cim 20071101 nov_2007

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Nothing is more treasured in field termination than exceptional optical performance. The secret to UniCam® Pretium™-Performance Connectors is inside – a laser-cleaved, factory-polished fiber stub that ensures outstanding connectivity ina no-epoxy/no-polish (NENP) connector. UniCam Pretium-Performance Multimode Connectors offer 0.1 dB insertion loss.And UniCam Pretium-Performance Single-Mode Connectors enable 0.2 dB insertion loss. That’s exceptional optical performance in less than a minute per fiber, from the most widely deployed NENP connector on the market. Naturally ...Customer-focused innovation is second nature at Corning.www.corning.com/cablesystems/cimls

Exceptional optical performance comes naturally.

© 2007 Corning Cable Systems LLC / LS-02413

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M SaGEFC7Installation MaintenanceC7



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See how the DTX Compact OTDR Module can turn your cable tester into an OTDR and your staff into fiber experts – to completely transform your fiber business. Imagine. A cable tester that becomes a

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departments

features

www.cablinginstall.com

NOVEMBER 2007 VOL. 15, NO. 11

ABOUT THE COVER

While Wi-Fi deployments have had mixed results in many cities, Minneapolis’

partially built network proved vital in coordinating

rescue and relief eff orts following a highway bridge

collapse this summer.TO LEARN MORE,

SEE PAGE 39.

9 6A’s fi nal hurdle: testing(But not the kind you think)Committee members optimistically look at December as a potential publish date. PATRICK McLAUGHLIN

15 Making the right connection:Bonding a shielded systemBonding the system to ground helps ensure optimum performance for your shielded system. TOM TURNER & ROBERT DENNELLY

25 The verdict is in:Court chooses fi ber-to-the-deskTexas U.S. District Court rules in favor of an optical cabling solution—for itself. BOB BALLARD, RCDD

33 Energy consumption an overriding issue Federal government involvement is driving improved practices for more effi cient operation. PATRICK McLAUGHLIN

39 Wi-Fi trials, tribulations—What’s working, what’s notMany failures and some successes mark cities’ efforts to deploy wide scale Wi-Fi. BETSY ZIOBRON

49 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Mini Max cabinets boost school district’s IT upgrade

Prysmian unveils high-rise FTTx cable

4 EditorialAn insider’s take on cable-removal defi nition

6 Letters

53 New Products

55 Product Focus: MARKING & LABELING EQUIPMENT

CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE (ISSN 1073-3108), a trademark, is published 12 times a year, Novemberly, by PennWell Corporation, 1421 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112; telephone (918) 835-3161; fax (918) 831-9497; Web address www.pennwell.com. Editorial offi ces: 98 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH 03062-5737; telephone (603) 891-0123. © 2007 CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE. All rights reserved. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specifi c clients, is granted by CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE (ISSN 1073-3108), provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA; (978) 750-8400. Prior to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA; (978) 750-8400. For further information, check CCC Online at the fol-lowing address: http://www.copyright.com/. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted. Bulk reprints can be ordered from Diane Troyer, telephone (603) 891-9135. Corporate offi cers: Frank T. Lauinger, Chairman; Robert F. Biolchini, President and CEO.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE, Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 3280, Northbrook, Il 60065-3280. Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: P.O. Box 1632, Windsor, ON N9A 7C9. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK 74101 and other additional offi ces. Subscriptions: In the U.S.: one year $74; Canada/Int’l surface : one year $84; International via air: one year $100. If available, back issues can be purchased for $16 in the U.S. and $21 elsewhere. We make portions of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that may be important for your work. If you do not want to receive those offers and/or information, please let us know by contacting us at List Services, CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE, 98 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH 03062-5737-“Canada return address: PO Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S4”.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance November 2007 3

PHO

TO B

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NA

STO

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PATRICK MPATRICK MccLAUGHLINLAUGHLINChief EditorChief Editor

[email protected]@pennwell.com

4 November 2007 Cabling Installation & Maintenance www.cablinginstall.com

Yeah, I know. I climb on the abandoned-cable soapbox time and again, and see no reason

to apologize for it. So get ready (or get fl ipping the page), because here I go again.

Not long aft er I wrote an article in our July issue en-titled “Abandoned cable removal a dogged challenge for all” (page 25), I received a call from a gentleman

who had just read my article and paid particular attention to the following line: “One potential reason for such unpredictable enforcement could be the sometimes-confounding wording within the NEC in which abandoned cable is referenced.” He suggested I might want to get in touch with Phil Janeway, who chairs BICSI’s Codes Committee ... before Phil read the article and got in touch with me.Mr. Janeway, I was informed, would not use the word “confounding” to describe those parts of the National Electrical Code that deal with aban-doned cable.

Shortly thereaft er, I had the oppor-tunity to speak to Phil Janeway, and discovered the assessment I was giv-en was absolutely true. He does not believe the abandoned-cable-remov-al requirements are vague, nor do they provide loopholes that would al-low building owners to keep in placecable that will never again be put to any practical use. As a member of the National Fire Protection Associ-ation group that developed the orig-

inal abandoned-cable requirements, he explained to me that those re-quirements were perfected over threerevision cycles before they werefi nally included in the NEC. At three years per cycle, that’s as much as nine years of work. In that time, Janeway explained, the wording was pondered exhaustively.

Th en he gave me his perspective on how to determine if a cable fi ts the defi nition of “abandoned.” I had nev-er heard it put this way before. Rather than telling me when/if/why a cable not currently in use would have to be removed from a building, Jane-way laid out the circumstances un-der which such a cable can stay in a building. Quite simply, it has to meet two requirements: 1) It must be ter-minated at both ends; 2) It must be tagged for future use.

End of story. No need for debate about a cable that’s terminated on one end but not the other. No get-ting away with tagging an untermi-nated cable for future use just so you don’t have to rip it out.

As one who has been guilty of treat-ing NEC requirements for abandoned-cable removal like they’re the tax code, I found it enlightening to hear from one of the men who helped craft those requirements. Hopefully, you fi nd itinteresting too.

An insider’s take oncable-removal defi nition

Chief Editor / Patrick McLaughlin(603) 891-9222 • [email protected]

Executive Editor / Steve Smith(603) 891-9139 • [email protected]

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THE CUT-OVER.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.OCCASIONALLY FOLLOWED BY THE MOMENTS

OF DREAD, BLAME AND CONFUSION.

There comes a moment in every project when each decision you’ve made is put

to the test. Success and failure hang in the balance, as the switch is made from

the old system to the new. At moments like these, your most crucial decision was

actually one of your first: your distributor. If it’s Graybar, you’re not on your own. Our

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Who’s dense?Th e photo on page 37 of your Sep-tember issue (right) is of a tele-phone system, not a bladeserver.

Attention to detail in the industry is important. Good article, though.

Randy AldousSubmitted via e-mail

While the telephone system pictured on that page is dense, and a blade server also is dense, evidently neither one is as dense as the author/editor who chose to include the photo in the article.—Ed.

Fiber over copperFrom your September issue, I have to agree with the arti-cle Doug Coleman of Corning Cable Systems wrote: “Opti-cal connectivity a good choice in the data center” (page 9). I

have thought that for a long time now. If you look closely at the pictures

in the article “Back to school with10-Gbit Ethernet” (page 19), you

can see how bulky the cables are. I don’t think some of the cables pictured will pass 10-Gbit either. Somecable ties are too tight, some cables look like they are bent in a 90-degree turn going into the patch panel, no cable management/support, too much length of twisted-pairwire extended out from the end of the cable before it is punched down … just to name a few things I can see from the pictures.

Ronnie Sugarek, RCDD/OSP/TPMSubmitted via e-mail

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www.cablinginstall.com Cabling Installation & Maintenance November 2007 9

design

If all goes according to plan, the fi nal chapter of the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA; www.tiaonline.org) standardization of Augmented Category 6 (Category 6A) specifi cations will be written before this calendar year ends. Th e group has its sights set on a meeting the second week of Decem-ber, at which all outstanding issues may be resolved and the standard approved for publication.

“Th e standard is in great shape,” says Val Rybinski, global sales engineer with Siemon (www.siemon.com) and newly-re-elected chair of the TIA’s TR-42.7 Tele-communications Copper Cabling Systems Committee.

“Th e transmission numbers have been fi rm for a long time; they have not changed in two years,” she adds. In addition to establishing link and channel performancerequirements, TIA standards also specify the perfor-mance of components within those systems. And it’s some of those component specifi cations—for connect-ing hardware, in particular—that TR-42.7 must fi nalize before the standard is complete.

Measuring component compliance?From a standards-process viewpoint, the only part of the standard that is still under review—and, therefore, still has the potential to change—is the procedure for mea-suring connecting-hardware component compliance.

“We froze the entire body of the document except a fewminor technical changes” related to the component-mea-surement procedure, Rybinski states. So, it is safe to say the link and channel specifi cations are indeed fi nal, as they have been for two years.

Th e most recent category-rated TIA specifi cation, Cat-egory 6, specifi ed performance levels to 250 MHz. Cat-egory 6A doubles that frequency to 500 MHz, which is in sync with the maximum frequency of the Institute

of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE; www.ieee.org) 10GBase-T specifi cations. Such high frequen-cies have been new territory for the group, which has been challenged to make some minute measurements ofconnectors to 500 MHz without using ASTMInternational (www.astm.org) tests as references, be-cause no such tests exist.

“We can make measurements with a certain amount of inaccuracy—say 1 dB, for example,” Rybinski continues.

“What we’d like to do in the standard is get that inaccu-racy reduced, and the way to do that is to develop better test fi xturing. We believe the new measurement fi xture made specifi cally for connecting hardware will allow us to make very accurate measurements.”

Eff ectively isolating a connector and measuring that connector’s performance presents numerous challengesfrom technical and practical standpoints, and TR-42.7 formed a task group—headed by the committee’sco-chair, Sterling Vaden—to develop and refi ne a test fi xture for the purpose.

Among the technical challenges the group has faced are maintaining good impedance around 100 Ω at500 MHz, and one of the biggest practical challenge isisolating the twisted pairs from the measurement. His-torically, the characteristics of the test leads used in the process have been subject to change during the testing process, due at least in some part to the leads’ movement while testing is underway. Th e fi xture recently developed and currently being used by the test-fi xture task group keeps the test leads very precisely located, thereby allow-ing them to be subtracted from the measurement andallowing as pure a connector measurement as possible.

If the connector fi ts…Th e next step, one that is set to be taken as this article is going to press, is a series of round-robin testing in

6A’s fi nal hurdle: testing(But not the kind you think)

Committee members optimistically look at December as a potential publish date.

PATRICK MPATRICK MCCLAUGHLIN LAUGHLIN is chief editor of is chief editor of Cabling Installation & Cabling Installation & Maintenance.Maintenance.

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which multiple manufacturers’ connectors are tested using a single fi xture. Hugo Draye, product manager for certifi ca-tion products with Fluke Networks (www.fl ukenetworks.com), points out that such testing is critical to arguably the most im-portant characteristics of standard-compliant products—in-teroperability and backward compatibility.

“Manufacturers of connecting hardware are ready to conduct round-robin testing of each component,” says Draye. “Th at happens late in the standards process,” and he notes that the

group is close to a fi nal document. “At some point, jacks and plugs need to be defi ned as components. Link and channel per-formance reports must be based on individual components.”

Draye recalls that similar challenges faced Category 6, when early pre-standard plugs and jacks were not interoperable among vendors, nor necessarily backward-compatible with lower-category hardware. Back then, technology progressed and connecting-hardware manufacturers refi ned their compo-nents to perform within the TIA-established parameters that

would ensure both interoperability and backward compatibility. With Category 6A,TIA is on the threshold of fi nalizing the means for measuring connectors’ ability to perform within those parameters.

Somewhat ironically, it has been an-

other form of Category 6A testing—alien crosstalk and the means of fi eld-testing for it—that has generated about 99% of the pre-standard buzz. On that topic, Rybinskioff ers two facts that may surprise many:• Everything related to fi eld-testing proce-

dures for Category 6A have been closed. Th e specifi cations are complete.

