Cabling and hardware requirements

[Deepak Khemani]

Hi Everyone

I have a requirement where in I need to provide 6-7 network points on each floor of a 12 four building.

I am thinking to place a   48-port access switch so that it can provide connectivity to 6 floors. Is this good approch considering it will be running voice and video services as well.?

These switch then connect to router ?

What kind of cable I should use. Cat 5 or Copper for cabling between floors? And should they be termineted to wiring closet and then another to wall where user will connect his laptop or device?

It will look like

               A                                   B                                   C

Laptop========Wall terminator======== Wiring closet=========  ||

                                                                                                        || 

Laptop========Wall terminator======== Wiring closet======== ||  ||                    D

                                                                                                     ||  ||   ||====================Router

Laptop========Wall terminator======== Wiring closet======= Wiring closet=======Switch

                                                                                                    ||    ||  

Laptop========Wall terminator======== Wiring closet========||    ||

                                                                                                         ||     

Laptop========Wall terminator======== Wiring closet========== ||

If anyone can help me what type of cable to use for

A: Laptop to Wall terminator  ( Normal LAN cable)

B: Wall terminator to Wiring Closet

C: Wiring closet to wiring closet

D: Wiring clsoet to switch and router

I have attached wiring digram in word file as well.

Let mw know if the design is correct? I really have serious doubts on above mentioned wiring plan

Thanks in Advance

[mvknl]

You should keep the maximum cabling lenght in mind. Copper cabling has a maximum of 100 meters. Depending on the size of the building this limit may soon be reached.

For all cabling Cat6 would be sufficient. The connection between wall terminator and laptop could also be Cat5e.

Most of the times the backbone cabling is fiber (from the switches to the 'core') as this allows for future expansion.

[nkarthikeyan]

Hi Deepak,

I suggest you can go for Cat6 cables for this requirement. The other query which you have asked is putting 48 port switch for 6 floors.... Just keep the distance in mind to finalize it. Because UTP cables coverage is limited. It will not work when the distance is long. Cat 6 covers only up to 100 Mts. You should not consider only the height of the building also you consider the distance from IO port to Wall terminator --> Wire Closet which will have lots of up's and downs which leads a more distant...

You can keep 4 No's of 24 port switches and cover the 12 floors.... as far as i suggest.... Say in floors  1 4 7 10 which will cover 1 floor down and 1 floor up....

MM fiber for cascading the switches.... eventhough you can do it through UTP... But fober is the best option

Please do rate if the given information helps.

By

Karthik

[Deepak Khemani]

Thanks for your replies.

Just had a query.... When we say the cal can run 100 meters is it from switch to wirinclosedt (patch panel) or cumulative lenghth of switch to patchnel and then patch panel to end user system.

[Alessio Andreoli]

Max lenght = 90+6+3

Alessio

[mvknl]

It is the complete cumulative length. The only case in which the length can be extended is when an active component (like a switch or repeater) is installed.

Patchpanels are non-active components, so they do not influence the cable length in a positive way (but might in a negative way, depending on the quality of the installation).

So to calculate the cable length you should consider:

- Cable from switch to patchpanel

- Cable from patchpanel to walloutlet

- Cable from walloutlet to system

Beware that in many cases the cabling used is longer than necessary, you often see this in wiring closets where cables of 3m are used when 30cm would have been enough. So to be sure you could better go for a safer cable length like 80m, in which case you'll have about 20 meters of slack.