Cabling Installation and Maintenance - 01-02.2021

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JANUARY/ FOR PROFESSIONALS MANAGING THE CABLE AND WIRELESS
FEBRUARY 2021 SYSTEMS THAT ENABLE CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS
POST-COVID CABLING IN THE
data center PAGE 7
AV PAGE 4
Testing HDBase-T
and AV over IP
INSTALLATION PAGE 19
Wiring a smart
building?
Don’t use dumb
cable
FIBER OPTICS PAGE 14
Making legacy MMF

go the distance
w w w.c a b li n g i n s t a ll .c o m
2101CIM.indb 1 1/29/21 9:37 AM

2101CIM.indb 2
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1/13/21 9:37 PM
AM
CONTENTS J A N U A R Y/
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21
vol. 29, no. 1
ABOUT THE COVER

As a changed world emerges
from the COVID-19 pandemic,
enterprise businesses' data center
strategies have changed as well.
SEE ARTICLE ON PAGE 7.
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Chief Editor Patrick McLaughlin
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Senior Editor Matt Vincent
(603) 891-9262; mvincent@endeavorb2b.com
4 AV SYSTEMS 14 FIBER OPTICS Senior Art Director Meg Fuschetti
Production Manager Cary Shipley
Network topologies, Can you prepare for present
Senior Illustrator Mike Reeder
AV transmission, and testing and future bandwidth needs Marketing Director Adrienne Adler
ARIEL MARCUS with legacy multimode fiber? Audience Development Manager Debbie Bouley
KEVIN LENGLE
7 DATA CENTER www.endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Structured cabling in the data 19 INSTALLATION EDITORIAL OFFICES
center can help enterprises thrive How smart infrastructure Cabling Installation & Maintenance
61 Spit Brook Road, Suite 501, Nashua, NH 03060
coming out of the pandemic can become dangerously dumb Tel: (603) 891-0123, www.cablinginstall.com
RON TELLAS and BETSY CONROY TIM COPP and ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
CAROL EVERETT OLIVER CEO Chris Ferrell
CRO/CMO June Griffin
CFO William Nurthen
COO Patrick Rains
DEPARTMENTS Chief Administrative and Legal Officer Tracy Kane
EVP/Advanced Technology Group Lester Craft
2 EDITORIAL 25 PRODUCT FOCUS

Customer service, integrity, mastery Enclosures
27 EDITOR’S PICKS
Cabling Installation & Maintenance® (ISSN 1073-3108 print; 2688-3279
digital / USPS 101-968), Volume 29, No.1. Cabling Installation & Maintenance
is published 8 times a year in January/February, March, April, May/June,
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2101CIM.indb 1 1/29/21 9:37 AM

EDITORIAL
W H AT 'S N E W AT
www.cablinginstall.com
Customer service,
integrity, mastery
DESIGN AND INSTALLATION
Speedtech acquires Over the past couple months we have received an
Toleeto Fasteners impressive set of entries into our CI&M 50 pro-
gram, and in our next issue we’ll reveal the compa-
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS nies we’re honoring in the inaugural CI&M 50. For
Cisco, Acacia amend those who haven’t seen our promotions or our calls
merger agreement for submissions, the CI&M 50 honors service orga-
nizations that demonstrate excellence in three ar-
eas of business operations: customer service (C), in-
PATRICK McLAUGHLIN tegrity (I), and mastery of the skills of the trade (M).
pmclaughlin@endeavorb2b.com The information and communications tech-
nology (ICT) contracting business is competitive.
It takes dedication and commitment to achieve and maintain the attributes of
WIRELESS the CI&M 50 program at a high level. Providing excellent customer service is es-
USPS calls on Vision sential, as it is in most businesses, but it is just the beginning. In such a compet-
Technologies for DAS itive industry, maintaining integrity with clients, partners, suppliers, and even
competitors can set an organization apart. And being able to deliver a valuable
finished project to the client, that will satisfy their technology needs today and
into the future, requires a mastery of the trade as well as a vision for the future.
We’re launching the CI&M 50 to applaud contracting companies that demon-
strate these qualities day in and day out, project after project, from client to client.
I was pleased to see the number of end-user organizations that nominated con-
FIBER OPTICS tractors for this honor, describing in detail the above-and-beyond measures these
CARES Act funds connect contractors take. Kudos ranged from comments like, “They are our go-to contrac-
municipality with fiber tor whenever there’s a damaged fiber and we need service back up right away,”
to, “The owner invests in employees’ personal growth, not only company growth.
Because he does this, his loyal employees are willing to go the extra mile.”
Thankfully we have dozens of stories like these about contractors that have
made success for themselves, and in the process, have provided examples for
their own employees and other organizations.
If this is the first you’re hearing of the CI&M 50 program, and you missed the
EDUCATION AND TRAINING opportunity to nominate a contracting organization for recognition, I want you to
CNet Training know we have high aspirations for this program. We know there are far more than
celebrates 25 years 50 organizations that are worthy of recognition, and accordingly, we plan to make
the CI&M 50 a periodic happening. And it’s never too early to get started. If you
are interested in the CI&M 50 in any way, and would like to discuss it with me,
please email me with the subject line “CI&M 50.” I’m interested to hear what you
think about it, and who you think is most worthy of recognition.
I’m looking forward to bringing you the full CI&M 50 list in our next issue.
2 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Cabling Installation & Maintenancewww.cablinginstall.com
2101CIM.indb 2 1/29/21 9:37 AM

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AM
av systems
Network topologies,
AV transmission, and testing
With both HDBase-T and AV over IP here to desire) to install AV over IP systems,
stay, integrators must know the variances in each they will at least need to self-educate
on the testing parameters. And even
unique network infrastructure to properly test
with AV over IP here to stay, HDBase-T
their AV installations. still has plenty of miles in the tank.
BY ARIEL MARCUS, MSolutions Straight line action

HDBase-T represents the se-
rial transmission of sig-
nals, whereas AV over
AV over IP has opened previously unseen freedoms in how sys- IP follows a more-non-
tems integrators and their end-user customers manage their linear path. Unlike
AV operations. Aside from the immediate interoperability older analog systems,
benefits of moving AV systems to the network, AV over IP is AV over IP transmis-
a gamechanger for systems flexibility and scalability. sion can be applied to
These points are especially true given that AV over IP a more IP-based net-
theoretically does not limit the customer to a fixed num- work topology, such
ber of sources and destinations for connectivity. For ex- as a star network. This
ample, an AV over IP switching and distribution system is very rare however, as
offers a flexible and cost-efficient platform for adding it requires an unusually
new inputs and outputs. In comparison, a legacy ma- large—and therefore ex-
trix switcher limits the user to a fixed I/O count; if pensive—switch to manage
more are needed, it’s time to buy another box. the transmissions.
That said, HDBase-T is not going anywhere. For HDBase-T systems are
many facilities, HDBase-T remains the ideal solution, therefore mostly deployed
especially when scalability is not a concern. There are also using a linear bus topology.
plenty of I/O capacity options, and many integrators will buy Comprehensive testing A linear bus topology sup-
“a size up” to leave some open connections for new sources capability enables ports carriage of the video
and destinations. Think of your typical huddle space, small an installer to verify transmission from source to
classroom, or home AV systems. In most cases, your matrix the cabling’s most the first end node. The sig-
switcher will only need to connect to a handful of AV com- critical performance nal continues onto the sec-
ponents. HDBase-T continues to be the preferred option in characteristics, as well as ond node, third node and
these types of environments. performance and stability onward in a straight-line
The commercial systems integrator or residential custom for HDBase-T and AV over manner. Each device’s re-
installer is required to test, commission and, when needed, IP transmission systems. peater board receives the sig-
troubleshoot their installations on behalf of their custom- Shown here is the MS- nal, extracts the data, and
ers. While many contractors are still limited in their need (or TestPro from MSolutions. presents an image.
2101CIM.indb 4 1/29/21 9:37 AM

While advancing through these nodes, each destination switch environment. While technically also a star net-
or sink device, such as a display, extracts the data assigned work, these are simpler, lower-cost systems that can carry
to it. If there is a scaler in the display, the scaler receives the AV signals without bandwidth issues, but are generally
specific information it needs, and presents the data. That limited in scalability. And, if the switch goes down, so
data will then be displayed onto a single or combined im- goes the system.
age. For example, the image might be standalone on a sin- Star networks represent the more common choice for AV
gle display, or be a separate image on a menu board. Or, that over IP systems. These systems bring the scalability and re-
data may be combined into a big continuous image across dundancy lacking in single-switch configurations. A star
a video wall. network will typically comprise a core switch with a series
The integrity challenge with this topology is rooted in of supporting switches, or access switches, that offer differ-
that first transmission phase. The first node will be un- ent traffic routes for AV signals.
able to extract the correct image to present without per- The result of receiving, extracting and presenting data to
fect delivery. As that signal moves to the next node, the produce images is essentially the same as with HDBase-T.
signal will further deteriorate if not perfectly extracted at The destination will generally always be a smart device,
the first node. That deterioration will continue as the sig- such as a system-on-chip (SoC) digital signage display
nal moves to each subsequent node. In an AV over IP envi- or smart TV.
ronment, that deterioration might be at least partially at- The key difference is the varied network paths of the star
tributed to latency—but not with HDBase-T, where latency topology. The network switches interconnect, with all ac-
is always below 10 microseconds, which is essentially tive ports sending data over category cable. These signals
not noticeable. move over the IP network, and that data can be sent sepa-
With latency removed from the mix, any signs of signal rately to each receiving node. That means ensuring that all
deterioration can be localized to the quality of the transmis-
sion. This is most often associated with the structural in-
tegrity of the cables, and the presence of enough overhead in
the connection to carry the signal. A quality HDBase-T test
device can immediately confirm the following.
• HDBase-T terminations are exacting, with no differenti-
ations between twisted pairs
• A 300-Mbit/sec (4K UHD) overhead presence to support
carriage of high-resolution signals over HDBase-T
• HDMI cables are of high quality, and in perfect condition
from source to destination (i.e. no missing wires, sharp
bends, kinks or damage beneath the shielding)
• Activation of links to transmit AV signals
through the cable
In a linear bus topology, these simple confirmations will
eliminate corruption of the extracted video from the
HDBase-T system.
A variety of topologies
Whereas HDBase-T will nearly always follow the linear
bus topology, the nonlinear nature of AV over IP distri-
bution clears the way for varied topologies. Naturally,
each topology is generally suited for systems of a cer-
tain scale. Two of the topologies are most suited for
AV environments.
On the lightest end of the spectrum, modest AV over
IP deployments can cleanly operate in a single logical
www.cablinginstall.com Cabling Installation & Maintenance JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 5