• Standards have never made fi eld test-ing mandatory. Category 6A is noexception.

Sampling undefi nedTo that end, Draye observes, “Th e TIA and IEEE have said, ‘Here’s how you measure, here are limit lines, et cetera.’ Th e stan-dards clearly defi ne what to measure and how to do it to ensure valid results. But they do not address the sampling method.”

In other words, the standards are silent and users are left to make their own deci-sions about testing all, some, or no Cate-gory 6A circuits for alien crosstalk.

As Rybinski pointed out, this is noth-ing new.

“The standards clearly de-

fi ne what to measure and

how to do it to ensure valid

results. But they do not

address sampling method.”

________________





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E

F

G

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BA

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G

ERITECH® Grounding & Bonding Products Enhance Your Data Center Reliability

ANSI is a registered trademark of the American National Standards Institute. CSA standards are a copyright of the Canadian Standards Association International.IEEE standards are a copyright of the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers NEMA is a registered trademark of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. UL is a registered trademark of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.EIA is a copyright of the Electronic Industries AllianceTIA is a copyright of the Telecommunications Industry Association

ERICO® provides a comprehensive approach to grounding, bonding, surge protection and lightning protection applications. Trust ERICO products to enhance safety, reliability and prevent damage to your datacenter equipment.

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A

ERITECH® HAMMERLOCK • Connects the grounding conductor to the ground rod with the swing of a hammer• Has greater current carrying capacity than most mechanical ground rod connectors

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ERITECH® EK16/EK17 Direct-Burial Ground Clamps to Rebar • Features a conductor lay-in slot that reduces installation time • Designed to handle a range of conductors from #10 to #2 AWG

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ERITECH® Convenient Ground Electrode (CGE) Kits • Contain two 4-ft, 5/8-in. diameter, ERITECH® copper- bonded ground rods, a drive sleeve, a compression coupling and a grounding connector • Easier to install from ground level and more convenient to transport than 8-ft ground rods

ERITECH® Ground Bars • Provide a convenient, single- point grounding and bonding location• Create an equipotential plane between service grounds and equipment during fault and transient conditions• TIA©/EIA© 607 Compliant

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PSANEXT performance comparison

-20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90

PSANEXT(db)

Frequency (MHz)

Category 6

IEEE limit

Category 6A UTPCategory 6 ASTP

100 200 300 400 500 600


installationwww.cablinginstall.com

With the publica-tion of the IEEE 802.3an 10GBase-T standard in 2006, Augmented Category 6 (i.e., Category 6A) cabling sys-tems are being deployed in data centers. Due to the high electrical frequency needed to support 10-Gbit/secdata rates over copper cabling, the mitigation of signal coupling between cables in close proximity, known as alien crosstalk (alien near-end crosstalk or NEXT, and alien equal-level far-end crosstalk or ELFEXT, which is also called alien attenuation-to-crosstalk-ratio at the far end, or AACRF), is critical to meet 10GBase-Tperformance standards.

Shielded Category 6A links off er clear performance benefi ts at 10 Gbits/sec by reducing or eliminating the eff ect of alien crosstalk and providing superior immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI), such as radio-fre-quency interference (RFI). But it is important that shieldedcabling systems be properly bonded and grounded toensure the highest level of performance and to protect expensive IT equipment. If shielded cabling systems are not properly designed and/or installed, transmissionerrors may occur due to unwanted additional noise.

Let’s consider the performance benefi ts of shielded twisted-pair structured cabling, and answer the follow-ing top-of-mind user questions on bonding and ground-ing best practices:• Where, and how oft en, should the shielded cabling

system be bonded?• How can I tell if my existing grounding system is

adequate for shielded cable?• How can I tell if ground-loop problems exist at the

workstation, and what can be done about the loops?

Performance benefi ts of 6ACopper is the preferred structured cabling medium for most connections in the data center and horizontal

links to the workstation due to its easy termination andinstallation in the fi eld, and cost-eff ective electronics. Of the available copper cabling types, unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) Category 6A copper solutions are specifi callydesigned to reduce the eff ect of alien crosstalk by incor-porating innovative features into both the cable (such as increased separation between cables and tighter twist rates) and the connectors (such as crosstalk suppression within the printed circuit board).

Shielded Category 6A systems off er a diff erent tech-nique to suppress alien crosstalk, using foil and/orbraided shielding within the cable to prevent signals from coupling between cables. Th ese screens provide signifi cant margin over IEEE 802.3an specifi cations for power-sum alien attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio at the far end (PSAACRF), virtually eliminating the eff ect of alien crosstalk and providing more than 20 dB of headroom over comparable UTP systems. Th is impact is similar whether the cable contains individual shields around each pair or a single foil around all pairs.

Th e increased suppression of ANEXT and AACRF by shielded cables also eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming fi eld-testing of alien crosstalk. Fur-

Power-sum alien near-end crosstalk performance characteristics of copper cabling systems over a 100-meter channel.

Make the right connection: Bonding a shielded system

Bonding the system to ground helps ensure optimum performance of your shielded system.

TOM TURNER TOM TURNER is business development manager and is business development manager and ROBERT ROBERT DENNELLYDENNELLY is product liner manager at Panduit Corp. (www.panduit.com). is product liner manager at Panduit Corp. (www.panduit.com).







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Typical bonding and grounding

TGB (telecommunicationsgrounding busbar)

TBB (telecommunicationsbonding backbone)

MCBN (mesh commonbonding network)

Structured ground system

The system groundingprotection starts at the

jack module with360º shielding

The connector is thenbonded to the

patch panel

The patch panel isbonded to the rack

with bonding screws.

Finally, the entiresystem is bonded from

the rack to MCBNlocated in the floor

1

2

3

4


ther, the foil shields provide superior immunity to EMI/RFI and makes it diffi cult for unauthorized users to “listen in” by providing a more-securedata environment for such markets as government or such applications as gaming that require strong levels of security.

Importance of bonding, groundingAlthough overall integrity of the power and grounding system is crucial to ensure the reli-ability of all networked equipment, there is oft en confusion over how to properly ground and bond shielded cabling solutions.

Th e primary purpose of the grounding and bond-ing system is to create a robust path for equaliza-tion of voltages and for resultant surge currents to return to their source. Lightning, power-system fault currents, circuit switching (motors on and off ), activation of surge-protection devices, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) are common causes of transient voltages and electrical surges. Ground loops are a potential disruption to data signals, and developwhen a voltage diff erence occurs in the ground at each end of a cable shield, causing a current to fl ow through the shield.

To realize the full performance benefi ts of any structuredcabling system, shielded or unshielded, the overall integrity of the bonding and grounding system must be sound. According

to standards TIA-942, ANSI J-STD-607-A, and IEEE Std 1100-2005 (Th e Emerald Book), here are the principles of a properly designed grounding and bonding system in a data center:• An intentional design—each connection must be engineered

and installed to properly handle the anticipated currents;• Bonds all metallic components to the grounding system

(e.g., equipment, racks, cabinets, access fl oors, ladder racks, cable trays, water pipes, conduit, building steel);• Visually verifi able and generally arranged for

ease of inspection and testing;• Equalization paths and ports for ESD-protec-

tion wrist straps;• Support for the proper operation of surge protec-

tion device for IT equipment and power circuits;• Electromagnetic compatibility within the data

center environment;• Adherence to all local electrical codes, and

listed with a nationally recognized test lab.In addition, it is recommended that complete

system bonding be observed over the entire net-work to minimize any electrical potential dif-ferences. Complete system bonding for any structured cabling system exhibits the following characteristics:• Electrical continuity throughout the rack;• Bonds equipment and patch panels to racks/

cabinets;• Bonds each rack/cabinet to the telecommunica-

tions grounding busbar (TGB); this may

This example of a telecommunications bonding and grounding system exhibits the essential principles as well as the recommendations of the TIA-942, ANSI J-STD-607-A, and IEEE Std 1100-2005 specifi cations.

Following these four steps with the Structured Ground System provides robust connections that have low resistance, are easy to install, and are easily checked during inspections.










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Shielded cable/jack

Foil ofshielded cable 360˚

terminationcap


be done via a mesh common bonding network (MCBN);

• Bonds the telecommunications grounding system to the alternating-current (AC) ser-vice panels serving the IT equipment in the room; such bonding promotes equivalent ground potential between the IT equipment grounding and the equipment ground of the power system(s) serving the IT equipment;

• Proper bonding and grounding elements (clear covers, ID labels, green-coded conduc-tors) to aid in visual verifi cation of the system.

Best practices for shielded For shielded cabling systems, the additional step of bonding the cable shield is essential to ensure proper system performance. Th e foil screen in Category 6A shielded cabling already pro-vides enhanced system performance by preventing unwanted cable-to-cable signal coupling (i.e., alien crosstalk). A proper-ly bonded and grounded shielded cabling system further pro-tects twisted pairs from external noise by carrying induced current along the continuous foil shield of the cable to thetransceivers at each end of the cable.

We recommend a 4-step process to properly bond the shield at the patch panel:1. Bond all the shielding (foil and/or braid) of thedata cable to the shielded jack module, which provides

360° shielding termination.2. Snap the jack module into an all-metal patch panel to

create a bond between the module and the unpainted tabs on the patch panel.

3. Attach the patch panel to the rack using thread-forming bonding screws; the thread on the screws removes paint from the thread holes on the rack, and the serrations on the head of the screws remove paint from the patch panel,creating a high-performance electrical bond between the patch panel and the rack.

4. So long as electrical continuity exists throughout the rack, the last step is to bond the rack to the main busbar or MCBN located under the data center’s raised fl oor. To ensure long-term integrity of the system, always use compression con-nectors (not mechanical) so the connection does not loosen with vibration.Once cabling to the patch fi eld has been bonded, atten-

tion can be turned to the rest of the bonding and grounding system. Here are several “best practices” that must be con-sidered during the design and installation of the rest of yourshielded structured cabling system:

Best Practice 1: Grounding the cable shieldDuring installation, a frequently asked question is whether the installer should ground one or both ends of a shielded cable channel. Generally, the cable shield is bonded to the groundedequipment chassis or rack at each access or patch location. In other words, if the IT equipment is grounded, then anyshielded cables used to connect equipment to patch panels, or to other equipment, must be grounded.

A typical shielded structured cabling channel runs from a switch to the workstation and comprises two patch cord links and the shielded horizontal link. One end of the channel starts in the data center where the switch, patch panel, and shielded patch cord linking them must be properly bonded to the rack. Th e rack is tied to the telecommunications grounding system, which in turn is bonded to the AC power system.

Th e other end of the channel terminates outside the datacenter at the workstation outlet. An issue to considere is wheth-er a shielded cabling link at this outlet location can be

This shielded cable and jack combination from Panduit pro-vides 360° shielding termination.

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An enterprise shielded cabling setup

Telecommunicationsbonding

backboneEthernetswitch Patch

panel

Shieldedpatch cord

RJ-45outlet Patch

cord

Workstation

(UTP orshielded)

Horizontal cabling(shielded)

AC outlet

AC outletAC panel

Telecommunicationsgrounding busbar

GESGESGES WorkstationData center

3-prongAC plug

Branchcircuit

ground

Powerdistribution

ground

Branchcircuitground


properly bonded to a grounding system without inducing a ground loop. A cable shield that is terminated at the worksta-tion may be bonded to the AC ground via connections within the workstation itself, but the outlet AC ground must be at the same potential as the telecommunications grounding system.

Th erefore, to reduce the magnitude of such ground currents, all serving AC power systems must be bonded together to the same grounding electrode system. (A building can have only one grounding electrode system, as required by the National Electrical Code.) Th is approach will reduce any ground voltage diff erences that may exist either between diff ering AC power system grounds or between the AC power system ground and the telecommunications ground.

