Best Practices That Should Be Adhered To When Installing Network And Data Cables

When doing computer networking, most people would go for the use of wireless technology due to its convenience and the fact that it’s high tech. However, the use of physical connections between devices still has some merit in some situations. If you are on a tight budget, for instance, you could opt to use cabling instead of a wireless system, since this is cheaper. Some parties also find it more comforting to use physical cables from a security perspective.

Though wireless networks are very secure these days, its common knowledge that data traffic in a wireless network can be intercepted by various sources, though decoding it is difficult. With a physical connection, however, you are sure that the information is flowing from one device to another, and the risk of interception is lower. Cables also offer higher data transfer rates than some wireless networks, which makes them ideal for high volume intra-office connections.

If you are keen on using physical cabling for any reason, there are a few things that have to be done in order to ensure that its integrity is maintained. Some of these include:

Remember that length matters

The length of cable between two devices should be kept as short as possible. The reason for this is that the longer the cable, the higher the likelihood of the transmission being attenuated, and this means that the quality of the network will be compromised. It’s standard practice to ensure that cables are no longer than 100 meters to prevent this.

Not all cables are the same

The fact that the use of cable for networking is a relatively old technology means that some parties might think that just any cable will do. However, you need to remember that there is such a thing as a low quality cable, and this needs to be avoided. A low quality cable is usually cheap, but has lower copper in it. This in turn means that it has less conductivity, which reduces the quality of the signal being conducted down it.

Physical stresses do have an impact on the quality of transmission

Most data cables look very tough, and this leads people to thinking that they can be subjected to all manner of forces. While it’s true that they are tough, it’s still important to make sure that they are not subjected to undue forces. For instance, cables that hang loosely tend to stretch under their own weight due to the force of gravity. This then thins out the copper cables within them, and in time reduces the quality of signal transmission down the cable. This is therefore something that needs to be avoided. The same goes for other issues including twisting the cables unnecessarily.

In summary, the use of cable for data transmission and networking is still very reliable, and is the best option in many scenarios. However, it’s important to stick to best practices when installing such a network, since this will have an impact on the quality of signal transmission. This can easily be done by making sure that you consult networking contractors that have a lot of experience in the field to offer the service.