Often one of the least understood aspects of the network infrastructure qualification process, one item you should always test and verify the foundation of your network infrastructure: your copper and fiber optic cabling.

The most thorough way for testing network cabling is certification, which proves that the cabling meets rigorous standards for installation and performance. You will only need to certify test your network cabling once to know your cabling meets the standards. In the event of a failure of connectivity, the specific cable can be tested to see if a component has failed or if a cable cut has occurred. While component failures are rare, they can be caused by user error or sabotage (bent pins from an object getting pushed into a jack port for example). Accidental cable cuts happen more frequently and are usually caused by other trades working in an area where cable is installed.

Certification testing requires a certified technician with specialized testing equipment. The tester should also meet Level III requirements set forth by ANSI/TIA-1152-A and IEC 61935-1/Ed.4.

Why Certify Your Copper and Fiber Cabling?

Cabling is known to be the cause of up to half of all network failures, so it’s essential to certify your cable system’s performance to verify everything works correctly after a new network installation or significant upgrade.

A wide range of items can affect a cable’s performance, such as a kink or proximity to electromagnetic radiation. A certified test can pick up on a variety of potential cabling issues, such as:

  • Too much cable tension
  • Crossed cabling or wires
  • Cable kinks
  • Cable damage or malfunctions
  • Cable that runs too long
  • Improper connector installation

Regardless of the cable type, certification ensures your cabling has been installed and performs properly. Cabling certification serves as objective evidence that cables have been tested, performs to stringent standards, and are not the cause of network infrastructure errors.       

Certifying Your Cabling is Less Expensive than Repairing

The main benefit of certifying copper and fiber cabling is it deters and insures against potential problems. Downtime for a network causes a painfully high amount of lost revenue, decreases productivity and weakens customer service. According to an Information Technology Intelligence Consulting Research study, the results showed just how costly downtime could be:

  98% of enterprises with system networks reported 1 hour of downtime costs over $100,000
  81% of respondents indicated that 1 hour of downtime costs their business over $300,000
  33% of those enterprises reported that 1 hour of downtime costs $1-5 million

In contrast, the cost of certification pays for itself and more when you compare it to the cost of network downtime for cabling repairs. For most enterprises (based on the 98 percent above), 10 minutes of downtime will more than pay for Certification testing.   

PowerIT’s Copper and Fiber Optic Cabling Installation and Certification

PowerIT specializes in low-voltage copper and fiber optic cable installation and certification testing. We also offer an unmatched lifetime warranty on all cabling project that we design, install, and certify.  We’re able to give you the testing certifications you need to ensure your cabling is working correctly and certified to Category and TIA standards. We have tested and certified thousands of terminations, including:

  • Single mode, Multi mode OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4 fiber optic cabling
  • Shielded and unshielded, Cat5E, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7 copper cabling

To find out more about certified cable testing or a new enterprise network installation, contact us or call 914.263.7351 about how we can give you peace of mind when it comes to your cabling infrastructure.

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