|  | 8.7 | Planning Structured Cabling: Cabling and Grounding
| 8.7.3 | Faulty ground wiring problems

When everything works correctly, according to IEEE standards, there should be no voltage difference between the networking media and the chassis of a networking device. This is because the standards separate LAN media connections from power connections. However, things don't always work as planned. For example, if there were a faulty ground wire connection to an outlet, there would be potentially fatal voltages between the LAN's UTP cabling and the chassis of a networking device.

To understand the potential consequences of such a situation, imagine what would happen if you were to place your hand on the computer's case, while simultaneously touching an Ethernet connector. By touching both the computer's case and the Ethernet connector, your body, acting as a closed circuit, would allow electrons to flow from the negative source to the positive source. As a result, you could receive a painful shock.