TitleThis advice applies equally to copper and fibre-optic cable.
Installation tips
General Public Safety Rules
KRONE is obliged by European Law to make course attendees aware of Health and Safety rules and correct working practices.
Office Working
When working in an office, mark off areas where cables could be a potential hazard
Remove all customer’s items that could be damaged during the installation.
Remember: A tidy job is a safe job!
Installation tips
Protective shoes must be worn at all times.
Protective gloves should be worn when pulling in cables.
Goggles must be worn when removing ceiling tiles or when drilling and chopping into walls.
It is advisable to wear protective overalls to stop loose clothing getting caught.
Installation tips
Ladder Safety
Before using ladders and stepladders, make sure the correct Safety Procedures are followed for
Siting
Bad weather use
Hazardous Materials and Precautions
If you think you may be working in an area where asbestos or other suspect substances are present:
Stop and inform your supervisor.
Always ask your Supervisor if you have to work in the proximity of unknown substances.
Always observe your national Health and Safety at Work regulations.
Installation tips
Be aware of all electrical cables and inductive lighting.
Be aware of anything that could cause interference to the cable
Installation tips
Possible Routes
A careful survey of cabling and wiring routes should be made to select the best alternatives
The time taken completing a site survey of cable routes will expedite the installation
Look for possible routes:
Be aware of electrical cable runs
Installation tips
Estimation of Cable Needed
Use site plans to estimate length of cable needed, remembering to leave at least:
50cm at socket
2 meters at frame (for terminating).
For short runs pace out length
For suspended ceilings, remember to include length to ceiling and drop to floor
Do not exceed the cable lengths specified in the Standards
Installation tips
Cables should follow well defined routes
Tray work can be used when available, but must be segregated from other cables.
Where tray work is not available fixing to the top ceiling must be made every 300mm max.
If fixing to ceiling is not possible, route round walls
Installation tips
Routing Precautions
On no account should cables be suspended from ceiling support hangers.
When cables are concealed, they must be labelled at all points where they enter and emerge
Fire walls and barriers must be reinstated to the original standard of protection
On no account should cables run near fluorescent lights and inductive circuits
Installation tips
Site Plans and Building Plans
Site plans will be available for a new construction; consult with customer and construction company for running cables.
Occupied building: Ask customer for a plan with socket requirements marked on it
Installation tips
Location of Central Distribution
A room or closet should be chosen for the central distribution.
There should be adequate room to work freely around the frame and equipment.
Be aware of heat dissipated from the telecommunication equipment and look at what air flow is available; natural or installed.
Distribution frames should not be located where personnel could be put at risk. Example: lift shafts, motor rooms.
Installation tips
Universal Stripping Tool for removing insulation without damaging the conductors.
Side (Diagonal) Cutters (10 to 12mm) for cutting the cable off the reel and to fine tune the cable ends.  
Installation tips
Box Labelling
Label the ends of cable and the corresponding box. This will help for identification purposes at the central distribution frame and socket.
Installation tips
Running Cluster Cables
Connect first cluster of cables to draw wire and pull to the first opening in ceiling.
Connect second cluster to draw wire and repeat the clusters process until you reach the end of the run.
Installation tips
Floor access traps should not be left open and unguarded.
When working in a floor access use proper guard rails round tile access.
As soon as work is completed all covers and fixing screws should be properly secured
Installation tips
BS EN 50174-2 states that:
Data cables and power cables must not share the same duct or conduit:
Installation tips
Installation tips
Suspended Computer Floor
When running under raised tile floor, lift as many panels as possible to get from A to B
Cables must be labelled at all points where they enter and submerge
Cables must follow well defined routes via floor access.
Installation tips
Suspended Computer Floor
Communication cables should be separated from electrical cable by either an electrical screen or a distance of 50 mm to reduce interference
Consideration should be given to the use of fire retardant cable and low smoke emission properties
Installation tips
… use the correct categorised 4-Pair Cable.
… label each cable before installation, mark it at both ends - more than once - using a waterproof marker.
… make the longest run first, so that you can take advantage of the pull string on the shorter runs.
… run cables straight and free of kinks with gentle bends for any change of direction.
… run cables point to point in one continuous length without any joints in the run.
Installation tips
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Do
… make a schematic diagram showing where the cable runs are and numbers of the rooms they go to...
… later, when you wire the patch panel, this plan will tell you what order to position the cables.
… protect cables where they pass through or over sharp edges, holes etc.
Installation tips
Don’t
… cut unlabelled cable; label cable before routing it or you’ll lose track of which cables go to which rooms.
… label cable "Ms. Scholl’s room." Instead, use a label that will be understandable to someone years later, such as "Room 103".
… plan runs longer than 90 metres.
… run UTP/FTP/STP cabling outside!
Installation tips
Don’t
… joint any cable between the patch panel and the wall outlet.
… bend cables to less than 8x the diameter of the cable during installation and 4x when installed.
… stretch cables (max. pulling force should not exceed 110 Newton).
... bend the cable or "kink" it when tying it down or laying it in cable trays or runway strips.
… allow cable to be stretched, pinched, kinked, walked on or have any other undue stress or tension applied to the cable.
Installation tips
Don’t
… tie cable ties too tight - they should be able to slide a little.
… install or lay cable too close to fluorescent lights or power lines. This may result in interference and reduce network quality and/or speed.
… run cables near or parallel to power cables
… run cables near devices which can introduce noise. (i.e. heaters, printers, monitors, lights, copiers, microwaves, etc.).
… strip off too much sheathing or untwist the pairs more than 13mm
Installation tips