2101CIM_FiberdyneLabs 1 1/20/21 8:31 AM
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Network topologies, AV transmission, and testing continued
displays and other nodes are full synchronized, and that This information will allow integrators to quickly confirm if
each port has a specific virtual LAN configuration to guar- network settings fit AV over IP performance requirements,
antee bandwidth. and that the switch configuration can support smooth
Unlike HDBase-T, latency is a concern with AV over video streaming.
IP. If there is latency on one of the lines, the same image
presented on different screens may be delayed on one or Common ground
more screens. While AV over IP test and analysis software While HDBase-T and AV over IP follow two different net-
will troubleshoot latency problems, latency can be prop- work architectures, there are common issues that can affect
erly addressed in the initial switch configuration by doing the performance of both. DC resistance is one that can and
the following. will cause problems for signal transmission across linear
• Confirm that all VLANs are configured correctly, and in and star topologies.
accordance with IT department policies if applicable. DC resistance represents the pure quality of twisted-pair
• Confirm that fast leave capabilities are enabled to syn- wires. In an optimal situation, the integrator will have a full
chronize all screens. copper implementation of twisted pairs inside the category
• Understand the concepts of multicast propagation delay cable. However, these are not always optimal situations; of-
and bandwidth capture. ten, the core of the wire is copper-coated steel or aluminum
Multicast transmits a single source over dedicated category (CCS, CCA). The copper coating is created through a special-
cables to each display, and the propagation of the signal ized electrolytic process, leading to high resistance and di-
through the cables must be exact for each. With accurate minishing the quality of the cable.
signal propagation and switch configuration, the repeater Ethernet cables are measured for 330 feet/100 me-
board on each device will extract the proper data to create ters. The leading manufacturers producing their own ca-
the required image at the same time, if the same image and bles will reflect 5 to 8 ohms over that distance. With CCS/
resolution is to appear on every screen. CCA cables, the reflections rise to 18 to 20 ohms per me-
However, many AV systems will have different content, ter. The high resistance of the twisted pairs will re-
and perhaps different resolutions, for various screens. A star sult in HDBase-T transmission failures, as the artifacts
topology does not require that all screens be synchronized. in the signal will degrade the quality of the signal from
If one display is presenting in full high definition (FHD) and point to point.
another in 4K, the appropriate propagation delay (for la- The problems are aggravated when the transmission also
tency) and bandwidth (for resolution) must be allocated on must pass through the termination on the receiving end
the switch for each port. Otherwise, a bottleneck forms with (where the HDMI is extracted), and each subsequent node.
one image, while latency affects the other. The DC resistance per 100 meters will continue to increase,
The job is not over for the integrator once the switch is and therefore reduce the quality of the signal, and the ability
properly configured and the appropriate measures of la- to transmit HDBase-T, on a linear topology.
tency and bandwidth are added. The commissioning pro- The same concepts apply to DC resistance and category
cess will require AV over IP software to confirm all network cabling in an AV over IP star topology. IP networks are also
and switch information and settings are accurate, and cer- sensitive to resistance within twisted pairs, and a high re-
tify that IP network conditions and connections are in good sistance can initiate retransmissions of the signal, leading
operating order. Some of the important parameters to con- to potential traffic fails and network roadblocks.
firm and certify include: There is much more to explore on the actual processes
• Identification of network configuration faults, of AV signals on HDBase-T and AV over IP, as well as the
• Identification of network port status (open or blocked) HDMI cables that live within both worlds. Understanding
and present network nodes, the differences of how these signals are transmitted over
• Confirmation that pertinent multicast settings are cor- the two topologies will provide installers with a better un-
rectly enabled, derstanding of what to test for, and how to troubleshoot
• IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) snooping, these issues by understanding how they correlate with the
including VLAN setup and fast-leave supports, and network architecture. u
• SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) compati-
bility for network status queries Ariel Marcus is chief technology officer of MSolutions.
2101CIM.indb 6 1/29/21 9:37 AM

data center
Structured cabling in the

data center can help enterprise
business thrive coming
out of the pandemic
Flexible, standards-based cabling systems and deployment. Current connec-
provide cost effectiveness and flexibility. tivity trends within these spaces
are supporting the need to quickly
BY RON TELLAS and BETSY CONROY, and cost-effectively ramp up capac-
Communications Cable and Connectivity Association ity in response to emerging tech-
nologies and the demand for high-
speed, low-latency performance in
the evolving digital economy and
The ramping up of the digital econ- Hyperscale and large cloud data COVID-19 world. As enterprise busi-
omy fueled by emerging technolo- centers tend to be early adopt- nesses re-evaluate the public cloud
gies and ever-increasing data has ers that shape the industry, with due to a variety of challenges and be-
been placing huge demands on data their practices ultimately becoming gin to realize the benefits of cost-ef-
center infrastructure for decades, the standard for data center design fective hyperconverged infrastructure
with studies indicating a doubling of
data center space and capacity be-
tween 2010 and 2019. While data cen-
ter growth was already expected to
continue increasing over the next
decade, the COVID-19 pandemic is
now changing the way people live
and work and the way the world does
business, further driving data cen-
ter expansion. Data centers are need-
ing to quickly add more capacity
to support remote IT capabilities,
more e-commerce, increased video
streaming and gaming, and a greater
need for applications like telemed-
icine, distance learning and online
collaboration. And they’re focusing
heavily on low-latency connectiv- The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people live and work, and the
ity to do so. way the world does business—further driving data center expansion.
2101CIM.indb 7 1/29/21 9:37 AM

Structured cabling in the data center can help enterprise business thrive coming out of the pandemic continued
technologies and techniques that are virtual events. As a result, enterprise prominent in the COVID-19 era.
becoming more mainstream, allow- data centers have also had to quickly Consider the following innovations
ing them to mimic the hyperscalers, respond to the need for increased and their requirements.
they need to adopt the right architec- bandwidth and minimal downtime • Self-driving cars and M2M com-
ture, deployment topology and com- through virtual private networks and munications need millisecond sig-
ponents. As they do so, it makes sense remote accessing capabilities. In fact, nal transmission.
to shift away from point-to-point ca- reports indicate that VPN usage in the • Businesses can’t afford latency
bling and back to the timeless, flexi- U.S. is up by more than 100% since the causing online video confer-
ble and standards-based best practice onset of the pandemic in March 2019. ences with customers to consis-
of structured cabling. “In response to the recent pan- tently cut out.
demic, there has been an increased de- • Medical professionals and teachers
New norm spotlights mand for data center capacity, net- need to be clearly seen and under-
low-latency connectivity work requirements and data security,” stood during remote learning and
While emerging Internet of Things/ says Wendy Stewart, vice president of telemedicine sessions.
Industrial Internet of Things (IoT/ sales operations at Databank, a pro- • The entertainment industry must
IIoT) and 5G-enabled technologies vider of enterprise-class data center, ensure that virtual events, video
like self-driving cars, virtual and aug- cloud and interconnection services streaming and online gaming pro-
mented reality, artificial intelligence with data center facilities throughout vide an uninterrupted, seam-
(AI), machine-to-machine (M2M) com- the U.S. “The drive for more data cen- less experience.
munication and advanced data analyt- ter capacity is partly a result of compa- “With COVID-19, many of our data
ics were already fueling data center ex- nies needing additional infrastructure center customers are facing challenges
pansion, the COVID-19 pandemic has to support the ongoing demand for re- related to either the need for rapid ex-
shed more light on the need to reduce mote life—work, school and play. Not pansion or to the new reality of remote
latency (i.e. the time it takes to trans- only are companies addressing their work,” says Mike Peterson, director of
mit and process data). Low-latency current needs, they are planning for product management, interconnec-
connectivity has become the umbilical a future that consists of more remote tion at Flexential, a provider of data
to the outside world and digital readi- and virtual living, which will require center, colocation, cloud, connectiv-
ness, as evidenced by significantly in- a greater focus on uptime, scalability, ity and data protection with nearly
creased internet usage with extreme geo-diversity and security.” 30 data centers located throughout
spikes in video streaming, e-commerce The impact that the pandemic has North America. “VPNs are becoming
and online gaming that had Netflix had on data centers of all types and crowded with traffic, bandwidth is be-
and YouTube cutting back video qual- sizes is undeniable, creating massive ing consumed and outdated switched
ity, Amazon Web Services (AWS) pressure on existing IT infrastructure networks are being pushed in ways
ramping up capacity and Microsoft with data center managers scrambling never thought of when they were de-
Azure working around the clock to de- to expand capacity while ensuring signed. Companies are starting to un-
ploy new servers (all while socially dis- high-speed, low-latency bandwidth for derstand that a traditional central-
tancing 6 feet apart). maximum uptime. Latency is caused ized approach leads to bottlenecks
At the same time, enterprise busi- by a number of factors that include the and latency issues. Running an op-
nesses in both the public and private distances data must travel, the num- timized network architecture with
sectors have had to quickly reinvent ber of network hops between switches network hubs near users, both inter-
themselves and embrace a fully digital and available bandwidth. While la- nal and external, allows traffic deci-
approach to a remote workforce, main- tency was previously just an annoy- sions to be made closer to the edge and
tain business continuity and provide ance—that 10 seconds it takes to load leads to increased performance and
some semblance of “business as usual” a web page, the occasional jitter in an lower latency.”
for customers—everything from tele- online video game or the buffering of a
medicine, distance learning and on- Netflix movie—it simply can no longer Shifting away from the cloud
line ordering and delivery, to video be tolerated for emerging technologies Large hyperscale and cloud data cen-
conferencing, online collaboration and and those that are now increasingly ters are adopting architectures,
2101CIM.indb 8 1/29/21 9:37 AM

Stats, standard set the tone for enterprise data centers
The authors of this article adeptly describe the role the global Copper cable and connectivity suffered more than fiber
pandemic has played in changing the dynamics of data center did, according to BSRIA. Copper sales declined 15% glob-
planning and administration. Some cabling-market statistics ally, with a fall of between 14% and 16% holding consis-
released by market intelligence firm BSRIA support the authors’ tently across main regions of the globe. BSRIA attributes this
reporting, and add context to it. In late 2020, BSRIA reported decline to “a severe disruption in non-residential construc-
in its Global Cabling Report that it expected the global cabling tion with the delay or cancellation of many projects.”
market to fall by 12%, to US $5.8 billion from 2019’s US $6.6 Fiber, on the other hand, declined 7%, but with signif-
billion. BSRIA said it anticipates that in 2022 consumption will icant variations from region to region, “from a stable mar-
return to the $6.6 billion level. ket in Asia Pacific to a drop of 14% in America,” BSRIA
Among the information that BSRIA made public from stated. “In countries where fiber has held up, this was often
its report were the variances from one market segment to supported by increased investment in data centers partly
another, from different geographic regions, and between cop- driven by the effects of the pandemic in driving demand for
per and fiber cabling. web services.”
“There were significant variances between countries, typi- As Carrie Goetz said, the modern work-from-anywhere
cally related to the general economic impact of the pandemic,” approach “will give rise to more colo, on-premises and
BSRIA said when it made its findings known in November edge data centers closer to business locations where com-
2020. “There have also been various government support poli- panies can maintain their own infrastructure.” To that end,
cies for the country economies in general or for specific sectors, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) soon will
such as buildings. Sectors such as travel, hospitality and retail publish an addendum to its 942-B data center standard. The
[have been] especially badly hit, while healthcare, data centers addendum will address infrastructure systems and design
and in some countries, education, remain more buoyant.” guidelines for edge data centers. —Patrick McLaughlin
topologies and components that pro- more quickly and cost-effectively roll Recent surveys show that companies
vide low-latency, high-bandwidth con- out new technologies. currently put only about 18% of their
nections while optimizing scalabil- While enterprise businesses lever- workloads in the cloud, and the ma-
ity, substantiating their critical role age the cloud for common business ap- jority of workloads are expected to re-
in supporting the new norm and in- plications, as well as inexpensive stor- main privately hosted. With coloca-
creased internet usage, video stream- age and platforms for developing and tion data centers popping up in more
ing e-commerce and online gaming. stress-testing new digital innova- places, placing them closer to users
Both Netflix and Hulu use AWS’s pub- tions, the previously expected shift of for better latency, it’s expected that
lic cloud for a large portion of their comprehensive legacy IT to the pub- we will see even more enterprise busi-
data center operations. These facili- lic cloud has never fully come to frui- nesses leveraging these spaces for their
ties have also played a pivotal role in tion. Many enterprise businesses never privately hosted assets.
enabling enterprise business continu- felt confident enough to place sensi- Much of the original cloud ap-
ity during the pandemic—thick cloud- tive or critical workloads in the cloud peal of shifting IT budgets from cap-
based platforms like Zoom, Microsoft and have maintained a hybrid ap- ital to operational expenditure, and
360, Salesforce, DocuSign and others. proach where internal systems remain having access to unlimited IT storage
Because these facilities are highly ef- privately hosted either on-premises or and compute resources, has been over-
fective at enabling faster deployments, within colocation space. Many other shadowed by a variety of concerns and
better performance, scalability and enterprise businesses are now re-eval- challenges, including the following.
flexibility, they also provide the means uating the public cloud approach, with Security—Companies are con-
for these large technology providers to several pulling apps back in house. cerned about the increased risk of
2101CIM.indb 9 1/29/21 9:37 AM

