LAN Cable - Standard Deployment

Even though today the wireless era are so popular, the need of LAN Cable is still in demand particularly for large scale network with mix wired and wireless networks. LAN computer network cable takes very important role in the overall performance of large networks. Therefore, understanding the bottom line of well managed network cable is very essential before you develop a large networking infrastructure.

Deploying high speed LAN networks to support the current and future of your network applications and services is required in providing the scalable bandwidth necessary. Traditionally UTP structured cabling system is used to provide high speed and reliable connectivity using popular fast Ethernet (100Mbps) technology or even Gigabit Ethernet technology. Gigabit Ethernet for backbone LAN cabling is recommended today for future expansion of your wired network. While for transmitting high speed inter LANs, the fiber optic backbone is required with Gigabit Ethernet (GE) or even faster with 10GE/100GE speeds.

A well designed computer network cabling is required for reliable and high performance wired connectivity. The following list the minimum requirements and standard recommendation for computer networking system:

1. Certified Cat5e (Enhanced) UTP cable must be used for all structured cabling. This Cat5e can support the gigabit speed
2. All UTP cable segments must be less than 100 meters (around 300 ft) for all patch leads, wall and roof cabling in total and must be Cat5e compliant.
3. All types of Cat5 must be replaced with new certified Cat5e cabling.
4. Documentation for all the computer network cabling must be done. All the patches must be managed in a tidy fashion to a secure location. Labeling must also be provided for all patch panel and wall points

Recommended requirements (Additions)

1. Fiber optic LAN cable must be used for backbone links that require gigabit and even higher. For segments less than 400 meters, the MMF (Multi-mode fiber) connection which is less expensive should be used. For segments up to 2 Km long, the SSF (single-mode fiber) should be used. SC or MT-RJ type interfaces must be used for new fiber optic connectors.
2. Standard Color coded and proper labeling should be used. All cabling system including wall points and patch panels must be properly labeled and color coded.
3. To ensure that all cabling is correctly patched and is tidy, an ongoing cable management process must be in place.

LAN Cable that mostly used in the computer network can be categorized into the following types:

Coaxial LAN Cables

The first generation of LAN cable is the coaxial which was used for 10Base2 and 10Base5 Ethernet in the past years.

Coaxial LAN Cables are used for 10Base2 (thinnet) and 10Base5 (thicknet) Ethernet in years past. 10Base5 used thicker coaxial cable than 10Base2 did. They are regarded as legacy technology today, no longer used in the recent years due to Fast Ethernet Era.

Figure 1 shows a section diagram of coaxial cable that includes the outer jacket; braided copper shielding; plastic insulation; copper conductor and BNC connector.

Ethernet network technology originally based on coaxial cabling which could extend up to 500 meters per segment with the maximum speed it could support was 10Mbps. It was very difficult when you should troubleshoot the networking problem due to disconnected cable.

UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) and STP (Shielded twisted pair)

There are two types of copper-wire UTP and STP LAN Cables but the most popular is the UTP Cables.

The figure 2 shows most of the pertinent details of both types of UTP and STP LAN Cables diagram.

UTP cable contains 4 pairs of color coded plastic insulation. The grade of the cable can be identified by the following factors:

1. The number of twists per inch
2. The less attenuation
3. Less signal interference
4. Less crosstalk

The maximum length the cable can be extended should not longer than 300 ft. (100 meters). You cannot guarantee to go further than 300 ft due to signal strength attenuation becomes more significant. Cat5e UTP cable can deliver the speed up to 1Gigabit which is identified by the slightly higher number of twists per inch with single nylon jacket insulation.

UTP standard

1. Category 1 LAN Cables, for telephones but not for data.
2. Category 2 LAN Cables, maximum speed is 4 Mbps, originally intended to support Token Ring over UTP.
3. Category 3 LAN Cables, maximum speed is 10 Mbps. It can be used for telephones as well, option for Ethernet in years past.
4. Category 4 LAN Cables, maximum speed is 16 Mbps, for the fast Token Ring.
5. Category 5 LAN Cables, maximum speed is 1Gbps, very popular for Computer network cable.
6. Category 5e LAN Cables, maximum speed is 1Gbps, lower emission, more expensive than Cat5, but better for Gigabit Ethernet.
7. Category 6 LAN Cables, maximum speed is 1Gbps+, intended as a replacement for Cat5e with capabilities to support multigigabit speeds.

