What is Structured Cabling?

Structured cabling refers to the practice of installing voice and data cabling in a building in a standardized or structured fashion. This standardization makes sure that the entire cabling system will be able to meet minimum performance standards in spite of the differences and variations encountered.

Why Aren’t All Cabling Systems Identical?

While an identical and reproducible cabling system would be desirable in each location, this is not always possible due to the following key variations found in each system:

• The requirements of the end user.
• Compatibility with the existing system.
• The specific cabling and supporting products specified.
• Manufacturer’s warranties and specifications.
• Unique architectural features at the site.
• The purpose of the cabling system.
• What equipment and systems the cabling is intended to support.

In spite of, or perhaps because of, these variables which are unique to every installation, structured cabling was designed to create a set of standards that could be implemented, measured and documented across multiple facilities. These standards were developed to provide:

• Measurable performance standards.
• A consistent overall design despite variations.
• Design and documentation that would be useful for any installation.
• A blueprint to bring older and legacy systems into current standards during upgrades.

Structured Cabling Subsystem

No matter how different one cable installation is from others, it was determined that all cabling installations could be broken up into separate and distinguishable modules, each of which would fit standardized requirements and parameters. These six components, or subsystems are:

• Entrance Facilities
  The entrance facilities are points of demarcation between where the phone company network ends and the hardware and connections to the inside cabling begins.
• Equipment Room(s)
  The equipment room is an environmentally protected space or areas that house the wiring consolidation points and equipment such as racks and routers.
• Backbone Cabling
  The backbone cabling connects different equipment and telecommunication rooms housed on different floors or buildings within the cabling system.
• Telecommunications Rooms or Enclosures
  The Telecommunications Rooms (TR) or enclosures (TE) contains the termination points between the backbone cabling and the more localized horizontal cabling.
• Horizontal Cabling
  Horizontal cabling is the inside wiring that runs from the TR or TE to the outlets in the work area. Structured cabling standards limits these runs to 90 meters.
• Work Area
  The work area is where the equipment is connected to the termination point of the horizontal cabling. Standards call for a minimum of two outlets at each work area.

Within these standards and subsystems are many other design specifications and recommendations related to the type of cable used, how the cable is is installed in different areas, types of patch panels and switches employed, color coding recommendations and more.

A professional low-voltage cabling company following the standards of structured cabling can provide a cable installation that meets or exceeds recommended performance standards and is much easier to document and upgrade.