cybersecurity and exposure of busi- as the path of least resistance to get pivot to colocation space and our in-
ness-critical information due to the services up and rolling, but it was also frastructure,” says James Beer, senior
cloud-based model of accessing data a Bandaid for many. Moving forward, vice president for eStruxture, the larg-
from anywhere. these companies are going to need to est Canadian-owned network and
Compliance—Healthcare, finan- take a step back and determine what cloud-neutral data center provider
cial and other industries regulated by will meet their long-term strategy with locations in Montreal, Vancouver
stringent data privacy regulations are and support the new work-from-any- and Calgary. “We are definitely not see-
increasingly concerned about the rep- where mentality. This will give rise to ing a drop in colocation demand.”
lication and location of publicly stored more colo, on-premises and edge data
data that can put them in violation. centers closer to business locations Architecture and topology matter
Control—Lack of full control and where companies can maintain their In recent years, data centers have been
visibility over data, such as where it own infrastructure.” trending toward the use of full-mesh,
is located and how it is managed, as While it used to be that the IT leaf-spine fabric architecture that re-
well as less ability to customize, is workload and computation needs of duces latency and supports data-in-
causing frustration among many en- an enterprise business needed to reach tensive and time-sensitive applications
terprise data center managers and a certain size before the public cloud in virtualized server environments
IT professionals. ceased to be financially worthwhile, where resources for a specific applica-
Cost—The shift to operational ex- that is no longer the case due to the tion are often distributed across multi-
penditure combined with a lack of vis- availability of cost-effective hypercon- ple servers. Compared to a traditional
ibility has often resulted in cloud over- verged infrastructure technologies three-tier architecture that creates a
spending, and data transfer costs have and techniques adopted by large hy- north-south traffic pattern through
added up well beyond what many en- perscale data centers (e.g., Microsoft, multiple switches, the leaf-spine ap-
terprise businesses expected. Google, Facebook) and cloud data proach optimizes east-west data cen-
“Many companies that adopted centers that are now becoming more ter traffic for low-latency server-to-
the cloud-first mentality are realiz- mainstream. Through advanced open- server communication by reducing the
ing the security issues of having data source protocols, white-box hardware number of switches through which in-
in multiple locations with lack of con- and software-defined networking, en- formation must flow. This is accom-
trol, which is why some sectors that terprise businesses are now able to plished by connecting every leaf switch
deal with strict privacy data regula- more closely mimic hyperscales and to every other leaf and spine switch
tions like healthcare and finance have deploy highly virtualized server envi- within the fabric.
never fully embraced the public cloud, ronments, which will further drive the From a topology standpoint, top-
opting instead for a private or hybrid shift away from the public cloud. These of-rack (ToR) deployments with short
cloud solution,” says Carrie Goetz, hyperconverged infrastructure envi- point-to-point connectivity took hold
RCDD/NTS, CNID, CDCP, AWS CCP, ronments significantly ease scalability over the past decade as the primary
principal and chief technology officer and manageability for enterprise busi- means of supporting switch-to-server
of StrategITcom, who has decades of nesses to quickly and cost-effectively connections in the enterprise data cen-
global experience designing, running expand capacity and support digital ter. However, many data center man-
and auditing data centers. “Others who innovation that will allow them to con- agers are now realizing that a ToR to-
are taking a good hard look at cost tinue weathering the COVID-19 storm pology cannot effectively support a
creep and anticipated growth are re- and even potentially thrive in it. modern virtualized leaf-spine envi-
alizing that the public cloud may ulti- “Our primary business is coloca- ronment with the low-latency perfor-
mately be too expensive, which is why tion, and we have seen consistent mance and scalability that the enter-
companies like Dropbox and Uber have growth from small- and medium-sized prise business demands. Only timeless,
moved data assets back in-house to businesses in particular. While some standards-based fiber-optic structured
their own data center facilities where customer applications are still go- cabling offers the flexibility to support
they will have more control and flexi- ing to the public cloud, for others it these environments.
bility. Early in the pandemic, many en- may not be a technical, performance First of all, having a ToR leaf switch
terprise companies leveraged the cloud or financial fit and these businesses in each cabinet makes connecting
2101CIM.indb 10 1/29/21 9:37 AM

every leaf switch to every other leaf enterprise businesses will need to ex- switch purchases and related mainte-
switch highly impractical. It also amine their spaces and determine nance and power.
means higher latency due to the extra what they can support. If they don’t In contrast, fiber structured cabling
switch hop required when a server in have the power capacity to fill a cab- is far better suited to supporting vir-
tualized environ-
Traditional 3-tier architecture vs. leaf-spine fabric ments, enabling
low-latency com-
munications be-
tween servers
and providing
Core router(L3) Storage director Core router(L3)
the flexibility and
ease of scalability
Aggregation
switch (L3/L2) Router/switch (spine) needed to quickly
and cost-effec-
tively expand.
With longer-dis-
Access switch (L2) Storage switch Fabric switch (leaf) tance structured
cabling, larger
Compute and storage leaf switches
can be placed at
Traditional 3-tier (north-south) Leaf-spine fabric (east-west)
the end of a row
A leaf-spine fabric connects every leaf switch to every other leaf and spine switch within the fabric. of cabinets and
This optimizes east-west data center traffic flow for low-latency server-to-server communication. connected to
multiple servers
one cabinet needs to “talk” to a server inet, ToR won’t make a lot of sense within the row via structured cabling
in another, as is common in a virtu- and the use of centralized switches interconnects or crossconnects. With
alized environment. A ToR topology will be a better option,” says Goetz. all the servers in a row connected to
also limits scalability because a single “There’s also the waste factor. Those the same end-of-row (EoR) leaf switch,
switch upgrade improves connection that started out with DACs to support there is no extra switch hop when two
speed only to the servers located in 10-Gbit/sec server links and are now servers housed in different cabinets
the cabinet where the switch resides. ready to migrate to higher speeds will need to communicate.
Having a ToR leaf switch in each cab- have to throw the DACs away and buy Unlike a ToR switch, larger EoR
inet requires more power across the something new. Distance, speed and switches do not limit scalability. The
data center and demands higher port lifecycle costs must all be evaluated for upgrade of an EoR switch speeds
densities for spine switches, which can the best long-term design strategy.” connection to all servers in the row,
cause further scalability constraints. A ToR configuration also means rather than just those in a single cabi-
Furthermore, due to their inherent na- more switches to maintain, which can net. Lower port requirements at spine
ture with small-form-factor SFP or quickly become an operational burden. switches also provide room for growth,
QSFP modules or embedded transceiv- Port utilization is an additional cost and standards-based fiber structured
ers, the assemblies used in ToR point- concern. When using a ToR deploy- cabling supports multiple generations
to-point connections, such as short- ment, data centers may discover that of applications—multimode and sin-
length direct attach cables (DACs) and they are not fully utilizing all switch glemode fiber currently support up to
active optical cables (AOCs), do not ports due to power and cooling con- 400 Gig, and standards bodies have
support multiple future generations cerns that often limit the number of their sights on 800 Gig and beyond.
of applications and will need to be re- high-performance virtualized servers It should also be noted that un-
placed as speeds increase. per cabinet. These unused switch ports like point-to-point assemblies, stan-
“As part of the reawakening and across several cabinets can add up dards-based fiber cables available
bringing IT resources back in house, and ultimately equate to unnecessary from a variety of reputable cable
2101CIM.indb 11 1/29/21 9:37 AM

manufacturers are interoperable with open-source white-box solutions and New services can be quickly brought
much longer warranties and third- additional, and sometimes more-fea- online at the crossconnect. Spine
party verified performance to work ture-rich, vendors, there are now more switches in the main distribution area
with any vendor’s equipment. Port players—and there’s a lot to be said for (MDA) can be connected to the cross-
utilization is also maximized with understanding the long-term ramifi- connect via permanent fixed links and
structured cabling and EoR switches cations of taking the easy route and new leaf switches can be easily con-
because the switch ports are not con- re-evaluating all of the options based nected to unused spine switch ports at
fined to single cabinets. Switch ports on future business needs.” the crossconnect. This is especially ideal
on higher-density
EoR leaf switches Server-to-server communication, ToR point-to-point vs. EoR structured cabling
can be divided
up, on demand, to Core Core
switches switches
any of the servers
across several cab-
inets in a row. Only Spine Spine
switches switches
having to main-
tain one switch per
row rather than a ToR leaf
switches
switch in every cab- Patching
A A area
inet can also help B B
Servers Servers EoR leaf
reduce cost. switch
The second figure
With server-to-server communication in a top-of-rack topology, the signal must travel
shows the difference
through three switches. In an end-of-row topology with structured cabling, server-to-server
in server-to-server
communication requires just one switch hop.
communication be-
tween a ToR to-
pology with point-to-point connec- The beauty of the crossconnect in a colocation data center when there
tions versus an EoR topology using Using fiber structured cabling is a need to quickly connect customer
structured cabling. It is clear to see throughout the data center enables the equipment to service provider equip-
that when server A needs to talk to use of distribution areas with tradi- ment outside of the meet-me room and
server B in a ToR topology, the signal tional crossconnects for flexible, stan- without having to access equipment,
must travel through three switches— dards-based connections between providing an additional level of security
from one ToR leaf switch, to the spine equipment, including leaf switches to and assurance without interruption of
switch, and back to the second ToR leaf servers, leaf switches to spine switches, data center operations. That is why the
switch. Even if every ToR leaf switch and servers to storage devices. The use crossconnect is considered such a valu-
was connected to every other ToR leaf of crossconnects eases expansion in able asset in these environments.
switch, the signal would still need to virtualized server environments, as “Structured cabling is a conve-
travel through two switches. The EoR well as enabling the clustering of serv- nient, cost-effective, efficient and se-
configuration with structured cabling ers to more easily share compute and cure method for connecting end us-
requires just one switch hop for server storage resources. The beauty of the ers to their ISPs in the colo space,” says
A to talk to server B. crossconnect is that by using fiber Databank’s Stewart. “No longer do you
“ToR switch vendors aren’t going to panels that mirror the ports on con- need five days to connect end users
educate customers on structured ca- necting equipment, data center man- to ISPs. Connection can be completed
bling because they’ll sell fewer switch agers enable an “all-to-all” scenario within 24 hours as a result of the infra-
ports, and there was originally the where any equipment port can be con- structure already being in place.”
belief that this topology is the easi- nected to any other equipment port by Beers of eStruxture agrees. “Our
est solution. And everybody loves the simply repositioning fiber patch cords crossconnect volumes are increas-
easy button,” adds Goetz. “But with at the front of the fiber panels. ing quarter over quarter. Clearly there
2101CIM.indb 12 1/29/21 9:37 AM

is a lot of indus- Crossconnects in MDAs and EDAs
try network activ-
ity and traffic vol-
ume growth and EoR
customers need- switches
(leaf)
ing to connect to
more service pro-
viders and more lo-
cations. As a car-
rier-neutral colo Router/
Crossconnect Crossconnect Crossconnect switch Core router
provider, we have to servers to servers to servers Crossconnect (spine) (L3)
multiple site fi- End of Row cabinets Main distribution area (MDA)
ber entrances and Equipment distribution area (EDA)
meet-me rooms, Crossconnects located between end-of-row leaf switches and servers, and between leaf switches
and the crosscon- and spine switches, support flexibility and rapid expansion.
nects are a source
of revenue and the means to connect cabling, from 100 meters to 10 kilome- and more, these crossconnects are be-
our tenants to their preferred carriers. ters depending on the application, also coming fiber as distances increase, and
These end customer crossconnect op- means that these crossconnects can even more so as bandwidth needs in-
portunities also allow us to attract ad- be located virtually anywhere in the crease. For us, the crossconnect is all
ditional carriers.” data center. about supporting our customer connec-
The benefits of the crossconnect “Once you deploy a cabinet or tivity needs and their digital journey.”
hold true within equipment distribu- cage, a crossconnect allows custom- As enterprise businesses and their
tion areas (EDAs) located in the en- ers to take advantage of adjacent ser- supporting colocation providers lever-
terprise customer colocation space vices, partners, carriers and other eco- age hyperconverged infrastructure
or on-prem data center space. If new systems,” says Flexential’s Peterson. technologies and techniques that orig-
servers need to be added to a row, they “Crossconnects run to a meet-me room inated in hyperscale and cloud data
can be easily connected to the EoR leaf when connecting to certain services or centers and are enabled by the time-
switch at the crossconnect. The dis- partners or they may run directly from less, flexible and standards-based best
tances supported by fiber structured a customer cage to another cage. More practice of structured cabling, they
will have the agility to cost-effectively
The crossconnect expand as they strive to reinvent them-
Fiber from server cabinets selves in the COVID-19 era with new
digital online tools and capabilities. u
Ron Tellas is an instrumental mem-