An alternative industry practice is to use UTP patch cordsbetween the outlet and the workstation, eff ec-tively grounding only one end of the shielded cable channel in the data center and leaving the cable link at the workstation area ungrounded. Th e advantage of this option is that the risk of establishing a substantial ground loop current is greatly reduced. Th is option, however, low-ers the level of protection against external noise, such as alien crosstalk, EMI, and RFI, across that link in the channel, thus lowering system performance. It commonly is used only when it is not possible to eliminate voltage diff erences between ground potentials.

Best practice 2: Ensuring path continuityTo optimize the performance of your shielded (or unshielded) network, you should perform a visual inspection upon installa-tion and on an annual or semi-annual basis thereaft er to check

for proper bonding and grounding, as well as the overall design of the power and ground system. An inspection that follows a line-by-line work order allows early detection of potential problems, such as: loosened or corroded connections; missinglabels; conductors that have been damaged, cut,or removed; and new metallic elements thatrequire connections to the common bonding net-work described in Th e Emerald Book.

To facilitate inspection of the grounding sys-tem, install connectors, busbars, and conduc-tors in such a way to allow visual verifi cation of the bond. Th ere should be a logical fl ow as youfollow the grounding busbar(s). For example,follow the path(s) from the equipment chassis to the rack, from the rack to the data center ground-ing infrastructure, then over to the local TGB. Th e TGB connects to the telecommunications backbone (TBB), or grounding cable, that runs back to the telecommunications main ground-

ing busbar (TMGB), which is bonded to earth ground via the electrical entrance facility and links all the TBBs together.Inspect all splices for proper crimping, and inspect labels toensure that proper labeling procedures have been followed.

Best practice 3: Testing at the workstationOnce the visual inspection of the data center bonding and grounding system is complete, attention can be turned to the cabling area closest to the end user—the workstation. If apotential diff erence exists between these two points, a ground loop will form and current may fl ow within the loop.

A method for testing whether a ground loop potential exists at a workstation is to use a true RMS multimeter to measure the potential diff erence between the power outlet ground

The typical shielded cabling channel deployed in an enterprise environment terminates in the data center at one end, and at the other end terminates at the workstation.

Use a two-point multimeter to measure the potential difference

between the workstation outlet module (left) and

the ground wire of the electrical outlet (right).














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and the shielded module on the worksta-tion outlet. Position one multimeter probe on the face of the shielded module on the workstation and the other in the grounding prong of the electrical outlet, and check the voltage reading on the meter. If the meter reads less than 1 volt of potential (asdescribed in ANSI J-STD-607-A Annex D) between themodule and the power outlet, the endpoint device isexpected to operate properly during steady-state conditions.

If the meter reads 1 volt or more, a ground loop problemexists that may cause data errors or equipment damage. To correct this condition, eff ectively bond the power sourcestogether to the same grounding electrode system.

In summary, it is essential to implement proper structured grounding throughout a shielded cabling system to maximize equipment uptime, maintain system performance, and protect expensive equipment. Th is is important for all shielded cabling systems, includ-ing Category 6A, due to the increased use of this cable type for 10GBase-T trans-mission. Th e main advantage of using a shielded Category 6A cabling system for 10GBase-T applications is the dramatic suppression of alien crosstalk; the con-tainment of this noise helps ensure bet-ter signal integrity than can be achieved with a UTP cabling system.

But the grounding and bonding require-ments of Category 6A shielded cables are more stringent. At the data center end of the structured cabling channels, theserequirements include proper bonding of the shielding to the jack, proper grounding of the jack panels, and proper deployment of the grounding and bonding infrastruc-ture within the computer room and build-ing. At the workstation, it is important that the outlet ground is at the same potential as the telecommunications ground.

Grounded for performanceTh e grounding and bonding system is more than an insurance policy against a lightning strike. It is an active, functioning system that provides protection for per-sonnel and equipment by minimizing the detrimental eff ects of electrical surges and transient voltages.

By following standard principles and best installation practices, your bonding and grounding system is a criticalenabler of high-performance shieldedstructured cabling solutions to improve network reliability and achieve maximum 10GBase-T performance.

If the IT equipment is grounded, then any shielded

cables used to connect equipment to patch panels,

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The WireScope Pro tester is the only handheld to provide Alien Crosstalk (AXT) measurements simultaneously on multiple ‘exciter’ cables, as well as produce fi nal results on the spot, so you can quickly handle any future AXT fi eld testing requirements. Alternative approaches could take hours to complete and require PC post processing to see the results.

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technologywww.cablinginstall.com

As the demand for bandwidth increases, so does the common sense approach to installing fi ber-to-the-desk. But there are still those who need convincing on a daily, if not hourly, basis.

As we know and have been taught since we were wee wire pullers, fiber is always more expensive than copper. But this myth has recently been prov-en false in many projects throughout the country.Unfortunately, some of our network-design-engineer partners are still using the cut-and-pastemethod of network design, and seldom off erthe end user the option of installingfi ber-to-the-desk. Th ese same engineers are still specifying 62.5-µm fi ber when they should be call-ing out 50-µm fi ber for new multimode installations.

In 2004, I had the opportunity to speak at 11 lun-cheons given by various design fi rms in the Houston andAustin, TX areas. Surprisingly, no engineer at any of the fi rms was aware of the standards governing fi ber-to-the-desk. Many had no idea that 50-µm fi ber was, in fact, a part of existing wiring standards. Unfortunately, there was and still is a common misconception that fi ber-to-the-desk is always more expensive than copper.

In early 2005, while teaching a Certifi ed FiberOptics Technician course at the University of Texas at Arlington, I was fortunate to have two students from the United States Courts South Texas Division in Hous-ton. During the fi ve-day course, fi ber-to-the-desk wasdescribed in great detail. Although this was a fi ber-optics class and was obviously biased toward fi ber, the presen-tation off ered an opportunity to the U.S. Courts, South Texas Division, to completely understand the benefi ts of fi ber-optic networking without all the myths and mis-conceptions about using fi ber instead of copper all the way to the desktop.

The fi ber decisionOnce the technicians had completed the class and had solid, up-to-date information, they were able to convey their fi ber-optic networking ideas back to the Houston offi ce. Not surprisingly, before they made it home to Houston, the decision to install fi ber-to-the-desk in several federal courthouses in the South TexasDistrict was in the works.

It made good sense for the taxpayers and the U.S. Courts, Texas Division facili-

ties. Th ey had been pulling and repulling category unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) copper cables for

years just to keep up with the demand for bandwidth

from the courthouses. From Category 3 to Category 5e, they had it all. In fact, they were about to purchase new switches and routers for their entire net-

work across all seven cities in the district. Further, theentire network cabling infrastructure was going to needreplacement again.

Once they realized that fi ber-to-the-desk was a validoption, they began to research the cost involved for both scenarios—copper versus fi ber—not only from a cabling standpoint, but also cost-per-port. Several questionshad to be answered: What was the total cost for switches if they ran copper? What would be the total cost of switchesand media converters if they installed fi ber? How did the cost of fi ber cabling compare to that of copper? If they installed copper, how long would it be before they would eventually be installing fi ber? Additionally, they knew, based on their available budget, if they were going to put this new network in place, they were going to

The U.S. Courts South Texas Division used SC connectors with anaerobic adhesives, which made for quick optical termination.

The verdict is in:Court chooses fi ber-to-the-desk

Texas U.S. District Court rules in favor of an optical cabling solution—for itself.

BOB BALLARD, RCDD, is owner of BDI DataLynk, LLC (www.bdidatalynk.com).







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have to install it themselves.I have seen network technology standards change dramat-

ically over the past 15 years, from 10-Mbits to 100-Mbits to1-Gbit and now 10-Gbits/sec. Every time the speed increases,the copper manufacturers come out with a new solution to meet the demands. Th e U.S. Courts, South Texas Division technicians have been installing and re-installing these solu-tions for years. As a result, similar organizations attempting to keep up with these standards are forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every three to fi ve years because the copper infrastructure will not support the new technologybeing introduced.

Th e latest solution, meant for 10-Gbit/sec networks, has cop-per manufacturers once again attempting to meet the IEEE’s 802.3an 10GBase-T standard. But based on past history, Ibelieve it will not meet the next standard that comes along. It appears that even if copper can meet the 10GBase-T require-ments, this could very well be the fi nal “twist” for copper. Based on these facts, fi ber would eventually be installed in the U.S. Courts South Texas buildings in three to fi ve years.

Self-installed networkIn addition to being tasked with purchasing new switches and

routers, the technicians’ responsibility included trying to con-vince U.S. Courts management that fi ber-to-the-desk was in the best interest of the court and the taxpayers, and that they were capable of installing it themselves aft er the training they had received.

Th e ultimate decision turned out to be simple, based on the facts: It was just as cost-eff ective to install fi ber-to-the-desk as copper, considering that it would be installed in their build-ing within three to fi ve years anyway. With fi ber, their net-work would have maximum bandwidth capabilities with no electromagnetic interference/radio-frequency interference and no alien crosstalk; it would be more reliable and secure than a copper network. More importantly, as new technol-ogies are introduced, they would only need to purchase theelectronics, instead of both electronics and cabling infrastruc-ture, to meet the demand.

Th e decision to do the job themselves was easy. Whoever said that installing, terminating, and testing fi ber was more diffi cult than installing, terminating, and testing UTP copper should reconsider, because terminating SC anaerobic connec-tors is a breeze. Also, the cost of two SC singlemode connec-tors was less than one of the 10GBase-T-capable 8-pin modular connectors they had initially considered.

Th e entire project consists of about 8,000 hand terminations. Personally, I would much rather be installing 8,000anaerobic SCs than 8,000 RJ-45-style UTP connectors. Th e anaerobic SCs have no worries about separating eight diff er-ent color-coded wires during termination, about maintaining this twist or that twist, about punching down too hard or not hard enough, and no worries about extra testing for alien crosstalk—or any othercrosstalk for that matter. Th e technicians used a basic power source and light meter to test their fi ber segments to ensure they were within the recommended loss bud-get of the electronics. Only a few SC fi ber connectors had to be reterminated.

Th e decision to use 50/125-µm, OM3laser-optimized fi ber also was simple. Th e user needed a product that would off er a fi nal solution to cabling-upgrade issues that have plagued all information-tech-nology managers since the early days of networking. Th e ever-increasing demand for more bandwidth, the need for security,and the demand for network reliability made fi ber-to-the-desk the best solution.

In virtually all cases, the ability to

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upgrade a fi ber network is simply a matter of changing a switch or networkinterface card. In reality, the formulafor fi ber-to-the-desk is also simple:Install it, test it, and forget it. Because the active telecommunications room (TR) as we know it goes away, there is no need for heating/ventilation/air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment, air ducts, primary power, secondarypower, secure access, thermostats, lights, uninterruptible power supplies, ground-ing, and switches. Plus, consider that many active TRs consume roughly2% of a building’s annual power budget. Consider, too, that building space is at a premium; the TR is much smaller when fi ber-to-the-desk is deployed.

Weighing the real-estate and TR-re-lated issues above, fi ber-to-the-desk pro-vides a cost-eff ective solution ready for future applications, with almost lim-itless bandwidth capabilities. Also, if there was any doubt about whether one is getting full network speed to the desk continuously, fi ber provides a comfort level that copper does not.

Yesterday and tomorrowWhile contemplating the need for afi ber-to-the-desk solution, the court division not only considered theever-changing bandwidth demands of the present, but also those of the future. Over the years, they hadinstalled several generations of UTPcabling, and believed the time hadcome to install a longer-term solution. With an eye to the future,they decided to specify the latest OM3, 50/125-µm laser-optimized multimode fi ber to be used through-out the system at all U.S. federalcourt house locations in Houston, McAllen, Laredo, Victoria, CorpusChristi, Brownsville, and Galveston.OM3 fibers have the capabilityof supporting higher transmission rates using lower-cost 850-nanometer (nm) vertical-cavity surface-emittinglasers (VCSELs), standard 850-nm

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According to Andrew Oliviero, chair of the Fiber Optics LAN Section of the Telecommunications Industry Association

(FOLS; www.fols.org), deploying fi ber to the desk is not a new idea; centralized cabling has been a standard-compliant archi-tecture since 1997. “However,” says Oliviero, “many network designers have assumed that it’s simply too expensive to install when compared to a copper-based network. It’s not until design-ers take into consideration the benefi ts that fi ber can offer, such as increased port utilization, higher bandwidth, and the abilityto eliminate or reduce the size of telecommunications rooms, that they begin to see how fi ber can be cost-effective to install and offer them even greater savings over the life of the network.”

