115.COMPUTER CABLE BUSINESS

What most people think they know about computer cable begins and ends at the little jack in the wall where they plug in their phone or desktop computer to access the Web.Facilities managers and IT professionals know it's a tad more complex than plug and play. Computer cables vary from as thin as spaghetti strands to thick, unruly and heavily shielded Internet connection cables known as Category 5 (or higher).Covered in this guide to computer network cable.Computer cable design for office spaces
What computer cabling to buy and why.Saving money with bulk cable. Computer cables from wall to user.

In general, office computer cables begin in the server room and travel first via thick "backbone" cabling, which connects the outside world to your network; "horizontal" cabling across false ceilings, which carries it to offices; then, finally, the smaller, consumer-friendly wires that hook a PC or Web phone to the wall jack.Computer cable meets international standards according to its use, from Category 1, which is the least shielded (used to wire things like doorbells and phones) through Category 7, capable of carrying dense electronic data traffic.If you've ever seen an office server room, you know they quickly become a rat's nest of computer cabling. Then you have to consider the "run," or how far down a hall, through walls and back around your computer cabling will go. Bulk cable is often a better deal.

Buying computer cabling for small office users or for home needs.Getting the Net from your server to a wall jack is one thing (and usually comes built-in to your office space). Yet you still need to get computer network cable from wall to desktop. Likewise, there are a lot of specialized cables to connect specific peripherals, like printers, scanners, digital cameras, and memory backup.USB, which stands for Universal Serial Bus, largely replaced the hodgepodge of nine-pin and flat connectors for peripheral devices that once junked up the backside of the PC. Computer cabling for monitors, however, remains unique.

Most new office spaces have open plans and computer network cable conduits down from the ceiling to accommodate computer cables. If you are moving into an older building, make sure it's pre-wired, or you'll be spending your weekends drilling holes.Everybody on laptops? Skip the computer network cable and set up a wireless local area network. Unless your team is doing a lot of incredibly data-heavy design or engineering work or you need bulk cable, it's an easy start and can put off your computer cable investment indefinitely.