Panel mirroring
ber of the Data Center Committee for the
server ports
Fiber patch cord Communications Cable and Connectivity
connects server Association (CCCA), which serves as a resource
to switch for well-researched, fact-based information
Panel mirroring
switch ports and education on issues and technologies vital
to the structured cabling industry. He also
holds the title of technology and applications
manager for Belden.
Fiber from switch Betsy Conroy is an industry freelance writer

and consultant to CCCA. She has 20 years of
The crossconnect creates a convenient, highly flexible “any-to-any” scenario experience helping organizations deliver rele-
for virtualized environments where any equipment port can be connected to vant, authoritative information on a variety of
any other equipment port via fiber patch cords. ICT-related technology topics.
2101CIM.indb 13 1/29/21 9:37 AM

fiber optics
Can you prepare for present

and future bandwidth needs
with legacy multimode fiber?
Modal-adaptive passive technology can surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) tech-
nology. This is a crucial consideration,
enable yesterday’s multimode fiber to support especially in terms of a data center’s
tomorrow’s bandwidths and speeds. running costs. In a large facility, for ex-
ample, with thousands of links, a multi-
BY KEVIN LENGLÉ, Ph.D., Cailabs mode active layer can provide real cost
savings, from both a transceiver and
power/cooling perspective.
In terms of bit rates, new stan-
Multimode fiber is most widely asso- of different paths, or modes. MMF is dards are continually being devel-
ciated with short-haul transmission, proven, particularly popular within oped in order to propose 100-, 200-,
and is particularly prevalent in en- data centers, as an economical way to or even 400-Gbit/sec transceiv-
terprise and data center networks. In provide high-speed connections beers to support the ever-increasing
this article I will dispel some myths tween short distances, such as be- bandwidth needs within data cen-
surrounding multimode fiber (MMF) tween servers, switches and storage. ters. Laser-optimized OM3 and OM4
and its intrinsic limited bandwidth. I While the cost of MMF itself typically MMF composes a significant por-
will go into a little more depth on a tion of data center infra-
new technological approach that al- structure. These MMFs
lows users to leverage the full were instrumental in the
potential of MMFs and in- development and stan-
crease their bandwidth ca- dardization of the new
pacity, to futureproof ex- type of MMF available to-
isting campus cabling day, OM5. This type of
infrastructure. I’ll ex- wideband MMF allows
plain this relatively new short-wavelength division
trend and look at the fu- multiplexing (SWDM).
ture, with a particular focus The SWDM Multisource
on the opportunities it currently Agreement Alliance be-
presents to the local area network lieves that SWDM will al-
(LAN) market. is higher than singlemode fiber (SMF), low data centers to increase their
Multimode fiber is by no means a an end-to-end multimode infrastruc- capacity while avoiding expensive in-
new technology. Used in the telecom- ture is considered cost-effective be- frastructure upgrades. By using OM5
munications sector since the early de- cause the transceivers used are signifi- fiber, users can transmit 40 Gbits/
ployments of the 1980s, it works by cantly less costly than those used with sec over 440 meters, or 100 Gbits/sec
simply carrying light over a number SMF, thanks to the use of vertical-cavity over 150 meters.
2101CIM.indb 14 1/29/21 9:37 AM

Multimode in LANs easily, the optical cabling infrastruc- Combating dispersion
Today when we talk about MMFs, we ture has a performance envelope that It should be noted that all MMFs are af-
often talk about OM3/OM4/OM5 and generally could not be increased with- fected by modal dispersion, including
about data center applications. What out physically changing the cable that OM3-OM4-OM5 fiber types. Certain op-
about legacy OM1 and OM2, mainly carries the information, such as de- tical properties of the fiber (especially
deployed within campus cabling in- ploying a new generation cable like the refractive index profile of the fiber)
frastructure? Why focus an article on OM5 or singlemode. MMF possesses strongly impact the velocity of the dif-
these older-generation MMFs? It’s be- intrinsic performance limitations, ferent modes of propagation, causing
cause there is also a future for these which are inherent to its physical prop- modal dispersion. As glass transfor-
old fibers. The latest industry innova- erties. More specifically, for multimode mation techniques have evolved over
tions reveal the possibility to future- optical fibers widely installed in LANs, the years, there are different genera-
proof legacy MMF infrastructure by
removing the MMFs’ bandwidth block Singlemode fiber The propagation of a
in order to support evolving network signal through a fiber
9 µm
speeds in these applications. Several is affected by the
vendors are launching new product type of fiber as well
lines based on this technology. as the signal’s launch
Within LANs, a growing number of Multimode fiber condition. This
applications require significant band- illustration depicts
width in order to ensure successful the propagation
62.5/50 µm
transmission of large volumes of data, of a signal through
audio files, and video. Additionally, a singlemode
the growing number of mobile termi- Mode conditioning patch cord (offset launch) fiber (top) and a
nals, online devices and other con- multimode fiber
nected devices in LANs have contrib- under different
62.5/50 µm
uted to the need for higher bandwidth. scenarios. A central-
Bandwidth-intensive applications and launch mode
latency-sensitive traffic types are be- Modal adapter (center launch) adapter can elicit
coming ubiquitous in the LAN. As a re- from a multimode
sult, it is necessary to be able to reli- fiber a propagation
62.5/50 µm
ably transport these data streams with similar to that of a
a high quality of services. We are not singlemode fiber.
necessarily talking about hundreds of
gigabits per second, as is the case in
data centers, but rather, LAN speeds such as OM1 (62.5/125 µm) and OM2 tions of graded-index multimode fibers
typically are 10 Gbits/sec and some- (50/125 µm), high-speed transmission (OMx), which decrease the differential
times 40 Gbits/sec across links that is limited as a result of modal disper- mode delay between modes according
connect floors or buildings. sion. Modal dispersion is a distortion to the fiber type and therefore the im-
Most of the optical fibers deployed mechanism occurring in MMFs. Due pact of modal dispersion on bandwidth.
in a LAN are multimode. A large ma- to the different velocities of the modes, To sum up, modal dispersion degrades
jority of deployed multimode optical fi- the signal is spread out and often de- the width of the bandwidth capacity of
bers do not support throughput of 10 formed in time during the propagation the multimode optical fiber. For a given
Gbits/sec over campuswide links, due in the fiber. This leads to inter-sym- throughput, it reduces the distance that
largely to the optical design of this fi- bol interference and the inability to re- can be reliably attained between trans-
ber type. Contrary to the active com- trieve the data that was transmitted. mitter and receiver. As a result, stan-
ponents of the network, for which up- The higher the transmitted through- dard transmission over MMF within
grades can be carried out relatively put is, the greater the distortion is. the 850-nm operating wavelength with
2101CIM.indb 15 1/29/21 9:37 AM

Can you prepare for present and future bandwidth needs with legacy multimode fiber? continued
10GBase-SR is limited to distances of up example, one approach to overcome the launch conditions. The mode condi-
to 33 meters (36 yards) on conventional bandwidth limitation of OM1 and OM2 tioning patch cord is a specialized as-
62.5-micron OM1 fibers and 82 meters is the development of a new type of 10- sembly that precisely offsets the SMF
(90 yards) over conventional 50-micron Gbit/sec interface developed within the centerline with the MMF centerline.
OM2 fibers. And nothing is specified on
this old type of fibers for bit rates above Multimode fiber distance maximums, in meters
10 Gbits/sec. Fiber type 1000Base-SX 10GBase-SR 40GBase-SR 40G-SWDM4
A typical solution that prevents OM1 (62.5/125) 400 33 NA NA
throughput and distance limitations OM2 (50/125) 550 82 NA NA
due to modal dispersion in currently de- OM3 (50/125) 575 300 100 240
ployed MMFs would therefore be to rip OM4 (50/125) 600 400 150 350
and replace them with new-generation OM5 (50/125) 600 400 150 440
MMF or with SMF that does not expe-
rience modal dispersion. However, rede- IEEE 802.3aq standard, referred to as It is referred to as the “offset launch”
ploying the fiber oftentimes is a difficult LRM for Long Reach Multimode. These technique. Therefore, the mode condi-
task, depending on a number of factors interfaces were specifically designed for tioning patch cord partially controls
including distances involved. An audit of backward compatibility with OM1 and the light launch location of the SMF
the cabling infrastructure is necessary in OM2 fibers, for a reach of 220 meters. from the LRM singlemode source into
order to verify the availability and condi- The key to the longer reach of the the MMF. By reducing the number of
tion of cable duct. In some cases civil en- 10GBase-LRM standards on conven- modes excited by this offset launch-
gineering may be required to deploy new tional multimode fibers is the use ing technique, the impact of modal
cable or to perform microtrenching. This of a sophisticated signal process- dispersion is reduced in terms of dif-
type of operation could be very intrusive. ing technology in the receiver por- ferential mode delay and intersym-
For all these reasons, the complexity and tion of these devices, referred to as bol interference, thereby allowing the
costs of deploying a new cable can be ex- electronic dispersion compensation maximum distance over OM1/OM2 to
orbitant. Taking this approach may re- (EDC). To achieve the maximum dis- be increased to 220 m at 10 Gbits/sec.
quire complex installation, and signifi- tance of 220 meters at 10 Gbits/sec, Nevertheless, be careful using this be-
cantly impact a business. 10GBase-LRM transceivers have to be cause there is no fiber or connector
Over the past few years efforts have used with mode conditioning patch specification that ensures a minimum
been made on several fronts to ad- cables at both ends of the fiber link. bandwidth level for this launch condi-
dress MMF transmission capacity. For Indeed, the standard relies on specific tion. Thus, depending on the quality of
the optical cable and the eccentricity
of field connectors, it is a hit-or-miss
situation, leaving the user to experi-
ment the efficiency on-site with their
own fibers. Furthermore, the maxi-
mum distance of 220 meters supported
by 10GBase-LRM equipment is unfor-
tunately often too short for LAN back-
bone cabling networks, for which you
can easily find links longer than that.
But following this principle used in
the IEEE study, the best-case scenario
would be performing a mode condi-
tioner, enabling a launch condition
Local area networks, in which OM1 or OM2 fiber is a commonly deployed that accurately excites the fundamen-
medium, are taking on a wide variety of applications that are demanding tal center mode into the MMF core. In
more bandwidth than can traditionally be accommodated by OM1 or OM2. this way, the light transmission within
2101CIM.indb 16 1/29/21 9:38 AM

