Structured Wiring – Setting Up Your Home Office Cabling

“Why should I upgrade my home basic cabling to a structured wiring system?”

1) Speed and Performance

Working at home is basically about networking, which demands high-speed Internet access. If you already have this kind of Internet connection, structured wiring can maximize speed and performance.

2) Adaptability and Readiness

Structured wiring is becoming the keystone of home offices. Phone, fax and video/television technologies can travel through it, while Virtual LANs and every other way of media and digital networks can be built on its basis. You might wonder how this is possible, since phone and fax communications are analog. Well, the thing is that voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)—a technology that lets us make phone calls using a broadband Internet connection—is gaining ground. Imagine all the possibilities that emerge when you integrate all your communication channels in a digital platform. With a structured wiring system, your home will be ready for VoIP and every other new technology that eventually comes up.

3) Organization and tidiness

Since a structured wiring system concentrates and organizes all the wires from scratch, it’s thought to minimize the amount of cables and plugs that you need in order to start home-networking.

“What is it made of?”

The structured wiring system consists of three parts:

1) A panel or module that receives connections from outside services. This is the link between your home and the outer network. They can vary slightly in functionality, but all reputable manufacturers’ products should conform to the 570-B standard. When it comes to choosing, focus on ease of installation, upgradeability and support from the manufacturer.

2) Wires and cables throughout the house. The data capacity of copper wire relays on the category (Cat) of the wire, and it is determined by how the wires are twisted. The main difference between the wiring designations is the frequency the wire is capable of transmitting, also known as bandwidth. Cat3, for instance, is rated up to a 16 MHz frequency, while Cat5 is rated at 100 MHz.

3) Connecting hardware. Connecting hardware is used to end the horizontal wiring in the wiring closet or at the workstation outlet.

“Ok, I want to install a structured wiring system at home. Where do I start?”

Structured wiring systems can come prepackaged, but it’s advisable to think of a plan including your specific needs before you buy one, since you might discover –later than sooner, that you’re lacking outlets, just to give you an example. Your plan should detail where the computers, printers, phones and media will be set up and where conference calls and media viewing will take place.

Follow the standards

Standards exist to simplify things and give you on hand solutions when common issues arise. If you are considering structured wiring, consider EIA-TIA 570-B. The residential telecommunications cabling standard was developed in 2004 as a voluntary guideline by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). “The 570-B is a set of specifications and best practices that detail the technologies to install and the proper methods for the installation,” says Ian Hendler, director of business development for Leviton Integrated Networks, Little Neck, N.Y.

The 570-B recommends a minimum of Cat5e (enhanced) for communications. Coaxial cable, used primarily by the cable television industry and widely used for computer networks, as well as RG6, a coaxial cable system recommended by satellite TV system manufacturers, are still part of the specifications. If you need faster speed, Cat 6—a sixth generation of twisted copper wire pairs designed to support communications at more than twice the speed of Cat5e—is recommended. Fiber-optic cable is also becoming more readily available, but compare the benefits and costs of upgrading to fiber optics before making your decision.

Choosing a Layout

Layouts for structured wiring are ways of organizing the physical connections between terminals and the panel. In the “star” layout, each outlet has its own connection to the service panel. This makes the system flexible, helps to isolate any problem, and reduces interference. Pre-wiring all possible locations while walls are still open will save time and money.

Labeling

Before installing structured wiring, be sure to label the various hubs, routers, patch cords, wires, and sockets. Bugs in the network will be easier to detect and solve if all the components are marked. It’s also advisable to make a map or a blueprint of the system when the system is being installed. Try to not put this off for later, or you might forget important details that you had in mind only at the beginning.

Although structured wiring does not require a certified installer, in order to ensure the system is installed properly and that it meets all your needs -including expansion capabilities, it’s recommended that at least you count on professional advice. Going on your own might bring you only headaches and end up in a loss of money and time.

Integrated Systems Installers is a premiere network cabling expert in Denver. We have over 13 years of experience in the field. If you are seriously considering a structured wiring system for your home office, don’t hesitate to give us a call at any time, and we’ll help you in the process of understanding your needs. Don’t forget to take a look at our services page, so you can get to know us better.