Oliviero points out that while many people believe that fi ber-to-the-desk would only work for very large installations, FOLS uses sample scenarios to envision a situation in which fi ber-to-the-desk can be cost effective even for a small number of users.

“When you are able to improve port utilization, you are able to reduce the number of switches,” Oliviero explains. “Even if the fi ber switches are still more expensive than copper switches, you can use fewer of them.”

He adds that tools are available to help network designers compare the installed fi rst costs of different standards-compliantarchitectures. “For example, FOLS developed its free Premises Cost Model to help network designers better understand the trad-eoffs of deploying different architectures,” Oliviero explains. “The Cost Model allows users to put in the parameters of their own network, use their own costs, and determine relative costs.” (The Cost Model can be downloaded, free of charge, by registering at: www.fols.org/resources/costmodel_reg.cfm.)

FOLS is committed to keeping the Cost Model current with

market conditions. The most recent version, published in Feb-ruary, includes the following:

• Updated aggregate pricing that refl ects current market con-ditions. FOLS encourages users to input their own pric-ing data to obtain a user-specifi c comparison of networkarchitecture choices—850-nm laser-optimized 50/125-µm(OM3) fi ber, the most commonly used fi ber type for premises applications; and Category 5e, 6, and 6A unshielded twisted-pair copper.

• The ability to customize the port-utilization factor by fl oor or telecommunications room to more accurately refl ect the user’s own design, or use the Model’s default settings.

• A graphical network architecture comparison that lets users compare costs using pie charts.“The installation in the U.S. District Courts in South Texas is a

great example of how thinking outside of conventional wisdom can reap benefi ts,” says Oliviero. “In this installation, fi ber pro-vided a cost-effective upgrade strategy that could be installed and tested by technicians that were trained just for the job. I think it underscores the performance benefi ts of fi ber and debunks the myth that fi ber is more diffi cult to install than copper.”

The Fiber Optics LAN Section of the TIA is a consortium of lead-ing fi ber-optic cable, component, and electronics manufacturers. FOLS focuses on educating end users and design consultants about the technical advantages and affordability that optical trans-mission can bring to LANs and fi ber-to-the-desk applications.

LIZ GOLDSMITH is spokesperson for FOLS. Member companies include: 3M; Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company; CommScope; Corning; Draka Comteq; OFS; Ortronics/Legrand; Panduit; Sumitomo Electric Lightwave; Superior Essex; and Tyco Electronics.


light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or most any 1300-nm laserson the market.

For future bandwidth considerations, the OM3 fi ber, which costs around 16 cents per foot more than standard 50-µmfi ber, has the capability to support even higher data trans-mission rates using parallel-optics transceiver arrays and/or coarse wavelength-division multiplexing (CWDM) technology. If you had 10 OM3, 50-µm fi bers, each with a throughputof 10-Gbits/sec, each could be aggregated into a100-Gbit/sec system. Further, if you had 2 OM3 fi bers, eachcarrying four wavelengths, via CWDM, at 12.5-Gbits/secapiece, the result would also be a 100-Gbit/sec system.Why not use singlemode fi ber? Th e lasers cost much moreto manufacture and would drive the cost of ne working elec-tronics too high for LAN-based applications. Singlemode fi ber is best used for distances in excess of 550 meters.

One potential concern in such a fi ber-to-the-desk installa-tion is the high cost of plenum innerduct. In this case, none was used. With the high tensile strength of new distribution

and riser-rated fi ber cable, the use of plenum innerduct is anunnecessary expense in many cases, including this one. Th e U.S. Court’s fi ber is being hung from J-hooks above the drop ceiling and along the walls as necessary. Most LAN cable prob-lems occur where we access on a continuous basis—in the TR. Th erefore, the use of plenum innerduct in the project wasavoided, resulting in a signifi cant decrease in cost-per-drop.

Installation supportMany of the U.S. Courts’ technical staff who installed thecabling had little if any fi ber-optics experience. Senior U.S. Courts, South Texas Division personnel provided all daily support and project supervisory functions at all sites. Regis-tered Communications Distribution Designers (RCDD) from BDI DataLynk are providing periodic visits to inspect installa-tion progress and off er assistance should problems occur dur-ing the install.

All installation, termination, splicing, and testing is being done by the U.S. Courts’ technical support staff . Every

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technician and supervisor involved in the actual installation at all seven locations received training from BDI DataLynk, which provided Fiber Optics Assocation-sanctioned fi ber-op-tics training. Although fusion splicers were used for splicing pigtails to the 144-fi ber backbone cable serving every TR, this entire project is otherwise being completed with basic fi ber-optic tools and test equipment.

Th e loss budget for the low-cost, high-performance 1300-nmmedia converters used at each end of the fi ber segments is11 dB. With a 3-dB aging (excess margin) built in at design and additional specifi ed losses allowed for cable, connectors, and splices, no segment is approaching an attenuation level that would cause concern now or in the future. Specifi cally, the U.S. Courts’ technicians are able to achieve an average splice loss of 0.0 dB and a loss of less than 0.3 dB per connector pairusing the anaerobic three-step polishing process. Testing of the newly installed fi ber segments is being accomplished with an optical-loss test set. Final segment testing and certifi cation at both 850 and 1300 nm is being accomplished using an indus-try-recognized, bi-directional cable certifi cation tester.

Th e benefi ts and expectations of this 2,000-plus-userfi ber-to-the-desk installation will far exceed the expectations of the U.S. Courts’ South Texas Division. Th e general public,judges, clerks, staff , and network technicians will have fast access to important fi les, unlimited video teleconferencingcapabilities, uninterrupted Voice over IP service, and day-to-day fi le sharing with tremendous bandwidth capabilities in their new 10-Gbit/sec-capable fi ber infrastructure.

Using on-staff personnel; low-cost, high-quality SC single-mode connectors; low-cost tools; basic fi ber-optic installa-tion, termination, and testing techniques; the elimination oflegacy active TRs; and the elimination of costly plenum inner-duct is resulting in a low-cost, virtually maintenance-free, fi ber-to-the-desk network that will meet and exceed all current (and, I believe, future) network-bandwidth requirements.

Well-prepared for the futureEven with the use of temporary, low-cost media converters at each end of most fi ber segments, the installed cost-per-port fi ber-to-the-desk installation has been a cost-eff ective solu-tion. Th e substantial overall savings allowed for the purchase of new switches to add to the vast network of switchgearalready installed. Now, instead of “mystery” Megs to the desk, the network is only limited by the capabilities of the active com-ponents at each end—not crosstalk and other maladies com-monly associated with installed UTP copper networks.

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’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 Source: EPA

Annualelectricity use

(billion kWh/year)

80

120

140

100

60

40

20

0

Historicenergy use

Futureenergy useprojections

Historical trendsscenario

Current efficiencytrends scenario

Improved operationscenario

Best practicescenario

State-of-the-artscenario

Comparison of projected electricity use(all scenarios, 2007-2011)

www.cablinginstall.com data center


If anybody ever joked that it would take an act of Congress to rein in the mushrooming amount of energy consumption in data centers, the joking stopped on December 20, 2006, when Congress en-acted Public Law 109-431: An Act to Study and Pro-mote the Use of Energy Effi cient Computer Servers in the United States.

Brief by lawmaking standards, the Act directed the En-vironmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov), through its Energy Star program, to study and report back to Congress its fi ndings “analyzing the rapid growth and energy consumption of computer data centers by the Federal Government and private enterprise.”

Th e EPA’s directive included nine points to be stud-ied, and gave the agency 180 days in which to report back. Th e EPA released a draft report in April before re-turning the full report, a 130-page document formally titled “Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Effi ciency,” dated August 2 (available at www.energystar.com). In a press release, the EPA stated that its report “shows that data centers in the United States have the potential to save up to $4 billion in annual electric-ity costs through more energy effi cient equipment and operations, and the broad implementation of best man-agement practices.”

Among the notable fi ndings:• Data centers in the U.S. consumed approximately

60 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2006—roughly 1.5% of the nation’s total electricity consumption.

• Servers’ and data centers’ energy consumption dou-bled over the most recent fi ve years, and is expectedto nearly double in the next fi ve to more than100 billion kWh, when the total consumption willcost approximately $7.4 annually.

• Existing technologies and strategies could reduce typical server energy use by approximately 25%, while advanced technologies could eff ect furtherreductions.

Three levels of enhancementAft er detailing the reasons it believes data center energy consumption will continue to grow rapidly over the next fi ve years, as well as the implications of that increased consumption, the EPA report turns its attention toopportunities for energy effi ciency. Specifi cally, thereport defi nes and describes three scenarios—“improved operation,” “best practice,” and “state of the art”—that

can incrementally increase effi ciency.Improved operation eff orts, which the EPA says require

little or not capital investment, include continuing the current trend toward server consolidation; eliminating unused servers; adopting energy-effi cient servers to a modest level; enabling power management on all appli-cable servers; and assuming a modest decline in energy use of enterprise storage equipment. Under this scenar-io, the EPA says sites will gain a 30% improvement

According to this chart, which was part of the EPA’s recent report to Congress, electricity consumption by data centers will continue to grow at a torrid pace unless corrective measures are implemented.

Energy consumptionan overriding issue

Federal government involvement is driving improved practices for more-efficient operation.

PATRICK MPATRICK MCCLAUGHLIN LAUGHLIN is chief editor of is chief editor of Cabling Installation & Cabling Installation & Maintenance.Maintenance.

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in infrastructure (power and cooling) energy effi ciency from improved airfl ow management.

Best practice eff orts include the measures taken in the “im-proved operation” scenario, but with moderate server consol-idation, aggressive adoption of energy-effi cient servers, and assuming moderate storage consolidation. Additionally, best-practice eff orts call for implementing improved transformersand uninterruptible power supplies; improved effi ciencychillers, fans, and pumps; as well as free cooling. Follow-ing these procedures will garner up to 70% improvement ininfrastructure energy effi ciency, the report says.

State-of-the-art eff orts include aggressive server and storage consolidation, as well as enabling power management at thedata center level of applications, servers, and equipment for networking and storage. Th ose steps plus direct liquid cooling and combined heat and power will yield up to 80% improve-ment in infrastructure energy effi ciency, the report states.

Th e EPA stressed that these descriptions are not comprehen-sive, but rather representative of a subset of energy-effi ciency strategies that could be employed.

Practical implications for cablingClearly, there is no silver-bullet single action that data center

managers can take to improve their systems’ energy effi ciency.Th e interdependence of data center systems on one another rings true in attempts at energy effi ciency, in much the same way it does with respect to data transmission.

Dr. Robert Schmidt of IBM is credited with fi rst describ-ing the data center as an ecosystem, and the terminology has attracted many followers. “A data center is made up of many components, including the room itself, the fl oor structure—raised or not raised, pressurized or not pressurized—andcable routing, whether it is overhead or underfl oor,” says Herb Villa, technical manager with Rittal Corp. (www.rittal.com).

“Add to that the overall building systems like lighting, secu-rity, enclosures, and the components in those enclosures. All of these components and systems aff ect the performance of something else.”

Villa continues, “No data center component is an island. All must be viewed as an entire system. None can be com-pletely valued independently.” To that end, he says, oft en datacenter sites have diff erent personnel in charge of diff erent components: “Sometimes, the group responsible for the network cabling and switches is not the same group that isresponsible for the servers.”

