We are going to discuss some tips and tricks for the average telephone, telecommunications or computer technician. The first thing you need to know is that there is a category three telephone wire, a category five or Cat 5e computer or telephone cable, and a category six or Cat6 telephone or computer cable. Category five and category six telephone and computer cable is generally a networking cable used for a telecommunications infrastructure for businesses.
Category three cable can be used for telephone wire only. While I have seen it used for a data cable before, it is not tested to pass data, but only telephone or dial tone.
Category five and category 5E cable is made specifically for computer network. It can also be used for telephone cable as well.
Category six cables is a faster data cable certified for gigabit transmission and is specifically made for computer network. It can to also be used for telephone cable.
Generally, all three cables have the same four pairs of wires inside the jacket or sleeve. There are four different color pairs inside, which are blue, orange, green, and brown. Each color has a white striped copper insulated wire to go with the solid color. So you will have eight separate conductors made out of copper with a plastic sleeve inside of each cable. Your color codes will be white blue and blue, white orange and orange, white and green and green, and white brown and brown.
Dial tone generally only requires one pair of wires consisting of two copper conductors. In order to transmit data over a computer network for Internet, you need generally to have two pairs, totaling four copper conductors in order to pass data, one pair being for send and the other pair being for receipt.
Every new VO IP and IP phone system generally requires a data connection that consists of category five, 5E, or six cable that must be run each telephone. There is also an extra network jack in the back of many of these telephones to plug your computer network into. This way you only have to run one computer line for telephone and the Internet.
There’re different data jacks such as Panduit, Hubble, Amp, and ICC. These data jacks, telephone jacks, cable jacks, and fiber optic jacks are all interchangeable with a two port, four port, and a six port faceplate. The faceplates come in a variety of different colors and can be used for commercial or residential purposes.
Some VO IP telephones will require all four pairs inside the category five for category six wire. While only two pair are used to transmit data, one or two of the other pairs will usually provide the phone with power. This way your phone does not have to have a separate AC adapter to plug it into the wall. This just makes convenience possible with one less cord on your desk.
You will generally want a continuity tester to make sure that the category five for category six cables are connected on both end. One end will be in the field or in the office and the other end will be in the distribution room most likely on a patch panel. A continuity tester ensures that all four pairs of copper or touching and wired correctly. Many continuity testers will show a miss wire, cross wire, or a missing conductor altogether.
A tone generator will help identify each category three, five, or six cable on both ends. You will be a will to plug the tone generator into the location in the field, and then go back to the distribution point and search for the cable on the patch panel with a wand you wave in front of it that will make it distinctive sound when it recognizes which port the cable is terminated in.
You’ll also need an analog telephone test set in order to test dial tone at individual locations. You will only be able to test analog dial tone and not digital. Digital will require a proprietary telephone that goes with the telephone system installed at the location you are working. A Meridian telephone system might be an example of a telephone that is installed. You can purchase a telephone test set from your local telecommunications supply store.
A pair of dikes or side cutters is also necessary to trim the jackets back on the category three, five, or six cable. You can use a wire stripper to train the outside jacket back, but if you need to expose the copper on individual pairs, dikes or side cutters are your best bet. Electrician scissors also work very well, it all depends on what you kind of tools you prefer as a telecommunications technician.
Fluke and Datacom are two companies that make sophisticated computer like testers in order to certify category five and six cable. This not only certifies the continuity of the table, but also tests the bandwidth and speed of the cable. When you on twist category five or category six cable, the twist must be within a quarter in each of the termination point. If it is not within a quarter inch, you can lose speed when it comes to transmitting data. The fluke and Datacom testers will tell you every single detail about the category five or six cable you need to know. These testers are very expensive then run anywhere from $3000-$8000.
The best way to terminate coax cable is to have a coax stripper. Coax Cable will require a F connector to be terminated on the end. There is the old crimp style F. connector and a newer one made that is called a double bubble connector. There is also a snap n seal f connector made by Thomas and Betts. Depending on what kind of cable you have, you will require a different F connector. There is a regular PVC coax cable and plenum coax cable. You will use a different F connector that is a snap n seal made by Thomas and Betts for the Plenum coax cable.
Plenum cable is a fire rated cable required for commercial use by your local fire marshal and the fire code. Plenum cable does come in category three Plenum cable, category 5E Plenum cable, and category six Plenum cable for computer networking as well.
No matter what kind of job you are working on, whether it is residential or commercial, you will want to sit down and draw out a blueprint for the house or office building you are wiring. You will want to map out where your distribution point or points will be as well as individual locations throughout the home or office building. You will need to draw legend on the blueprint to represent what kind of wire you need to run to each location. The blueprint will also give you an idea of how much wire you need to buy, as it generally comes in thousand foot bulk reels and boxes. You are also able to get different colors when it comes to category six, category 5E & Coax cable. Some of the different available colors are black, white, green, red, blue, brown, purple, and even pink.
Meridian Phone System is a great product if you are needing to choose a product for your customer.