Structured Cabling – The 6 Reasons Why We Encourage You to Complain

Customers who complain are a treasure; they offer golden opportunities that a company seldom sees by itself. Every company has gotten THE call or THE email; this is, from an unhappy customer who has a complaint about a product or service.

The majority of companies disregard complaints and those who issue them because they see them as a menace and/or an insult; however, if they stopped to think twice, they would discover that in many cases, a complaint offers rich insight about their businesses, insight that they would have never been able to pinpoint otherwise.

When a company disregards a customer complaint and doesn’t stop to consider if it is legitimate, it is letting go valuable information and very possibly valuable customers. In the end, in business, one has to acknowledge the people who buy ones products, and one must be ready to respectfully address complaints from irritated or upset customers.

In fact, there’s so much to learn from a relevant complaint that at ISI (Integrated Systems Installers, Inc.), the structured cabling company, there are 6 reasons why we encourage customers to complain:

1. Complaints often pinpoint potential problem areas

Most customers complain due to failed expectations: something the company said or forgot to say, something it did or forgot to do, or maybe the customer is confused.

A customer who complains probably expected something different from the company, and he thinks this should be addressed. If they have a point, we have just received a valuable clue to improve the business, and that is a blessing.

We want to make sure the customer knows we paid attention, thus, we give him what he expected and a little more. We also thank him for making us notice.

2. A customer who complains represents others who stay quiet

If someone complains about a service, we consider that there could be others equally unhappy but who never said a word. After all, the majority of customers don’t say anything when they don’t like what they receive; they just look for another company to do business with. We want to prevent this from happening, thus, we regularly ask our customers for relevant feedback in order to act on it.

3. A complaint is an eye opener of what customers really need

We can certainly imagine what our customers need because we know our business; however, it is much better when they tell us directly.

Through complaints, we know how well, or badly, we are addressing our customers’ needs. If several customers complain about the same thing, then we know we have something to correct immediately. We have a clear opportunity to improve areas that directly interest our customers.

4. Once the complaint is addressed, they will talk to others

The handling of a complaint is not the end; it can actually be the beginning of something wonderful if we handle it well. If we care enough to fix what was wrong, and if the customer feels supported and important, he will tell an average of 10 other people about his experience. We will be the subjects of the most powerful kind of advertising there is: word of mouth. We may earn more customers due to this experience, and this is another blessing.

However, we must remember that if we fail to address the complaint, the customer will not talk to 10 people, but to 20 or 30, about how bad we are. Our clients are our most important assets, and we work to earn and deserve their trust endlessly.

5. A customer is more valuable than a prospect

We must work to keep the customers we already have. We do this by treating them with respect, care, understanding, and tact, so that they perceive how much we need them.

It is less expensive, in many ways, to nurture current customers than to get new ones. We care enough to communicate how we are addressing their concerns and we follow up later on to let them know how everything worked out.

We don’t disregard any opportunity we have to give a customer good news, we know this will make a difference in their lives and in their future purchasing decisions.

6. After solving a complaint, there is no excuse not to buy

If we devote time and energy to solving a complaint, we have just eliminated the reason the customer had for not buying from us.

We truly hope that any unhappy customer comes forward and tell us what is bothering him. In this way, we can take action to show him that he is important to us.

We want customers to see us as a provider of solutions; in fact, we want them to see us as their best option for structured cabling installation needs.

ISI has been in the business of serious structured cabling for 15 years, which has taught us a lot about the field. We believe that flexibility is just as important as precision. We understand the last minute changes in goals and budget adjustments of large-scale operations. We are proud to work with qualified network engineers, master electricians, IT infrastructure design teams, and vendors, to always find the best solution for anything that may be modified by management. We have helped clients meet the changing demands of location, budget, timeline, staffing, and technology.

We can help you build the right solution for many of the most challenging structured cabling projects, from Ultra-Modern Data Centers to GPS Repeating. We are proud to offer the best quality service at a competitive price that fits any budget.

Technology evolves so fast it’s hard to keep up. It is our job to keep up with these changes, so you can rest assured we’ll be using the very latest technology out there. We stay up to date on structured cabling standards and always source the highest quality vendors, providing thus the certainty that your solution is the best choice for your budget, timeline, and technical needs.

