two man office that doesn’t require streaming media usage or large file downloads and want to minimize wiring changes and expense, then powerline networking may be the way to go.  It also may be a good supplement to an existing network in hard to wire zones such as warehouses or garages where the Internet is only used for data entry and to look up the number for your local pizza delivery guy.

But for most modern businesses and state-of-the-art smart homes, this technology still has some growing up to do!

If you would like a professional consultation on the suitability of powerline networking for your home or business needs, contact experienced network cabling installers. Their professionals will do a comprehensive assessment of your unique situation, and recommend the most cost-effective technology solution available.

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The wiring panel is the central part of any structured wiring job.  The location of this panel is defined when you create a wiring plan, but it is normally placed in the basement, or else, in a closet or attic.

The great thing about a good structured wiring plan is that all the wires are streamed into one sole location, the wiring panel, making it a lot easier to change your setup or to diagnose and repair problems that arise.

Buying a wiring panel can make any wiring work look professional, however, it is expensive.  The shell of the panel may start as low as $50; nevertheless, you will most certainly start adding extra and expensive modules for phones, cable, and Internet distribution.

If the wiring panel will not be located at a visible spot, you’d better get a real wiring panel, which is not very attractive, but in this way you’ll save money and just have to worry about mounting everything on the wall.  The wires will be visible. Still, it offers more room and makes it easier to move cables around.

The non-electrical wires from the outside of the home must be run to the wiring panel.  Since most companies are now offering the three services together, that is, phone, TV, and Internet, having everything in the same place makes it easier to switch companies, if that is your wish.

The panel will distribute these three cables throughout the rest of the home, like this:

-Cable: TV, phone, or Internet

-Phone: Phone or Internet

-Satellite: TV or Internet

-Fiber: TV, phone or Internet

-Antenna: TV

For example, the cable company supplies a special cable modem for the Internet service.  They would like you to have a cable connection close to your computer, because then they can place the cable modem nearby, run the cable wire to the modem, and then the Internet Cat5 cable from the modem to your computer.  If you need two computers connected to the Internet, you would have to run a wire from the modem to the computer in another room.

When you have a structured wiring plan, the cable modem is located in the wiring panel in the basement.  The incoming cable is run to the cable modem, the Cat5 cable is run to an Internet switch that can then distribute the Internet throughout the home.

A basic wiring panel will have a Cable or DSL modem, an Internet switch, a Wi-Fi router, phone splitter, TV/satellite splitters, and an alarm panel.

Before wires are cut, do an estimated layout of where each switch, splitter, and panel will be.  You can start at the top, with the wires coming from the street, then the grounds, and end with the splitters at the bottom.

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PC owners have complained loudly and often about the amount of maintenance they have to perform on their machines – and a never-ending stream of Spyware cleaners, registry cleaners, and Antivirus checkers are downloaded and scheduled constantly.  This nonproductive activity has spawned two new market directions – cloud computing where PC applications live in and are maintained at a central location “in the cloud”, and the popularity of the Apple laptop which needs no such maintenance.

Another driver for the popularity of cloud computing is the incredible success of Salesforce.com – which was one of the very first cloud or SaaS (Software as a Service) applications.  Salesforce.com is an application that allows enterprises to store key customer information on the Salesforce servers (cloud) – making this information accessible from any computer connected to the Internet.  Organizations no longer had to maintain these databases or servers, paying only a monthly per-seat fee for liberation from these onerous tasks.

Now, many new applications are being proposed for the cloud that range from media sharing to PC maintenance to security protocols.  As the “cloud” is really a data center, this new trend has made the design and creation of data centers a hot topic as well.

Cloud computing allows users of these services or applications to have the benefits they bring with little or no Capex spending, which is significant in today’s economy.   SaaS companies also have a recurring revenue stream instead of a one time expenditure, so everyone benefits from this architecture – which is directly analogous to how we use and pay for utilities today.

The resource sharing central to this model is also more efficient than having applications resident on individual PCs or workstations, and may provide some energy savings benefit as well.

Cloud computing does mean that data center rollouts will increase in number, and design requirements for data centers will be more critical.  Make sure you choose only data installation experts that are poised for the challenge!

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The networking push “du jour” is for the new borderless network, defined by networking giant Cisco Systems as a network which has no obvious boundaries without sacrificing security.   A truly borderless network has seamless connectivity throughout the entire company or enterprise, with built-in security that doesn’t hamper the user’s network experience.  And it must be built upon a solid backbone or infrastructure.

When considering an upgrade to a borderless network architecture, start by reviewing your existing wireless and wired infrastructure.  Is it scalable, well-designed, and serving not only your present but your future needs as well?  If not, it is time to call structured wiring installers so you can pave the way by making sure your internal Ethernet cabling is up for the challenges borderless networking will ask of it.

