Ethernet Cable Installation for Businesses in Las Vegas
You’ve got all your licenses complete and the lease signed. It’s time to make your space your own. You have great plans for a connected space with strong wifi, cloud-based access control, and secure Internet connections for your sales data. Low voltage cabling, with a combination of fiber optic cable and copper Ethernet cable, brings the internet to your space. How do you ensure that your cabling project goes off without a hitch?
Know The Basics And Your Requirements
Ethernet installation improves network performance by offering a reliable wired connection, faster data transfer speeds, and reduced latency, ensuring stable communication and efficient connectivity for various applications.
Sketch out what equipment and uses you have for Internet access. A medical office with HIPAA-compliant record-keeping will have different requirements from a restaurant that leverages tablets to take orders or a warehouse with security camera feeds. A general list of equipment, from computers to tablets to phone systems, can make planning easier for you and your installer.
LAN vs Wifi
You should have an idea of the type of system you’re looking to put together. A LAN, or local area network, simply refers to the network in a specific place or building. It can be as small as a single office or as large as a warehouse. WLAN, or a wireless local area network, is the wifi network that you host in the specific area.
Fiber Optic vs CAT5 Cabling
Both fiber optic cable and CAT5 cable have their place in a new business build out. Optical fiber is best for long distances over 320 feet. In warehouses and the largest retail installations, optical fiber runs through the walls in a main distribution feed (MDF). From there, twisted pair copper cable connects through an intermediate distribution feed (IDF) to a router, and then to individual devices.
While we’d love to have the bandwidth and power of optical fiber throughout the space, end devices are not currently set up to accept fiber optic cable. Final cables will always be traditional twisted pair Ethernet cables.
Technology Solutions works with you to develop a smart estimate of what kinds of cable will be necessary for your specific store layout and wifi and internet access requirements.
CAT Cable Quality
Do you always need the highest number CAT cable? Surprisingly, the answer is not always. Whether you need category 5 cable, category 6 cable, or higher depends on just a few factors:
- The distance from your connection point to the device
- Other devices nearby
The closer the device is to the connection point or router, the less important cable quality is. However, each device gives off a small amount of electromagnetic interference. At a certain point, a higher CAT cable quality may be necessary to minimize the impact of this electromagnetic interference.
Capacity Planning - Plan for Growth
Often, business owners will go with the minimum cabling possible to save money during the critical startup phase. We understand needing to save when you’re not generating cash flow. However, the cost of re-wiring when the floor is fully finished, the drywall is painted, and furniture is in place is high not only in dollars and cents, but in productivity as well. It’s a smarter move to slightly overbuild your internet access capacity to avoid tearing open walls and running new conduits and cables.
Understand the Timeline
At Technology Solutions, we have a 4-stage process to quoting and completing your low-voltage cabling project:
- Site survey
- Estimate
- Signatures
- Cable Installation
While floor plans and schematics are helpful, we start the process with an in-person site survey. This survey leverages our professional experience to plan general cable routes, router placement, and access points. It’s a chance for you to point out specific areas of interest, like a special charging station area for a co-working space.
Because the survey is in person, we need some time to send an estimator out to you. Call us today to ensure you can meet your deadlines.
Ethernet Cable Installation Duration
Because of the low voltage of Ethernet cabling, an electrician is not required. Can you have an electrician install Ethernet cables? Yes, but it’s quite expensive for the work, and a low-voltage installer is a much more cost-efficient choice.
Once the electrician has laid the main wiring, our professional installers can come in to add Ethernet cables. As we want your wires to be invisible, we need access to the walls, ceiling, and floor, as well as any access panels or built-in cabinets that may house your hardware.
Please note that even small offices take a minimum of a week to wire up. The larger the space, the longer we need. Additionally, the more difficult it is to access wiring areas, the longer it takes as well. Access through the basement or restricted spaces extends the time necessary. Your estimate will include a rough time frame for completion.
Security
Hard-wired Ethernet connections are more secure than wifi. This is important for camera feeds and access control systems, where you want to minimize security risks. A wired Ethernet connection can also handle the high bandwith required for VoIP phone systems, for example.
As a full-service provider of cabling and computer networking, we can ensure that your Internet access is only accessible to authorized users. If you want to feature wifi as a service to your customers, we can plan comprehensive access in the areas where you want it the most.
Cable Testing and Certification
Sometimes, you want to feel secure about the quality of the cable that’s being installed.More often, you need to pinpoint what part of your system is failing when the internet goes out. That’s why we offer cable testing and certification for all classes of ethernet cables. We can test your low-voltage cables both pre-and post-installation, allowing you to pinpoint internet access issues through the process of elimination.