Installation Tips
Dos and donts for installation.
This advice applies equally to copper and
fibre-optic cable.
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General Public Safety Rules
KRONE is obliged by European Law to make course attendees
aware of Health and Safety rules and correct working practices.
Office Working
When working in an office, mark off areas where cables could be a
potential hazard
Remove all customers items that could be damaged during the
installation.
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Remember: A tidy job is a safe job!
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Protective Clothing
Hard hats must be worn on all building sites.
Protective shoes must be worn at all times.
Protective gloves should be worn when pulling in cables.
Goggles must be worn when removing ceiling tiles or when drilling
and chopping into walls.
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It is advisable to wear protective overalls to stop loose clothing
getting caught.
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Ladder Safety
Before using ladders and stepladders, make sure the correct Safety
Procedures are followed for
Siting
Right ladder for right job
Bad weather use
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Slippery surfaces
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Hazardous Materials and Precautions
If you think you may be working in an area where asbestos or other
suspect substances are present:
Stop and inform your supervisor.
Always ask your Supervisor if you have to work in the proximity of
unknown substances.
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Always observe your national Health and Safety at Work
regulations.
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Possible Hazards
Be aware of all electrical cables and inductive lighting.
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Be aware of anything that could cause interference to the cable
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Possible Routes
A careful survey of cabling and wiring routes should be made to
select the best alternatives
The time taken completing a site survey of cable routes will
expedite the installation
Look for possible routes:
Suspended floors
Suspended ceilings
Building risers
Concealed cable systems should be used wherever possible
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Be aware of electrical cable runs
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Estimation of Cable Needed
Use site plans to estimate length of cable needed, remembering to
leave at least:
50cm at socket
2 meters at frame (for terminating).
For short runs pace out length
For suspended ceilings, remember to include length to ceiling and
drop to floor
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Do not exceed the cable lengths specified in the Standards
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Cable Routes
Cables should follow well defined routes
Tray work can be used when available, but must be segregated
from other cables.
Where tray work is not available fixing to the top ceiling must be
made every 300mm max.
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If fixing to ceiling is not possible, route round walls
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Routing Precautions
On no account should cables be suspended from ceiling support
hangers.
When cables are concealed, they must be labelled at all points
where they enter and emerge
Fire walls and barriers must be reinstated to the original standard of
protection
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On no account should cables run near fluorescent lights and
inductive circuits
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Site Plans and Building Plans
Site plans will be available for a new construction; consult with
customer and construction company for running cables.
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Occupied building: Ask customer for a plan with socket
requirements marked on it
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Location of Central Distribution
A room or closet should be chosen for the central distribution.
There should be adequate room to work freely around the frame
and equipment.
Be aware of heat dissipated from the telecommunication equipment
and look at what air flow is available; natural or installed.
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Distribution frames should not be located where personnel could be
put at risk. Example: lift shafts, motor rooms.
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Cabling tools
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Universal Stripping Tool for
removing insulation without
damaging the conductors.
Side (Diagonal) Cutters (10 to
12mm) for cutting the cable off the
reel and to fine tune the cable
ends.
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Box Labelling
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Label the ends of cable and the corresponding box. This will help
for identification purposes at the central distribution frame and
socket.
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Running Cluster Cables
Connect first cluster of cables to draw wire and pull to the first opening in
ceiling.
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Connect second cluster to draw wire and repeat the clusters process until
you reach the end of the run.
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Precautions for Sub-floor and Ducting Access
Floor access traps should not be left open and unguarded.
When working in a floor access use proper guard rails round tile
access.
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As soon as work is completed all covers and fixing screws should
be properly secured
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Power Separation Distances
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Recommended Pathway Separation Distances
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Recommended Pathway Separation Distances
BS EN 50174-2 states that:
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Data cables and power cables must not share the same duct or
conduit:
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Suspended Computer Floor
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The cable should follow raceways if provided.
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Suspended Computer Floor
When running under raised tile floor, lift as many panels as possible
to get from A to B
Cables must be labelled at all points where they enter and
submerge
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Cables must follow well defined routes via floor access.
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Suspended Computer Floor
Communication cables should be separated from electrical cable
by either an electrical screen or a distance of 50 mm to reduce
interference
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Consideration should be given to the use of fire retardant cable and
low smoke emission properties
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Do
use the correct categorised 4-Pair Cable.
label each cable before installation, mark it at both ends - more
than once - using a waterproof marker.
make the longest run first, so that you can take advantage of the
pull string on the shorter runs.
run cables straight and free of kinks with gentle bends for any
change of direction.
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run cables point to point in one continuous length without any
joints in the run.
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Do
make a schematic diagram showing where the cable runs are
and numbers of the rooms they go to...
later, when you wire the patch panel, this plan will tell you what
order to position the cables.
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protect cables where they pass through or over sharp edges,
holes etc.
