Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Open offices present some interesting problems for structured cabling. Open offices
include the popular modular furniture rooms (cubicles), as well as classrooms, train-
ing facilities, and shops. These office arrangements are used in many medium to
large enterprises that have a need for compact workspace for their office workers.
Office cubicles form a familiar type of modular furniture arrangement.
The very flexible nature of these open offices means that the fixed wiring that
is used in other office environments is not practical. In addition, the modular furni-
ture (Fig. 10.1) is frequently placed into the rooms at the last step, long after in-
place wiring should have been completed.
There are a number of other issues that complicate the LANscape and create
problems for the cabling installer. We will go over two of the most popular
approaches to open office wiring, along with the guidelines for solving these issues
according to the standards.
In the original concept of structured cabling embodied in EIA/TIA-568 and TIA/EIA-
568-A, horizontal wiring is run directly between the telecommunications closet and
FIGURE 10.1
Modular furniture.
