| When commencing with operations to install data | | | | office or room it is destined for, and how it should |
| network cabling, there are a number of do’s | | | | be terminated, whether it be for Ethernet or a |
| and don’ts. First, it is important to note that if | | | | jack for the telephone. Using an indelible ink pen is |
| you are installing the data network cabling in an | | | | perfect for this job. |
| unfinished home, or office, regardless of the size | | | | Don’t |
| of the job, it will be an easier task than in an | | | | Run Cat5 cables right alongside power cables as |
| already completed building. | | | | this most typically causes interference on the |
| Regardless of how large or small your data cable | | | | data network cabling. |
| network is going to be, it is vital to have a | | | | Do |
| home-run location. This is the location where all of | | | | Run Ethernet cabling everywhere, particularly if |
| your cables will terminate. This unit could be a | | | | you have access to open walls during the |
| structured media center that can be flush | | | | construction phase of the office or home. If you |
| mounted prior to the completion of the building | | | | are going to the trouble of installing data network |
| and should be large enough to accommodate both | | | | cabling, it is good to have it in as many places as |
| your present and any future expansion plans for | | | | possible for easy access. Even if you only have |
| your data network. | | | | one Ethernet port in a room, a router can be |
| Do | | | | fitted to allow for more at a later stage. |
| Cross Power and Cat5 cables at a 90º angle. It | | | | Don’t |
| is not always possible to keep both data network | | | | Bundle the data networking cable too tightly, it is |
| cabling and data network cables completely | | | | fine for you to run telephone, data and coaxial |
| separate, and is virtually impossible to keep them | | | | video cable together but the bundles of cables |
| from crossing at certain points in the construction | | | | should definitely not be tied into tight bundles. |
| process. If they must cross, they should be kept | | | | Cable turns should be soft as a kinked cable could |
| at a ninety degree angle to avoid any serious | | | | have a negative impact on the network |
| interference. | | | | throughout. |
| Don’t | | | | Do |
| Ever mix the color scheme of your data network | | | | Keep your cables segregated and plan for any |
| cabling, keep all of you data cabling dependent | | | | future growth, ensure that there is room to run |
| upon what it is that you wish to install data cabling | | | | more data network cabling in the future, |
| for, separate colors; for example, use white | | | | particularly if the cabling is being strung during the |
| cabling for telephone and voice traffic line one, | | | | construction phase of the building. |
| black for line two, yellow for line three, blue for | | | | Do |
| data, etc. | | | | Use mud rings, they are far more practical for |
| Do | | | | telephone Ethernet and coaxial cables and as they |
| Label your cabling. As each piece of data network | | | | are low voltage, the cables do not need to be |
| cabling is strung, it should be labeled as to which | | | | terminated. |