There are many Cat 6 UTP plenum-rated cables available in the market today for example from Cable to Go 43092 Cat6 550MHz.

Check here for cable and other networking store.

Best practice:

Do not upgrade CAT5 cabling unnecessarily to CAT5e. CAT5e is the current cabling standard that defines LAN connectivity at 10/100 Mbps and provides support for future gigabit to the desktop speeds. Both CAT3 and CAT5 have been superseded by CAT5e, and are no longer recognized as current cabling standards. Existing CAT5 will however support 10/100 Mbps data speeds, but not 1000 Mbps services Gigabit over certified UTP is possible by using CAT5e structured cabling.

Certified UTP cabling is best deployed for all horizontal wiring including both data and phone connections. Ensuring a minimum of two connections at the desktop will allow for both data and current voice connections. Termination of the cabling at the Main Distribution Frame (MDF) should allow for segmentation of the voice and data cabling.

UTP identification

You must get used to identifying the Ethernet cabling through its pin assignment properly based on the Cat5 wire coloring. Fig 3 shows UTP Cat5 pin assignment and wire coloring diagram.  Actually there are two different standards:

1. T568-A is for straight through UTP LAN Cables, both ends of RJ-45 connectors are the same.
2. T568-B for cross-over UTP LAN Cables. Take a closer look at the crossover cabling, pin 2 and 6 and pin 1 and 3 are changed place.

 

Connecting devices

The figure 4 below shows the rule in interconnecting different devices using the UTP LAN cable. For connecting different devices, use straight through cable. For interconnecting the same two devices, use crossover type cable.

Fiber optic Cable

Currently the latest transmission media in Ethernet standard technology is the fiber optic cable. This is the fastest transmission media used in the Ethernet standard with the following features

1. Longer distance can be run
2. Less magnetic interference and yet makes more secure
3. Can deliver the high speeds of up to 10Gbps

Unfortunately, deploying fiber optic is very expensive.

Optical devices for lan cable can be divided into two types:

• Multimode (MM), using a larger diameter size of optical fiber
• Single-mode (SM), using a very small-diameter optical fiber. This type is more expensive due to a more precision manufacturing process. It allows a much longer distances and data rate than does MM fiber.

Optical connector

To transmit data over a fiber optic lan cable, you need a single strand of fiber for one direction. You need two pairs of strand for both direction – one direction for each. The typical connector for each end of strand cable is shown on the picture below.

Now back to our scenario, how can we connect each building with the LAN Cables based on the LAN Cables knowledge we learn above? Picture below shows the best practice how we can connect the two buildings with the LAN Cables, in this scenario is using UTP Cat 5e for outdoor LAN Cables. By using UTP cross-over LAN Cables, you can connect to the trunk port for each switch. You need to configure this port to be a trunk port to be functional. See network configuration for more detail.

Figure 7 shows switch connection diagram with drop cable, and uplink cable.

A drop cable – a computer network cable connects each computer with a switch. This should be Cat 5e UTP with each end of the cabling is RJ-45 connector. Min length is 0.6 meter and the maximum is 100 meters.

What is the more popular best practice computer network cable between the computers and the switch? The picture shown below is a simple diagram how you can distribute the LAN Cables between switch to computers.

Wall jack is a connection point, similar to a telephone jack that allows the computer to connect to the UTP LAN Cables network – RJ-45.

Patch cable is UTP cable segments that are used for connecting the network interface card to the wall jack or for connecting other portions of the cable installation

Patch panel – a connection panel that provides multiple ports which in turn connects to other user devices or connectivity hardware such as a switch.

You can apply this best practice to each of HR; Mining and Workshop buildings. To make this LAN Cables distribution easy to maintain in the future in case there of network connection problem, you need to make a numbering system to each of the wall jack that connect to the patch panel. And also make sure you have a register that list the distribution LAN Cables between the patch panel and the wall jack. Attach this register near the patch panel for the future maintenance. Remember that the rats often bite this UTP LAN Cables, so the necessary protection is needed such as putting the computer network cable into the duct.

The other thing to follow is by using coloring scheme:

function	Cable color
Data Cable -Cat 5e	Blue
Cross-over	Red
Phone / Voice	Grey
ISDN BRI WAN	Yellow – White

Ki Grinsing

Check also related articles:

• Computer networking diagram
• Spanning tree protocols – the basic knowledge
• Home computer network
• Brainstorming in computer networking design
• Virtual LAN tutorial
• LAN topologies – the general types