|  | 9.3 | Basics of Cable Installation
| 9.3.4 | Types of labels

Avoid labeling cables, telecommunications outlets, and patch panels with terms such as "Mr. Zimmerman's math class," or "Ms. Thome's art class". This can lead to confusion, years later, if someone who is unfamiliar with these locations needs to perform work involving the networking media that is located there. Instead, use labels that will remain understandable to someone who may work on the system many years in the future.

Many network administrators incorporate room numbers in the label information. They assign letters to each cable that leads to a room. Some labeling systems, particularly those in very large networks, also incorporate color coding. For example, a blue label might identify horizontal cabling at the wiring closet only, while a green label might identify cabling at the work area.

To understand how this works, imagine that four cables have been run to room 1012. On a cut sheet, these cables would be labeled as 1012A, 1012B, 1012C, and 1012D. The faceplates, where the cables 1012A, 1012B, 1012C, and 1012D connect to the work station patch cords, would also be labeled to correspond to each cable. You should also label each cable connection at the patch panel in the wiring closet. Place the connections so that the labels are arranged in ascending order. This allows easy diagnosis and location of problems, if they should occur later. And, finally, label the cables at each end.

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