Cable labelling and documentation

Good labelling means anyone can stand at an outlet, read the label and find the exact patch panel port it connects to, and the other way round. It needs a consistent naming scheme, durable labels at both ends of every cable, and records that match what is installed. The ANSI/TIA-606 standard sets out a framework for this, and it is worth following even on small jobs.

Why it matters

Unlabelled or wrongly labelled cabling costs time every time something changes. A technician tracing an unknown cable can spend an hour on a five-minute move. Problems include:

• Slow troubleshooting during outages
• Wrong cables disconnected during moves and changes
• Duplicate or abandoned cables filling pathways
• Test results that cannot be matched to physical links
• No way to plan capacity, because nobody knows what is in use

A naming scheme that works

The identifier on a label should tell you where the other end is. A common approach builds the identifier from location codes:

1. Building (for campuses)
2. Floor and telecom room, for example 2A for the first IDF on floor 2
3. Rack or cabinet
4. Patch panel
5. Port number

So an outlet label might read 2A-R1-B-24: telecom room 2A, rack 1, panel B, port 24. The same identifier appears on the patch panel port. TIA-606 describes identifier formats and classes of administration from a single room up to a campus; the important thing is to pick one scheme, write it down, and use it everywhere.

What gets a label

• Both ends of every horizontal cable, on the cable jacket close to the termination
• Every outlet faceplate and port
• Every patch panel and port
• Racks and cabinets
• Telecom rooms, on the door
• Backbone cables and fibre strands at both ends
• Pathways such as cable trays and conduits at key points
• Bonding conductors and busbars

Label quality

Handwritten marker on tape fades and falls off. Use printed labels made for the purpose:

• Self-laminating wrap labels on cable jackets, so the print is protected
• Labels sized to the panel or faceplate designation strips
• Material rated for the environment, such as outdoor, cold or industrial areas
• Text large enough to read in a dim ceiling space

Colour can help too. Some sites use different jacket or patch cord colours for data, voice, wireless, security and building systems, so a technician can tell at a glance what a cable serves. Colour coding supplements labels; it does not replace them, and the scheme must be written down so new staff and contractors follow it.

Apply labels a consistent distance from the termination so they are easy to find, and before the cable is dressed into bundles.

The records to keep

A complete documentation package for a cabling installation usually includes:

• As-built floor plans showing every outlet and access point with its identifier
• Rack elevations showing what is mounted where in each rack
• Port maps or a spreadsheet listing each panel port, its outlet location and what it serves
• Backbone and fibre schedules showing strands, terminations and use
• Certification test results for every link; see cable testing and certification
• Warranty certificate from the cabling manufacturer

Store the records where facility staff and future contractors can find them, in an editable format as well as PDF.

What a port map looks like

The port map is the record facility staff use most. A spreadsheet is fine, as long as it has one row per link and the identifiers match the labels exactly. Typical columns:

A typical case: labelling during a fit-out

On a new floor fit-out, labelling works best as a sequence that runs alongside installation rather than a task at the end:

1. At design: the designer sets the identifier scheme, assigns identifiers to every outlet on the drawings, and lays out rack elevations with panel letters.
2. At rough-in: installers write the identifier on each cable at both ends as it is pulled, so cables can be sorted correctly when they reach the room.
3. At termination: printed wrap labels go on both ends of each cable, and faceplate and panel labels are applied. Any changes from the drawings are marked up the same day.
4. At testing: each link is saved in the tester under its identifier. A missing or duplicate identifier in the test results usually means a labelling error worth fixing now.
5. At handover: the as-built drawings, port map and test results are checked against each other and against a sample of physical labels before the package is accepted.

A few hours of checking at handover saves days of tracing later, and it is far easier while the installers are still on site.

Keeping it current

Documentation decays with every move, add and change. To keep it useful:

1. Make updating the records part of every work order, not an afterthought
2. Require contractors to follow your naming scheme and hand over updated records
3. Remove abandoned cables, or at least label them as abandoned; some jurisdictions and building owners require abandoned cable to be removed from certain spaces
4. Audit a sample of labels and records periodically

On new construction, documentation starts in the design. See coordinating low-voltage work in construction for how this fits into the project.

How ehZee can help

Through our structured cabling design and build service we set a labelling scheme at design, carry it through installation and testing, and hand over records that match what is in the walls.

Common questions