Cabling Installation & Maintenance articles from May 2008

Cabling Installation & Maintenance archives from May 2008

Don't get greenwashed.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design )(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... The notion of planning and building "green" structured cabling systems today is like the Wild West. There are very few rules, and there's no sheriff around anyway. And some alleged acts of lawlessness within our industry have tried to take...

Deploying multimode fiber connectivity in the data center: careful product, technology, and architecture choices can enable low-loss performance in high-data-rate applications.(design)
May 1, 2008... When selecting an optical-fiber cabling solution for the data center, it makes strategic and economical sense to choose one that will maximize lifecycle and reduce capital and operational expense. An optical-cable infrastructure that can be...

RE/MAX designs to sell with high-performance cabling: the real estate franchise's new corporate office gets decked out for data communications, VoIP, multimedia, and broadcast applications.(installation)(Company overview)
May 1, 2008... Founded in 1973, RE/MAX International, Inc. (www.remax.com) has evolved into the world's leading real estate franchise networks, with more than 120,000 agents operating in 6,500 offices in more than 65 countries around the globe. The...

New association sets sights on best practices, stewardship: the CCCA has plans to address some of the industry's toughest issues.(technology)(Communications Cable and Connectivity Association )
May 1, 2008... Officially announced in January of this year, the Communications Cable and Connectivity Association is an organization whose membership comprises executive-level representatives of cabling and connectivity product manufacturers and...

Energy efficiency mission targets server drain: the EPA's Energy Star specification will help reduce power consumption in the data center, among many other key strategies.(data center)
May 1, 2008... As a follow up to August 2007's "Report to Congresson Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency" (summarized in "Inside the EPA's Energy Efficiency Report," Cabling Installation & Maintenance, February 2008, page 27), the U.S. EPA recently...

Mining town strikes gold with wireless solution: a 19th Century Nevada city embraces 21st Century technology to connect geographically dispersed buildings.(wireless)
May 1, 2008... The city of Elko, known as the hub of northeastern Nevada, is a mining and ranching town that grew out of the 1851 call ("Go West, young man") to build the nation's railroads and participate in the gold rush. Located at an elevation of 5,100...

ITS professionals charting new route to credentials: BICSI's NxtGEN program promises to reshape the course of gaining the industry's most coveted designations.(training)(information transport system )(Interview)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) designation is widely recognized as the centerpiece credential of the information transport system (ITS) industry, and to date has been a requirement for...

Data center transformation trend could boost cabling job opportunities.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2008... While a recent survey of more than 150 corporate decision makers found that most have no sense of urgency of data center transformation--including consolidation and virtualization-to meet rapidly changing business needs and rising energy costs,...

Web sites aid in cable assembly, enclosure layouts, 'green' practices.(Industry spotlight)(Suttle)(3M Co. Electronic Handling and Protection Div.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Three companies have recently enhanced their web sites with services designed to aid cabling and installation decision-makers: * 3M Electronics Solutions Division (www.3M.com/interconnects) offers a "Find-A-Part" software application and...

Companies pool infrastructure solutions for emerging digital communities.(Industry spotlight)(Ortronics, Legrand S.A. and Information Systems Management Solutions teams up)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... In response to next-generation homes requiring an infrastructure that supports high-bandwidth networks, Ortronics/Legrand (www.ortronics.com) is teaming up with Information Systems Management Solutions (ISMS; www.is-ms.com) to provide a...

Power Over Ethernet Plus standard may be ready by 2009.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The IEEE P802.3at task force pursuing a Power Over Ethernet Plus standard has submitted Draft 3.0 for working group ballot and technical review. The IEEE (www.ieee.org) hopes that full standard ratification can be achieved in 2009. While Power...

Wall-mount panel.(New Products)(AFL Telecommunications Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... These newly designed 12- and 24-fiber wall-mount patch panels offer a compact convergence point, and are designed to fit into new and existing interconnect, crossconnect, and colocation environments without compromising the jumpers' bend...

