Lab 9.5.1 Demo Cable Installation

Estimated time: 30 min.

Objectives:

> - To learn three crucial cable installation skills: stringing, running, and mounting Cat 5 Cable

Background:

> How you do this lab depends on your instructor's choice of project. You may simply string, run, and mount some cable temporarily for practice. Or you may be actually wiring some or part of your lab. Or you may be doing your structured cabling project, installing networks in some other part of the school or some small business. Regardless of where you are doing your project, you should follow the same professional standards. These were described in Learning Objective 9.4. Assume that one end of your cable run will terminate, via punchdown, in a RJ-45 jack. Assume the other end of your cable run will terminate, via punchdown, in an RJ-45 patch panel. Assume you will be placing the cable in raceways, in ceilings, around obstructions – various conditions you will likely encounter.

Tools / Preparation:

> Basic materials include spools of Cat 5 cable, wire cutter/strippers, punchdown tools, raceway, various mounting consumables like cable ties, cable label, surface mounts, RJ-45 jacks and outlets, rack mounted patch panels, a mock wall, etc., fish tape and telepole, safety goggles, a ladder. The actual complete list and quantity of materials depends heavily on your actual project. Use the Cost Calculator, available on the Community Server, for a complete lab list and estimated quantities and costs. In other words, actual tools and preparation depend heavily on local conditions and resources. The following resources will be required:

> Equipment / Tools

> - Wire cutter / strippers
> - Fish tape
> - Telepole
> - Safety goggles
> - Ladder
> - Punchdown tools

Consumables

- Cat 5 cable
- Raceway
- Cable ties
- Cable label
- Surface mounts
- RJ-45 jacks and outlets
- Rack mounted patch panels
- Mock wall (2x4 with drywall)

Worksheet

> Before starting the lab, you and your group should plan your cable run. Walk from where the RJ-45 jack and outlet will be to where the patch panel will be. Look for hazards, obstructions, light fixtures, difficult to reach places, places where cable and raceway will be difficult to mount. Prepare a plan, which includes a diagram of your entire run, the total lengths of cable and raceway you will need, and how you plan to actually install the cable (for example, will you need a ladder to reach a high point in the room?). Once your plan is approved by your instructor, then follow the procedures your instructor has described for you and your team to demonstrate the following procedures/techniques:

> 1. Fish cable from above.
> 2. Fish cable from below.
> 3. String cable through a dropped ceiling space.
> 4. Wall mount cable by using tie-wraps.
> 5. Wall mount cable by using decorative raceway.
> 6. Wall mount cable by using gutter.
> 7. Mount cable by using a ladder rack.
> 8. String cable by using a telepole.
> 9. String cable by using fish tape.
> 10. String cable using pull string.