Enterprise Network Cabling:�Cabling Standards
Enterprise Network 101 Workshop
Structured Cabling Systems
• Only two types of cabling:
– Unshielded twisted pair copper – provides service to individual computers and between network racks
– Fiber optic cabling – provides service to buildings and between network racks
• Everything is run in a star configuration
Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable
• Run in star configuration from network rack location to individual
outlets in offices or labs.
• Run at least 2 cables to every outlet – 4 is recommended if you
can afford it.
• Run 4 to 6 cables between network racks if the distance is less
than 90 meters
• Question: what type of cable to run? Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A?
What type of UTP
What speed does each type support?
Twisted Pair Signaling Standards
IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Signaling Standards over Twisted Pair
Twisted Pair and Wireless
• We see lots of people say “I don’t need to do wiring – we will just
provide wireless”
• For good wireless performance you must provide wiring to each
access point
– Do not use mesh unless it is not possible to do wiring
• Wireless standards are a moving target and as you move to
newer standards that provide faster speeds, you need better
cabling to support the faster speeds
Wireless Standards and Cabling
Fiber Optic Cabling
Two basic types of fiber
- Multimode
- Single Mode
Fiber Optic Cabling
• Multi Mode
– Photons take different paths through the fiber, travelling slightly different distances
– They arrive at different times and interfere with each other
– This severely limits the distance over which communication works
– The problem gets worse at higher transmission rates
• Single Mode
– All photons take the same path
– Works over much longer distances and higher speeds
Optical Interfaces
• We refer to optical interfaces as the module that is placed in a
switch or router to attach to fiber optic cable
• Most common types are SFP, SFP+ and QSFP
Common socket types
UTP Cable Tools
Fiber Optic Testing Tools
Questions?