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la adds, it is essential to get the personnel running themtogether. Today, that’s oft en the case. “It used to be that when I would go to a customer, I would talk to the IT personnel,” Villa says. “Today, I talk to facilities personnel—plumbing, electri-cians, and others. Everyone is on the same page much earlier in the process than in the past.”

Marc Naese, solutions development manager with Panduit (www.panduit.com), says, “Overall, we see four critical areas of the data center: the entire infrastructure, network compo-nents, storage components, and computing resources. All four areas must interoperate.” Naese adds, “We have developed our solutions to address specifi c issues in each of those areas. On a room level, cooling supports the entire ecosystem. As you get down to a rack or cabinet level, the needs change drastically. Side-to-side versus front-to-back airfl ow is an example.”

Naese concludes, “Before you can understand your power or cooling requirements, you must know how many servers you are going to deploy. From there, you can calculate what your requirements will be, what the cabinets will look like, and how dense those cabinets will be.”

Keep them separatedIan Seaton, technology marketing manager with Chatsworth Products Inc. (www.chatsworth.com), points out, “When you follow industry understanding of best practices, everything that is done in the data center is really designed to separate the supply air from the return air as much as possible. Th at’s why, he explains, the hot-aisle/cold-aisle setup was established: “It’s why you seal off access cutouts, install blank tiles, and locate your cooling units in the hot aisles so you prevent your return-air path from migrating into the cold-aisle space.”

Seaton adds, “If you look at a data center’s entire cooling sys-tem as an ecosystem, by virtue of maintaining complete isola-tion between supply air and return air, you can allow the supply air to be raised in temperature to equal the delivered air temper-ature. Most want the equipment to see air between 68° and 77°. To get that temperature, your supply air is typically delivered in the 52° to 55° range. Follow the line of your cooling system, and you’ll fi nd the chilled-water temperature coming off the con-denser is in the low 40s. When you eliminate mixing [of supply air and return air], you can raise your supply air from 52° to 72°, in which case the chilled-water temperature can be 60°.”

Adopting the data-center-as-ecosystem concept may be necessary for managers to achieve the energy effi ciencies put forth in the EPA’s report to Congress. And while cablinginfrastructure, including racks and cabinets, might play only a small part, the ecosystem mentality dictates that each part aff ects others.

Next month, we will delve further into the EPA report and dis-cuss the activities of Th e Green Grid, an energy-consumption-conscious consortium in the IT industry.

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Citywide Wi-Fi initiatives have received signifi cant attention over the past few years, with networks built or contemplated in more than 400 cities across the U.S. Concerns surrounding fi nances, in-terference, and security, however, have manycities evaluating Wi-Fi business models while others are scrapping the idea altogether.

Various business modelsWhen deploying a citywide Wi-Fi network, cit-ies must fi rst decide on a viable business model. Th e key issues involve deciding who is going to own the network, who will pay for installation and maintenance, and what applications to sup-port. Cities typically select from one of the fol-lowing models or a combination of models:

Nonprofi t. Some cities, like Boston, are turn-ing to nonprofi t organizations that volunteer to deploy and operate the Wi-Fi network main-ly through grants, loans, and donations. Forexample, Boston’s Wi-Fi plan calls for anonprofi t to deliver Wi-Fi at wholesale pricesto those who want to provide access either free or for a charge. In this scenario, community-based or other nonprofi t organizations could use grant money to off er service, and the city could purchase access at wholesale prices for its own municipal use.

Private investment. Th is model involves cooperation and investment from local businesses to fund and imple-ment the network, with minimal municipality involve-ment. Th at’s the model that Nashua, NH decided to adopt when they sought to deliver free service to the public and customers of the city’s downtown businesses.

“We came into the game late enough to know that

attempting to have the entire deployment paid for by an outside vendor wouldn’t work,” says John Barker,director of Nashua’s Information Technology Divi-sion. “We decided on a sponsorship model where localbusinesses contribute funds, understanding that they get some exposure and it’s a civic contribution thatultimately brings more people downtown, which is good for the city and business opportunities.”

Th ird-party provider. Some cities are turning over utility poles and other real estate to third-party pro-viders who install and operate networks. In this sce-nario, the operational costs are typically paid for viasubscriber rates and advertising dollars. Oft en, inexchange for access to poles, the city has leverage innegotiating rates for city offi cials or low-income res-idents. Unfortunately, many cities are fi nding

When emergency crews began rescue efforts on the scene of the Minneapolis bridge collapse in August, rescue workers on the fl oating mobile command center used the city’s Wi-Fi network to communicate with city agencies.

Wi-Fi trials, tribulations:What’s working, what’s not

Many failures and some successes mark cities’ efforts to deploy wide scale Wi-Fi.

BETSY ZIOBRON BETSY ZIOBRON is a freelance writer and regular contributor is a freelance writer and regular contributor to to Cabling Installation & MaintenanceCabling Installation & Maintenance. She can be reached at: . She can be reached at: [email protected]@comcast.net











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advertising revenue coming up short, and that this business model simply isn’t working.

Municipal. Wi-Fi networks installed, owned, and operated by a municipality are typically paid for through grants, city budgets, and taxpayer dollars. In this scenario, some cities charge residents for access, which is oft en limited to specifi cdowntown areas or city parks. Other municipalities limit the

network to specifi c applications, such as mobile communications for emergency services, automatedmeter reading, intelligent traffi c controls, or city workers who need access when out in the fi eld. For example, in late 2006, Rock Hill, SC decided todeploy a city-owned and -operated network for the sole purpose of improving public safety andpublic-worker effi ciency.

Woes for manyEvery city faces challenges when embarking on

a citywide Wi-Fi deployment, and contracting with a third-party vendor is materializing as a fl awed model.

“Reality is fi nally coming to many cities who somehow thought that advertising or charging for some level of pre-mium service was going to pay for Wi-Fi,” says Barker. “Th e reality is that advertisers are not lining up, and users will not pay for the service. Short of a captive audience

Downtown Nashua, NH had its Wi-Fi project put on hold for approximately six months while planners opted against rooftop access-point installation in favor of on-pole installation.

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like an airport, there’s no environ-ment where users will pay for citywideWi-Fi. Th ey have service at home, at work, at school, and in libraries, or they can walk along and fi nd an environment where the signal is bleeding out of a building.”

Th e Chicago Sun-Times recently reported that its home city decided against deploying Wi-Fi due to rising costs, declining demand, and increased competition, along with the fact that potential third-party providers demanded that Chicago pay an annual fee to use the network for city services.

“A municipal Wi-Fi network was initially envisioned as a way to provide cheaper, high-speed access to consumers; but giventhe rapid pace of changing technology, in just two short years, the marketplace has altered signifi cantly,” said Chicago’s chief technology offi cer, Hardik Bhatt in a recent press release.

“When neither organization could justify a business case for the type of partnership outlined in our proposal, we realized aft er much consideration that we need to re-evaluate our approach toprovide universal and affordable access to high-speedInternet as part of the city’s broader digital inclusion eff orts.”

Chicago is still pursuing private-sector sponsorship to subsi-

dize computers, soft ware, and education for providing low-in-come residents access to the Internet through schools, libraries, and community centers.

“Th e poor and disenfranchised are not grabbing their valu-able laptops, if they have them, and wandering into public parks in poor neighborhoods where they’re more worried about crime,” says Nashua’s Barker. “Th ey’re going into com-munity centers and libraries for free Internet access.”

San Francisco’s plan to bring citywide Wi-Fi to residents in early 2008 was also cancelled in late August due to dis-agreements over a contract with Earthlink, the Atlanta-based Internet provider that recently announced signifi cant layoff s and cutbacks. Financial and contract issues are aff ecting pro-posed Wi-Fi deployments in several other U.S. cities,

“We had the funding from local business and had

hoped to have the network up and running by the

end of September, but our downfall was the belief

that, somehow, it would be easy to get access points

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including Houston and Milwaukee, and several Wi-Fi mesh startup companies are suff ering.

Interference and security are also at the forefront of con-cerns, and proper testing is a must.

Just like premises deployments, citywide Wi-Fi can beaff ected by interference from other wireless devices attempt-ing to transmit over the same channel, including microwaveovens, handheld phones, newer Bluetooth devices, and even garage doors. When Chaska, MN deployed one of the fi rst

citywide Wi-Fi networks, planners didn’t realize that wet,leafy trees would absorb signals and hamper coverage, and the city had to add more antennas. Managing operations like maintaining security to avoid viruses and attacks is another challenge that many cities across the U.S. have not considered when deploying wireless networks.

Even choosing the right business model is not without challenge. When Nashua’s Chamber of Commerce adopteda sponsorship model for its downtown mesh Wi-Fi proj-

ect, organizers thought they were on the right path by removing politicaldecision-making powers and fi nancialdependence on the city or third-partyprovider. “We had the funding fromlocal business and had hoped to have the network up and running by the end of September, but our downfall was thebelief that it would be easy to get ac-cess points up on rooft ops,” says Barker.

“In some instances, we had trouble fi nding out who owned the buildings, and then some owners wouldn’t let us penetrate the roof for electrical connections.”

As a result of these challenges, Nashua has postponed its downtown Wi-Fiproject until March 2008 and is nowlooking into using existing poles, which they had originally tried to avoid.

“We didn’t want to negotiate with the util-ity company or bring a whole lot of politi-cians into the process, but you can never put your eggs in one basket,” says Barker.

“Now, we are working to determine who owns the poles—the city or the utility com-pany—and I believe we’ll need approval from both. Th e reality is that putting off deployment will give us the extra time we need to work through these issues, and in the long run, the technical advantage ofusing poles will make it worthwhile.”

Success in small dosesDespite deployment woes in many cities, some citywide Wi-Fi deployments are proving successful. Many of those involve the municipal model where networksprimarily support emergency services.

“When you refer to Wi-Fi for emergency operations, everybody nods their heads,” says Barker. “However, the complexity of planning, and the amount of money

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See what our expertshave to say...

Frank Velleca discusses Siemon’s MapIT™solutionand how it will help you better manage and protectyour IT infrastructure.

FRANK VELLECA

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involved, is a larger undertaking. We really need to treatWi-Fi for emergency operations like any other city system,but it will still be challenging—just like it’s challenging to maintain garbage service, water, roads, and bridges.”

Th e City of Nashua released a request for proposal in October for a municipal broadband project that is completely separate from its downtown Wi-Fi project for public access. Th e multi-year phased project will redesign the entire city network with fi ber and point-to-point Wi-Fi technology aimed to support emergency communications, as well as traffi c signaling, and video inside cruisers, at intersections, and in schools.

“Our municipal project won’t be for public use at all, but it is, of course, for the citizens of the city—protection for them and the ability for effi cient communications during emergen-cies,” he says. “We’ll be looking for grants through Homeland Security, funds for emergency operations, and bonding from the city. Th e savings we can draw from not paying for leasedT-1 lines also becomes a signifi cant chip in the game.”

When a bridge collapsed in Minneapolis in August, the city used its partially built network to help support rescue andrelief eff orts, demonstrating the importance of municipalWi-Fi systems. Within moments of the bridge collapsing, Minneapolis opened the Wi-Fi service and placed additional

access points in areas surrounding the disaster, hoping toalleviate the fl ooded cellular network.

Th e Wi-Fi network provided an alternate connection for city personnel to electronically exchange information, enabled res-cue workers on the fl oating mobile command center to com-municate with city agencies during the rescue and salvage operation, and provided access for traffi c-routing informa-tion, Red Cross collection banks, and news outlets.

“I’m not really sure what the relief eff ort would have looked like if this network had not been in place, “ says Joe Caldwell, chief executive offi cer of the company building and providing Wi-Fi service in Minneapolis. “Wi-Fi’s role in the emergency response during the bridge disaster proves the technology’s potential to save lives across America.”