Leave enough spare cable
Don’t cut corners with cable - leave ample slack. A metre or so of cable costs a lot less than the time it takes to redo a cable run because of cable lengths being too short or the cable being stretched.
When you wire the jacks and patch panel you should have enough slack to reach the floor and extend another metre at both ends of the cable.
In addition, it’s standard practice to leave a service coil - a few extra feet of cable coiled up inside the ceiling or other out-of-the-way place. However, do not exceed the 90m rule.
Installation tips
Common cabling installation faults
Excessive untwisting of the pairs prior to insertion into the IDC contacts. The maximum allowed is 13mm;
Failure to adhere to the maximum bend radius (less than four times the diameter of the cable);
Over-cinching of cable bundles
Installation - Cable sheath removal
Maintaining cable sheath integrity is associated with the design and control of cable impedance.
The most common problem associated with large impedance variations is excessive return loss.
Disturbing the pair geometry and removing too much cable sheath can adversely affect FEXT and Attenuation performance.
There are no standard requirements on the maximum amount of cable sheath to remove, but we recommend that no more that 75 mm (3.0) of the sheath be removed.
Installation tips
The following are quotations from Standards:
July 1991: “UTP connecting hardware shall be installed to provide minimal signal impairment by preserving wire pair twists as close as possible to the point of mechanical termination”.
October 1995: “The amount of untwisting in a pair as the result of termination to connecting hardware shall be no greater than 13mm (0.5) for Cat. 5 cables and no greater than 25mm (1.0) for Cat. 3 cables”.
No more than 13mm (0.5) of pair untwist should be made for Cat. 5e and Cat. 6 cables.
Installation tips
Sheath removal
Care should be taken to minimise cable sheath disturbance and/or removal. Do not exceed 75mm.
Untwisting pairs
Do not exceed 13mm of untwist for Cat. 5e and Cat. 6 cabling.
13 mm max.
75 mm max.
Floor Distributor Layout
Information on laying out a cabinet for use as a floor distributor.
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Overview
The detailed layout of communications racks varies naturally from installation to installation but there is an overall scheme that has become generally accepted.
The scheme allows for the expansion of the wiring network and maintains a consistent arrangement of equipment without the need for constant reorganisation when additions or alterations are made.
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1. Permanent UTP/STP cabling to users’ outlets.
This is usually presented in the form of RJ45 patch panels.
2. Permanent twisted pair connections to incoming voice circuits from the Building Distribution Frame (BDF).
These too are presented in the form of RJ45 patch panels.
3. Active communications equipment connected to the campus data network.
These always require an electrical mains supply but they vary widely in outward appearance; commonly, they are Ethernet switches presenting their output ports on RJ45 sockets.
4. Electrical mains distribution.
These components are installed as a bank of unswitched mains sockets.
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Provisioning (2)
4.Optical fibre terminations that provide the actual link to the campus data network.
These are usually presented in the form of a ‘fibre tray’ with the connections protected by dust caps.
Occasionally, the connection to the campus data network may be achieved by means other than optical fibres. (e.g. coax or twisted pair cables).
5.Cable management components.
These usually take the form of metal loops to retain the cables used to make the patched connections between active equipment and users’ sockets.
NOTE: The use of nylon cable ties is now not recommended. Cable bundles should be formed/secured using reusable fabric hook and loop ties (‘Velcro’). This form of cable tie allows additions and changes to be made easily, does not distort cables and does not tear the skin.
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Recommended cabinet layout
Patching for users’ sockets is located at the front-top of the rack and expands downwards.
Active communications equipment is located in the front-middle of the rack and expands either towards the voice patching fields or towards the users’ outlet patching fields as space permits.
Patching for voice circuits is located at the front-near-bottom of the rack and expands upwards towards the top of the rack. Optical fibre trays are located below the voice-patching field at the front-near-bottom of the rack and expand downwards.
206.bin
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Notes
1. Mains distribution for the rack is located at the back of the cabinet and is fed from an unswitched fused spur which is in turn derived from an independent feed on the mains distribution board within the building.
The mains cables to the communications equipment should formed into a neat cable loom with fabric hook and loop ties and kept away from any voice or data cables. The metalwork of the rack or cabinet should be bonded to earth.
2. Cable management fields for patch cables are located at the front-topmost position of the rack and then at every fourth position thereafter.
Cable management for permanent wiring is located at the back of the cabinet and secured using fabric hook and loop ties (‘Velcro’).
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Installation tips
Laying cables (2)
Cables going through risers between floors must be properly supported for their weight.
Installation tips
Laying cables (3)
Proper use of waterfall (rounded transition) fittings for cable changing from a horizontal path to a vertical one. This maintains the minimum bend radius for Cat. 5e and Cat. 6 cable.
Installation tips
NOTE:
.Finished section going into conduits that has been properly bundle to Ladder Tray with Velcro strips.
The conduit bushings on the end of the conduits are fitted to prevent the cable being nicked on rough conduit edges during pulling.
Installation tips
There are multiple problems with this picture.
1: The Hooks are attached to the ceiling grid.
2: The cable bundle is practically laying in the fluorescent light just left of middle in the photo.
Installation tips
Laying cables - Installation errors (2)
This is not acceptable. The cable should have branched out at the support.
Installation tips
Never run parallel with electrical conduits or strap to them.
Installation tips
A kink that has been pulled
straight using excessive
back on itself.
forced straight.
Note the cuts in the
cable sheath
Installation tips
147.txt
The pairs have been untwisted too much.
The pairs are correctly untwisted to within 13mm of the IDC termination.


