FAST.
RELIABLE.
HANDS-FREE.
FUTURE-PROOF.
TOUCH-FREE ACCESS CONTROL
The Six Sub-Systems of Structured Cabling
Entrance
Facilities
Equipment
Room
Backbone/Vertical
Cabling
Telecom
Rooms
Horizontal
Cabling
Work
Rooms
Structured cabling is the central nervous system of your organization. It is the organized collection of copper or fiber wiring and other components in walls, ceilings, conduit, and elsewhere that connect all your IT hardware of computers, telephones, security cameras, copiers, entry access points, and more to your networks for phone and data.
Every day, organizations utilize and consume data, voice, audio-visual, WiFi, security systems, security cameras, intercoms and more at a rapidly increasing rate and in today's fast-and-getting-faster environment data users, be they individuals or a network, expect service to be uninterrupted, fast, clear, and able to handle whatever is demanded of it. But, few give a moment's thought into what it takes to make it all interconnected, "invisible", and able to expand with the demand. The world has come a long way from wires for phones and telegraphs. This is where structured cabling, also known as data network cabling, becomes critical in any industry.
Experience our interactive Data Cabling Map below to learn about the six-subsystems that comprise a complete infrastructure of a structured cabling system and how everything works together behind the scenes to support your organizational objectives and productivity.
Data Cabling Map
Entrance Facilities
Entrance facilities are where your building connects to your phone company. This area contains the cables, network demarcation point(s), connecting hardware, protection devices and other equipment that connect to the access provider (AP) or private network cabling. It includes connections between outside plant and inside building cabling.
Equipment Room
The environmentally controlled centralized space for telecommunications equipment is usually more complex than a telecommunications room (TR) or telecommunications enclosure (TE). It usually houses the main cross-connect (MC) [Distributor C] and may also contain the intermediate cross-connects (ICs) [Distributor B], horizontal cross-connects (HCs) [Distributor A], or both.
Backbone / Vertical Cabling
The backbone cabling provides interconnection between telecommunications rooms, equipment rooms, access provider (AP) spaces and entrance facilities. There are two subsystems defined for backbone cabling:
-
Cabling Subsystem 2 – Backbone cabling between the horizontal cross-connect (HC) [Distributor A (DA)] and the intermediate cross-connect (IC) [Distributor B (DB)]
-
Cabling Subsystem 3 – Backbone cabling between an intermediate cross-connect
(IC) [Distributor B (DB)] and the main cross-connect (MC) [Distributor C (DC)]
Telecommunications Room
A telecommunications room (TR) or telecommunications enclosure (TE) houses the terminations of horizontal and backbone cables to connecting hardware including any jumpers or patch cords. It may also contain the IC or MC for different portions of the backbone cabling system. The TR or TE also provides a controlled environment to house telecommunications equipment, connecting hardware and splice closures serving a portion of the building.
Horizontal Cabling
The horizontal cabling system extends from the work area’s telecommunications information outlet to the telecommunications room (TR) or telecommunications enclosure (TE). It includes horizontal cable, mechanical terminations, jumpers and patch cords located in the TR or TE and may incorporate multiuser telecommunications outlet assemblies (MUTOAs) and consolidation points (CPs).
Work Rooms & Work Areas
Work area (WA) components extend from the telecommunications outlet/connector end of the horizontal cabling system to the WA equipment.
A minimum of two telecommunications outlets (permanent links) should be provided for each work area. Multiuser telecommunications outlet assemblies (MUTOAs), if used, are part of the WA.
2
3
1
4
5
6