Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
certification that is necessary is up to the employer and the employee. Additional
training and certification can be a source of job security and advancement, as well
as potential job mobility, to the employee.
In outside contracting, some form of certification is almost mandatory. At the
least, the lead technicians should be certified as installers for the type of installation
being done, and the contractor should have a staff member with the appropriate
cabling design certification. The certification is the proof to the customer that the
contractor can perform to the level of services required for a successful network
cabling installation. It also ensures that the installation will meet the entire scope of
the specification, not just the modest network performance for the current network-
ing need. (For example, a Category 5e installation should meet that performance
level, even though the customer is using a lower network speed now.) With a proper
installation, the network manager will be able to confidently use newer and faster
technology, up to the limits to the performance spec, without concern about the
wiring integrity.
A very good way to determine the knowledge and training levels that are required
for a career in any aspect of computer network cabling is to delineate the various
jobs that must be done. Many of the training courses define their course offerings
by using sample job titles. The job responsibilities and skill set are easily divided into
the same categories, although in any situation, an individual may perform at more
than one level. In fact, most cabling and certification programs presume that any
particular level of knowledge includes the levels below it. However, in reality, the
“designer” job tasks need only a basic understanding of detailed installation tech-
niques and skills, as others perform those tasks. Conversely, the installer levels
require a high degree of installation skill, but not much knowledge of the finer
points of network and cabling design.
For this discussion, we have divided the job descriptions into four levels: cable
system designer, network designer, cabling technician, and cabling installer (Table
18.1). These levels basically describe the different areas of technical knowledge
required of someone who works in the field of LAN wiring. The knowledge levels
are more easily understood if we characterize each level with a job title and descrip-
tion. We will describe each of these jobs briefly, but keep in mind that there are areas
of specialization within each level. For example, a person may be an experienced
and knowledgeable copper cabling installer, with no experience in fiber-optic
cabling. Thus, within each level, appropriate skills must be included for the specific
network-wiring task.
