Structured Data Cabling

Which cable, and why it matters

• Cat5e — supports gigabit over normal distances. Adequate for basic needs, but there is rarely a good reason to install it new today.
• Cat6 — the sensible default for homes and small offices. Handles gigabit comfortably and supports 10 gigabit over shorter runs.
• Cat6a — supports 10 gigabit across a full-length run, with better shielding against interference. The right choice for commercial installations, dense wireless deployments and anywhere you want to install once and not revisit.
• Fibre — for links between buildings or floors, long runs, and where electrical isolation or very high bandwidth is needed.

Powering devices over the cable

Power over Ethernet runs cameras, wireless access points, IP door entry and phones over the same cable that carries their data — no local power needed at the device. Higher-power PoE has real implications for cable choice and bundling, because power means heat. We design for it rather than discovering the limit later.

Doing it properly

• Cabinets, patch panels and containment planned so the installation stays tidy as it grows
• Bend radius, separation from mains cabling and pull tension respected — the things that quietly ruin performance
• Every outlet labelled at both ends, with a schedule you keep
• Every link tested and certified, with results handed over — so a fault later is a fact, not an argument

Retrofit

In occupied and period properties we plan routes around existing voids, risers and floor construction to minimise disruption and making good. We'll tell you honestly where a wired outlet is worth the mess and where wireless is the better answer.