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Can you prepare for present and future bandwidth needs with legacy multimode fiber? continued
the MMF would no longer induce the physical layer, which makes them singlemode transceivers are more ex-
modal dispersion, as only one mode transparent to the communication pensive than multimode transceivers, at
would propagate—a kind of quasi-sin- protocol and modulation format being 10 or 40 Gbits/sec, the price differences
glemode transmission over the MMF. used. There is no need for EDC or com- are far less significant than they are at
Be assured, technologies have evolved plex digital processing at the reception speeds above 100 Gbits/sec. We already
and it is now possible to do so. of the transmission; simple detection have seen a significantly declined cost
One way to overcome modal disper- systems such as direct detection, im- of 10- or 40-Gbit/sec optics due to tech-
sion is to carry the information in just plemented in a standard transceiver, nological advances at high-volume pro-
one mode over MMFs. By properly ex- is sufficient. duction. And finally, this new approach
citing a single fiber spatial mode, the
coupling of the signal to different group Technologies are available today that enable
modes, and thus of different propaga-
tion speeds, is negligible. The spatial flexible and complete light shaping through a
mode can then be used as an indepen- succession of transverse phase profiles similar to
dent high-speed transmission channel
with the same transmission properties very complex optical lenses. Such technologies
as a SMF. Today there are technologies
that enable flexible and complete light
shape a laser beam from a transceiver in such a
shaping through a succession of trans- way that each mode within the multimode fiber
verse phase profiles similar to very com-
plex optical lenses. Such technologies can independently and precisely excited.
shape a laser beam from a transceiver
in such a way that each mode within This technique is transparent to overcomes operational constraints. The
the MMF can be independently and pre- wavelength and can operate in the cost savings achieved by avoiding com-
cisely excited. This kind of technology O-band (1300-nm window) or C-band plex recabling far outweigh the slight
is used as a way to increase the trans- (1500-nm window) range with stan- cost overhead for singlemode transceiv-
mission capacity of existing MMFs by dard singlemode transceivers from 1 to ers rather than multimode transceivers
performing center launching on leg- 100 Gbits/sec, or even higher. Intrinsic in your LAN.
acy MMFs. By overcoming speed and loss of such a modal adapter is less In conclusion, today the limited ca-
distance limitations, bit rates like 100 than 2 dB, and there is no transmis- pacity of LAN cabling infrastructure is a
Gbits/sec can be carried over an exist- sion power penalty. In terms of link dis- prevalent issue and complex wiring cases
ing multimode infrastructure of up to tance, a reach of up to 10 km covers the are not uncommon. You do not need
several kilometers or miles. requirements for all types of LANs with to rip and replace your infrastructure,
legacy MMFs that would otherwise re- but simply refresh it. The modal-adapt-
New technologies, new solutions quire a cabling infrastructure upgrade. ing passive technological approach de-
Solutions available today have adapted If needed, it also makes MMFs compat- scribed in this article already has proven
to different topologies, which allow for ible with singlemode wavelength divi- its effectiveness across numerous indus-
a progressive and flexible evolution of sion multiplexing (WDM) technologies, trial, military, university and hospital
the legacy network optical communi- enabling a gradual and flexible increase campuses around the world. As a com-
cations, compatible with any type of in network capacity toward very-high- plement to traditional cabling, this new
62.5/125 µm or 50/125 µm MMF (i.e. speed broadband, and thereby ensuring approach to transform MMF into SMF
OM1 to OM5 fibers). The user simply a durable cabling infrastructure. makes it possible to recycle the existing
places boxes between the active layer With all that said, note that this type cabling infrastructure, one more step to-
and the fiber. This technology consists of technology can only shape a single- ward green IT, with proven benefits for
solely of optical elements, so the solu- mode laser beam. It is therefore nec- end customers and ICT professionals. u
tions are passive, meaning they con- essary to use singlemode transceiv-
sume no energy and require no su- ers. This, however, is not a significant Kevin Lenglé, Ph.D. is product line manager
for the AROONA product line at Cailabs.
pervision. They operate at the level of economic issue. While it is true that
2101CIM.indb 18 1/29/21 9:38 AM

installation
How smart infrastructure can

become dangerously dumb
Get smart about connectivity choices by being transmission rates over this new ca-
“in the know” about cable hazards that impact lives. ble, now with the added duty of sup-
porting Power over Ethernet, which is
BY TIM COPP and CAROL EVERETT OLIVER, also coined “Power over Everything,” in
smart building applications. Pushing
Communications Cable and Connectivity Association power over the same conductors as
data can also increase heat within the
cable, potentially causing signal degra-
dation and a fire hazard if inferior ca-
Cable and connectivity are the neces- necessity, relying solely on the infra- bling is installed.
sary, basic building blocks and foun- structure and the sum of its parts. Poor-quality cable and installa-
dation for transmitting and receiving The evolution and growth of appli- tion practices are often not a priority
all communications. Cable connects cations and new technologies are driv- or much of a concern to building own-
everyone to everything through the ing the need for high-performance ers and end users until a system goes
wired and wireless network infrastruc- and high-value cable, a crucial infra- down. Because cable infrastructure is
ture—from healthcare and educational structure necessity that is often over- installed behind the walls and out of
institutions to conferencing, entertain- looked or thought of as a commodity. sight, few people give a second thought
ment and social media. The 2020 pan- Today’s critical applications require to the criticality of cabling infra-
demic taught us, or reinforced for us, 100% reliability and ever-higher data structure until it is too late. And don’t
that the internet is a required utility
and priority number one for depend-
able communications. Every bit of data
that is stored in the cloud—i.e. in a
data center—cannot be secure or func-
tional without a robust cabling system.
If the internet is the common bond
that keeps everyone and everything
connected, then the cable is the glue.
Moving forward into the next genera-
tion of the Internet of Things (IoT), ar-
tificial intelligence (AI), 5G and smart
cities/building applications, reliable
data transmission in real time be-
comes critical to how modern soci-
ety functions. This data transmission, This image, taken from video footage of a test conducted at a nationally
which was once simply a means of recognized test laboratory, shows flame spreading through a plenum space,
communication, is evolving into a core fueled by cable that is not plenum-rated.
2101CIM.indb 19 1/29/21 9:38 AM

How smart infrastructure can become dangerously dumb continued
forget, wireless devices are in fact con- All communications cables, such as 90A/NFPA 75 standards and man-
nected by wires to transmitters and Category 5e or Category 6, may look dated by the NEC. Plenum cables,
routers. It is generally accepted that the same on the surface, but unless which are allowed to be safely installed
approximately 70% of network down- buyers take a closer look at the con- in a building’s air-handling spaces
time is due to cabling improprieties, struction and materials of the cable above ceilings or below floors, are
which can include low-quality cable or investigate their specific certifica- more expensive to manufacture than
or poor termination practices. But, tions, disastrous outcomes are pos- CMR or CM cables because of their
even worse than network failure is the sible. Unscrupulous manufacturers unique component materials and de-
safety risk due to a cable’s poor design, looking to take advantage of the per- sign configurations.
substandard material makeup and/or ception that communications cables Plenum cables that carry the CMP
manufacturing deficiencies. are a commodity—and all look the listing on the box typically are man-
Cables produced using deficient same to the average consumer—em- ufactured with fire-retardant com-
manufacturing processes and substan- ploy cost-cutting measures that pose pounds, such as low-smoke polyvi-
dard materials pose a serious safety serious threats to safety and perfor- nyl chloride (LSFR PVC), fluorinated
risk. Without oversight and proper mance. These violators produce coun- polymers, or other specific mate-
construction, inferior cables run- terfeit cables and mislead buyers, put- rials designed to minimize igni-
ning throughout a structure can act ting the entire ICT industry and all tion and reduce flame spread and
as fuses that accelerate the spread of consumers at risk. smoke generation.
fumes, flames and smoke. This can po- There are several important cri- Unfortunately, some manufacturers
tentially lead to a significant reduction teria used to differentiate and clas- are marking their cables as being ple-
in evacuation capability, loss of life and sify communications cables. These num rated when in fact the cables are
a serious destruction of equipment and include the National Fire Protection not officially listed. Unless a cable has
structures. When substandard cabling Association National Electrical Code been tested and certified by an NRTL
is bought and installed, who’s to blame (NFPA 70/NEC), industry perfor- as CMP, it is not permitted to bear the
and what’s the recourse? Action and mance standards such as ANSI/ CMP mark. Any cable that does this—
awareness is crucial now to avoid fu- TIA-568.2-D Balanced Twisted-Pair marks a cable as CMP without first
ture catastrophic events. Telecommunications Cabling and having passed the stringent testing re-
The Communications Cable and Components, and UL 444 Standard for quired to mark it as such—is using a
Connectivity Association (CCCA) Safety – Communications Cable. counterfeit listing mark. Because the
continues to educate installers, con- When adopted by a state or local listing marks are included in a simple
tractors and other ICT profession- municipality, the NEC becomes law text string on the cable jacket, these
als on key issues affecting the struc- and carries the power of enforcement. substandard and mismarked cables
tured cabling industry. As a result, The NEC is updated every three years. can go undetected through the sup-
there are many programs and meth- The most recent edition states that ply chain. In some cases, installed ca-
ods to discern good cabling from bad. each communications cable must com- bles that do not meet the NEC require-
Recently this awareness has resulted ply with Chapter 8 in meeting applica- ments have acted like a fuse, spreading
in legislative actions and law-enforce- ble flame and smoke testing to earn the large fires, often undetected through
ment initiatives. rating of CMP (plenum), CMR (riser), enclosed spaces in properties includ-
or CM (general purpose). In doing so, ing hotels and commercial businesses.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing cable is required to be tested and cer- These examples prove that installing
Reputable cable manufacturers de- tified (“listed”) by a designated third non-compliant or counterfeit cable in a
sign and produce products to yield party independent nationally recog- plenum space can be costly both in lost
the highest performance while meet- nized testing laboratory (NRTL) such as lives and the destruction of property.
ing specific safety requirements. These Underwriters Laboratories or Intertek.
products go through rigorous testing CMP plenum-rated cables, for ex- Covert indicators
scrutiny to be independently certified ample, are specifically designed to Sometimes it can be very difficult to
and then are classified as intellectual meet the demanding fire/life safety re- discern between reputable and inferior
property owned by the manufacturer. quirements outlined under the NFPA cables. Ensuring a cable meets strict
2101CIM.indb 20 1/29/21 9:38 AM

