• JACKS-  female Category 5 or Cat5e jacks greater RJ-45 8-Position, (contacts). Usually mounted in the wall with a face plate that allows you to snap the jack in and out.
  For Low Voltage computer network cables.
  
  
• HORIZONTAL CABLE RUN -  Horizontal Cable run, the basic link. This cable run is no longer than 90 meters, (295 Ft.). Using Category 5e enhanced cable is now becoming the accepted standard for cabling. This is Category 5e 4 Pair UTP cable or higher 4 Pair UTP solid copper cable. This starts at the wall jack outlet's rear (on the 110 punch down side of the jack), and runs to the equipment room or TC (Telecommunications Closet). Here it is punched down onto the back of the patch panel once again onto 110 punch downs.
  
  

• HOME NETWORKING CABLE - Home Network Cable..Learn more click. This is being used by builders and home installers and cablers everywhere. Home Networking Pepermint ® and SOHO networking cable. This is the hot ticket for easy cabling in homes and small office includes more than one type of cable in one wrapper. Pull once pull it all...
  
  

• HOME NETWORK STRUCTURED MODULE HOUSINGS  These modules with covers go into the walls or mount on the outside of the wall on appropriate backing. These structured media panels house all the different modules for hooking up Cat 5e and Video and Phone connections from one central location in your home or office. Leviton or PepX.
  

• HUB - or a Switch - Hub or Router where all the cables come together and are digitally converted to work with UTP cabling systems and distributed along the network to the workstations. A switch simply put, is a more sophisticated hub that distributes the packets of information sent to different programmed network address where a hub sends to all of the network stations at once.
  

• LAN - Local Area Network. This is the whole network described.
   

• OUT DOOR CABLE - Out door cable as in the name is for out door use. Do not mix this with indoor cable. If you cabling outside these cables have special water blocking characteristics in their manufacture that can withstand the demand of out door cabling.
   

•  PATCH CORDS - Patch cords Stranded UTP cable with male 8 position plugs on both ends. Also rated at Category 5 or what ever bandwidth cable you are using. Make sure your patch cords are not rated less then the other Horizontal run cables.
  
  
• PATCH PANEL and MEDIA PANELS- Patch panel located in the TC, has 110 punch downs in the rear and RJ-45 Jacks in the front. The rear is punched down with the Horizontal Cable run and the front RJ-45 female jacks take a patch cord to the Hub or Switch. 
  This is where all the horizontal run cables get terminated. The front has the RJ-45's so you can plug and un-plug patch cords into it and move them around.
  
  Media panels or structured media panels are use in homes and buildings to bring all the wiring for the video and network to one spot. Something like the phone company and the electric company bringing everything into one panel box. Well, now you have media panel boxes than can be mounted in a rooms wall space or the garage of a closet. They close with a cover and allow network and video wiring right into the box. Now there is even more compact panels ones. So there are plenty of choices.
  
   
• PLENUM CABLE - This is the preferred cable over non-plenum cable. This cable is used in return air spaces such as air conditioning and heating duct air space and returns or pathways and under floors and in places where the smoke could be circulated or mixed in during the possibility of a fire. This cable is creates less toxic smoke if burned in a fire.
   
• PLUGS or MALE PLUGS - RJ 45 plugs.  Don't confuse the terms. A plug is not a jack. A plug is the male plug that is used on the end of a patch cord, or on the end of your telephone cord. It is called plug and not jack. A jack is the female connector that you "plug" into.
  
  
•  NETWORK -  The network can also be made up of  Category 5e cable or Category 6 cable (higher bandwidth cables). The Horizontal runs to the workstation outlet can be many cable runs. A Star topology (fancy for one run from the central patch panel out to each workstation.) Each from the patch panel to the workstation outlet for many computer workstations on the same network. (LAN) or (WAN). NOTE: EIA/TIA recommends that 2 cables be run instead of one, to each workstation, one for a voice jack and one data jack. 
   
