Combining Style with Speed

In an ever increasing media hungry world we are placing more and more pressure on our automation network infrastructure to provide on demand seamless high resolution content. As we place more and more pressure on our communications and data networks to support ever more complex automation and information systems, they are forced to evolve to meet the challenges we drive at them. Our current Category 5e based network systems are beginning to bump into a glass ceiling due to their bandwidth limitations.

At the same time we are requiring that this infrastructure meld seamlessly into the background to minimize any possible distraction from our overall experience with the presented media. This is forcing some critical decisions to be made about which technology to adopt as well as how best to implement it when designing and developing new network installations.

The Need for Speed

The trends show that the data bandwidth requirements of network systems double approximately every few years. Paralleling what Geoffrey Moore predicted, in 1965 for computer chips, that the number of transistors on a chip and its processing speed would double every 18 months. Bandwidth capabilities in a network system typically precede the increased volume of data transferred, just as highways are built before the traffic necessary to fill them materializes. Current applications are running at or near 1 Gigabit/s pushing the limits the current Category 5e systems have in handling the load.

For the next generation data networks capable of handling heavy media driven applications, running at around 10 Gigabits/s, our current Category 5e network systems are not considered robust enough to handle the demands placed on them. The demand for faster data transfer rates necessary to support streaming audio and video applications is in the process of driving the industry towards fully implementing faster network infrastructures.

Fiber optic based systems provide a great deal of bandwidth, but their installation costs are still too high to make them truly viable solutions for bringing higher bandwidth to the desktop. Wireless systems reduce the need hard wire network systems and allow a very flexible solution, but due to their basic nature they are susceptible to attack from hackers who will always be one step ahead of network protection schemes. Category 6 systems are designed to be able to hand next generation media centric applications and are backward compatible to the current Category 5e networks making them the ideal solution for the backbone of any network installation.

Industry studies show that network cable infrastructures, installed properly, are designed to last between ten to fifteen years while the active network components and software change approximately every two to five years. The most expensive portion of the wiring system is in the installation labor, yet the connectivity infrastructure comprises only around 5% of the overall IT budget for any new network.

The added cost for category 6 components typically runs about 40% higher than that of their category 5e counterparts and since the time to install a Category 3, Category 5e, or Category 6 system is the same the small amount of added upfront costs is well offset by the future proofing gained. Installing a Category 5e or other non-Category 6 wiring can seriously increase your long term investment by forcing the wiring and connective hardware to be replaced far too early greatly increasing your costs by two to three times over the typical network installation.

The areas in the corporate world creating the highest pressures for increased bandwidth and for more professional appearance are coming from the conference rooms as well as at the workstations. Applications such as video conferencing, collaborative team project software, voice over IP, and multi-media presentations in the conference room are pushing the envelope of our current network systems. While the workstations are not always experiencing the same loads they are seeing some of the same bandwidth pressures due to the adoption of voice over IP, increasing media capabilities from the PC’s, and the increasing portion media content from the internet.

The media demands from the residential marketplace are similar but not the same as those presented in the commercial workplace. Here bandwidth is being driven by the rapid rise in installed home theaters, centralized audio and video servers, high speed internet, local home networks, and in computer and console based games. It is projected that some applications commonly seen within commercial environments will migrate into the residential area in the next few years, such as voice over IP and potentially video conferencing. A blending of traditional boundaries is underway between computers and entertainment systems a trend likely to continue to pick up steam.

Home buyers, real estate agents, and builders are rapidly are beginning to see the payoff. Now as many as 45% of all new homes are being built with a pre-installed structured wiring network systems. Although the pressures in the home market are less pronounced the need to future proof the investments made are the same. With the rapid rise in demand for high definition media intensive products in the residential market it will not be long before it catches, and possibly surpasses, the commercial workplace.

Home wiring is also changed less frequently than that of its commercial counterpart making it more imperative that future proofing be taken into account at the time of installation and Category 6 wiring and connectors be carefully considered. Future proofing the network for speed should be part of the main selling message and not used as an up sell opportunity. Careful attention to presenting the value of the future proofing a Category 6 systems provides over a Category 5e system will likely make or break the deal in the customers mind.

Style with Substance

In both markets it is becoming more important to give the installation a finished professional appearance. Not long ago it was rare to see more than a few connection outlets in or near the conference room. It was also rare to have direct network access at each workstation. As technology has evolved so have the demands we place on aesthetics within our environments. In the home it was rare to have more than one coaxial and a phone connector at the wall plate.

Now with the increased demand for high definition media content, in both the home and at work, it is not uncommon to find the need for many different types of connectors at each location. As the need for a supplying many different types of connectors has grown more flexible wall and faceplate solutions have developed to fit this niche.

The challenge is in finding the right modular connectors to fit the applications, to support current and future demands, as well ensuring that the chosen solution provides a clean professional look. RCA, S-Video, BNC, speaker binding posts, banana jacks, and spring clips have become more prevalent and widely available in the last few years.

Category 6 is still a solid choice over category 5e connectors, in the workplace and in the home, to eliminate potential issues with bandwidth limitations and to provide future proofing. RCA connectors can carry signals of high definition audio/video and television systems. S-video connectors allow for easy connections for digital video input or output. BNC products allow connection to remote security systems providing solid video performance.

Speaker connectors have gone through a very rapid evolution going from simple plastic to gold posts and jacks to better audio performance. Speaker spring clip modules used to require two modular slots for each speaker, now they take up half the space. This has allowed home theater and other media driven applications to reduce the size of the faceplate required by up to two gangs simplifying the installation and minimizing its visual impact. Now even the most complex custom applications can be served in a much smaller area with a more finished professional appearance.

Choosing the right faceplate is very important. Two part face plates create a decorator look and distinguish the room without dominating its overall appeal. By choosing two different colors you can create rooms with greater impact and visual appeal. Faceplates with angled connector slots allow furniture and desks to be placed closer to the walls allowing the cables to bend properly avoiding any sacrifice in performance.

Flush faceplates offer a simple but elegant solution, while providing a platform for modular connectors. Some faceplates have spaces built in for icons or labeling to make it easier to identify their location improving the ability to make moves, adds, or changes to the network system. Wall plates can also be found that look similar to the standard electric outlets for a seamless look.

Through carefully consideration of all options available you can provide your customer with installations fully able to support their current and future applications without sacrificing their need for speed and visual appeal.