Do’s & Don’ts of Cat5e & Cat6 Cable Installation

Don’t

1. Bend the cable more than at a 90 degree angle
2. Exceed the minimum bend radius for a 4 pair cable which is 1 inch.
3. Use more than 25lbs. maximum pulling tension on a 4 pair cable
4. Over tighten cable ties on cable bundles.
5. Run hand trucks over the cable

Do

1. Install telecom. cables at least 5 inches from Power Lines
2. Use loose Velcro to bind cable groups where possible
3. Avoid unnecessary bends in the cable runs
4. Make computer room connections with labeled patch panels
5. Maintain 568A or 568B color coding for the entire system

At the start of the system cat6 cable installation, study and document the required cabling layout and the distances between the equipment to be cabled. Colored labels may be useful for coding the different functions used in the system setup. Suggestions for methods to handle this task can be found in ANSI/TIA/ EIA 606 Document. Depending on where the cables are run will determine whether PVC or plenum cable is required. The transmission speed and type of equipment to be connected are among the factors that will determine the type of cable necessary to accomplish the job. Fiber optic cable may be required rather than copper cable or in addition to it 

For Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cat5e & Cat6 cabling, the horizontal cable will have up to 90 meters of UTP cable and up to 10 meters of patch cords according to TIA/TSB 67. The Techs must check on the cable manufacturer’s installation instructions. If the cable is not run in wire cable trays, it should be supported at least every 4 feet, so as to provide adequate support. When pulling the cable, care should be taken not to over stress the cable when doing the runs. With Category 6 installations, special care should be taken when attaching cable to connectors or jacks to maintain the required pair twists. The color codes for either T568A or T568B should be maintained throughout the entire system so that the pair to pair connections are maintained correctly.

It must always be remembered that using even a single Cat 5e jumper in a Cat 6 system will lower the system to Cat 5e. Therefore terminate a Cat 6 system with Cat 6 jumpers.

Cat5e Cable Installation