Too much sheathing has been removed from the cable.


Cable tie wraps
The tie wrap is too tight, the cable geometry has been altered. Never cinch plastic cable ties overly tight. If it deforms the outer cable jacket it is too tight.
The cable tie is holding the cable but not changing the geometry.


Wall fixings


Bend radius
Excessive bending tends to open wire twists making the cable more susceptible to noise.


Common Cable Installation Faults
Excessive untwisting of the pairs prior to insertion into the IDC contacts. The maximum allowed for Category 5e is 13mm and 0mm for Category 6.
Failure to adhere to the maximum bend radius (less than four times the diameter of the cable).
Over-cinching of cable bundles.
Installation tips
Cable Sheath Removal
Maintaining cable sheath integrity is associated with the design and control of cable impedance.
The most common problem associated with large impedance variations is excessive return loss.
Disturbing the pair geometry and removing too much cable sheath can adversely affect FEXT and Attenuation performance.
There are no standard requirements on the maximum amount of cable sheath to remove, but we recommend that the sheath be maintained as close as practically possible to the point of termination.
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Insulation Displacement Connection
When the Insulation Displacement Contacts (IDC) pierce the conductor they produce a weak point within it. By angling the contact at 450 the weak point is minimised. If the conductor is not restrained it could lead to a fracture
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Termination of PCB Patch Panel
Install the cable and tie the cable into position on the Patch Panel plate using cable ties.
Terminate using the preferred termination pattern, either 568A or 568B
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Fire Stopping
Fire containment is an essential part of a cable installer’s job, as it is often necessary to create openings in the existing walls and floors within a building. These must be closed safely, according to construction and fire regulations.
Firestopping Is necessary for 5 reasons:
– Saving lives
– Buying time
– Improper firestopping
– Not firestopping
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