Add cabling

If you are adding wireless access points or computers to your library, you may need additional cabling.

SCLS cabling specifications

• All new network connections and components should meet “Category 6” (Cat6) cabling specifications.  Category 6 cabling (Cat6) will carry data up to 10,000 Mbps for 150 feet. If the cable run is more than 150 feet, use Cat6a cable.
   
• An eight-conductor twisted-pair cable (1000BaseT) must be installed between each SCLS workstation and the cabling patch panel. Data cables must terminate at each end in a female data jack, pinned straight through according to the AT&T (568B) standard pinning scheme. Jacks must be mounted in wall plates, floor plates or patch panels. Each jack must have a label with a unique jack ID for each cable run. The patch panel terminus must have the corresponding jack ID.

What this means in plain English

• Use Cat6 or Cat6a cabling
• Have a cabler run a cable from the patch panel near your network equipment to the location in the library where you'd like to add equipment
• This cable should end in a female jack on each end
  • at the patch panel end, in a female jack in the patch panel
  • at the other end, in a female jack in a wall plate (or, in the case of an access point that will be mounted on the ceiling, in a female jack that will be left above the ceiling tiles)
• The jack at each end of the cable should be labeled with the same unique number
• The jack should use the AT&T 568B pinning scheme (your cabler should know what this standard means)

Many electrictians do data cabling, and you can use whichever provider you wish --- just be sure they have experience doing data cabling.  SCLS has a list of some of the cablers that have done work with SCLS libraries in the past.  You can check with other libraries in your area for additional recommendations.