At ISI we believe that the combination of well structured cabling and careful attention to detail will make your data projects exceed your expectations. We work with exacting IT professionals who appreciate the systematic and careful approach we take to structured network cabling. We can handle fusion splicing armored plenum cable 30 feet in the air, or carefully install miles of Cat 5E in modern office spaces. Each and every one of our project has our complete attention to detail and rigorous testing.

Every single project is rigorously tested with the use of the Fluke DTX 1800, the best structured cabling tester on the market. If the cabling is not up to our exacting standards, we get rid of it and start all over again. We know the last thing you need to worry about in your IT infrastructure is the cabling, so we get it right the first time.

Check out the services we provide and the technology we are proud to use. We are here to solve your structured cabling needs, so call us now!

Network Cabling – A Matter of Structure

Untying the knots

Have you ever worked in an office with bad or loose wiring? If you have, maybe you remember the network going down frequently, or people losing their connection to the LAN, or employees switching cables from plug to plug to see if they could recover the link. Not to mention when a new guy was hired. You would see him sitting down and looking at the ceiling (yes, just as if he were looking through the ceiling and could see the messy cables crossing the office) until someone took care of his connection. Picture, if you will, the scenario as it gets worse. Suddenly, communication starts failing too often, and productivity falls. A lot of times, slow speed in networks is due to bad cabling, but few people tend to think of that as a bottleneck. They’ll think of that as the last cause of the problem –but with a poor cabling, a network will go down immediately.

Before structured cabling was used, it was very difficult to identify networking problems. Because this form of cabling is made up of a number of subsystems, when a problem appears, it can be traced to a particular subsystem and fixed. This is why achieving a good network cabling structure is so important: to avoid headaches. Choosing the wrong company can bring a lot of problems in the future such as loss of data, unattended failures, and so on.

How can I tell if a network cabling company is suitable for my business?

To find a good company, get in touch with quite a few before you make your decision. Compare them. Try to find a company that has experience in a wide range of businesses. The first thing they should do is measure and study your case and then tell you what your business requires from its network, since this will determine structural things like topology, connectors, cable types, etcetera. As you might guess, a big plant doesn’t have the same needs as a small office does.

To identify your particular requirements and to start a map of your site, the network cabling installers you hire should pay you a visit before they begin any design. They will ask you if you’re expecting that your business (and thus the number of connections) will grow soon or not.

All of these aspects define the quality of a network cabling system and, of course, should first be considered by you. If you haven’t thought of them yet, take your time and ask yourself: will you need to upgrade the network cabling in the future? Will the network grow in number of connections? A good network installation is always ready to adapt and change without causing too much chaos in the process. Think of an ideal network as something solid but flexible.

Before you hire an installer company, they should give you a description of the process they’ll follow, an estimate of the time they will take, all the hardware that will be involved, and the total cost. A warranty should be given to you that explains how they’ll act if there’s a failure in the system. If you accept the quotation, then the installers must do their job meeting the expected standard, and provide a full guarantee and documentation regarding the installation.

Among the hardware aspects of your network cabling system, they’ll have to choose which kind of cable to use and explain why. As you might already know, there are different kinds of cable, and each one is more suitable than the others for certain scenarios. Because cables carry information in its physical form, they draw so well the complexity of this amazing technological world. They must be made of resistant materials; they have to be strong and adaptable. Different types of cables are made of different elements which give them different features. For example, fiber optic cabling consists of a center glass core surrounded by protective materials. It transmits light rather than electronic signals, eliminating the problem of electrical interference. That’s why it’s perfect for certain environments that contain a large amount of electrical interference.

What about WLANs?

You might think that wireless networks are the answer to avoiding cable-related issues, but that’s not necessarily true. Wireless LANs are very expensive, slower, provide poor security, and are susceptible to electrical interference from lights and radios. Usually, they become useful when thought of as a complement to a good network cabling structure.

Beyond the hardware

The network cabling map that your installers provide has to be clear, simple, and presented graphically instead of being in somebody’s head. We’re talking about discipline. If solving a problem in your network depends on a particular person’s memory, you’re creating an unsuitable dependency, since only that person will be capable of solving certain issues related to your network, and if that person stops working with you, untying all the knots will bring you one big headache.

