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The Cable Guy
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Business New Haven
10/30/2000
By: John Florian
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You know the adage: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Well, what about that chain of computer cables snaking through your office walls and ceilings? Your computer network is only as reliable as the data cable installation, warns Frank Zabski, owner of Milford-based Up to Code Data Cabling, LLC. Zabski outlines potential problems lurking in your network - and what to do about them.
Frank, what does your company do?
We focus on cabling for telecommunications, which includes voice, data and video. We help companies set up or move to new locations, and rework current office environments, for instance, when companies expand.
Your company name implies you have a mission.
Definitely. It's an outgrowth of my other firm, Technology Revealed, which is chiefly a consulting business that supports our clients' Macintosh platforms. The idea for Up to Code came from all the substandard cabling installations we were seeing. Many people don't realize the importance of proper cabling. You can have a million dollars of equipment sitting in your office, but if you don't have good cabling, you'll have tremendous problems. Cabling is the most important piece of the computer infrastructure. It will pay back tenfold when done correctly, and that means designed, installed, documented and tested.
For non-techies, cabling is a bunch of wires. Could you briefly explain?
Sure. There are different types. From the computer to the wall jack is a patch cable. That jack attaches to the horizontal cable, which runs inside the wall and over the ceiling to eventually reach the telecommunications closet, or TC. There, another patch cable connects to a switch, which is what gives everything connectivity. Picture it this way: It's similar to a wagon wheel, where the spokes are horizontal cables connecting computers to the hub. Then connections to the outside world are made through switches in the TC.
And what cabling conditions are you typically finding today?
There are two major problems. One is where nothing has been documented or labeled correctly. So when the network administrator needs to troubleshoot a problem, he or she can't trace on paper where all the cables go.
Second, a lot of horizontal cabling is not installed correctly. Codes and standards need to be adhered to. I've seen cable that's just been thrown on top of ceiling tiles, but according to code, telecommunications cabling must have its own pathway supported by J-hooks. The reason is that this cabling is very susceptible to EMI, electromagnetic interference, which is emitted by nearby high-voltage cables and air conditioning units and fans.
Another problem is network slowdown. Most network systems are very forgiving, meaning they will transmit data over and over again until it reaches the destination. So if cables have been improperly installed and run through EMI, distorting the data, the system will continue to retransmit the data. This causes a lot of traffic, which could slow everything down.
How many companies do you figure have such problems?
About 95 percent. And most are not aware of it, largely because this industry is changing so rapidly and the installers are not properly trained. A company that specializes in telecommunications cabling, or an individual who has been trained in this, can do a site survey and compliance test to uncover problems. Ask to see training certificates from either a training company or manufacturer, get references, and look at pictures of their installations. If a cabling job is done correctly, it should look very neat and professional with everything labeled - something the installer wants to showcase.
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