Planning network infrastructure is now essential for all organizational setups. Creating robust and sustainable network infrastructure is the need of the hour.
Substandard network infrastructure directly affects the efficiency of an enterprise. PoE switches are a great tool to add security and control to any network setup. Also, they offer you an option to set up a network infrastructure with minimum cabling.
Cables are still an integral part of every network setup, and you need a proper plan for their installation. When cabling for PoE switches, you need fewer cables, but their strategic placement is critical.
Here are the eight most common issues behind every crippling network infrastructure.
Top 8 Issues About PoE Switch Cabling
We no longer live in the times when we could call a telephone engineer to wire our data cables. Every relevant industry now faces stiff competition. In essence, you can’t let your guard down – you need to sort out every issue that can potentially give you an edge over your competition.
You make the decisions, and the professionals do the job. Below are the eight points you need to be attentive to when installing cables for PoE switches.
Failing to Understand Your Exact Cabling Requirements
The speed of 100 MPBS might be enough for your current operational needs. But as things change rapidly in this information age, you may very soon find that the data transfer rate is no longer enough to meet the needs of your enterprise. It will be wise if you go with the latest technology cables. And don’t resort to solving just current network problems.
Also, with PoE switches, all four twisted wires of ethernet cables come into play. So, it’s important when you update your cabling infrastructure, you think of a long-term solution.
Running Ethernet and Power Cables Together
Ethernet cables have four twisted wires in them. Even if you don’t employ these cables for PoE applications, they still carry a shallow voltage current. The current is minimal, but it’s very critical for their operation. The same electric current creates a magnetic field which makes data communication possible.
When you run AC power cables parallel to these Ethernet lines, they disrupt data transmission. And make communication very noisy.
Not Avoiding “Noisy” Devices in Cable Planning
Noise reduction is not limited to merely avoiding electric cables. Your cable planning has to be more comprehensive. Almost all devices with electric current passing through them or creating a magnetic field can affect communication. Motored electric equipment like fans and fluorescent lights are a prominent example of the same.
You can avoid the aforementioned potential disruption by creating an electric influx-free cable pathway.
Not Understanding the Distance Limitation of Cables
At times organizations don’t consider minor details in their infrastructure planning. However such nominal variables tend to have a butterfly effect. Suppose you are to transmit data at the speed of 1GBPS. The standard distance limit for conventional ethernet cables is a hundred meters.
If you exceed the distance, the rate is bound to go down. However, PoE switches solve this problem up to a great extent.
But if you are eyeing anything above 10 GBPS, you should at least use Cat 6A ethernet cables.
Non-Adherence of Local Codes and Standard Procedures
Following the law of the country and sticking to legal guidelines provided by authorities is very important. Not following guidelines can pose a significant risk to the safety of your employees. And if something unfortunate happens at your workplace, you may face legal challenges.
The guidelines are primarily simple to understand. Even if they are not, they have an alternative solution. Just like the use of PVC is banned in some regions. Even so, you can quickly go with an alternative material.
Information on the codes is vital here. It is wise to get a replica of common laws from the concerned authorities and provide it to your contractor. And ask them to adhere to all the mentioned codes strictly.
Adding Unwanted Cables
Even if you opt to renovate your network infrastructure completely, you cannot run lines where you don’t need them. It adds unnecessary clutter to your network infrastructure.
There is also a monetary cost attached to it; you need extra cables and extra labor to install those cables. This practice is illogical if you are setting up your network for PoE use. Ultimately, the whole idea of PoE is to minimize cabling and bring efficiency to a network setup.
Terminating Random Cables
Terminating random cables can prove very costly. Sometimes contractors don’t pay enough attention to these issues. That’s when the organizations that are getting the installation need to intervene.
You also need someone to supervise. It is crucial to follow standard cable terminating protocols. The person managing the installation process should ensure that the technicians use TIA-568 or B methods for wire removal.
Going Ahead Without Testing
No matter how confident or happy you are with the work of your cable contractor. Testing the network is the one step that you cannot skip in any scenario.
In commercial establishments, stakes are always high. If you don’t check the network infrastructure after the new installation, you open gates for potential security breaches.
The ideal way to go about a testing network is to check all the nodes one by one. Testing should happen using proper tools. Also, in the end, you need to verify the length of the cables. And align the network speed with your initial expectations.
Final Thoughts!
PoE switches undoubtedly are the most straightforward tools to maximize the potential of any network. The variety of industrial PoE switches available in the market offer you the flexibility to shape your network.
You can align the Switches with the requirements of your workplace. But as discussed, they need a suitable infrastructure to operate. Setting up network infrastructure for PoE switches is not a very costly affair. Even if you use Cat6A cables, labor costs are likely to be higher than the cost of Ethernet cables. It’s affordable.
You only need a willingness to solve inherent problems. You can avoid the potential issues by acting upon the points raised.
