Structured Cable
Companies in Texas

What is Structured Cabling?

Structured cabling is the combination of types of cables needed to provide all types of signals to the array of devices we use today. The installation and use of all the wires in a system to provide the signal to televisions, computers, house audio, phones, alarms, security cameras and more would be considered structured cabling. There are many ways to wire a building. If you pull too many, then you waste money on the project. If you don't pull enough cables and end up needing something installed later, the costs can skyrocket. So where is the balance in your infrastructure? We intend to cover these questions on this page.

Where to Begin Wiring a Building

Moving to a new location can be challenging for any business. There are many factors to consider when doing so. From a technology standpoint, you have multiple angles to cover. It's more than phones and computers to think about. You need to ensure the cabling will be more than sufficient to help with growth when the time comes.

First make a floor plan and draw icons of your system layout. See how many ports are needed on each device and what types of connections you require. Then estimate your wire distances to see how many boxes of cable to purchase.

Best Types of Cabling to Install at a Business

Should You Install CAT5 or CAT6?

Another cost-effective option when performing a cable installation project is to go the IP or Ethernet route. Instead of installing bundled cable, some companies decide to just pull Category 5e or Category 6 cables to every single location they might need something. Pretty much every device on the market now has an Ethernet-based version of it. They now have devices that don't even require a power cord to the wall. This proves very handy when adding a camera or wireless access point outside where there are no outlets. Cat5 is cost effective and Cat6 is for long distance.

This technology is called Power Over Ethernet or PoE for short. You can purchase PoE cameras, PoE phones, PoE WiFi access points, sensors and other devices to power up from the Ethernet cable itself. Powering the devices will require a PoE router, PoE switch or inline power adapter to provide power to those devices. If you are running a typical network that is not PoE, then you can install many different types of PoE switches but we always recommend Ubiquiti UniFi switches for small business networks. They have cloud monitoring capability, enterprise-level security and a ton of super cool features you will love. Not to mention, they are very solid and last a long time along with being cost-effective. Once you have a PoE switch, make sure it has the correct power rating to provide enough power for the number of devices you have. Then have a cable installer pull Cat5e or above cables to each location you might want a device now and possibly in the future. The beauty is that you can always keep expanding.