The most labor-intensive and potentially frustrating portion of your network setup is pulling the cable. Fishing wire through existing walls, over attic beams or through crawl spaces is physically demanding. Surprise obstacles await you with every new cable run. Here are tips to keep in mind while wiring your network to ensure that your time and effort aren’t wasted. When deciding on a path for your cable, inspect attics, basements and spaces above drop ceilings beforehand. An obstacle 5 feet away from the end of a 100-foot run can be frustrating. You can avoid this irritation with some advance planning. In open spaces above drop ceilings, do not allow Cat5 cable to rest on top of fluorescent light fixtures. These produce a great deal of EMI and can adversely affect data transmission. The cable should never be bent to less than a 1-inch radius. This also can lead to weakened or broken conductors. Cable lubricant can make pulling much easier through tight spots. Using it will lower overall pulling tension and reduce the danger of damaging the inside wires. Use only lubricant made for cables. Oil-based lubricants can damage the jacket of Cat-5 cables. When hanging cables, avoid crimping the conductor wires. Do not use staples. Use care not to over-tighten plastic cable ties. Use rubber grommets when threading cable through steel structural members. The maximum data transmission distance for Ethernet cabling is 300 feet. Be sure all your runs are no longer than 280 feet. This will leave an adequate allowance for most patch cords. Writer Bio