Compact splitter cassette.(New Products)(Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... This new family of PLC splitter cassettes for FTTx applications is designed for top performance under the most adverse environments. Cassettes are designed with 1x4, 1x8, 1x16, or 1x32 splitters in a compact (100 x 80 x 10-mm) package for...

Overhead routing system.(New Products)(Panduit Corp.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Net-Access overhead cable routing system is designed to protect, route, and manage large quantities of data cable into and out of Net-Access cabinets. It mounts to the top of cabinets and is built to integrate with other cable pathways used...

Releasable cable tie.(New Products)(Richco)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The WIT-40LAR series releasable cable tie eliminates multiple parts by incorporating a cable tie and holder in one part. It is designed to be simply pressed and locked into a pre-drilled hole, and can be removed by pinching the wings. Built to...

Online training course.(New Products)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The RWM Online fiber-optic training course covers networks, standards, National Electrical Code, grounding and bonding, and wiring. The 18 modules feature videos, interaction, and learning exercises. Each module has review questions, and a...

Category 7A hybrids.(New Products)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... New versions of the hybrid TERA-to-RJ patch cords feature a Category 7A standards-recognized TERA plug on one end and the company's patented RJ-45-compatible BladePatch plug on the other. The 4-pair hybrid uses Category 7A stranded cable and...

Receivers simultaneously measure all RF bands.(Product Focus: wireless test equipment)(Agilent Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Six new models of the W1314A measurement receiver platform are designed to simultaneously measure all wireless technologies in all RF bands in a given area. The receivers enable wireless RF engineering teams to effectively deploy, optimize, and...

Monitor Wi-Fi client connectivity.(Product Focus: wireless test equipment)(Oberon Software Inc. (Mankato, Minnesota))(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... DOT11 Monitor 1.1 software solution lets enter prise network administrators monitor wireless client device connectivity, querying wireless access points for individual client device signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio. These metrics are...

Analyzer detects security issues, access point problems.(Product Focus: wireless test equipment)(JDSU)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The Wi-Net Window Wireless Network Analyzer (WP150) is built for testing wireless access point (WAP) and wireless equipment, and has the ability to locate and detect network security issues, helping protect against wireless net work damage,...

Know where to place wireless components.(Product Focus: wireless test equipment)(South Hills Datacomm Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The Wi-Net Detector provides information about system components (signal strength, security, range, and availability) to help with proper placement. The lightweight device constantly scans for wireless transmission, listing and logging those it...

Tools to manage each phase of the network.(Product Focus: wireless test equipment)(Fluke Networks Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Managing wireless networks becomes more efficient when addressing each phase of the life cycle: pre-deployment and expansion planning, installation and verification, troubleshooting, and management and optimization. InterpretAir WLAN site...

Polishing abrasive.(New Products)
May 1, 2008... Diamond Lapping Film 660XV, an abrasive for fiber-optic polishing, incorporates a proprietary precision coating technology designed for a consistent finish over the life of the product. It is designed for use on all polishing machines and is...

PDUs with monitoring.(New Products)(Tripp Lite introduces power distribution units )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The company's line of switched and metered power distribution units (PDUs) now feature a proprietary built-in network interface that lets you remotely monitor and control individual outlets and connected devices via SNMP, web, or telnet. You...

Cabinet cooling panel.(New Products)(Upsite Technologies)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The HotLok blanking panel is a sealing solution for above-the-floor air exhaust air recirculation problems in racks and cabinets. It is designed to reduce and stabilize equipment air intake temperatures and reduce the number and severity of...

Saturation-free sweatband.(New Products)(Tunnel Vision)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Designed for installers needing to keep sweat out of their eyes, the Sweat GUTR is a saturation-proof, reusable headband. Unlike cloth or sponge bands, Sweat GUTR is designed to divert sweat away from the eyes and eyewear. It also provides a...