• SERVER RACK - The server rack is where everything comes together. They come in all types and sizes. From large jumbo Nema compliant racks to small little swing out or wall mounted swing out racks. This is what separates a cable run from a full blown neat site. Racks take shelves and places where you can mount equipment. All your cable runs can go to the server rack and then branch to all you computer and network equipment. Mini racks are popular in tight place and wall cabinets and wall mounted swing out racks can keep the equipment room clear and open up when you want to work on them.
  
  

• STP - cable that is Shielded Twisted Pair or also called Screened Twisted Pair.
   

• STAR TOPOLOGY - Fancy term meaning individual cable runs from the central point like the patch panel in the TC to each workstation. 
   

• SURFACE MOUNT BOXES - These are used in place of a face plate or wall plate. They allow you to easily mount your jacks or voice connectors to almost any surface like a desk or wall smooth surface.
   

• S-VIDEO Jacks - these S-Video jacks are used for video connections and have 110 punch downs in the back for Category UTP cable to be punched directly to it. They pop into a wall plate or surface box and make hooking up video simpler.
   

• THE SERVER - This is a computer. It ties everything together making a network of your computers. They are usually all wired to a patch panel and then a run is made to the server computer. This computer can allow people to access programs and files as if they were located on their own computer. So many computers can work on the same files at the same time. This is where your files are stored for transmission over the network to it's final destination, the Workstations. The cord that runs from the Hub-Switch to the server is connected to the NIC in the server. (NIC- Network Interface Card). Each workstation has an NIC also. This allows things to talk to each other from the PC's trough the cable. The NIC can also be a wireless type.
   

• TC - Telecommunications Closet.
   

• UTP - cable that is Unshielded Twisted pair.
   

• WAN - Wide Area Network. Expanding beyond just the local area network inside your building now branching out beyond the one building to others or groups of other locations or sites. Microwave and Satellite and fiber runs to other locations all part of your wan.
   

• WALL JACK OUTLET - The Wall Jack Outlet is an RJ-45 8p8c (8 positions, 8 contacts) female jack with a wall jack face plate that it snaps into. This jack outlet is attached to the wall, usually cut into it, although a surface mount box which sits outside the wall is also available instead of wall plates. The patch cord plugs into the front of the RJ-45 female jack and can be un-plugged if you need to move things around. The back of the jack has a 110 punch down array that takes the 4 pairs of solid horizontal run cable and allows it to be permanently terminated there. Included are stuffer caps which are placed over the top of the 110 jack punch down connection for securing them further to the jack. This side of the Wall outlet jack will go inside the wall and you won't be able to see or change the cable anymore once it is punched down and the face plate screwed on. ( well, it can be removed by un-screwing it and prying off the cable if you have to, but here we mean you don't plug or un-plug it, it is more of a permanent set up.) This inside the wall part of the Wall Outlet jack is the start of the Horizontal Cable run that will extend to the TC or Equipment room.
   
• WALL OUTLET  or Wall Jack Outlet -  This is the face plate and jack assembly. It holds the RJ-45 Jack which is  snapped into the face plate. It is then mounted into the wall onto a wall box or a box-eliminator plate. The rear of the jack winds up inside the wall with the permanent horizontal cable run attached to it. The front of the jack has the patch cord plugged into it.
   
• WALL MOUNTED CABINETS and Sever Racks - Wall mounted cabinets and computer equipment cabinets can be real job finishers. They can save space and take away the clutter in an equipment room or a closet. Even in your basement or garage, is this is where you setting things up. Can also double as just a storage cabinet for almost anything. Some have very thin designs for even more space savings. See thin equipment cabinets.
   
• WIRELESS ROUTER and WIRELESS NETWORKS - This is the ticket. Everything seems to be going broadband wireless these days. With things like WIFI networks and Broadband networks people and laptops and more can be mobile. You can find a WIFI hotspot in lots of areas today and if you have the access you can travel and hook to the internet at the same time. Wireless network connection and enterprise wireless this is the super trend. If you know how to hook up a wireless router you can connect to the internet from several computers all over the airwaves. And with the wireless encryption it is reasonably secure. Even right down to you keyboard and mouse being wireless. Now that's pretty cool. But I still use caution.
   
