Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Local area network (LAN) wiring is the system of Structured Cabling we use to
interconnect computers, printers, routers, switches, and other devices. It is the phys-
ical backbone of our networks; it is the medium over which all computer commu-
nication functions. Of all the advanced components in our modern computer and
communication environment, LAN wiring is the technology that makes it all possi-
ble. Without the high-speed connections of today's Structured Cabling, computing
would be limited to large batch-process mega-computers, with no ability for inter-
active, distributed, personal communication. However, because of the rapid evolu-
tion of network wiring, we can send data (as well as voice and video) at
mind-boggling speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) over local networks
and long distances, alike.
Our major corporations, governments, and institutions are bound together,
and to all of us, through gossamer threads of tiny copper wires and glass fibers.
Virtually all modern communication utilizes these delicate electronic trails, and we
now propel much of our lives with Ethernet and IP (Internet Protocol). Perhaps it is
no accident that one synonym for gossamer is ethereal. Data has always had a home
with Ethernet and IP. Now voice and video have come, not only to visit, but to stay.
Voice over IP (VoIP) and IP-video services are being deployed and accepted at an
amazing pace.
It is a digital world, and essentially all of that world is connected with structured
LAN wiring. Data is obviously digital in nature, but many of us don't know that our
voice conversations are often digitized at or near the source, and both broadcast and
cable television are rapidly moving to an all-digital format. Even wireless communi-
cations, from cellular telephones to satellite links, are digital. At some point, and per-
haps for the entire length of each of these communication links, the digital signals
travel over LAN wiring's twisted-pair copper and fiber-optic cables.
Underlying this rapid move to digital communications are the infrastructure
cables that move the bits around. Our cities are crisscrossed with fiber and copper
cables. Our offices, and increasingly our homes, are likewise embedded with a web
of wiring. The demands that are placed on this network of wiring are many and
great. We must understand this medium to maximize its function, and we must learn
the ways of our modern wiring in order to properly plan, install, and operate our
cabled networks.
Over the years, LAN wiring has developed into a highly sophisticated science
with a tremendous impact on the performance, reliability, and maintainability of
your network. While a LAN comprises many components, the underlying wiring
system is the foundation upon which all else rests. Without the proper physical con-
nections of copper wire, fiber-optic strands, connectors, punchdown blocks, jumper
cables, patch panels, and user cables, the network will not operate reliably.