The team of installers will do a complete walkthrough of your facilities to see what is working, and what isn’t.  Your plans for growth will be reviewed, and recommendations for a next-generation architecture from the ground up will be discussed and solidified.

Borderless networking also means seamless connectivity between the mobile and wired networks. When one is spotty, a method for switching onto the other should exist.   A solid analysis of WiFi dead spots within your facility will help make sure this handoff is done intelligently.   Suggestions for rectifying any WiFi dead spots as well as for proper placement of access points/antenna are part of a plan that your network cabling installers can create for your enterprise – giving your network an added dimension of stability.

Don’t try to get the full benefits of a cutting edge borderless network while running on yesterday’s cable infrastructure!  A best-in-class network architecture doesn’t start with the equipment deployed. It starts with the wiring connecting the equipment deployed.  And you should hire the experts in creating the ideal backbone for your new borderless network.

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If your business is sensitive in nature or you simply want to make sure that thieves don’t end up with your precious inventory or computer equipment, you probably have some type of a security system in place already.

Older security systems often have very simple alarms with motion detectors that an entire generation of thieves have learned how to disable.  If this is what you are relying on today, it makes sense to consider an upgrade to a more sophisticated system that is harder to circumvent.

Older surveillance cameras also could only be viewed from one central location, which means that thefts could occur when security personnel step away momentarily.

Ethernet based security systems are scalable as your business grows, can send alarms to email addresses or mobile phones, and can allow a complete picture of your facility to be viewed over Ethernet connected security cameras from any Internet connection.  The images from multiple cameras can be used to form a real time collage, which allows a wider area to be seen and analyzed for abnormalities.

The only down side is that they will require additional Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable to be run if you choose not to take the additional risk of using a wireless network.

Ethernet security cameras come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and features.   Night vision cameras are available, as well as cameras that pan and zoom, include two way voice capabilities, and have hidden cabling to prevent hacking.

IP connected cameras can also send video or still images to any email address specified, allowing quick identification of intruders and enhanced communications with law enforcement personnel.

Another benefit is that hard disc drive storage of surveillance data that wasn’t possible with traditional CCTV systems is now enabled, as is computer enhancement of still images as well as video footage for greater clarity.

These systems tend to be much more cost effective than traditional CCTV based systems too, as they don’t require expensive splitters, multiplexers, and repeaters.  Enhanced competition among vendors continues to drive the price down, meaning having video added to your surveillance system no longer means high Capex.

The use of PoE or Power-over-Ethernet also means that only one wire needs to be run to each camera, instead of one for the signal and one to power the device.  This streamlines installation of Ethernet based surveillance cameras, and helps keep them unobtrusive for stealth reasons.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of an Ethernet- based security system is that it can integrate seamlessly with your company network – allowing voice, video, security, and information processing to be synchronized.   The entire capability of your network cabling can be brought to bear on solving tough security issues with this type of approach.

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Copper UTP Cat 5 or Cat 6 cabling is the most typical medium used to carry Ethernet signals within a corporate data network, as it is the least inexpensive and easiest to install.  However, with no shielding, it is also the easiest for a corporate spy to “sniff” and cannot be considered truly secure.

In contrast, 100Base FX fiber optic cable carries the data signals over glass fibers, which cannot be sniffed as the electromagnetic signals are transformed into light signals before being transported by the optical media.

The downside is that fiber optic cable is both more expensive and harder to install, which translates into higher installation costs as well.

The solution?  Use fiber optic cable where it matters most, and then convert the data signals into less expensive copper cabling using an efficient and inexpensive media converter such as those available from Allied Telesyn.  Or install a dual copper-fiber optic network, and use switches and routers that support both mediums – available from wide variety of providers.  Media conversion switches are also available, as are media conversion switches that source PoE (Power over Ethernet) for the copper portion of the network.

The downside to this approach is that your network will be hard wired in the wall – so if you choose to move the location of the group that requires the fiber optic cabling to a new location within the building just to keep people on their toes, you will have to upgrade wiring in that new location as well.   Another downside is that fiber optic cable does not allow the use of PoE or Power over Ethernet to be deployed.

But the added peace of mind that increased security brings for locations such as legal and accounting may be well worth this lack of future mobility.

It pays to plan your network infrastructure such that the fiber runs are kept as short as possible to minimize your overall cost.  Structured cabling installers can help you with this planning, which may mean relocating Finance or Legal (balance the costs of the move against the added costs of longer fiber runs) before the network upgrade happens so that shorter runs can be used.

Fiber optic cable also makes sense in areas where a telepresence system is to be installed, as fiber is not subject to EMI interference like copper UTP can be.  This leads to cleaner signals and better quality video service.   If you have areas that have a lot of electromagnetic noise or sources for interference, fiber cabling may make sense here too.