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Dont
cut unlabelled cable; label cable before routing it or youll lose
track of which cables go to which rooms.
label cable "Ms. Scholls room." Instead, use a label that will be
understandable to someone years later, such as "Room 103".
plan runs longer than 90 metres.
run UTP/FTP/STP cabling outside!
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fill trunking to more than 40% capacity.
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Dont
joint any cable between the patch panel and the wall outlet.
bend cables to less than 8x the diameter of the cable during
installation and 4x when installed.
stretch cables (max. pulling force should not exceed 110
Newton).
... bend the cable or "kink" it when tying it down or laying it in cable
trays or runway strips.
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allow cable to be stretched, pinched, kinked, walked on or have
any other undue stress or tension applied to the cable.
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Dont
tie cable ties too tight - they should be able to slide a little.
install or lay cable too close to fluorescent lights or power lines.
This may result in interference and reduce network quality and/or
speed.
run cables near or parallel to power cables
run cables near devices which can introduce noise. (i.e. heaters,
printers, monitors, lights, copiers, microwaves, etc.).
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strip off too much sheathing or untwist the pairs more than
13mm
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Leave enough spare cable
Dont cut corners with cable - leave ample slack. A metre or so of
cable costs a lot less than the time it takes to redo a cable run
because of cable lengths being too short or the cable being
stretched.
When you wire the jacks and patch panel you should have enough
slack to reach the floor and extend another metre at both ends of
the cable.
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In addition, its standard practice to leave a service coil - a few extra
feet of cable coiled up inside the ceiling or other out-of-the-way place.
However, do not exceed the 90m rule.
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Common cabling installation faults
Excessive untwisting of the pairs prior to insertion into the IDC
contacts. The maximum allowed is 13mm;
Failure to adhere to the maximum bend radius (less than four times
the diameter of the cable);
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Over-cinching of cable bundles
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Installation - Cable sheath removal
Maintaining cable sheath integrity is associated with the design and
control of cable impedance.
The most common problem associated with large impedance
variations is excessive return loss.
Disturbing the pair geometry and removing too much cable sheath
can adversely affect FEXT and Attenuation performance.
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There are no standard requirements on the maximum amount of
cable sheath to remove, but we recommend that no more that 75
mm (3.0) of the sheath be removed.
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Installation - Pair untwist
The following are quotations from Standards:
July 1991: UTP connecting hardware shall be installed to provide
minimal signal impairment by preserving wire pair twists as close as
possible to the point of mechanical termination.
October 1995: The amount of untwisting in a pair as the result of
termination to connecting hardware shall be no greater than 13mm
(0.5) for Cat. 5 cables and no greater than 25mm (1.0) for Cat. 3
cables.
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No more than 13mm (0.5) of pair untwist should be made for Cat.
5e and Cat. 6 cables.
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Summary
Sheath removal
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Care should be taken to
minimise cable sheath
disturbance and/or removal. Do
not exceed 75mm.
Untwisting pairs
Do not exceed 13mm of untwist
for Cat. 5e and Cat. 6 cabling.
13 mm max.
75 mm max.
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Floor Distributor Layout
Information on laying out a cabinet for use as
a floor distributor.
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Overview
The detailed layout of communications racks varies naturally from
installation to installation but there is an overall scheme that has
become generally accepted.
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The scheme allows for the expansion of the wiring network and
maintains a consistent arrangement of equipment without the need
for constant reorganisation when additions or alterations are made.
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Provisioning (1)
1. Permanent UTP/STP cabling to users outlets.
This is usually presented in the form of RJ45 patch panels.
2. Permanent twisted pair connections to incoming voice circuits from
the Building Distribution Frame (BDF).
These too are presented in the form of RJ45 patch panels.
3. Active communications equipment connected to the campus data
network.
These always require an electrical mains supply but they vary widely in
outward appearance; commonly, they are Ethernet switches presenting
their output ports on RJ45 sockets.
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4. Electrical mains distribution.
These components are installed as a bank of unswitched mains sockets.
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Provisioning (2)
[Link] fibre terminations that provide the actual link to the campus
data network.
These are usually presented in the form of a fibre tray with the connections
protected by dust caps.
Occasionally, the connection to the campus data network may be achieved
by means other than optical fibres. (e.g. coax or twisted pair cables).
[Link] management components.
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These usually take the form of metal loops to retain the cables used to
make the patched connections between active equipment and users
sockets.
NOTE: The use of nylon cable ties is now not recommended. Cable
bundles should be formed/secured using reusable fabric hook and loop ties
(Velcro). This form of cable tie allows additions and changes to be made
easily, does not distort cables and does not tear the skin.
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Recommended cabinet layout
Patching for users sockets is located at
the front-top of the rack and expands
downwards.
Active communications equipment is
located in the front-middle of the rack and
expands either towards the voice patching
fields or towards the users outlet patching
fields as space permits.
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Patching for voice circuits is located at the
front-near-bottom of the rack and expands
upwards towards the top of the rack.
