structured cabling

Structured cabling can be a building's telecommunications cabling infrastructure. This infrastructure as a whole consists of quite a few smaller elements known as subsystems. These subsystems consist of (but are not limited to):

* Backbone cabling which connects in between the entrance facilities, equipment rooms and telecommunications rooms.

* Horizontal cabling which connects telecommunications rooms to certain outlets on the floor.

* Telecommunications rooms which home the gear connecting the backbone and horizontal cabling.

The style and installation of structured cabling is governed by a set of standards for data or voice communications, making use of category five or category 6 cable and modular sockets. (Cables can also be called Cat5e or Cat6). These standards outline the best way to lay the cabling in a "star formation". This implies that all outlets are terminated at a central patch panel (normally 19 inch rack-mounted inside the communications cabinet in the telecommunications room - also sometimes called a server room).

Current information cabling standards specify that all eight connectors in Cat5, Cat5e and Cat6 cable are connected, this indicates that you simply cannot 'double-up' or use 1 cable for each voice and data. Structured cabling schemes provide connections from individual points about a building to a central patching location inside a communications cabinet.