• WORKSTATION SIDE - Starting here is where the pc is plugged into a wall outlet with a stranded patch cord (4 Pair UTP Stranded cable), having male RJ-45 8p8c plugs on either end, (8 position, 8 contacts). The patch cord is wired straight through, (the other patch cords are configured the same way). The cord plugs into the workstation (pc) and the other end into the Wall Jack Outlet. 
   
• QUESTION:
  WHAT ARE CATEGORIES?

  Categories are a method of classifying UTP cables and related hardware within specific performance criteria.

  • Category 5e - Specifies cable and connecting hardware with transmission characteristics up to 100 MHz. It differs from Category 5 by having 3 dB (decibel) tighter NEXT requirements and additional requirements for PS NEXT, ELFEXT, and PS ELFEXT.
  • Category 6 - The draft of this document specifies cable and connecting hardware with transmission characteristics up to 200 MHz. In addition Category 6 has tighter insertion loss, NEXT, PS NEXT, ELFEXT and PS ELFEXT over Category 5e.
     
• QUESTION:
  SO WHAT ARE UTP CABLES ANYWAY?
  UTP cables were developed and designed to be used independent of the system application. Set transmission performance criteria (Categories), have been established for the various grade of UTP cables.
   
• QUESTION:
  WHAT IS OUTDOOR CABLE? click here..
   
• QUESTION:
  IS CATEGORY CABLE LENGTH IMPORTANT?
  Cable Handling - Length:
  The maximum horizontal length is 90 meters (295 feet). 10 Meters is allowed for cords in the work area, and for patch cords or jumpers in the telecommunications closet. The maximum backbone cable length of 90 meters (295 feet). This 90 meter length assumes that 5 meters (16 feet) are needed at each end for equipment cables connecting to the backbone.
   
• QUESTION:
  HOW HARD CAN I TUG ON THE CABLE?
  Pulling Tension -
  Maximum pulling tension for a 4 pair horizontal cable is 25 LBF. Excessive pulling tension may occur during installation. Once the dame is done, reversing the effect may not be sufficient enough to correct the problem and cable replacement is recommended. Intermediate cable pulls within the overall cable run may be necessary to avoid exceeding the maximum pulling force.
  • Over Stressing -
    Eliminate cable stress caused by tension in suspended cable runs and tightly cinched cable bundles. Excessive cable loading or stress can also occur if a cable is incorrectly suspended in a cable run.
  • Avoid Walking - or stepping on high performance cable. Avoid running over high performance cable with hand trucks or forklifts. This can exert excessive force on the cable distorting cable geometry, or crushing the pairs resulting in electrical shorts.
  • Avoid Staples - avoid the use of staples, either from a staple gun or mounting in a traditional manner with hammer. These can excessive force on the cable and distort the pair geometry.
  • Maintain Spacing - maintain a minimum spacing between cables and sources of EMI such as florescent lights or unshielded power lines.
  • Termination - Most modular jacks have the IDC connectors color coded for pair conductor assignment to either 568A or 568B wiring methods. Pin pair assignments are outlined for 568A and 568B. Maintain the same pin pair combination throughout the installation. Changing pin pair assignment can result in crossed pairs; consistency is the key. The modular jacks and cross connect blocks employ IDC connectors to complete the circuit between the cable and the hardware. A punch down tool equipped with the appropriate blade (110 or 66) is recommended to complete the termination and properly seat the conductor. Terminate with connecting hardware of the same category or higher.

Not responsible for errors or omissions. These are Low voltage cabling systems. 
DO NOT USE  with High voltage or home or business  electrical systems or currents. Check out and verify all information of running a network with you local codes and national codes. Be certain that you do not plug any cables into electrical outlets or household type currents or currents..