codes and standards is an expensive hazard when used in PoE or powering identify CCA conductors by scraping
and arduous commitment for manu- over communications cable. Aluminum the thin layer of copper off the conduc-
facturers, thanks to a combination of heats up more than copper when both tor to see if aluminum is exposed.
the cost of materials needed to meet data and power are put over the con-
NEC requirements combined with the ductors, which results in higher inser- Third-party certifications
intricate testing and ongoing certifi- tion loss and DC resistance, leading to An obvious telltale indicator of a coun-
cation follow-up processes required to cable-performance deficiencies. And terfeit cable is the misleading label
maintain the listings. since aluminum conductors in commu- on the box or the legend on the cable
One obvious warning sign of sub- nications cable cannot be listed, they do jacket—or lack thereof. In some cases,
standard or counterfeit cable is an un- not meet the NEC. This makes it a criti- the seller of the noncompliant cable of-
usually low price. If a cable’s price is cal safety issue,” Harpel adds. ten does not provide the required cer-
more than 30% below that of a reputa- One deceptive tactic often found tification markings, safety listings or
ble cable’s, then it is likely that this low- online is for the seller to claim that a transmission-performance indicators
cost cable is constructed of substan-
dard raw materials, or the cable has
What if an MRI image from a remote healthcare
not been through certification testing.
Cables meeting this low-cost, low-qual- provider was distorted while you were in the ER?
ity profile frequently are found through
online retail sites, and usually are pur- Category-rated cable contains CCA, on the cable or packaging, so they can-
ported to be manufactured by pri- implying that this is the basis for the not be accused or held accountable for
vate-label brands. Sometimes these ca- lower cost. However, they are also as- misinforming the buyer. Even though
bles are priced so unrealistically low suming you are ignorant of the fact these markings are either required by
that in reality, the price would barely that CCA in network cable is forbidden code or for the critical application sys-
cover the manufacturing cost—let by the NEC. In a way, these unscrupu- tem performance, buyers must beware
alone the actual costs of raw materi- lous sellers are sending the message, and perform their own due diligence to
als and compliance testing—of legiti- “I am enabling you to break the law,” verify these cable attributes before com-
mately manufactured cables. should you install this cable in build- pleting the purchase and delivery of the
Another indicator of an unaccept- ings that must comply with NEC re- cable. One way to confirm the cable is
able and inferior cable design is the quirements. And be aware, if the seller legitimate is by finding their listing in-
use of aluminum versus copper con- is stating the cable contains CCA con- formation on the website of the NRTL.
ductors. In some consumer circles, ca- ductors, it is extremely likely that the Through some internet-only chan-
bles with copper-clad aluminum (CCA) cable also uses less-costly and often in- nels, sellers may indicate a cable’s
conductors are being promoted and ferior materials along with poor pack- safety and performance characteris-
sold as equivalent to cables with cop- aging. Additionally, CCA is not per- tics in their cryptic descriptions. But
per conductors. In actuality, CCA ca- mitted by the American and Canadian the cable that shows up on your door-
bles contain only a thin layer of cop- National Standards ANSI/UL 444 and step may or may not have any such in-
per over aluminum, which is less costly CSA C22.2 No. 214. Therefore, cable dications. Always ask, in advance of
than copper. CCA cannot transmit constructions employing CCA conduc- the purchase, for the name and loca-
power for Class 2 or Class 3 circuits as tors cannot be certified or listed. tion of the manufacturer, as well as
efficiently as copper. If you are uncertain if the cable the warranties, for the cable. In addi-
“Aluminum has a different mallea- contains aluminum conductors, you tion, listing information for every rep-
bility so when it gets terminated into should be able to differentiate good ca- utable supplier of legitimately made
the connector, it is brittle and often ble from bad cable by comparing the and certified cable should be easy to
breaks, leading to intermittent signal weight between two boxes of simi- find on the website of the third-party
and power,” explains Todd Harpel, di- lar communications cable. Cable with NRTL. If you are unable to identify the
rector of standards for Berk-Tek. “Cable CCA weighs approximately 30% less manufacturer, the supplier should be
constructions containing CCA con- than cable with legitimate copper con- able to produce verifiable evidence/
ductors are an even-more catastrophic ductors. Additionally, you can clearly paperwork of their third-party NRTL
2101CIM.indb 21 1/29/21 9:38 AM

certifications and independent perfor- communications ca-

mance testing results. If they struggle 1 ble, the figure-eight
with answers or delay producing this wind by REELEX has
information, walk away. become the standard
As a vital measure of protection for package for most last-
their own certification marks, UL pro- 2 mile lengths of cable.
vides a holographic label for each ca- Knockoff pull
ble that it has tested and certified. 3 boxes do not use
These labels verify that the manufac- precision REELEX
turer and cable meet the description of coils, but rather fea-
the UL surveillance documents, which ture what are some-
help to differentiate authorized prod- times called “scram-
4
ucts from counterfeit cables. ble winds.” These
“UL has been requiring holographic boxes look identical
labels for cables since 2009 and has to any other box of ca-
been training installers, inspectors, re- ble on the outside, but
tailers and others to look for the holo- 5 are very different in-
graphic label on the product to ensure side. Improper coil-
these cables are authorized as Certified ing of the cable can
by UL,” states Anthony Tassone, UL These five indicators on a cable box can provide lead to kinking, cable
principal engineer. The holographic la- confidence that the cable inside meets safety damage and poor ca-
bel is required on each box or reel of and performance requirements: 1) a holographic ble-installation prac-
UL-listed cable. It has multiple secu- label provided by UL that is unique to the cable tices, which impacts
rity features similar to the technology manufacturer; 2) a statement of the cable’s both performance and
used in U.S. monetary currency in the performance rating; 3) the manufacturer’s logo; safety. Manufacturers
background, with embedded code and 4) a statement of the country in which the cable is that used REELEX
proprietary color-changing ink, which manufactured; 5) the REELEX packaging logo. equipment and pat-
can be authenticated using a business- ented technology are
card-size reader that is available from licensees of REELEX,
UL and CCCA. installers and end users to know that and are required to have the trade-
“To earn the certification label, UL the cable has been tested and is cer- mark logo printed on the box. This logo
has an ongoing inspection and mar- tified for safety. The holographic la- signifies to the installer that not only
ket-survey program to ensure that the bel, with a unique number specific to is the process genuine, but also that
cables use the authorized compounds each manufacturer and each cable, is the cable will pay out from the box
with the necessary smoke-suppres- changed on a regular basis to avoid twist-free and without tangles. It also
sion and flame-retardant properties as having them counterfeited. verifies that the manufacturer has not
well as continue to comply with the re- damaged the cable during packaging.
quired large-scale flame tests. Testing Packaging REELEX has found that most knockoff
is performed in both our labs, as well If a counterfeit cable is being produced, brands will tangle and become dam-
as on production samples at the ca- it likely is being packaged in an infe- aged because the manufacturer does
ble-manufacturing factories, and wit- rior box and payout mechanism. While not have the proper coiling equipment
nessed by UL field engineers,” Tassone most installers identify the packaging or the REELEX software that precisely
explains. Every UL certified cable sub- of low-voltage cabling as a “pull box,” controls the coiling process.
scriber has a unique UL file number, you may not know that these boxes are
tradename, or trademark printed on packaged using a unique and highly Taking ownership and action
the surface of the cable. specialized coiling method called The onus to avoid buying and install-
The holographic label should be the REELEX. Originally developed during ing counterfeit or noncompliant cable
first point of reference for all suppliers, World War II as a means for deploying that does not meet the applicable NEC
2101CIM.indb 22 1/29/21 9:38 AM

requirements or industry standards mission-critical impacts and perils regarding the installation of cable
ultimately is on the installer. The le- that counterfeit products have on con- that delivers both data and power for
gal ramifications and liability fall on sumer safety. Class 2 or Class 3 circuits. These in-
the installer of the cable, not the per- More and more consumers and con- clude applications such as LED light-
son or company that manufactures or tractors are shopping online, which ing, sensors, fire alarms, security and
ultimately sells the cable. But all par- substantially increased in 2020 due to surveillance, building/home automa-
ties in the supply chain should under- the COVID pandemic. “Much of the tion, audio visual systems, digital elec-
stand the cause and serious life-safety commercial substandard, mismarked, tronics and entertainment, and other
impacts of these bad cables being in- and counterfeit cable is ordered emerging technologies.
stalled. It is imperative for everyone through e-commerce, and buyers think Alternating-current (AC) electrical
involved to know the differences be- they are getting a bargain,” states lines are installed by licensed electri-
tween certified/reputable cable and David Kiddoo, executive director of cians. Today, many intelligent building
substandard or bogus cable. If each CCCA. “But a bargain in this sense can devices and applications are powered
stakeholder in the supply chain is con- lead to severe repercussions and unin- by low-voltage PoE circuits. These ca-
firming the legitimacy of the cables tended consequences. Not only would bling for systems must be installed by
prior to final installation, then the purchasing and installing unsafe and trained low-voltage contractors, or in-
confidence levels are significantly im- non-complying cable in your project tegrators, to allow network systems in-
proved. Specific safeguarding activities destroy your company’s reputation, tegration and software programming.
include validation from cable and com- this could also lead to expensive law- As a result, integrators should not
ponent suppliers, distributors, system suits and liabilities for health, safety be restricted by proposed legislation
designers and integrators, building and network performance as a result.” that would exclude or significantly
owners, construction inspectors, law The illegal sales of counterfeits, limit their ability to perform installa-
enforcement, legislators and users. knockoffs, falsified products and tion projects that they have success-
Suffice it to say methods are in other intellectual property-infring- fully carried out for years. Well-trained
place to differentiate the good from the ing items not only damages legitimate integrators understand installation
bad. CCCA is collaborating with UL U.S. businesses, but also fuels other il- best practices for low-voltage net-
and supply-chain partners on compli- licit crimes and poses other signifi- work cabling and connectivity. CCCA
ance and quality assurance. Recently, cant safety risks for all consumers. The is assisting an industrywide consor-
CCCA and UL took their findings to CCCA is also a part of an industry con- tium of connected technology stake-
global law-enforcement agencies and sortium that includes other trade asso- holders representing the ICT indus-
customs officials to thwart the influx ciations, including the Transnational try to address these legislative issues
of unauthentic cabling and to protect Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade as they arise.
the intellectual property rights of rep- (TRACIT), to support efforts to intro-
utable cable and connectivity manu- duce the SHOP SAFE Act of 2020 in the Whack-a-mole, keep your guard up
facturers. CCCA, representing the ca- U.S. House of Representatives. These The path to raise awareness for these
ble and connectivity industry, formed legislative proposals will serve to ad- counterfeit and noncompliant cables
a task group to bring to the atten- dress this problem by incentivizing on- with the general public, as well as with
tion of the U.S. National Intellectual line e-commerce platforms to adopt law enforcement, is a long road con-
Property Rights Coordination Center best practices, keeping consumers in- sisting of ongoing and increased train-
(IPR Center) in Washington D.C. the formed, and imposing penalties on ing efforts. It is a never-ending battle,
dangers of counterfeit cables in the sellers of potentially harmful products. as once one offender is found, there are
marketplace. Our industry is one of It is also important to note that surely more undiscovered to unmask.
four strategic industries—along with network integration is critical to pro- But while there are legal steps taken
pharmaceutical, microelectronics, vide for the safety and performance of by CCCA members and other associa-
and automotive—selected as part of emerging technologies, such as smart tions, it is a constant endeavor to con-
a pilot initiative to educate law en- buildings and 5G. Each state or lo- tinuously educate stakeholders includ-
forcement, customers/border protec- cal jurisdiction adopts different reg- ing suppliers, contractors, installers
tion and homeland security on the ulations and licensure requirements and users. Following is a summary
2101CIM.indb 23 1/29/21 9:38 AM