It’s not only about hardware, but about people too. A bunch of disorganized cables won’t do much by themselves. Even more, the perfect wiring doesn’t exist. Cables tend to become untidy with time, in a non-linear way. This means that, unless you keep them ordered regularly, whenever you “open the box” to see what’s behind the clean and smooth ceiling tiles, you’ll find a mess that may take a long time to solve. A good network cabling company should take care of these aspects before they plan their wiring.

Integrated Systems Installers is a premiere network cabling expert in Denver. We have over 13 years of experience in the field. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at any time, and we’ll help you in the process of understanding your network cabling needs. Check out our case studies to see examples of installations for diverse scenarios.

Network Cable Cat – 5 Customer Service Traits No One Can Teach- ISI

There are 5 customer service character traits that no one can teach employees. We just have to be very sharp and plain good to get the best people out there, the ones who show these 5 characteristics that make the difference between common and outstanding customer service, a difference that will, in addition, make of this world a better place.

1. ENTHUSIASM

It is visible, it can be felt, and we sure wish everyone had it.

But many people don’t, and this is also perceivable. We see its other side every day, in the faces of individuals, when we ask for their help and they don’t even bother looking at us, or when they answer with a cold, “Wait in line”.

Enthusiasm permeates people and makes everything fun. The enthusiast is always ready to serve, to do whatever it takes to make people happy. He is proud of what he does and of doing it right and there is no such thing as “too much” for him.

Our society today has exterminated the enthusiast in favor of a faster and cheaper customer service representative, but we, at ISI (Integrated Systems Installers, Inc.), a network cable cat company, have not.

2. HAPPINESS

It brightens the day, but there’s a limit to it. Most people are unhappy most of the time, and when someone find happiness, he or she is destined to lose the feeling sooner than later.

The happiest people on the face of the earth are enlightened; they know something most people don’t, but everyone most certainly can feel it, see it… and they crave it.

3. COMMITMENT

It is when someone decides to do something no matter what; no one and nothing can take him off course, because he knows what is awaiting him at the end. He will most certainly encounter road blocks and problems on the way, but he acknowledges them as normal steps towards his goal. He cares nothing about what people who criticize or discourage him think. He just knows he’s the right person for the job.

4. BELIEF

This is when someone feels and knows that he is on the right track whether or not there’s proof of this. A deeper force guides him; he doesn’t need anyone else’s, and effortlessly respects the beliefs of others.

When a belief settles into a group, it fills their hearts and empowers them in a voracious and firm way. It drives them through painful and disheartening times, because they believe in a higher force that guides it all.

Its loss can cripple someone’s soul, and only he himself can find the way out.

5. ATTITUDE

Who wouldn’t like to be able to teach attitude? We would be able to solve all major world problems if everyone had the right attitude.

The person with a good attitude conveys positive energy, care, bravery, and joy everywhere he goes.

We can just hope we are lucky enough to find customer service people who show these valuable characteristics, and at ISI, we do our best to nurture our people’s enthusiasm, happiness, commitment, belief, and attitude. We don’t take our people lightly; we walk the walk and talk the talk, because in the measure that we do this, we are able to transfer it into our work and relationship with you, our valued customer.

We have been in the network cable cat business for 15 years, which has taught us a lot about the field. Flexibility is just as important as precision; this is our belief. We understand that sometimes in large-scale operations, goals shifts and budgets are adjusted. We proudly work with professional network engineers, master electricians, IT infrastructure design teams, and vendors, to constantly find the right solution for the inevitable curve ball thrown by management. We have helped clients juggle the changing demands of location, budget, timeline, personnel, and technology.

Allow us to help you build the right solution for many of the most challenging network cable cat projects, from Ultra-Modern Data Centers to GPS Repeating. We will provide the best quality service at a competitive price that fits your budget.

Technology is constantly on the move, evolving into bigger and better things. You don’t have to try to keep up. That’s our job, and we’ll do it for you. We stay up to date on network cable cat standards and always source the highest quality suppliers and vendors. This way you can be certain that your solution is the best choice for your budget, timeline, and technical needs.

