To connect cable to jacks, follow these steps:
1. Strip back only as much of the cable's jacket as is required to terminate the wires. The more wire you expose, the poorer the connection, and the greater the signal loss.
2. Make sure that you maintain the twists in each pair of wires, as much as possible, to the point of termination. It is the twisting of the wires that produces the cancellation that is needed to prevent radio and electromagnetic interference. For CAT 4 UTP, the maximum amount of untwisted wire that is allowed is 25 mm. For CAT 5 UTP, the maximum amount of untwisted wire that is allowed is 13 mm.
3. If you must bend the cable in order to route it, be sure to maintain a bend radius that is four times the diameter of the cable. Never bend cable to the extent that it exceeds a 90o angle.
4. Avoid stretching cable when you are handling it. If you exceed 11.3 kg of pull, the wires inside the cable can untwist, and as you have already learned, that can lead to interference and crosstalk.
5. If multiple cables must run over the same path, use cable ties to cinch them together. Position the ties at random intervals, then tighten them carefully. Never tighten the ties too much, as that can damage the cables.
6. Minimize the twisting of the cable jackets. If you twist them too much, the jackets may tear. Never allow cables to be pinched or kinked. If this occurs, data throughput will be reduced, and the LAN will operate at less than optimal capacity.
7. Never be stingy when determining the amount of cable that you will need for running cable. It is important to leave ample slack. Remember, a few feet of extra cable is a small price to pay to avoid having to redo a cable run because of problems caused by stretched cable. Most cable installers avoid this problem by leaving enough slack for the cable to reach the floor, and extend another 60-90 cm at both ends. Most installers follow the practice of leaving what is called a service coil, which is simply a couple of extra meters of cable left coiled up inside the ceiling, or in another out-of-the-way location.
8. When securing the cable, use appropriate and recommended techniques for using cable ties, cable support bars, wire management panels, and releasable Velcro straps. Never use a staple gun to position cables. Staples can pierce the jacket, causing loss of connection.
As always, remember the do's and don'ts for installing cable.
Documenting cable runs
Whenever you install cable, it is important that you document your actions. You can do this by using a cut sheet as you install the cable. A cut sheet is a rough diagram that shows the locations of the cable runs. It also indicates the numbers of the classrooms, offices, or other rooms, to which the cables have been run. Later you can refer to this cut sheet to place corresponding numbers on all telecommunications outlets and at the patch panel in the wiring closet. You can use a page in your journal to document cable runs. By doing so, you will have an additional layer of documentation for any cable installation
TIA/EIA-606 specifications for labeling cable
TIA/EIA-606 specifies that each hardware termination unit have some kind of unique identifier. This identifier must be marked on each termination hardware unit, or on its label. When identifiers are used at the work area, station terminations must have a label on the faceplate, the housing, or the connector itself. All labels, whether they are adhesive or insertable, must meet legibility, defacement, and adhesion requirements as specified in UL969.
Types of labels
Avoid labeling cables, telecommunications outlets, and patch panels with terms such as "Mr. Zimmerman's math class," or "Ms. Thome's art class". This can lead to confusion, years later, if someone who is unfamiliar with these locations needs to perform work involving the networking media that is located there. Instead, use labels that will remain understandable to someone who may work on the system many years in the future.
Many network administrators incorporate room numbers in the label information. They assign letters to each cable that leads to a room. Some labeling systems, particularly those in very large networks, also incorporate color coding. For example, a blue label might identify horizontal cabling at the wiring closet only, while a green label might identify cabling at the work area.
To understand how this works, imagine that four cables have been run to room 1012. On a cut sheet, these cables would be labeled as 1012A, 1012B, 1012C, and 1012D. The faceplates, where the cables 1012A, 1012B, 1012C, and 1012D connect to the work station patch cords, would also be labeled to correspond to each cable. You should also label each cable connection at the patch panel in the wiring closet. Place the connections so that the labels are arranged in ascending order. This allows easy diagnosis and location of problems, if they should occur later. And, finally, label the cables at each end.
Preparing cable for routing and labeling
After study and analysis, a determination has been made to run four cables to each room in your school. You have surveyed the routes the cable will follow from the wiring closet to the class room. Now you are ready to run cable. Rather than run the cable four times over the same route, your work will be easier, and you will save time, if you route all four cables at the same time.
To do this, you need four spools of cable. Each spool holds 304.8 m of cable. For ease of handling and to prevent kinking, spools are usually packaged in boxes. The cable feeds from a hole in the side of the box, while the spool turns inside. If the spool you are working with ever becomes separated from the box in which it was packaged, never uncoil the cable. If you attempt to do so, the cable will twist and kink. Instead, lay the spool on its side and unroll the cable as you need it. This will prevent the cable from kinking and becoming tangled.
To help you keep track of each cable as it comes off its spool, assign a letter to each spool. Place the spools at the central point or wiring closet. Unwind a short segment of cable from each spool. Use a permanent waterproof marker to mark the end of each cable so that it corresponds to the letter assigned to its spool. In this case, you know that the cable will run to classroom 1012, so, include that number with each letter. When you finish, the four cables should be labeled 1012A, 1012B, 1012C, and1012D. To ensure that the labels do not rub off or get cut off (the end) later, mark the cable three times, approximately 60 cm apart. To keep all four cables tied securely together, use electrical tape. Bind the cable ends together along with the end of a pull string. You can ensure that the pull string does not come loose by tying some half-hitch knots around the cables with the pull string, before you tape the ends. Don't skimp on the tape. If the string or cables pull out later on, it could cost you time and money.
Labeling cable ends
After you pull the cable along the route you selected earlier, bring it into the classroom. (Note: A future lesson will go into more details regarding some of the techniques used to route cable along walls, inside walls, inside attics, and behind drop ceilings.) Allow enough cable for the ends to reach all the way to each jack location, plus enough excess or slack to reach the floor and extend another 60-90 cm.
Go back to the spools of cable at the central point or wiring closet. Use the labels on each spool as a reference, then mark each cable with the appropriate room number and letter. Do not cut the cables unless they have a label. For best results, cut the cable and the pull string with wire snips. This will produce a clean cut that will not result in loss of signal. If you follow each of these steps, the networking media used for the horizontal cabling run should be labeled at both ends.