Nashua’s Barker agrees: “9/11 was a turning point in citiesrealizing that a Wi-Fi system for emergencies is critical, but just like a road, a bridge, or a hospital, you can’t show [return oninvestment] on emergency Wi-Fi. Th ere’s a lot of soft value that you can’t justify with dollars, but when disaster strikes, no one isgoing to want to hear that emergency personnel couldn’t communicate because we didn’t want to put the money into the system. Like any major city infrastructure, citizens arebeginning to expect it.”

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APWMayville (www.apwmayville.com) recently completed a multi-

year project with St. Paul School District in Minnesota that saw hundreds of its Mini Max wall cabinets installed in var-ious district schools to improve informa-tion technology (IT) in the classroom.

Gene Osterberg, owner and presi-dent of Genesis Technical Marketing, and APWMayville’s sales representative for the school district, explains that the district wanted a cabinet that could fi t securely on the wall in the back of the classroom, and provide plenty of ven-tilation for heat-generating equipment while minimizing noise level. Th e dis-trict also wanted to ensure the cabinets

had security features to guarantee that only administrative personnel couldaccess equipment.

“Th e Mini Max wall cabinet off ers enough space to house equipment for classroom IT upgrades without be-ing obtrusive to the classroom,” says Osterberg. “Tests and evaluations proved that these cabinets could han-dle the weight and were durable. Th e

cabinets also did not sag over time, as did some lower quality products.”

The wall-mount cabinets feature non-removable hinges designed to prevent unauthorized access, ensur-ing that only administrative staff have access. “Vented side panels allow plen-ty of air fl ow through the cabinets while suppressing noise,” Osterberg adds. “Other products with completelyperforated side panels allowed anunacceptably high ambient noise level in the classroom.”

Each cabinet houses a Cisco IT switchand a fi ber panel that connects to var-

ious data drops in the classroom for computer connections. Th e fi ber panel can handle up to 70 computer connec-tions. An Ethernet backbone runs from each cabinet to the main school server, while various Category 6 cables connect to main and intermediate distribution frames for server connections and elec-trical power. A UPS system backs up all power on the server rack in the main dis-tribution frame.

With its three distinct sections, the Mini Max is designed for simplifi ed maintenance. Access to the rear of the cabinet is simplifi ed since the center

Back-of-classroom cabinets boost school district’s info-tech upgrade

Mini Max cabinets are designed to fi t secure-ly on the wall in the back of a classroom, and feature non-removable hinges to enhance security.

Prysmian unveils high-rise FTTx cable

Prysmian Cables & Systems(prysmian.com) has developed

a high-rise building break-out cable,designed to provide a fast and econom-ical method of getting fi ber to the enduser in multi-level FTTx deployments.

Th e cable has been constructed to

reduce space in the riser column, reduce the number splices in the fi eld, to have a re-enterable solution to connect the customer at a later date, and have a lowvisual impact in buildings having archi-tectural value.

Th e company says a fi ber-optic micro-sheath module is extracted from theriser cable through a small window in the outer sheath, which is cut at the building level of the customer being connected. A second window is then cut at a point sev-eral feet further down the riser. A fi ber

module is then cut at this second window and pulled back through the riser andextracted through the fi rst window. Th e recovered length of fi ber module can then be directed to the customer.

Prysmian says a dedicated set of con-nectivity has been developed to allow

for fast installation. According to the company, “Th e low cost of this system is mainly due to the reduced number and length of necessary cables to connect the end user, the lower number of splicesrequired, simplicity of the connectivi-ty,” and the need for fewer specializedtechnicians.

This break-out fi ber-optic cable from Prysmian is designed to reduce space in the riser and the number of splices in the fi eld during multi-rise FTTx installations.

Compiled by Steve Smith

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PINCKNEYVILLE, IL—The stock interests of cable tray maker GS Metals (www.gsmetals.com) have been sold to cable tray competitor Cooper B-Line (cooperbline.com). GS Metals employs approximately 175 at its Pinckneyville facilities, and manufactures a line of metal products and systems used in commercial and industrial construction worldwide. The company added Flextray, a cable management system, to its product line in 1995.

NEW YORK CITY—At recent trade shows, fi ber developer Mitsubishi International Corp. (www.fi beroptic-plastic.com) and compound semiconductor maker Firecomms (www.fi recomms.com) unveiled a joint home networking solution using polymer optical fi ber (POF). “With data rates of up top to 1 Gbit and assured quality-of-service to every device in the residence, POF is the most robust technology for 100 Mbits/sec Optical Ethernet and 250 Mbits/sec Optical FireWire in the home,” says Hugh Hennessy, Firecomms vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. Billed as easy to terminate with its “garden hose” connectivity, POF is said to be entirely immune to electrical noise, and existing copper wiring will not interfere with data transfers—a key for multimedia transmission.

IVYLAND, PA—An expansion at Lynn Electronics Corp.’s (www.lynnelec.com) facility has doubled its capacity to manufacture copper, coaxial, and fi ber-optic patch cords and cable assemblies. In addition, the company says a recent expansion of its 100,000-square-foot warehouse allows for stocking of a complete line of voice, telco, and data products.

NORCROSS, GA—Defem (www.defem.com), one of Europe’s leading wire tray manufacturers, recently installed its CombiRack system at BICSI’s (www.bicsi.org) training facilities in Tampa, FL. Norcross-based Hyperline Systems (www.hyperline.com), U.S. distributor for the products, provided many of the materials needed to complete the installation. The combined wire tray and rack system was chosen because of its cable control benefi ts, adaptability to different cabinet/rack confi gurations, and EMS/equipotential bonding capabilities.

HICKORY, NC—Corning Cable Systems has unveiled its online 10G Connectivity Resource Center (www.corning.com/10GFacts). The web site provides users with analysis of optical fi ber and UTP options, plus interactive tools and calculators. Topics include transmission performance, data rate scalability, pathway and space utilization, electronics port density, power and cooling effi ciencies, and ease of installation and testing.

DUBLIN, IRELAND—”Structured Cabling Systems Market Share Analysis: August 2007” from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) features executive strategic briefi ngs that provide concise impact reports. The briefi ngs identify the world’s major structured cabling systems suppliers and their market share, market shares by UTP copper and fi ber cabling, historical industry share and analysis, and current and future industry direction.

PITTSBURGH, PA—InventHelp (www.inventhelp.com) says two of its clients, inventors from Dingley, Australia, have designed a prototype device that may facilitate cable clip installation. The Quick Clip Fastener would make installing cable clip brackets quicker and easier, and eliminate reliance on less effective cable securing devices. For more information, write: Dept. 05-MLB-154, InventHelp, 217 Ninth St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 x1368.

TINLEY PARK, IL—NeoPhonetics (www.neophonetics.com), which designs custom enterprise VoIP systems, has launched a Network Assessment Tool that lets a company considering a data VoIP solution to determine whether their cabling, switching and routers, and network bandwidth are VoIP-compatible.

“Instead of verbally administrating the Network Assessment Tool, both current and potential customers can now simply go to our web site and answer the questions in just three minutes,” says CEO Chad Agate “In the way that doctors screen to determine if more tests are necessary, this tool can be used to determine if a business’ network is clearly ready for VoIP or if further evaluation is needed.”

Short runs…

area swings out from the wall for access to the rear of the equipment, its connec-tions, and cable runs. Th e front door of the Mini Max swings open for access to front panel equipment settings.

Peoples Electric (www.peoplesco.com) of St. Paul led the cabinet installa-tions for each classroom. Project man-

ager Mike Smith says, “Th e extra space in the cabinet allows for larger fi berpanels, and those extra ports can be used to simplify cable runs if a classroom wants to add more computers.”

Smith concludes, “Instead of mak-ing 150 to 200-foot cable runs down the hallways, the staff can make 50 to 70-foot runs inside the classroom. Onceeverything is terminated, it’s all set. Th e switches and the ports are right there, and that cuts down on the school dis-trict’s costs in the long run.”

Ventilation, low noise, and security are key features of the Mini Max wall cabinets, used throughout the St. Paul, MN school district.

Cabinet upgradecontinued from page 49

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Contact Dow Wire & Cable: w w w . d o w w i r e a n d c a b l e . c o mIn USA and Canada: 1-800-441-4DOW / In Europe: 00800 3 694 6367 (800 783 825 from Italy, 990 3 694 6367 from Finland) / In Asia Pacific: + 800-7776-7776 / Use reference #494-IOMG5®Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Dow Wire & Cable is a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company and its subsidiaries.

It pays to ask your cable supplier wherethey buy their jacket and insulation mate-rials. Because if those materials comefrom Dow Wire & Cable, you can be sureyour manufacturer chose their materialssupplier for all the right reasons.

Like consistent quality and purity forlonger cable life and reduced mainte-nance costs. And, the product portfolioand expertise to provide the right com-pounds for every application in every envi-ronment.

Dow Wire & Cable works with industry-leading associations and institutes aroundthe world like AEIC, NEETRAC, WHVRI,SECRI, VNIIKP and UL as well as perform-ing extensive in-house testing and evenpilot manufacturing. So your manufactur-er knows they have the right stuff beforethey start making your cable.

And Dow Wire & Cable’s global presencemeans you can get the product and sup-port you need, when you need it, any-where in the world.

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Sponsored by:

Cabling Systems and Security Applications

The structured cabling systems that have supported voice and data applications are now being relied upon to support Internet Protocol-based security applications, including video-surveillance systems. The ability to leverage the familiar structured cabling system presents a tremendous opportunity for users, but it also requires examination and consideration. View this webcast to learn about IP-based security systems, as well as structured cabling systems, to help you determine how well the two will fi t together in given environments.

Presentation 1: EQUIPMENT INVENTORY FOR IP-BASED SECURITY SYSTEMSRunning IP-based security over a structured cabling system will introduce new components to the traditional structured cabling system. This presenta-tion presents and explains the pieces of equipment that may be new and unusual, paying particular attention to the equipment’s environmental requirements and dimensions.

Presentation 2: ASSESSING YOUR EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE’S READINESS FOR SECURITY APPLICATIONSWhile concerns about IP video consuming huge amounts of bandwidth may have subsided, users still must cast a critical eye on their existing cabling infrastructure to determine its readiness to support security applications. This presentation helps you determine whether or not you’ll need addi-tional, better-performing cable for security applications.

Presentation 3: STATUS OF THE POE PLUS STANDARDIP-based security applications and PoE/PoE Plus go hand-in-hand; this presentation will update the audience on the status of the PoE Plus efforts within the IEEE.

Moderated By: Patrick McLaughlin, Chief Editor

Date: November 13, 2007

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MicroScanner2. Envision cable verification raised to a higher power.

©2007 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved. 02114

Introducing MicroScanner2 – a revolutionary way to verify voice/data/video cabling and services. It streamlines verification testing by displaying key

results – wiremap, pair lengths, cable ID and dis-

tance to fault – all on one bright oversized screen.

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Compiled by Steve Smith New ProductsConverter extends GbEBy combining Gigabit Ethernet with EMI/RFI noise immunity and electri-cal isolation of fi ber-optic cable, the EKI-2741 Industrial Ethernet media

converter allows extendedGigabit Ethernet (GbE) connections spanning thousands of feet to sev-eral miles. Th e convertersupports 1000Base-SXconnections over mul-timode fi ber up to 1,800 feet, and 1000Base-LXcon nec t ions over

6.2 miles. It also supports a small-form-factor-pluggable (SFP) slot for industry-standard fi ber-optic transceiver modules for connections up to 70 miles. Featur-ing a thin DIN-rail-mount metal chas-sis, the EKI-2741 is built for limited panelspace, and ruggedized for industrialapplications with dual 12 to 28 volts DC

power inputs, 4,000 volts Ethernet ESD protection, power line surge protection of 3,000 volts, and an operating temper-ature range of -10° to 60° C.

