Cabling

[Guest_imported]

In an effort to make things look neater, someone bundled all the cables neatly together... computer cables and electrical wires and cables.

You're not suppose to do that right?

 

[fenris]

I would keep the power cables seperate from the computer cables as the magnetic field inherent in those cables may interfer with data transmission particularly with cat5 network cable (a thin blue cable that looks like phone cable). I have learned from experience that having cables bundled like that is more of a pain when you have to pull the computer out for servicing.

 

[tomw]

Fenris is right, electrical lines can cause interference. I assume you are running 10baseT, not 100baseT, because 100 is a lot more sensitive to that type of interference. Your post did not mention any problem now. For ease of service now, as well as eliminating interference now and if/when you upgrade to 10/100, or straight 100 gear, those cables should be separated. There have been cases where having even one power line in close proximity to a network cable on a 100bT network has prevented any communication.

One last note, cat5 cable can be a number of colors besides the popular blue that fenris spoke of. Before I came to my current position, they had ran cables in white, blue, black, and 2 shades of gray in addition to the blue. There are many more colors available like red, yellow, green, orange, and purple. They are all sold in bulk reels as well as pre-made patch cords, so you could find any of those colors in an installation.

 

[Pritch5000]

Hey.

I've just created a FAQ about this.
Check out the FAQ area, theres only one in it so you should find it easily enough!

You didn't mention much about the circumstances of the 'Offence', anyway I hope my FAQ helps. (... to muddy the water!)

Pritch5000

P.s. I've never seen blue trunk cable, I've used light and dark grey, purple and orange. About a dozen different colours of patch cord.

 

[Guest_imported]

Thanks all. We are having network problems which I dont know if this adds to the problem. For examples, losing connections for no reasons, slow network, etc.

 

[Pritch5000]

Hey.

This could very well be related.
But then so could excessive cable lengths, bottle-necks, poor connections, other interference sources such as flourecent lights, wrong cable types and/or poor use of cabling standards, excessive hierarchy of central and perimeter switches, faulty network device, faulty NIC, client database software modelled as a client-server database, insufficient network speed, software issues, etc etc. To name just that what is in my noggin' right now.

Don't fancy your job! Good Luck!
Pritch5000.

 

[Guest_imported]

I think we've got all the issues you mentioned. Im tryn to "smoothly" change things, but Im not a chief around here, and the other "Injins" kinda paranoid about me cause Im an MSCE (so most times they "poo poo" my ideas)

We've got like 100 computers and got about 17 hubs scattered throughout the building. I've got computers connected to hubs that are 300 feet away, when there is a hub less than 20 feet from the computer. This network wasnt planned at all, it kinda happened (not being funny), and people started stringing computers together with no thought....

 

[Pritch5000]

Hey.
Want my advice... no probably not!

RIP IT OUT! Plan you network, install patching cabinets, switches, 500 outlets with outlets where you'll never need 'em or at least think you won't, 100mbps this that and the other, spend some budget, hire a professional structured cabling expert and his/her team.

Try and get that one passed the FD!
Good Luck, still don't fancy your job!
pritch.

 

[Guest_imported]

OH add to that their cheap. I replaced two hubs once (about $60 each), much the disdain of the financial officer and said to me couldnt you have soldered them or something...

 

[fenris]

got to love FO's or better yet CFO's

 

[Pritch5000]

Hey.
I wouldn't say its especially cheap to do it right. a 24 port 10/100 switch will cost, what £1,000 to £3,000. You'd need at least four of them. Upward of £20,000 for the complete professionally install network. Intergrated telephone system also, then I'd fancy your job!
I once quoted a network, including wireless in a MAN; £100,000, one site! Good money earner, 80-90% profit. But in a self-respecting affluent company, you can't put a price on quality (or so I tell myself!)
Pritch.
pritch5000@altavista.com

 

[fenris]

Pritch, I wish I could afford that kind of hardware! May I ask what is the brand of the hardware?

>you can't put a price on quality (or so I tell myself!)
I agree with you on this point, you get what you pay for!

 

[Guest_imported]

Unfortunately, most company arent as high tech as you suggest no wish spend that kind of money.

 

[Pritch5000]

Hey.
Brands, We (I say 'we', I am moving to a new employer) use HP. The ProCurve range gets the best reviews. A HP Procurve 2424M Switch will cost around £1200. I believe some brands are more expensive, maybe Cisco?. But that is 'our' price, Clients would pay considerably more! (Not my doing). Turn-key solutions are a good hold on someone when you sell solutions! especially when they can't afford downtime and will buy extra kit and services for redundancy.

If you only wanted 10mbps to the desktop, then a 224M will cost around £600. More likely you'd mix, and use some fancy features. You'd probably get a better deal in the States, you always do!!

Company Directors have to decide how expensive downtime and disruption is when old and/or inadequate networks encounter problems...
...You DO get what you pay for...
...But then, you DO pay for what you get!

Kev, register, come join our community!

(... Incidently, how do you find DLink generally. A few years ago, before their applications started to be traffic intensive, the company I worked for (left on Wednesday last), used to sell these things. And every site where I installed a new system had stacks of faulty DLink hubs! The only other time I've seen them, is when there was an issue with connecting a DLink PS100 to a Newbury Data 680 printer, and it simply doesn't work! ...)

Pritch
pritch5000@altavista.com