Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 18.1
Cable Technologist Levels
Job description
Experience level
Typical roles
Cable system designer
5 years and up
Supervisor, consultant, estimator, sales,
management
Network designer
3-5 years
Cable system designer, network engineer
Cabling technician
5 years and up
Supervisor, technician, lead installer, team
leader
Cabling installer
1-3 years
Installer, helper/trainee
Cable System Designer
The cable system designer is the person responsible for the overall design and spec-
ification of a LAN wiring system. This person is also responsible for understanding
the entire cable plant, both inside and outside. The cable system designer uses the
general workplace and network requirements to determine the number and types of
cables, locations of workstation outlets and telecommunications rooms, and num-
ber and location of wire management devices, including racks, cable trays, ducts,
hangers, and consolidation points (or multiuser outlets).
The designer works with architects, consulting engineers, builders, wiring con-
tractors, and computer system managers in designing and implementing a cabling
system for an enterprise. The designer may be employed by, contracting for, or con-
sulting with the data center or project manager. Frequently, a person with designer
skills is employed by wiring contractors to provide expertise, interpret requirements,
and respond to proposal and bid requests from clients.
The cable system designer must have a thorough knowledge of the standards,
technology, and practices of LAN wiring. The designer will frequently have addi-
tional training and education in technical fields such as electrical engineering and
the electrical and telecommunications trades. In many cases, the designer will also
have experience in all aspects of network system installation, including specific
experience in network and telephone wiring. The training and testing organizations
generally recognize the cable system designer, often by a similar name, as the high-
est level of cable system expertise. We cover some of these specific certifications in
a later section.
Network Designer
The job of network designer is to understand the technical aspects of the network-
ing equipment. This designation is often used to indicate an addition to the cable
