Experience the best network cabling in San Diego

All connections and network cabling begin here. The router is where the Internet Service Provider (ISP) delivers service. The speed purchased from the ISP and the network cabling used will be the determining factors of internet speed. Routers typically have 3-4 Ethernet ports. Due to the limited port space on routers, network switches are commonly used to give customers more Ethernet ports to use. 

Our services begin after the router. 

If there is no service coming out of the router, you will need to contact your ISP. 

Network switches are connected to the router via Ethernet cable (patch cord) and will be a CAT5e cable or a CAT6 cable.. This Ethernet cable brings the service from the router to the network switch. Network switches come in a variety of sizes, from 4 ports to 48 ports. Each port in a network switch represents a device that it can bring service to. You now have a router and a network switch, but we still need to connect them to your office’s network cabling system. 

The network switch provides service to each port in a patch panel via Ethernet cable (patch cord). Patch panels are the endpoint of network cabling. Data receptacles all run to patch panels. Each port in a patch panel represents an outlet. They are an end-to-end connection. Patch panels are available for CAT5e cable, CAT6 cable, or CAT6a. and come in sizes from 12 to 48 ports. In the photo above, there are patch panels with patch cords running to a network switch.

Patch cords are what connect everything in the network. They are essentially Ethernet cables but made in short lengths, such as 6” to 3’. The determining factor of the length of patch cords is aesthetics. Longer-than-necessary patch cords can cause a beautifully installed network cabling system to look messy.  Patch cords are used in the router to connect to the network switch. From the network switch, patch cords are used to connect to the patch panels. Patch cords should match the cable and patch panels. If there is CAT6 cabling, then CAT6 patch cords are used. 

Network cabling is the blood supply of all the components. The router and switches would be the heart and organs, the cabling the blood supply, and the receptacles the extremities. A sound network cabling system will ensure everything runs as efficiently as it can. 

Main types of cabling used:

• CAT5e: CAT5e cable provides speeds from 100 Mbps- 1 Gigabit. Transmission speed begins to degrade the longer the cable is. It is recommended not to exceed 100 meters. CAT5e is perfect for voice lines because higher speeds are not as important. For synergy, most businesses choose only 1 cable type for their entire project. 

• CAT6: CAT6 cable provides speeds from 1 Gigabit to 10 Gigabit. We recommend a CAT6 installation cable if your business purchases data speeds above 500 Mbps. This is because if CAT5e is used and 750 Mbps is what the ISP is delivering, customers will reach 500~ Mbps. When CAT6 cable is used in the same scenario, customers will see speeds reach up to their 600-750 Mbps. 

• CAT6a: Like CAT6 cable, CAT6a cable provides speeds from 1 Gigabit to 10 Gigabit. The only difference between CAT6a is that less transmission speed is lost due to cable length. CAT6a cable can deliver speeds up to 10 Gigabits at 100 meters. CAT6a cable is best used for feed cables to ensure that no speed is lost from the router to the network switch. 

The final step we take when installing network cabling is labeling and testing. Every outlet is labeled with the port on the patch panel it is terminated onto. 

An example of a label would be “P1.1”, which means patch panel #1 and port #1. 

We test the cable simultaneously while we label them. They are tested with a network cable tester. It tests for breaks, shorts, and mis-wired connections. Our job is not done until every cable is tested and passed. This is our guarantee and duty to our customers across San Diego.