In this article
Structured cabling is the longest-lasting part of the network infrastructure: it stays in the wall for 15 to 20 years, while switches, servers and computers are replaced several times. Certifying a network means measuring every outlet with calibrated equipment and issuing an individual report with the values obtained, not merely confirming there is a connection. Without that report, there is no proof the network delivers the performance you paid for. And cutting corners on cabling is the most expensive false economy in IT.
The weakest link defines the whole network
Switches last five or six years, servers four or five, computers even less. The cable stays. That is why no equipment delivers more than the cabling allows: latest-generation access points connected with old, badly terminated or overlong cable are held to that cable’s limit.
The problem is that cabling rarely fails in an obvious way. It degrades. Intermittent slowness, random dropouts and some workstations slower than others appear. The computer, the server or the carrier gets the blame, almost never the cable.
The calculation that matters: cabling is a small share of the total investment, but it is the longest-lasting and the most expensive to replace, because it means disturbing ceilings, walls and the company’s operations.
Testing and certifying are not the same thing
| Continuity test | Certification | |
|---|---|---|
| What it checks | That the wires are in the right order and the signal passes | The electrical performance of each link against the limits of the category standard |
| Equipment | A simple, inexpensive device | Calibrated measuring equipment |
| Parameters | Connection yes or no | Attenuation, crosstalk, delays and other values that determine real throughput |
| Result | No useful document | A per-outlet report, with an individual pass or fail |
| Value to the client | Tells you very little | A guarantee and the basis for demanding corrections |
The rule is simple: demand certification with a report. An installation without certification is an installation without proof.
Choosing the category with ten years in mind
The right question is not “what do I need today” but “what will run over this cable ten years from now”. Three criteria help decide:
- Expected throughput Video, backups and cloud will keep growing.
- Distances Above certain lengths, the options narrow.
- Power over the cable (PoE) Access points, cameras and phones are powered through the network, which requires suitable conductors.
The price difference between categories lies almost entirely in the materials. Labour, the largest share, is practically the same. Saving here saves little and limits a lot.
DataRoad IT Unlimited
Talk to DataRoad. We assess your operation and propose the right plan.
Checklist for a well-executed cabling project
- Survey and floor plan — the location of every outlet and the route of every cable tray.
- Organised rack — patch panels, cable management and room to grow. You can tell the moment you open the door.
- Labelling — every outlet and cable labelled at both ends.
- Certification — a report per link.
- Final documentation — floor plan, outlet map and reports, owned by the company and not by the installer.
- Room for growth — usually 20 to 30% more outlets than current needs. During the works it is cheap; afterwards it is not.
Six signs of deficient cabling
With three or more, it is worth certifying before investing in new equipment:
- Workstations consistently slower than others, with no cause in the computer.
- Connections that drop and come back with no pattern.
- An unlabelled rack where nobody can trace a cable.
- Improvised plugs or visible splices.
- Cabling more than fifteen years old, never certified.
- New equipment that does not deliver the expected performance.
The best time to redo the network
An office move or new office fit-out is the only time you can rebuild the network from scratch with no additional building cost and without stopping the business. It is the moment to design, cable and certify with the next fifteen years in mind.
Next step: certify or design your network
DataRoad designs, installs and certifies structured cabling and network infrastructure, with a per-outlet report and documentation handed to the client, and then maintains the network under an IT Unlimited contract. Request a no-obligation proposal from sales@dataroad.pt.
More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and telephone support.
