Structured Data Cabling Installations
FDE offers expert data cabling services to a variety of private and public sector customers in Greater London and the Home Counties. Our portfolio of customers include companies, schools, property developers, construction firms and electrical services firms. Our engineers have the proven expertise to deliver projects that range from a few to hundereds of data points.
What We Offer
- Network design, planning and project management
- Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a and Cat7 procurement and installation
- Trunking, containment and cable management
- Cable joining, termination and data point installation
- Fluke testing and certification
- Cable fault-finding, repair and maintenance
More Information
There are a number of different kinds of ethernet cables, each with their own price point and performance. Below is a summary:
- Cat 5 - this cable type is largely being phased out and is not commonly used in new installations.
- Cat 5e - this cable type is commonly used in small office or home environments. It has a maximum transmission rate of 1 Gbs at 100 meters and a maximum bandwith of 100MHz.
- Cat 6 - this cable type is commonly used in corporate and public sectors environments. It has a maximum transmission rate of 1 Gbs at 100 meters and a maximum bandwith of 250+ MHz. It has varying degrees of shielding depending on manufacturer. Shielding minimises the 'cross talk' between the sets of twisted cable pairs.
- Cat 6a - this is the newer variant of Cat6 and has a maximum transmission rate of 10 Gbs at 100 meters and a maximum bandwith of 500 MHz. Cat6a cables are usually shielded.
- Cat 7 - this cable type has a maximum transmission rate of 10Gbs and a maximum bandwidth of 600 Mhz. Cat7 cables are usually shielded.
After surveying your site, FDE will advise you on the most suitable ethernet cable category for your project.
The pros and cons of cabled networks and wireless networks:
- Network speed - cabled networks are significantly faster than wireless networks. Speeds remain consistent across the network and are not affected by issues such as signal strength.
- Reliability - cabled networks are far more reliable because they are not prone to interference by other signals.
- Ease of installation and cost - Typically, installation of a cabled network requires more man-hours and materials than a wireless network. As a result it usually costs more. Althrough, these costs are reduced when upgrading an existing cabled infrastructure.
- Security - Wired networks are invisible to all devices that are not physically connected to them so they are more secure.
It is standard practice in most corporate and public sector environments to have both cabled and wireless infrastructure. Although wireless signal speeds are slowly closing the gap on cabled networks, many businesses can't operate efficiently in the long run without the reliability and security of a cabled network.
FDE offers a turnkey service for structured cable installations. Our typical project lifecycle includes:
- Free site survey
- Free consultation on install specifications and approach
- Specifying costs on labour and equipment and agreeing on timescales
- Documentation and sharing of risk assessments (if applicable)
- Project delivery phase
- Testing and certifying installation
- Aftercare and support phase