Structured cabling is the organized system of copper and fibre that connects every outlet, access point, camera and phone back to your telecom rooms. We design it to recognized standards, install it neatly, label everything, and test every link so you know it will carry the traffic it was designed for.
Cabling is the part of a network that stays in the walls for decades while equipment comes and goes. When it is done well, adding a desk or an access point is a patch cord away. When it is done poorly, every move turns into troubleshooting: unlabelled cables, overfilled pathways, links that fail at higher speeds and no record of where anything goes.
What we design and build
- Horizontal cabling from telecom rooms to work areas, access points, cameras, phones, card readers and building systems.
- Backbone cabling in copper and fibre between the main distribution frame (MDF), intermediate distribution frames (IDFs) and other buildings.
- Telecom rooms, including racks, cable management, patch panels, grounding and bonding, and space for future growth.
- Pathways such as cable tray, J-hooks, conduit and sleeves, with firestopping where cables pass through fire separations.
- Labelling and documentation of outlets, panels, pathways and test results.
- Moves, additions and clean-ups of existing cabling, including removal of abandoned cable where required.
In a typical building the pieces fit together as a tree. Carrier services and the core equipment sit in the MDF. Backbone cable rises through the building to an IDF on each floor or zone. From each IDF, horizontal cable runs out to outlets, access points and cameras. The section of each horizontal run from the patch panel to the outlet is the permanent link, and that is what gets certified.
How it works
- Requirements. We ask what the building needs to support today and over the life of the cabling: users, wireless, security, voice, AV and building systems.
- Site survey. We review the building, ceilings, existing pathways, telecom rooms, fire separations and any cabling already in place.
- Design. We specify cable categories and fibre types, outlet locations, pathway routes, telecom room layouts and the labelling scheme, following ANSI/TIA-568 and related TIA practice.
- Installation. We pull, dress and terminate cable, install racks and panels, and coordinate firestopping and bonding with the other trades.
- Testing and documentation. We certify every link with a cable tester, fix any failures and hand over labelled drawings and test reports.
Throughout the project we coordinate with the electrical, mechanical and fire protection trades so cable pathways do not clash with ductwork, sprinklers or lighting, and so bonding and firestopping are completed and inspected before ceilings close. Cabling for wireless access points is planned alongside the WiFi design, so drops land where the access points actually need to be rather than where a ceiling grid happened to be convenient.
What you get
- A cabling design with outlet locations, pathway routes, telecom room layouts and a labelling scheme.
- An installed system with every cable labelled at both ends.
- Certification test results for every copper and fibre link.
- As-built drawings showing what was installed and where.
What the documentation package contains
The handover is what makes the cabling maintainable. A complete package includes floor plans with every outlet numbered to match its label, rack elevations showing panels and their port numbering, backbone routes between rooms, and a test report for each link. Each test record should identify the link by its label, show the tester's measurements against the limits for its category, give a clear pass or fail and record the date and the tester used. Keep the package with your building records so that anyone adding a drop later can see what is there.
Common problems we find in existing cabling
| Problem | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Unlabelled or mislabelled cables | Every move or fault becomes a tracing job, and the wrong port gets unplugged. |
| Cable lying on ceiling tiles or tied to sprinkler pipe | It is not properly supported, can be damaged, and may not meet code or the sprinkler installer's requirements. |
| Overfilled trays and tight bends | Crushing and tight bends degrade performance and leave no room for growth. |
| Open penetrations in fire separations | Holes left after cabling compromise the fire rating of walls and floors. |
| Abandoned cable left in place | It adds fire load, crowds pathways and makes the live cabling harder to manage. |
What to have ready
- Architectural and reflected ceiling plans, and furniture layouts for new fit-outs.
- The list of systems that need cabling: data, WiFi, phones, cameras, access control, AV and building systems.
- Any existing cabling records, even partial ones.
- The construction schedule, so cabling can be completed and inspected before ceilings close.
Fire separations and plenums. Cable that passes through fire-rated walls and floors needs a listed firestop system, and cable in air-handling plenums must carry the right fire rating. These are building and fire code requirements, so check the local authority's expectations before work starts.
Who it's for
- Tenants and owners fitting out new or renovated space.
- Facility managers who have inherited undocumented or overloaded cabling.
- Organizations planning WiFi, VoIP, security or AV upgrades that need new drops.
- General contractors looking for a cabling partner who designs, installs and tests.
Related guides
For labelling schemes and record keeping, see Cable labelling and documentation. Read Structured cabling standards for an overview of the standards involved, Cat 6 vs Cat 6A vs fibre to choose cable types, and Cable testing and certification to understand what the test reports show.
Common questions
Should we install Cat 6 or Cat 6A?
It depends on what the cabling will carry and for how long. Cat 6A supports 10 Gb/s over the full 100 metre channel and handles higher-power PoE better, which matters for newer access points. Cat 6 costs less and suits many desk outlets. We will recommend a mix based on your needs.
Can you work with our existing cabling?
Yes. We can test existing links, document what is there and tell you what can be reused and what should be replaced.
Why does testing matter if the network already works?
A link can pass traffic at lower speeds and still fail at higher ones, or work today and fail as cables age. Certification testing confirms each link meets its category, and gives you a record to compare against later.