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Cabling installation, maintenance, and safety tips
The following is a list of important safety considerations that should be reviewed prior to installing
or maintaining the cables:
•
Keep all Cat5 runs to a maximum of 10 meters each.
•
Maintain the twists of the pairs all the way to the point of termination, or no more that one-half
inch untwisted. Do not skin off more than one inch of jacket while terminating.
•
If bending the cable is necessary, make it gradual with no bend sharper than a one inch radius.
Sharply bending or kinking the cable can permanently damage the interior of the cable.
•
Arrange the cables neatly with cable ties, using low to moderate pressure. Do not over
tighten ties.
•
Cross-connect cables where necessary, using rated punch blocks, patch panels, and
components. Do not splice or bridge cables at any point.
•
Keep the Cat5 cable as far away as possible from potential sources of EMI, such as electrical
cables, transformers, and light fixtures. Do not tie cables to electrical conduits or lay cables on
electrical fixtures.
•
Always test every installed segment with a cable tester. Toning alone is not an
acceptable test.
•
Always install jacks to prevent dust and other contaminants from settling on the contacts. The
contacts of the jack should face up on the flush mounted plates, or left, right, or down on
surface mount boxes.
•
Always leave extra slack in the cables, neatly coiled in the ceiling or nearest concealed
location. Leave at least five feet at the work outlet side and 10 feet at the patch panel side.
•
Choose either 568A or 568B wiring standard before beginning. Wire all jacks and patch panels
for the same wiring scheme. Don't mix 568A and 568B wiring in the same installation.
•
Always follow all local and national fire and building codes. Be sure to firestop all cables that
penetrate a firewall. Use plenum rated cable where it is required.
Appendixes
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