ADVANTECH AUTOMATION CORP.

www.advantech.com/ia

Tester adds PoE certifi cationA new version of soft ware for the Wire-Scope Pro handheld LAN cable tester en-sures proper certifi cation of structured cabling in the presence of Power over Ethernet (PoE) mid-span devices and AC-

coupled patch panels. PoE mid-span cabling con-figurations aregenerally AC-coupled so thatDC poweris applied in the directiontoward net-

worked devices, but not toward the legacy switch ports. Th e soft ware up-grade lets WireScope Pro test AC-cou-pled cabling confi gurations across PoE midspans or across PoE patch pan-els. With a frequency range of up to1 GHz, WireScope Pro is capable of testing all common cable standards,including beyond the ISO/IEC Class Flimit of 600 MHz.

AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES

www.agilent.com

HDMI shielded twisted-pairThese high-definition multimediainterface (HDMI) cables are designed to provide a reliable interface between any compatible digital audio/video source and a compatible digital audio and/or video monitor in a home theaterinstallation, as well as providing support for standard, enhanced, or high-defi ni-tion video and multi-channel digital





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New Productsaudio on a single assembly. Th e 26-AWG shielded twisted-pair cables are available

in lengths of 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 meters. All cables are UL-rated for residential and commercial use.

BELDEN

www.belden.com

Small round Cat 6A;outdoor Category 6Th e LANmark 10G2 UTP cable features

what the company claims is the indus-try’s smallest round outside diameter (.300-inch nominal). It features a patent-pending design that incorporates four twisted pairs cabled with three monofi l-ament elements to ensure a completely round cross-section. Th e cable is guar-anteed to meet electrical component requirements of the proposed TIA-568-B.2-10 standard for Category 6A, support-ing IEEE 10GBase-T out to 100 meters.

According to the company, with its small round design and reduced bend radius, the cable simplifi es high-density instal-lations, such a data centers, and improves airfl ow in the pathway.

Th e LANmark-6 OSP (outside plant) cable includes a water-blocking gel compound within the core that encases the four UTP copper pairs and a fl exi-ble, black polyolefi n, UV-resistant jacket.With a total outside diameter of .250 inches, the cable is designed to support such facilities as portable classrooms,detached garages, guard shacks, andother wet locations. Th e cable is also suit-able for exterior security cameras. Th is NEC and TIA/EIA-568.B.2-1-compli-ant cable can provide data, video, andpower on all four pairs through Power over Ethernet capabilities.

BERK-TEK

www.berktek.com

U.S.-made cablingUSA-made fi ber-optic patch cords are de-signed for federal contractors, resellers, and end users, as well as customers who need to procure products that are manu-factured exclusively in the United States. All manufacturing and testing of these

patch cords take place at the com-pany’s facilities inIowa and North Carolina. Available in a variety of fi ber types, the patch

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Product Focus: marking & labeling equipment

The IP Series printer system, featuring smart-cell technology, lets the printer, material, ribbon and software com-municate together, letting you load the material,click the software interface, and quickly print a variety of labels, tags, and sleeves. Ac-cording to the company, compared toother printers requiring up to 15 minutes to change materials, the IP Series needs only fi ve minutes to load. Bi-directional smart-cell technology recognizes the correct material and ribbon combi-

nation, visually tracks usage levels, and adjusts sensor positions. Avail-able in 300 or 600 dpi, the IP Series has a straight path to loading media and ribbon, eliminating the need to wind and thread material through a series of mechanics. The ribbon spin-dle is automatically centered, helping

to reduce ribbon wrinkle.BRADY CORP.

www.bradycorp.com

Load, click, and print thermal transfer

Multi-functional labeling softwareTagPrint Pro labeling software isdesigned to provide solutions for in-dustrial identifi cation and speed label-making. It features what-you-see-is-what-you-get label creation, bar cod-ing, serialization, label sets, wire lists, graphics, and text choices.The software can be used with the company’s selection of label options, including laser, ink jet, dot matrix,thermal transfer, and ShrinkTrak print-able heat-shrink tubing.HELLERMANNTYTONwww.hellermann.tyton.com

The 3-in-1 LABELShop BEE3 portable thermal transfer printer provides label,

bar code, and heat-shrink tube capabil-ity for identifying wire and cable items

wherever a durable, adhe-sive-backed label is needed.In an introductory offer, the company will provide a BEE3 printer and six AA batter-ies free with the purchase of two supply cartridges, a power adapter, and adjust-able wrist strap. A three-year unconditional warranty isalso included.K-SUN CORP.www.k-sun.com

Labels for the Cougar LS9 handheld thermal transfer printer are provided in a fast-loading P1 label cassette that contains an integratedmemory device for automatic formatting, recall of last legend used, and number of

labels remaining in the cassette. The Cougarprints on a wide variety of continuousindustrial label materials for wire/cable marking, component labeling, and safety/facility identifi cation. A partial cut features provides the fl exibility to choose tear-apartstrips of labels for simplifi ed installation.PANDUITwww.panduit.com

Thermal transfer printer with integrated memory cassettes

Portable thermal transfer printer






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Product Focus: marking & labeling equipment


The RHINO 6500 desktop labeling solution features printer and RHINO CONNECT software bundled together. Built especially for the needs of electrical, datacom, security, and construction mar-kets, the RHINO 6500 features batch printing, which lets you quickly down-load, print, and automatically cut large labeling jobs, such as for preparinglabeling kits for multiple-site cablinginstallations. Its PC connectivity lets you create label fi les on your computerusing the RHINO CONNECT soft-ware or other Windows-compati-ble software (such as Excel) for direct printing to the 6500 or for downloading the fi led for use at the job site. According to the company, this feature is especially

useful for electrical and panel assembly, cable harness shops, or multi-building/site projects that require all

labels to be consistent and uniform. Other features include a library of more than 250 categorized industry terms and symbols, as well as built-in memory to store more than 1,000 custom labels, such as terms, sym-bols, graphics, and logos. The 6500 is designed with features such as a large back-lit screen and multiple label display, motorized auto-cutter, industrial casing with an integrated protective bumper, and simplifi ed label access, label cartridge size sensor, automated label cartridge insertion/ejection system, and QWERTY keyboard.RHINO/DYMO

www.rhinolabeling.com

Desktop labeling solution

High-speed printer with UV technologyUsing ultraviolet (UV) technology to print markers for terminal blocks and other equipment, the Bluemark printer provides non-smearing, non-smudging markers that are resistant to harsh chemicals andenvironments. Featuring an output of up to 10,000 markers per hour, the Bluemark’s liq-uid plastic-based ink and UV-curing process provides permanent and im-mediately useable labels without the need for drying time. Along with a USBinterface, the print-er is network-com-patible via Ethernet, or wirelessly con-trolled via Bluetooth. A new Clip Project advanced planning and marking software runs the Bluemark, featuring an on-screen graphic interface for simplifi ed set up and printer alignment. You can also import marking fi les from Ex-cel or text fi les.PHOENIX CONTACTwww.phoenixcon.com

RFID, snap-around labeling optionsThese cable markers include traditional clippers,durable aluminum versions, and SnapAround designs. Many offer write-on areas that let you record criti-cal data right on the marker. They also can incorpo-rate the company’s SmartMark RFID technology that lets you verify inspection locations via a handheld

GPS unit. All markers are designed to install quicklywith new dedicated installation tools, and can be manufactured in any size or color, including your own message. The company provides full design servicesto help you create markers with customizedmessages, phone numbers, and logos.WILLIAM FRICK & COMPANYwww.fricknet.com





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Site Sponsored by:Within the networking and network-cablingindustries, the march toward 10-Gigabit Ethernet transmission continues at a strong pace. Some of today’s highest-end users already implement 10GbE in the various optical forms in which it is available today. Many more are watching closely as network-gear makers build 10GBase-T—10-GbE’s copper iteration—capabilities into what have been promised as cost-effective alternatives to optical systems.

For professionals in the cabling industry, the tenfold upgrade from gigabit speeds to 10GbE is proving far more complex than the transition that brought them from 100 Meg to 1 Gig. Terms such as mitigation, augmented, and of course alien crosstalk now are part of the everyday lexicon for cabling-system professionals who are exploring the practicalities of implementing 10GBase-T.

The 10-Gig Testing Resource Center, sponsored by Agilent Technologies, is designed to be a useful tool to help designers, installers, and users of these ultra-high-speed cabling systems in that endeavor. The Resource Center includes selected articles and stories from the pages of Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine and its Website, as well as resource materials made available by Agilent.

Check it out today at: www.cablinginstall.com/tests

10-Gig Testing R E S O U R C E C E N T E R

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New Products


cords can be custom-ordered to satisfy length and type requirements, and are cov-ered by a lifetime warranty against defects from manufacturing or workmanship.

CABLES TO GO

www.cablestogo.com

Plug-and-play fi ber riserTh e Plug & Play ISP System is designed to provide a cost-eff ective method for de-ploying optical fi ber in inside plant (ISP) riser and factory fl oor environments, and at speeds signifi cantly faster than tradi-tional fi eld installation. Th e system fea-tures fi re-retardant optical-fi ber cables with tether attachment points (TAP) pre-

installed at customer-specifi ed intervals. Each TAP provides access to the fi bers via a single or dual 12-fi ber tether that is terminated with the company’s OptiTip MT connector. Th is confi guration allows up to 24 fi bers per TAP to be dropped via single cable pull at each fl oor in a riser,

or each workstation on a factory fl oor. Systems are available in singlemode and multimode, and consist of factory-ter-minated and tested distribution trunkcables, tethers, and harnesses com-patible with 2.0-inch duct.

CORNING CABLE SYSTEMS

www.corningcablesystems.com

Network troubleshooterTh e OptiView Series III portable mon-itoring and troubleshooting tool for network maintenance now off ers a trou-bleshooting expert option designed to

bulletin boards

1. Publication title: Cabling Installation & Maintenance. 2. Publication number: 010-968. Filing date: October 1, 2007. 4. Issue frequency: Monthly. 5. Number of issues published annually: 12. 6. Annual subscription price: $74.00. 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: PennWell Corporation 1421 So. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112, Tulsa County. 7a. Contact person: Traci Huntsman. 7b. Telephone: 918-831-9435. 8. Complete mail-ing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher: PennWell Advanced Technology Division, 98 Spit Brook Rd, Nashua, NH 03062. 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Edi-tor: Publisher: Mark Finkelstein, 98 Spit Brook Rd, Nashua, NH 03062. Editor: Patrick McLaughlin, 98 Spit Brook Rd, Nashua, NH 03062. Managing Editor: Steve Smith, 98 Spit Brook Rd, Nashua, NH 03062. 10. Owner: Penn Well Corpo-ration, 1421 So. Sheridan Rd, Tulsa, OK 74112; Sucessors to the Estate of Helen B. Lauinger, 1421 So. Sheridan Rd, Tulsa, OK 74112. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. N/A. 13. Publication Title: Cabling Installation & Maintenance. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September, 2007.

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Average # of No. copies of copies each single issue issue during published preceding nearest to 12 months: filing date:

a. Total # of copies 22,557 23,158

b. Legitimate paid and/or requested circulation

1. Individual paid/requested 18,474 18,397mail subscriptionsstated on PS form 3541

2. Copies requested by employers 0 0for distribution to employees byname or position on PS form 3541

3. Sales through dealers and 1,096 1,124carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other paid or requesteddistribution outside USPS®

4. Requested copies distributed 0 0by other mail classes through the USPS

c. Total paid and/or 19,570 19,521requested circulation

d. Nonrequested distribution

1. Nonrequested copies stated 2,231 2,888on PS form 3541

2. Nonreqeusted copies distributed 0 0through the USPS by other classes of mail

3. Nonreqeusted copies distributed 87 75outside the mail

e. Total nonrequested distribution 2,318 2,963

f. Total Distribution 21,888 22,484

g. Copies not Distributed 669 674

h. Total 22,557 23,158

j. Percent Paid and/or 89.41% 86.82%requested circulation

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Will be printed in the November 2007 issue of this publication. 17. Signa-ture and title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Paul Bernius, Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Assets. Date: 10-01-07.