checklist to follow in the quest to avoid depending on the referenced NRTL community, from manufacturers to
installing bad cable and protect all certifications provided by the seller. installers to consumers, understand
low-voltage integrators and consum- • Use the CableCheck application the consequences when the basic
ers, one box at a time. from the CCCA website, which is building blocks of the infrastructure
• Buy known brands a free downloadable app for your are compromised. Once a structured
• Specify better cable than you smart device to detect suspicious cabling system is installed, it is ex-
think you need to meet the mini- cable. The app is available at cccas- pected to last and support many tech-
mum requirements of your project. soc.org/news/free-apps/ nology upgrades. This can only be ac-
Considering the cost of replacing Suppliers can also assist their cus- complished if the core network is safe
cable buried in walls, plenums, etc., tomers, integrators, and ultimately and sound, which starts and ends
the extra expense now can be con- consumers by periodically follow- with quality cable and connectivity,
sidered insurance against having to ing these important steps to assure and smart installers.
replace cable that becomes obsolete their cable is compliant and to protect The CCCA is the voice of the struc-
in the future. their own intellectual property rights tured cabling industry. Leading man-
• If the price is significantly below and technologies. ufacturers of cable and connectivity
the average competitive market • Record all trademarks and trade products, distributors, and mate-
value by 30% or more, beware. names with the U.S. Customers rial suppliers have joined together in
• Review the packaging label. If it and Border Protection (CBP) at CCCA to inform, educate and provide
is a questionable brand without a iprr.cpb.gov. thought leadership on vital issues and
stated manufacturer, country of or- • Ensure all products have been cer- topics. CCCA’s members include: 3M,
igin, fire performance rating (such tified (listed and verified) by an Alphagary, Anixter, Belden, Berk-Tek,
as CMP or CMR), transmission per- NRTL and make sure that all reg- Cable Components Group, Chemours,
formance (such as Category 5e or 6), istration information and tests are CommScope, Daikin America, Dow,
and NRTL certification, investigate up to date, with reports available Graybar, Hitachi Cable America,
and require written proof of the for your customers and enforce- Leviton, OCC, Prsymian Group,
safety listing and performance veri- ment authorities. REELEX, Sentinel Connector Systems,
fication through an NRTL. • Ensure the packaging is printed Superior Essex, Wonderful Hi-Tech. u
• Look at the product specifications with all updated information, re-
to see if the cable conductor is solid quired certifications, safety list- Timothy Copp is chair of the Compliance/
copper or contains copper clad alu- ings, performance verifications Anti-Counterfeit Committee for the
minum (CCA). Cables with CCA and logos, such as the UL holo- Communications Cable and Connectivity
Association, which serves as a major resource
conductors are unsafe to be in- graphic label.
for well-researched, fact-based information
stalled in ICT network applications. • Provide cabling system warran-
and education on issues and technologies that
• Inspect the packaging and payout. ties through certified installers who are vital to the structured cabling industry.
Is it the cable kinking when pulled provide passing test results with ev- Tim has more than 15 years of experience in
out of the box or are there thin ery installed channel. packaging for the wire and cable industry and
spots or inconsistencies in the cable • Engage with the CCCA and be- holds the position of vice president of business
development at REELEX Packaging Solutions.
geometry? If it is in a pull box, does come a member (cccassoc.org/
it feature the REELEX logo? membership/)
Carol Everett Oliver, RCDD, DCDC, ESS
• Look for the holographic label on is an industry freelance consultant to CCCA
each box of cable and recheck with A last thought with 25 years of experience helping a variety
UL to confirm the product brand In today’s competitive world, hav- of organizations deliver relevant, authorita-
name and certification. ing an infrastructure that is scalable tive information on a variety of topics. Carol
also is currently President-Elect of BICSI, a pro-
• If you suspect a counterfeit ca- and can respond quickly to technol-
fessional association supporting the advance-
ble, look up UL and ETL public no- ogy changes is vital. As our indus- ment of the information and communica-
tices that list known fraudulent try is moving forward globally to- tions technology (ICT) profession. Carol also
suppliers. You can also report sus- ward intelligent building integration, chairs BICSI’s Intelligent Building Standard
pect cable products to UL or ETL, it is imperative that the entire ICT Subcommittee.
2101CIM.indb 24 1/29/21 9:38 AM

PR
S
CU
OD
FO
UC
T
ENCLOSURES
S-Series enclosures
UV-rated for flexible building
nonmetallic connectivity
enclosure boxes HellermannTyton’s S-Series
Arlington’s nonmetallic wall-mount enclosures feature
enclosure boxes are solutions for high-density
ideal for protecting and splicing, building or floor
securing power backups, distribution networks and
security devices and other equipment indoors or out. The boxes servicing individual subscriber
are shipped with factory-installed hinged covers and meet NEMA drops. The configurable
3R requirements for outdoor use. They are available in 4 sizes: interior and flexible entry
12x12x4, 12x12x6, 11x11x3.5, and 7x8x3.5 and in black or gray. point options of the S3 and
The boxes are available with or without a backplate to accommodate
mounting and access to components post-installation. Each box
contains a padlock latch and a knockout for a cam lock; the boxes
also include half-inch and three-fourths-inch knockouts.
Arlington Industries, aifittings.com
Outdoor cabinet assembly bundle series

To simplify outdoor power and connectivity projects, Transition Networks
created the OCA Bundle Series, which offers a single ordering number
for the company’s Outdoor Cabinet Assembly and its most popular
Power over Ethernet switches, power supplies, and accessory solutions.
According to Transition Networks, the bundle saves time in selecting S5 enclosures help the
and procuring essential items for applications installer adapt to specific
including security and surveillance, wireless, needs, or they can be factory-
and intelligent traffic. All bundles include configured for standardization
a high-impact-resistant 18x16x10 within a provider’s installation
polycarbonate enclosure with a hinged/ area. “Buildings and their
removable door that provides access to communications requirements
equipment during installation are growing more diverse than
and maintenance. Two DIN ever before,” HellermannTyton
rails are preinstalled explains, “requiring an almost
for mounting a infinite degree of flexibility and
switch and power configurability in the scale and
supply. A magnetic door contact functionality of the building
switch, ground terminal blocks, AC/DC entry point.”
termination blocks, and wire glands are also preinstalled. HellermannTyton,
Transition Networks, transition.com hellermann.tyton.com
2101CIM.indb 25 1/29/21 9:38 AM

PR
S
CU
OD
FO
UC
T
ENCLOSURES
PanZone TrueEdge Vertical

Wall-Mount Enclosure
The Panduit PanZone® TrueEdge Vertical Wall-Mount Enclosure
provides a comprehensive architecture allowing up to 36
inches of active equipment depth to be mounted in a low-
profile application. This enclosure houses traditional horizontal
equipment vertically on a wall and minimizes network
infrastructure investment, providing a solution to eliminate a rack
or a cabinet (TR in a box and micro data center). The structurally
engineered design has a premium static load rating of up to
400 pounds and best-in-class thermal ratings to eliminate
equipment failure, Panduit points out. The enclosure is scalable,
offering a variety of configurations for servers, switches, and
edge computing. It can withstand optimum load capacity for
deployments of server and switch configurations. And it is
configurable, available in 3RU active or passive, 6RU active
or passive, or 9RU active or passive—allowing customization
opportunities to fit the user’s needs.
Panduit, panduit.com
SmartRack 12U wall-mount cabinet

Tripp Lite's SRW12UHD SmartRack 12U heavy-duty, low-profile
server-depth side-mount wall-mount rack enclosure cabinet
is designed to house EIA-standard 19-inch rack equipment in
telecommunications rooms, retail locations, classrooms, back
offices and other areas with limited floor space where equipment
must be secured and out of the way. Because the low-profile
cabinet mounts sideways, it extends less than 25 inches from the
wall while housing equipment up to 32.5 inches deep, including
1U servers, uninterruptible power supply systems, battery packs,
switches and patch panels. The removal front panel and side doors
lock to prevent damage, tampering or theft. The top, bottom and
sides are vented, allowing airflow and keeping equipment cool.
Top and bottom ports allow easy cable routing. The SRW12UHD
comes fully assembled and ready to mount to the wall. Square and
12-24 threaded mounting holes and numbered rack spaces ease
installation. Vertical mounting rails adjust in 7/8-inch increments.
TrippLite, tripplite.com
2101CIM.indb 26 1/29/21 9:38 AM

EDITOR’S PICKS
£ G LOW-IN-THE-DARK
FISH TAPE
£ N E W CEO
AT SIEMON
£ F IBER SHOWCASE
AT W W T
News, products and trends for the communications systems industry
COMPILED BY
Matt Vincent
mvincent @ endeavorb 2 b . com
£ WIRELESS BACKHAUL
Clearfield boosts
rural fiber wireless environments. By listening to Midco’s needs, including work-
ing with components such as radios that were not specifi-
backhaul for Midco cally designed for fiber, Clearfield said it was able to produce
Last December, Clearfield announced that Midco custom, future-ready solutions that enabled Midco to place
Communications is using the company’s YOURx 24 fibers, nearly double the quantity in a traditional deploy-
Flex Box, Clearview Blue Cassette, and FieldShield ment, to the top of existing structures with one cable.
FLATdrop fiber cables to create higher-bandwidth, “Clearfield truly acted as a partner to Midco by listening
point-to-point wireless backhaul connections in its to the needs of our unique situation and providing custom
network. The two companies said they collaborated solutions that enabled us to address the need for fixed wire-
to craft a unique approach to bringing fiber from less access in our service area,” commented Jeremy Billings,
the base to the top of tall structures such as grain general manager, regional engineering at Midco. “We set a
elevators, grain legs and water towers to serve as goal of getting the fiber from the top of a tall structure to the
signal handoff sites to provide broadband to the bottom in about 15 minutes, which seemed laughably fast to
communities Midco serves. other people. Despite this being an unusual deployment sce-
Midco counts more than 400,000 customers nario, Clearfield was able to cut that goal to just five minutes,
across Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South helping us exceed our installation goal and more quickly
Dakota and Wisconsin. Its service area reaches many deliver services to customers within range.”
rural communities and geographical locations that To meet the installation time goal, Clearfield’s YOURx
are exposed to harsh natural environments such as Flex Box arrived at Midco with a 300-foot FieldShield
blizzards and high winds. To deliver broadband ser- FLATdrop pigtail. At the top of the structure, the Flex Box
vices, Midco needed a connectivity approach to link was mounted on a rail. From the Flex Box, the duplex
places that could not be reached with fiber today assembly was installed onto the structure to the individual
and equipment able to withstand the harsh outdoor radios; one cable per radio. The radio side of the assembly
used a specially designed protective sleeve and a collar
to ensure network integrity. By using this approach and
preconfigured solutions, Clearfield was able to complete
this deployment in two hours, saving money and speed-
ing time to service availability.
To date, Midco has installed Clearfield’s fiber solutions
at 15 sites with plans to continue deployment at additional
sites, offering its subscribers in rural and farming commu-
nities 100-Mbit/sec connections and enabling them to ben-
efit from the lifestyle better broadband provides. “Clearfield
is proud to help service providers, like Midco, strengthen
their service offerings to meet the growing broadband
demands of subscribers regardless of location,” concluded
Kevin Morgan, chief marketing officer at Clearfield. u
2101CIM.indb 27 1/29/21 9:38 AM

EDITOR’S PICKS
FIBER BROADBAND
CommScope brings fiber

broadband, FTTH connectivity
to Wyandotte, MI
In December 2020, CommScope
announced that the City of Wyandotte,
Michigan, located 11 miles south of “This year has shown us that the evolution, FTTH design services, off-
Detroit, has partnered with the commu- internet is critical in keeping our air antenna and satellite signal surveys.
nications networks infrastructure spe- society functioning in the face of “Wyandotte is an area that has
cialist to accelerate the city’s digital rapid and unpredictable change. It’s flourished, developing a reputation
transformation by delivering high-capac- reminding us the advantage of for- as a destination for new and expand-
ity, low-latency connectivity to its nearly ward-looking design and the impor- ing businesses. We are spreading
25,000 residents. By providing both the tance of network innovation,” com- economic growth and investing in
fiber technology and expertise for the mented Tom McLaughlin, senior vice arts, food, culture, retail and ser-
project, CommScope will enable nearly president of service providers for vices that will be attractive to future
13,000 homes and more than 700 com- CommScope, in late 2020 when the generations,” stated Paul LaManes,
mercial buildings to have access to a Wyandotte project was announced. general manager, City of Wyandotte.
new network with up to 10 Gbits/sec of “By planning ahead and working “Super-fast broadband will kick
internet, IP video and smart home ser- together with developers, local util- this evolution into a new gear.
vices. The project requires full conver- ities, service providers and trusted CommScope eliminates the burden
sion to fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connec- fiber experts, Wyandotte is creating of multiple vendors, helping us build
tivity, management of multiple contrac- a path for a connected future.” a smarter network.” u
tors, network component integration, Ongoing consult-
and relocation and expansion of the ing services pro-
city’s network headend. CommScope vided by CommScope
Professional Services will provide both will include hybrid
inside and outside plant construction fiber coaxial (HFC)
management and headend relocation and FTTH architec-
services for the project. ture analysis, network
CABLING INSTALL ATION
20-foot glowing fish tape

