A network cabling technician handles the installations and maintenance of a structured cabling network. A professional of this sort will work with its hands as well as with tools at its disposal. They also work in small spaces and heights without any fear. They install pathways, hardware, and test and troubleshoot connections. Not only that, but they also offer customer support and assist with product claims and warranties. A pro can work with a wide range of tools and telecommunication cables like cat5 and cat6.
How to Become a Pro?
You need to have relevant school or certifications to become a cat6 plenum structured cabling technician. You can get a degree or a diploma from a vocational school but that is not necessary. You can get experience from working within the relevant field. You can work under a trained professional to learn about how things work in the networking industry. You also need critical thinking and decision-making power to work as an Ethernet cable professional. Additional qualifications required are strong mechanical support and the capacity to read blueprints.
Things You Need to Know About Network Cabling Ethernet Cables
Ethernet cables are the center point of any network no matter how small or big. These cables are the basic component in any network building. There is a wide range of Ethernet cables available in the market these days. Getting the right one for your network is a task in itself.
We can categorize these cables based on some factors like their outer jacket and their category number. To understand a cable, the network cabling manufacturers have divided cables into various categories. The category includes the name of the cable like cat6. The cat here stands for the category. Newer categories like cat5 and cat6 have excellent cables for both residential and commercial purposes. If you already have older cables in your network, you can install patches of newer cables. These categories are backward compatible and they can work perfectly fine with older categories.
The internal structure of an Ethernet cable has eight copper wires. These wires are twisted together into four pairs. These pairs can either have an extra shield or not. If you are getting a cable for a data center where multiple lines are running in parallel, you should get a shielded cable. This way you’ll have protection against crosstalk and electromagnetic interferences.
The outer jacket of the cable is also another important factor. You need to have a basic knowledge of all the network cabling jacket types before getting a cable for your network. There are three types of jackets; plenum, riser, and PVC. Most of these jackets have fire retardant material that helps them in an event of a fire.
Plenum cables cat6 solid copper are for plenum spaces of your home or building. These spaces have airflow for air conditioning and heating purposes. This airflow makes them prone to fire accidents. Plenum cable would burn slowly in an event of a fire. They will not emit any toxic fume. You need to install plenum cables in plenum spaces.
Riser cables are for riser spaces. These vertical spaces are not dangerous or prone to fire for network cabling. You can install a plenum cable in a riser space but not the other way around.
PVC or polyvinyl chloride is a hard plastic material. A PVC jacket is ideal for outdoor spaces. They can withstand extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions.
As a network cabling technician of Ethernet cable, you need to have a deep understanding of how this cable technology works and what can you do to get better results with them. You also need to have knowledge of all the cabling accessories and where to use them. It can get a bit tricky but a little bit of research would help a lot. You can always ask your superior about any hurdle you might face when installing an Ethernet cable for a network. A network cabling technician is not an easy job but with a knowledge of how things work, you can make the most out of it.