Cabling arrangement should be carefully planned when designing our IT infrastructure. It is important to consider multiple issues, such as whether it possible to run the whole infrastructure with the affordable Cat 5 UTP cables. On the other hand, networks that require high performance data transfer may need to use Cat 6 and Cat 5e cables. We should take our future bandwidth projection into account when planning the network design. This should help us determine what kind of cable we should install. It is also important to consider our cable management, because cables lying around could become a rather unsightly mess. Proper cable management is also essential for the lifespan of cable itself. Improper uses of cables could cause them to be stepped on frequently and they could also be twisted excessively. It may be a good idea to choose cables with self-healing capability to make them more durable for prolonged uses.
It is quite likely that we need to expand our network equipment at some point, so it should make sense to plan in advance how cabling should be designed to allow future expansion. Cabling layout shouldn’t only well-planned, but also well-documented, so it is possible to restore to the original layout, when the company moves to new locations. It is also important to make sure how wireless technology should be implemented. Primary data transmission may still require high-speed cables, but data transmission to users could use wireless implementations. It may be important to install wireless repeaters to cover hard to reach areas inside the office and it could also be important to extend 3G wireless network for improve communication and provide alternative data transmission.
It should be noted that there could be issues that we need to face when moving our communication systems to new locations. There could a significant cost attached when we move to new areas, as an example, whether we can retain our configurations and cable layouts. Before we move into our new office, it is important to pre-test our cable connections. This will make sure that our cables are still properly and these cables may already pass their lifetime, it could be necessary to replace some of them. Each equipment and server should be numbered, so we will know where we should place them. We should be able to move all our equipments and make sure that they can occupy new places quickly without new glitches. These days, good data communication is still essential and a weak link in our IT infrastructure caused by improper cabling could cause untold difficulties.
If necessary, it is possible for companies to hire IT infrastructure design consultants that can provide advices to optimize layouts to ensure that we gain highest potentials. A good design should help us save a lot of money in the long run. For example, we should be able to maximize our space and take into account reconfiguration of our facilities and future expansions.