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be sub-ject to criminal sanctions (includ ing fines and imprison-ment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

6,221 copies of Cabling Installation & Maintenance were distributed in electronic format, and not accounted for in the USPS Statement of Ownership numbers.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION

_________

_____________

Learn about the testing challenges for 10Gig Ethernet over copper cabling and see how new installation and testing guidelines help combat Alien Crosstalk.

Download our white paper today at

www.flukenetworks.com/10Gig

©2006. Fluke Corporation.N E T W O R K S U P E R V I S I O N

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Extend T1/E1 over:

Data Comm for Business, Inc.

WireUp to Several Miles

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FiberMiles of Fiber

EthernetIP/Ethernet


New Productssignifi cantly reduce the time needed to identify problem areas. New views of net-work traffi c include round-trip network latency, plus the response time of the far-end server. Traffi c data is presented via a new graphical transactions chart, show-ing results in an intuitive, visual format. Th e chart includes drill-down capabili-ty, providing a simplifi ed means of cap-turing packet-level detail. In addition, an OptiView Reporter feature turnsautomated network discovery intocomplete network documentation using Visio-based mapping.

FLUKE NETWORKS

www.fl ukenetworks.com

KVM over Category 5HP Server Console Switches aredesigned to provide a KVM (keyboard/video/mouse) solution for data center management—including blade servers,network devices, and infrastructure—

with the ability to manage up to 256 servers from a single KVM console. Switches use Category 5 UTP cablesbetween devices, and allow for fi eld ter-mination to custom lengths, eliminating coils of cabling in the rear of the rack. An Interface Adapter (IA) that connects from the cable to the server KVM ports provides keep-alive and naming func-tionality; should the Category 5 cable become disconnected from the switch, the IA will still respond as if the KVM were present, allowing a server reboot without errors.

HEWLETT PACKARD

www.hp.com/go/infrastructure

Data center SAN kitThe Replicator Kit series of prod-

ucts supports new high-density SAN switches from Cisco, Foundry Net, Bro-cade, and others used in the data center. A port-replicated patch panel incorporates logical port management (LPM), which

simplifi es physical patching between the switch and associated equipment bydirectly replicating port confi gurations at the MDA. Associated trunks, MTP pan-els, and harnesses complete each kit. Th e kits are available in multimode and sin-glemode versions, and all factory termi-nations feature a maximum insertion loss of .5 dB to ensure 10-gigabit capability.

LEVITON VOICE & DATA DIVISION

www.levitonvoicedata.com

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The index of Advertiser’s is published as a service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

Chief Editor / Patrick McLaughlin(603) 891-9222 • [email protected]

Executive Editor / Steve Smith(603) 891-9139 • [email protected]

Senior Editor / Matt Vincent(603) 891-9262 • [email protected]

Circulation Manager / Michelle Blake(603) 891-9360 • [email protected]

Art Director / Kelli Mylchreest

Lead Illustrator / Dan Rodd

Senior Vice President/Group Publishing DirectorMark Finkelstein(603) 891-9133 • [email protected]

Associate Publisher/National Sales ManagerEd Murphy(603) 891-9260 • [email protected]

CABLING INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE EXECUTIVE AND EDITORIAL OFFICES

PennWell ATD98 Spit Brook RoadNashua, NH 03062-5737Tel: (603) 891-0123, fax: (603) 891-9245Internet: www.cablinginstall.com

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES:For subscriptions or to change your format to print or digital, please go to: www.cim-subscribe.com. Subscriptions outside the USA are available in digital format only.

CORPORATE OFFICERS

Chairman / Frank T. Lauinger

President and Chief Executive Offi cer / Robert F. Biolchini

Chief Financial Offi cer / Mark C. Wilmoth

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

Senior Executive AssistantCarol WoodwardTel: (603) 891-9112, fax: (603) 891-9287 [email protected]

VP Audience Development / Gloria S. Adams

ATD PUBLISHING SERVICES DEPARTMENTS

Art Director / Meg Fuschetti

Production Director / Mari Rodriguez(603) 891-9193 • [email protected]

Marketing Communication Manager / Kristen Jones(603) 891-9425 • [email protected]

Ad Traffi c Manager / Jackie Linker(918) 832-9314 • [email protected]

PRINTED IN THE USA GST NO. 126813153

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40052420

Senior Vice President/Group Publishing DirectorMark FinkelsteinTel: (603) 891-9133; fax: (603) [email protected]

Associate Publisher/National Sales ManagerEd MurphyPennWell Corp./ATD98 Spit Brook RoadNashua, NH 03062-5737 Tel: (603) 891-9260; fax: (603) [email protected]

Digital Media Account ManagerMaureen ChristensonTel: (603) [email protected]

Reprint SalesDiane TroyerTel: (603) 891-9385; fax: (603) 891-9245 [email protected]

List Rental / Bob Dromgoole(603) 891-9128 • [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL SALES Australia/New Zealand / Glenn ClarkeFax: +61 3 9 568 [email protected]

France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Andora, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Western Switzerland / Luis MatutanoTel: +33 1 39 66 16 87; fax: +33 1 39 23 84 [email protected]

Austria, Eastern Europe,Germany, Northern Switzerland / Holger GerischTel: +49 8801-302430; fax: +49 8801 [email protected]

India / Rajan SharmaTel: +91 11 686 1113; fax: +91 11 686 [email protected]

Israel / Dan AronovicTel: +972 9 899 [email protected]

Italy / Vittorio Rossi PrudenteTel: +39 0 49 87 87 584; fax: +39 0 49 66 04 [email protected]

Russia / Anton AntoniukTel: +7 095 234 5678; fax: +7 095 234 [email protected]

U.K. & Scandinavia / Amanda LoftusTel: +44 0 1793 862111; fax: +44 0 1793 [email protected]

Asia Sales Manager / Adonis MakTel: +852 2 838 6298; fax: +852 2 838 [email protected]

Japan / Manami KonishiTel: +81 3 5771 8886; fax: +81 3 5771 [email protected]

Korea / Paek KwonTel: +82 2 420 1293 or 1213; fax: +82 2 420 [email protected]

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, ThailandGrace LeungTel: +65 6 836 2272; fax: +65 6 735 [email protected]

Taiwan / Anita ChenTel: +886 2 8751 5162; fax: +886 2 8751 [email protected]

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS


COMPANY PAGE PHONE WEB

ADC 19 800-366-3891 www.adc.com

Agilent Technologies 23 800-829-4444 www.agilent.com/fi nd/wirescope ext 5465

Bel Stewart Connector 10 717-235-7512 www.belfuse.com/stewartconnector

Belden/CDT C3 800-BELDEN-1 www.belden.com

Brother International 11 877-4ptouch www.brother.com

Byte Brothers 44 800-999-2983 www.bytebrothers.com

Cables To Go 46 800-361-0471 www.quiktron.com

CEDIA 47 800-669-5329 www.cedia.org

Commscope 29 www.commscope.com/designguide

Cope - Allied Electrical Group 31 800-882-5543 www.alliedeg.com/cope

Corning Cable Systems C2 800-743-2671 www.corning.com/cablesystems

Daimler Chrylser Vans 12-13 800-4ADODGE www.dodge.com/sprinter

Datacom For Business 59 800-432-2638 www.textender.com

Diamond Ground Products 59 805-493-3837 www.diamondground.com

Dow Wire & Cable 51 800-441-4DOW www.dowwireandcable.com

Engineered Products Company 26 866-631-4238 www.pducables.com

Erico, Inc. 14 800-677-9089 www.erico.com

Exacq Technologies 22 317-845-5710 www.exacq.com

EXFO 35 800-663-3936 www.EXFO.com

Fluke Inc. 1 www.fl ukenetworks.com/seehow

Fluke Inc. 53 www.fl ukenetworks.com/ SeeMicroScanner2

Fluke Inc. 58 www.fl ukenetworks.com/10Gig

General Cable Company 41 800-424-5666 www.generalcable.com

Graybar Electric Company, Inc. 5 800-GRAYBAR www.graybar.com

Harger Lighting & Grounding 17 800-842-7437 www.harger.com

Hellerman Tyton 32 800-822-4352 www.hellerman.tyton.com/cm1

Hyperline Systems Canada 37 866-63-HYPER www.hyperlinesystems.com

ICC Premise Wiring 7 888-275-4422 www.icc.com

Live Wire & Cable 58 888-897-6008 www.live w-c.com

Megger 30 800-723-2861 www.megger.com/sct x8518

Micro Plastics 18 870-453-2261 www.microplastics.com

Mohawk 8 800-422-9961 www.mohawk-cable.com

Optical Cable Corp. 2 800-622-7711 www.occfi ber.com

Paladin Tools 54 800-272-8665 www.paladin-tools.com

Panduit Corp. 34 800-777-3300 www.panduit.com/ult23

Panduit Corp. C4 800-777-3300 www.panduit.com/gs24

Pheonix Contact Inc. 21 800-322-3225 www.phoenixcon.com/allaboutblue

Pulizzi Engineering Inc. 36 977-PULIZZI www.pulizzi.com

Server Technology 40 800-835-1515 www.servertech.com

Siemon Company 45 www.siemon.com

Snake Tray 27 800-308-6788 www.snaketray.com

Test-Um/JDSU 24 805-383-1500 www.jdsu.com/know

Transition Networks, Inc. 38 800-526-9267 www.transition.com

Tri Net Technologies 42 909-594-8666 www.trinetusa.com

TVC Communications 43 888-387-3828 www.maxcell.us

Tyco Electronics Corp. 48 800-553-0938 www.ampnetconnect.com

Western Telematic, Inc. 6 800-854-7226 www.wti.com










From the new Belden System 10GX® toinnovative DuPont Abandoned Cable Servicesto the leading limited combustible cablingproducts available, Belden and DuPont leadthe way in structured cabling solutions.

The Belden System 10GX, utilizing DuPontmaterials, isn’t simply tweaked Category 6technology. It’s a revolutionary new systemdesigned around four totally new enablingtechnologies that deliver on the two mostcritical factors in 10 Gigabit service: reductionof Alien Crosstalk and controlled performanceup to a minimum of 500 MHz.

DuPont Abandoned Cable Services, supported by Belden, consist of a suite ofservices designed to make understanding andresponding to changing building safety codesand standards relating to cabling simple andaffordable. These services identify and reporton abandoned cable hazards and providedetailed plans for cable removal managementand infrastructure improvement.

All of Belden’s limitedcombustible cablingproducts use DuPontTeflon® FEP insulationand jacketing materialsto lower smoke generation by 2000%compared to conventional plenum-ratedcable. In fact, no other structured cablingcompany uses as much Teflon® as Belden!

Belden and DuPont clearly do stand out from the rest. For more information, please call Belden at 1.800.BELDEN.1

www.belden.com

www.dupont.com/cablingsolutions

Working together, Belden and DuPontlead the industry in creating innovativestructured cablingtechnologies and solutions.

Belden® and DuPontTM

The Clear Standouts in Cabling Solutions

©2006, Belden Inc.

DuPont, Teflon® and the DuPont Oval are a trademark orregistered trademarks of DuPont and its affiliates.

®

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PANDUIT ® STRUCTUREDGROUND ™ Grounding System provides a low resistance, visually verifiable grounding path to maximize uptime, maintain system performance, and protect networkequipment and personnel.

The only solution engineered to meet and exceed TIA-942 “Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers” Innovative paint piercing hardware creates a high performance electrical bond with no paint scraping required NEBS Level 3 tested compression connectors provide the highest reliability in the industry Flexible design works with new and existing racks and cabinets that meet EIA-310-D Premium components are kitted to provide easy selection and installation Technical assistance is available

PANDUIT is a Global Leader Providing Innovative End-To-End Network Connectivity Solutions that Enable the Deployment of Technology.

Network Grounding Systems Copper Cabling Systems Fiber Cabling Systems Outlets Raceway Systems Zone Cabling Systems Network Management and PoE Systems Fiber Routing Systems Racks and Cable Management Network Identification Systems Network Cable Ties and Accessories

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