The Importance of Data Cable Management

Data cable management might not seem very important for your business because in most of the cases people usually refer to data cable systems as a simple network of high-efficiency wires and cables that connect together computers, routers, modems and other computer hardware. In reality, it is much more than that. An average data cable network is basically the nervous system of your entire hardware network that consists of different computers, printers, data centers and telephone systems. In most of the cases we don’t even realize the importance of data cable management before we are presented with a small glitch in the entire network that has the capability of turning the entire office upside down. You could consider this as a nervous system that connects different parts of the body by maintaining communication between them – in the system goes haywire, your business will have to face the heat and something as trivial as a maze of wires could turn out to be the biggest pain in the back.

So, here’s a checklist that should prevent problems from becoming disasters:

• You need to be very serious about how you place your cables – it is not just about connecting point A and point B via point C; you need to be concerned about the overall health of the network of data cables and hence it is a good idea to place them in neat and organized fashion so they are easily accessible and also consist of multiple serviceable components. Don’t make the mistake of creating a mass of tangled wires and cables in the name of data cable networking.
• Many service providers would tell you that a continuous network is going to serve you best in the days to come. They will be having their own reasons for saying that but you need to realize that if you have a continuous network (of course the efficiency is going to be a tad bit better), you would not be able to spot flaws as and when your network goes haywire – for a continuous network you would have to take down the entire network, shutdown your business for a couple days, look for loopholes and then replace the entire network. On the other hand, if you have a data cable network that consists of several small components, it would be easier for your technicians to find flaws and mistakes and you do need to take down the entire network at the cost of your business to repair the flaws. It is also going to be less time-consuming and more cost-effective. But then, you need to come to terms with the fact that the initial investment over multiple jacks, routers, modems and DP boxes is going to be a tad bit higher compared to what you would need for a continuous network.
• Price of materials should not be a deciding factor – there are many vendors out there that would quote you the lowest price possible and give you the illusion that you would be able to save tons of money spent otherwise on expensive hardware. Now, the problem is cheap stuff is not going to be backed up by an efficient service warranty and that is going to leave you clueless as and when there is a glitch in the network. So, only go for hardware that has been manufactured following international coding standards and is tough enough to handle the weight of your business.

Author Bio: Carles Kimber is a tech writer/blogger for dmcommun.com, a cabling company. Where He has been researching and writing about data and voice cabling.