Optical fibre trays are located below the
voice-patching field at the front-nearbottom of the rack and expand
downwards.
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Notes
1. Mains distribution for the rack is located at the back of the cabinet
and is fed from an unswitched fused spur which is in turn derived
from an independent feed on the mains distribution board within the
building.
The mains cables to the communications equipment should formed into a
neat cable loom with fabric hook and loop ties and kept away from any
voice or data cables. The metalwork of the rack or cabinet should be
bonded to earth.
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2. Cable management fields for patch cables are located at the fronttopmost position of the rack and then at every fourth position
thereafter.
Cable management for permanent wiring is located at the back of the
cabinet and secured using fabric hook and loop ties (Velcro).
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Installation practices
Rights and Wrongs
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Laying cables (1)
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Properly supported ladder rack.
Allowing cable transition between
floors.
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Laying cables (2)
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Cables going through risers
between floors must be properly
supported for their weight.
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Laying cables (3)
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Proper use of waterfall (rounded
transition) fittings for cable
changing from a horizontal path to
a vertical one. This maintains the
minimum bend radius for Cat. 5e
and Cat. 6 cable.
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Laying cables (4)
Ladder tray installed above drop
ceiling.
NOTE:
.Finished section going into
conduits that has been properly
bundle to Ladder Tray with
Velcro strips.
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The conduit bushings on the
end of the conduits are fitted to
prevent the cable being nicked
on rough conduit edges during
pulling.
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Laying cables - Installation errors (1)
There are multiple problems with
this picture.
1: The Hooks are attached to the
ceiling grid.
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2: The cable bundle is practically
laying in the fluorescent light just
left of middle in the photo.
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Laying cables - Installation errors (2)
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This is not acceptable. The cable
should have branched out at the
support.
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Laying cables - Installation errors (3)
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Never run parallel with electrical
conduits or strap to them.
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Laying cables - Installation errors (5)
A kink that has been pulled
straight using excessive
force.
A cable that has been bent
back on itself.
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A cable that has been crushed.
Another example of a cable
loop that that has been
forced straight.
Note the cuts in the
cable sheath
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Pair untwist
The pairs have been untwisted too much.
The pairs are correctly untwisted to within 13mm of the IDC termination.
Dont re-twist the wires, the twist rate is designed for optimum performance re-twisting can alter this.
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Sheath removal
Too much sheathing has been removed from the cable.
Only enough sheath has been removed to make up the
connector.
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Cable tie wraps
The tie wrap is too tight, the cable geometry has been altered.
Never cinch plastic cable ties overly tight. If it deforms the
outer cable jacket it is too tight.
The cable tie is holding the cable but not changing the
geometry.
The use of mechanical or powered cable tightening devices is
strictly prohibited.
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Wall fixings
The cable geometry has been altered by stapling
the cable too tightly.
The cable geometry has been maintained, the
cables are supported but not compressed.
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Bend radius
Excessive bending tends to open wire twists making the cable
more susceptible to noise.
The cable are laid within the 4x outside diameter limits.
When installing cable do not exceed 8x the outside diameter.
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Bend radius
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Wall-mounted cable supports
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What is wrong here?
Unacceptable wiring practice
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Common Cable Installation Faults
Excessive untwisting of the pairs prior to insertion into the IDC
contacts. The maximum allowed for Category 5e is 13mm and 0mm
for Category 6.
Failure to adhere to the maximum bend radius (less than four times
the diameter of the cable).
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Over-cinching of cable bundles.
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The Effects of Cable Untwist
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Cable Sheath Removal
Maintaining cable sheath integrity is associated with the design and
control of cable impedance.
The most common problem associated with large impedance
variations is excessive return loss.
Disturbing the pair geometry and removing too much cable sheath
can adversely affect FEXT and Attenuation performance.
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There are no standard requirements on the maximum amount of
cable sheath to remove, but we recommend that the sheath be
maintained as close as practically possible to the point of
termination.
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Insulation Displacement Connection
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When the Insulation Displacement Contacts (IDC) pierce
the conductor they produce a weak point within it. By
angling the contact at 450 the weak point is minimised. If
the conductor is not restrained it could lead to a fracture
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Insulation Displacement Connection
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PCB Patch Panel
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Maintenance of Cable Sheath to Termination
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Termination of PCB Patch Panel
Install the cable and tie the
cable into position on the
Patch Panel plate using
cable ties.
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Terminate using the
preferred termination
pattern, either 568A or 568B
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Fire Stopping
Fire containment is an essential part of a cable
installers job, as it is often necessary to create
openings in the existing walls and floors within a
building. These must be closed safely, according
to construction and fire regulations.
Firestopping Is necessary for 5 reasons:
Saving lives
Buying time
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Protecting critical systems
Protecting investments
Liability
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Fire Stopping
The cabling installer can be held
personally responsible for:
Improper firestopping
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Not firestopping
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Installation practices
Some ways NOT to do it
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