Klein Tools recently introduced its 20-Foot Glow Fish Tape, the
company’s first fully glow-in-the-dark fish tape, which provides a bright glow for working in low-light situations easier.
use in low light. The glow-in-the-dark, fiberglass fish tape and nylon tip comes in This glow tape and tip can easily
a clear housing that allows the glow material to charge in the case. charge through the clear case, and
Fully removable from its case for more versatile applications such as pass- the tape can also function as a super-
through wire feeding and high-flex glow rod use, the tape’s anchoring end uses a flex glow rod by removing the tape
stainless steel connector that is compatible with Klein Fish Rod attachments. An from the case for wall cavity, drop
alignment mark on case eases re-installation of the tape into the housing. ceiling, and conduit one-way pass-
“Our goal in designing the glow fish tape was to build a unique product that through feeding,” said Dan Pearson,
could not only fill the need for a fiberglass fish tape, but also help to make product manager at Klein Tools. u
2101CIM.indb 28 1/29/21 9:38 AM

EDITOR’S PICKS
FIBER CLE ANING
Pen-size fiber-optic cleaners

Platinum Tools recently announced the launch of FC and ST connectors. Weighing 2 ounces and with
its Fiber Optic Cleaner product line. The line’s two a handle measuring under 9 inches (225 mm), the
color-coded fiber-optic cleaners are available in tools’ silk thread provides more than 900 clean-
1.25-mm and 2.50-mm sizes. The blue tip mod- ings and advances automatically after each use for
el’s 1.25-mm size is for LC and MU connectors. particle-free connections. A single push cleans the
The white tip model’s 2.50-mm size handles SC, endface, while the tool’s unique two-position cap
cleans ports and connectors with the same device.
“These new, easy-to-use, pen-style cleaners have
been designed to work with virtually all common
fiber-optic sizes and connector types, allowing you
to clean connectors and ports for the best pos-
sible optical performance,” said Sean Rothermel,
Platinum Tools product manager. “With two sizes
with color-coded tips for easy identification, all you
need to do is push to effortlessly clean fiber ports
or connectors. It really is that simple.”
MSRP for each version of the tool is $87.50. u
The nEXt revolution in RJ45 connector design

The world’s most advanced
pass-through RJ45
connectors
For PoE Plastic load bar supports

and PoE+ conductors and shears off for
installations a perfectly flush trim every time
Making Connections EZ for Over 20 Years

805.384.2777 • platinumtools.com
2101CIM.indb 29 1/29/21 9:38 AM

2101CIM_PlatinumTools 1 12/30/20 2:35 PM
EDITOR’S PICKS
£ THE IC T WORKFORCE
Salary info to be presented

at BICSI Conference
THE C SUITE
The Siemon Company At the BICSI Winter Conference taking place in early March, Fluke Networks’
founding member Mark Mullins and Cabling Installation & Maintenance chief
appoints new editor Patrick McLaughlin will deliver a presentation summarizing salary
president, CEO and wage data collected from professionals in the information and commu-
nications technology (ICT) industry. The data comes from a survey the two
The Siemon Company announced firms conducted for the third consecutive year. BICSI assisted with the most
Henry Siemon is the company’s new recent survey by inviting its members and credential holders to participate.
president and chief executive offi- Among the data points that will be included in the presentation are
cer, effective January 1, 2021. Carl average annual salary or hourly wage for job types including designs,
Siemon, who served as president technicians, project managers, and corporate managers; the correlation
and CEO since 1982, will continue between income and education level; the correlation between income and
to serve on the company’s board of specific technical expertise; and general income differences among dif-
directors and will work with Henry and ferent U.S. geographic areas. The data also includes information about
the company’s leadership team as a the effects of the COVID-19, in the form of layoffs, furloughs, and reduced
strategic advisor. Henry becomes the working hours, for individuals who completed the survey as well as the
fifth CEO in the company’s 118-year companies that employ those individuals.
history, and establishes a fifth gener- The presentation will be delivered at 12:00 noon EST on Tuesday, March 2.
ation of family leadership. Detailed information about the Winter Conference is available at bicsi.org. u
Henry joined Siemon in 2017, serv-
ing as global director of
supply chain, focusing
on initiatives to improve
the company’s opera- Henry as Siemon’s next Henry acknowledged the impor-
tional capabilities in the president. We are for- tance of Carl Siemon’s contributions
150 countries it serves. tunate to have a fifth- guiding the company’s development
He earned a bache- generation Siemon and growth over nearly four decades.
lor’s degree with a focus family member will- “Carl and I often talk about steward-
on economics from the ing and able to chart a ship, and how important it is in a
University of Richmond clear course and steer family business for the chief execu-
and earned an MBA from the company into the tive to also be a chief caretaker and
the MIT Sloan School of future. I know that the to always be mindful of our respon-
Management. Prior to joining Siemon, commitment to quality and inno- sibility to continuously improve
Henry worked at Apple Inc., where vation that has come to represent and to have fun along the way,” he
he joined that company’s global the Siemon brand will be embraced said. “Each of my predecessors
supply chain strategy team, then later and enhanced by Henry. Having has left their own lasting mark on
led reseller operations teams for a seen Henry in action under fire Siemon’s success, but perhaps none
number of products. Prior to join- this year, creatively solving prob- so much as Carl. During his time
ing Apple, Henry worked for Deloitte lems caused by the global pan- as CEO, Siemon has evolved from
Consulting, advising on organizational demic, has validated the soundness a U.S. manufacturer into a leading
and operations strategy. of the succession-planning deci- global solution provider that is well-
Carl Siemon praised the values, sion our board made two years ago. positioned for continued growth and
talent, business sense and drive that The company will be in good hands, innovation. I am fortunate to take the
Henry brings to the CEO position: “I and I look forward to going where reins of such a healthy organization,"
am pleased and proud to welcome Henry leads us.” Henry Siemon concluded. u
2101CIM.indb 30 1/29/21 9:38 AM

EDITOR’S PICKS
FIBER OPTICS
AddOn Networks’ fiber-optic products

deployed at WWT’s network testing facility
AddOn Networks, a global supplier to
data center, enterprise, government,
education, and healthcare provider
networks, announced that its fiber-
optic products have been deployed
extensively for use within the
Advanced Technology Center (ATC)
at World Wide Technology (WWT), a
technology provider with $12 billion
in annual revenue that provides dig-
ital strategy and supply chain solu-
tions to large public and private orga-
nizations around the globe.
Based in St. Louis, WWT employs
more than 6,000 people and oper-
ates over 4 million square feet of home to a large network of architects, engineers trust that when you plug
warehousing, distribution, and inte- project planners and engineers—all in an AddOn optic, there won’t be
gration space in more than 20 facil- orchestrating integrated systems to issues and we won’t need to add in
ities throughout the world. The ATC design and validate projects ranging commands to bypass alerts. We’ve
is an expansive network testing facil- from greenfield to brownfield environ- also had circumstances where we’ve
ity, built as an ecosystem to design, ments, “and everything in between,” needed a unique part and AddOn
build, demonstrate, and deploy tech- as noted by the firm. The ease of use has delivered it the next day,” said
nology products and integrated archi- and dependability of AddOn optics Hubbard. He added, “In addition to
tectural solutions. Numerous OEM within the ATC frees up time for the dependable products, the value
vendor servers, switches, and rout- Hubbard’s operations team to focus AddOn delivers is in their people. In
ers reside within the ATC ecosys- on maintaining the physical equipment all my experience working with ven-
tem, making interoperability a chal- and scaling operations, he said. dors, AddOn is comparable to hitting
lenge. AddOn’s optical transceivers “AddOn optics simply work in the ‘easy button’—when we request
and high-speed cabling are now avail- our multivendor environment. Our something, they deliver.” u
able to WWT’s customers for eval-
uation as a proof of concept prior
to investments and project installa-
tions. AddOn notes that its fiber-optic
AV INFR ASTRUC TURE
transceivers are ideal for multi-endor
environments as they are coded
and tested for more than 100 OEMs,
NavePoint unveils hinged open
guaranteeing the same form, fit and frame wall-mount racks
functionality as OEM counterparts.
Geoff Hubbard, ATC data center NavePoint, a manufacturer of IT and AV infrastructure components, recently
operations manager at WWT, over- added its Hinged Open-Frame Wall-Mount Network Racks to its existing Swing
sees the physical equipment archi- Gate Racks product line. The new open frame racks incorporate a rear-hinged
tecture in four data centers featur- design that enables the entire frame to swing away from the wall for easy
ing more than 500 racks. The ATC is access to equipment and cabling during installation and maintenance.
2101CIM.indb 31 1/29/21 9:38 AM

EDITOR’S PICKS
ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES
MAIN OFFICE INTERNATIONAL

61 Spit Brook Road AUSTRIA, EUROPE, GERMANY,
Suite 501, Nashua, NH 03060 NORTHERN SWITZERLAND
(603) 891-0123 Holger Gerisch
+49-(0)8847-6986656
VICE PRESIDENT/GROUP
hgerisch@endeavorb2b.com
PUBLISHER LIGHTING &
TECHNOLOGY ISRAEL
Steve Beyer Dan Aronovic

(847) 532-4044 +972 9 899 5813
sbeyer@endeavorb2b.com aronovic@actcom.co.il
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ ASIA
SALES, REPRINTS Adonis Mak

Capel States +852 2 838 6298;
The company says its hinged wall-mount rack (917) 647-6418; Fax: +852 2 838 2766
cstates@endeavorb2b.com adonism@actintl.com.hk
offers all the benefits of a standard 4-post open frame
rack along with additional hinged design advantages. BUSINESS SOLUTIONS MANAGER JAPAN
Jean Lauter Masaki Mori

The rack ensures easy access to all sides of standard
(516) 695-3899 +81 3 3219 3561
19-inch servers, AV, network and telecom equipment mori-masaki@ics-inc.co.jp
jlauter@endeavorb2b.com
in offices, network closets, retailers, classrooms and TAIWAN
DIRECTOR, LIST RENTAL
other areas with limited floor space. When installing Ms. Rebecca Tsao
Kelli Berry
the rack, the unit’s symmetric design allows the swing (918) 831-9782
+886 2 23965128 ext.203
Fax: 886 2 23967816
frame hinge to be assembled on either side, allowing kberry@endeavorb2b.com
rebecca@arco.com.tw
the rear door to open in the direction that works best
for the build. The open 4-post rack design allows for
MARKETING SOLUTIONS
maximum airflow which helps keep equipment cooler,
For assistance with marketing strategy
resulting in efficient operation and longer life. or ad creation, please contact:
The hinged network racks are available in 9U, Kaci Wheeler, (918) 832-9377;
12U, 15U configurations in 22-inch depths, made kwheeler@endeavorb2b.com
from 1.5-mm cold rolled steel construction in a

black powder-coated finish. Fixed rack rails are cage-
nut style, and clearly marked and numbered. All
assembly, wall and equipment mounting hardware is
included. The racks are compliant with the following INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
certifications: CE, DIN 41494, EIA/ECA-310-E, IEC-
60297-3-100, RoHS. AEM International LLC .................................................................................. C2
Evan Schoenberg, president of NavePoint, com-
Arlington Industries........................................................................................3
mented, “It’s exciting to release new products at the
start of 2021 and to continue our expansion of the Fiberdyne Labs Inc......................................................................................... 5
Swing Gate Racks product line. These wall-mount
Platinum Tools..............................................................................................29
racks offer a modern convenience enabling custom-
ers to install and service equipment more effectively US Conec.......................................................................................................C4
and efficiently from all sides. We will continue to
The index of advertisers is published as a service, and the publisher
launch new products this year that focus on solutions does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.
that deliver continued quality, reliability and value.” u
32 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Cabling Installation & Maintenance www.cablinginstall.com
2101CIM.indb 32 1/29/21 9:38 AM

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For Professionals managing the cable and wireless

systems that enable critical communications
Cabling Installation & Maintenance is the leading source of practical, hands-on information for
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Introducing Our NEW Responsive

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POST-COVID CABLING IN THE

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ONE SIZE Made in USA NON-M ETALLIC Made in USA

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Ron Tellas is an instrumental mem-

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that deliver continued quality, reliability and value.” u