At ISI we understand that well structured cabling and careful attention to detail will guarantee the success of your data projects. We are proud to work with exacting IT professionals who appreciate the systematic and careful approach we take to structured network cabling. From fusion splicing armored plenum cable 30 feet in the air, or carefully installing miles of Cat 5E in challenging office spaces, we give our complete attention to detail and rigorous testing to every single project.

Each and every project is rigorously tested using the Fluke DTX 1800, the best network cable cat tester on the market. If the cabling does not match our exacting standards, we rip it out and reinstall before you ever see a finished project. We understand the last thing you need to worry about in your IT infrastructure is the wiring, so we make sure we get it right the first time.

Take a look at the services we offer and the technology we so proudly brag about. We are here to help you get it right, so call us now!

Data Installation – Copper vs. Fiber Cabling

Data installation requires making a set of careful decisions before acting. Though this may be a tedious task, once you understand how the combination of distinct hardware elements impacts directly on the performance of your networking, the actions to take will seem much more natural and simple. One of those hardware elements is the wiring itself. Much has been said about whether to choose copper or fiber, and a lot of organizations are struggling to understand their actual differences and how those differences affect their data installation process. Let’s try to focus on practical and real differences.

Copper Cabling in Data Installation

One of the advantages of copper is Power over Ethernet (PoE), which provides the ability to power phones, cameras, Wireless Access Points (WAPs), along with other devices directly through the networking cable itself. This gives you certain independence from technical staff to do some things, which otherwise would require their presence, like powering a surveillance camera. Another advantage: you count on an emergency power supply that will continue feeding important devices even if power goes down.

Less expensive and more acceptability — before going into fiber, consider that most PC’s come with copper NIC cards ready. Optical cards will cost you between $100-200 each. So, in this aspect, choosing copper cabling will keep the costs of data installation lower.

Flexibility — TDM environments are thought to use copper-based infrastructures. In order to turn to fiber, you’ll have to spend more money in electronics.

Cons – LAN copper is quite susceptible to damage, while fiber, even though it contains glass, is more resistant than copper cables and may have a pull strength of 100-200 lbs for standard cables.

Structured Fiber Cabling in Data Installation

The first two features that must be mentioned regarding fiber are its high data rate over long distances (which makes it perfect for systems such as Gigabit ethernet, FDDI, multimedia, ATM, SONET, Fibre Channel) and its complete immunity to electrical interference.

The reason why optical fiber isn’t affected by electromagnetic energy is because it is dielectric (not able to conduct electric current). Copper cabling, on the contrary, is vulnerable to the effects of EMI (Electromagnetic Impulse). If not installed properly, it may cause many problems such as low responses, degradation, or system failure.

High Bandwidth — Fiber has a higher bandwidth than copper. Example: Category 6A Cable is classified by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) to handle a bandwidth up to 600 MHz over 100 meters. In theory, this could carry around 18,000 calls at the same time. Multimode Fiber would have a bandwidth of over 1000 MHz which could carry almost 31,000 simultaneous calls. This makes a difference in terms of the data installation option you want to choose depending on how much information your business must handle.

Less Expensive — While fiber electronics are very expensive, fiber cable is actually less expensive than copper.

Lightweight — An optical cable weighs less than a comparable copper wire cable.

Safe — As we mentioned before, fiber is a dielectric. Since no electrical current flows through the cable, there’s no danger of causing fire. Copper does carry a current and an old cable could cause a fire.

Distance — No matter which type of cable you choose for your data installation, a loss in signal strength as the length of the cable increases is expectable. Such loss is called attenuation and is measured in decibels (dB). Although both of them are affected by this physical fact, fiber retains a higher bandwidth over long distances compared to copper cabling.

— For fiber, lower-power transmitters are enough because fiber signals degrade less over distance than copper.

Conclusion

Depending on the distances you want to cover, on the environment and on your budget, you’ll have to decide which one is suitable for your data installation. If you need support for high bandwidth media and long distances, or you think that your business needs to be ready for those variables, you should go for fiber. But remember that copper is widely compatible with a lot of existing products and that it counts on Power over Ethernet.
Integrated Systems Installers is a premiere network cabling expert in Denver. We have over 13 years of experience in the data installation systems. If you have questions or doubts, give us a call or visit our technology section to find out more about fiber and copper options.