Last but not least, as signals don’t degrade as readily along fiber cabling as they do on copper cabling, fiber cables can be run for incredibly long distances.  This can be costly, but if you need to have a run longer than 500 meters (the limit for coaxial cable), then fiber is definitely the way to go.  This cable can be run underground as well.

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Most data networking cables are referred to as UTP – which stands for Unshielded Twisted Pair cabling.  This is perfectly adequate for many data networking applications as the twisting of the pairs is thought to cancel out any electromagnetic interference from external sources as well as undesirable cross talk.

Whether or not this is truly adequate depends on a number of factors, one being whether or not the twisting is preserved when the cable is installed.  In some mission critical applications, shielding is desirable just to give added stability to your infrastructure.

Shielded Twisted Pair cabling is primarily used in Europe for general installations, or in noisy electrical environments and combines the protection offered by twisting with an electromagnetic shield.  It was originally developed by IBM for Token Ring data communications, and termed STP at that time.  It is more expensive than UTP cable, harder to install, and can create some additional issues if the shields are not properly terminated.  If a shield is not properly terminated, it acts as an antenna and the resulting signal degradation is worse than if UTP were used!

Two types of Shielded Twisted Pair are commonly found – FTP or Foiled Twisted Pair uses a thin layer of foil as a shield, and S-FTP or Shielded Foiled Twisted Pair which uses both foil and an outer conductor of braided shielding.

If you are running Ethernet cabling near repeaters, routers, power sources, radio towers, or any electrical equipment that could create interference, it makes sense to use shielding in these areas just to be safe.   Remember, once the cable is in the wall, it is tougher to change it than to choose the right cable in the first place.

Shielding also provides some protection against security breaches.  Cable sniffers can detect and decode data packets being carried by sensing the electromagnetic emanations from the cable.   Added shielding makes this harder to do, although not quite providing the amount of protection offered by the use of more expensive fiber optic cable.

Coaxial cable offers the next level of shielding, as the second wire in the pair also acts as the shield – and a layer of insulation covers both.  Although more costly than UTP, coaxial cable allows longer overall cable runs to be made without signal degradation.  For example, UTP can run up to 100 meters (some manufacturers recommend only 90 meters), but coaxial cable can be run for 500 meters with no loss of signal integrity.  If you must have a long cable run, coaxial cabling is the way to go.

Data installation professionals can help you make the determination as to whether or not you need shielding, and if so, where in your network it should be used.   Call them today and they will provide you with a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade plan that includes cable types and installation details.  Your network will thank you, and so will your employees when their network operates more reliability – making them more productive.

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Although some businesses are lucky enough to be located in brand new buildings with new shiny cabling and infrastructure – most are living with cabling that was installed in the 1980’s or earlier.  Many business owners don’t associate the quality of their internal cabling with difficulties in their networks.  For the most part, network cables are hidden in the walls – out of sight, out of mind!

But upgrading your cabling NOW will pay dividends, and can help make your business more efficient now while allowing you to take advantage of new technologies that can have a great impact on your business in the future.  Eight good reasons to upgrade now include:

1)Most 1980’s cabling is cat 3 UTP cable, which is really not suitable for money saving technologies such as VoIP.  Moving to a cost effective VoIP system will more than pay for the cable upgrade within months!
2)Older cable can have insulation that is wearing off, which means shielding is also wearing off which can lead to crosstalk related network problems
3)Newer cabling is required for the installation of telepresence systems, which can cut down travel costs dramatically and improve communications between remote branch offices.
4)Older cabling is easier to “sniff”, meaning your competitors could tap into your networks and gain unauthorized knowledge about your business and products
5)When installing new cabling, you can run more cable to accommodate more computers, VoIP enabled fax machines, or phones – meaning you can streamline your switch and router locations and make your overall network more efficient.
6)You can install fiber optic cabling in areas where security is critical, and use media conversion to areas where cheaper copper cabling is adequate.  Fiber optic cabling is nearly impossible to sniff.
7)Gigabit Ethernet capable cat 6 cabling can be installed to allow use of faster download speeds in engineering areas or anywhere huge files have to be uploaded and downloaded.
8)PoE (power over Ethernet) switches can be added to your network which require newer cabling – these allow better overall power management, mean less wires to trip over for your employees, and can help save on your power bills.   You can also set up your infrastructure to run on a generator in the event of a power outage, which means productivity can continue no matter what the outside conditions are.

Your network cabling installer can help you achieve the perfect network infrastructure and cabling scenario that not only meets your present needs, but “future-proofs” your organization.  This allows you to take advantage of money-saving new technologies now and in the future.  They can assess the current state of your infrastructure, make detailed recommendations as to what needs to be done, then help you make the decision as to the best course of action for your organization in terms of budget, needs and future scalability.   Why not call one today and get started on your future IT plan?  There is no better time than now.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention http://www.intsysinst.com as the original source).