5 Ways improper cabling hurts your business

August 28th, 2019
5 Ways improper cabling hurts your business

Cabling might not be the most glamorous thing when it comes to technology, but there’s no denying how important it is in the modern office environment. Since the internet is the critical backbone of the modern business, the last thing you need is a slow connection that regularly drops or easily gets overloaded.

While there are many possible reasons for poor network performance, one that’s commonly overlooked is poor cabling. For small and simple home networks, cabling rarely represents an issue. But for businesses with dozens or even hundreds of computers and other networked devices, your cabling infrastructure requires proper planning and professional installation.

#1. Compromised workplace safety

Regulations and safety codes are there for a reason, and failing to adhere to them can put your business at risk of accidents, substantial fines, and expensive lawsuits. For example, if a cabling infrastructure is poorly planned, cables might be installed in areas where they might cause equipment damage and slip and fall accidents. PVC-coated cabling also shouldn’t be used in certain spaces since it can hinder emergency personnel like firefighters. Proper cable management doesn’t just look better, it’s also safer for your employees.

#2. Poorly optimized bandwidth

Poor cabling can get in the way of internet speed. That’s why fiber optic cabling, for example, delivers data so much faster than traditional copper wires. Similarly, there’s more to the humble ethernet cable than meets the eye — inside the cable are no less than six wires used for transmitting data. When these cables are compressed, damaged, or installed in unsuitable locations, connections can slow down to a crawl or even break down. Your server room, in particular, needs robust cabling that’s able to transmit data quickly and reliably to enjoy the maximum potential of your connected hardware.

#3. Lack of scalability

Scalability is a top concern for today’s organizations, in which it’s often necessary to upgrade quickly to adapt to periods of increased demand. Since the network is the backbone of your office, you need a way to easily connect new devices and troubleshoot problems. With tidy cabling closets and highly expandable routers and switches, you can scale more easily instead of having to buy costly new hardware every time you want to implement more computers or other internet-connected devices. Furthermore, it’s a lot easier to fix issues when all cables and other infrastructure are properly labeled and neatly organized.

#4. Increased downtime

If your network cabling is poorly organized or faulty, there’s a great chance employees will end up spending more time staring at loading screens and error messages than actually doing any work. Not only does a tangled mess of wires lead to slower connections, but there’s also a good chance the internet won’t work at all. Since unscheduled technology downtime is now one of the biggest barriers to business, it’s never been more important to clean up that mess of wires and take every possible step to ensure your physical network infrastructure can perform at 100%.

#5. Reduced costs

Proactive technology support is now all the rage as businesses do away with dated break/fix support models. After all, it’s always far cheaper to stop problems from occurring than to wait for the invoices to start piling up the moment you call in a technician. Proper cabling will reduce the chances of costly issues while also providing indirect cost benefits like improved productivity, reduced downtime, and simplified scalability.

Fidelis Inc. provides structured cabling services for business networks and data centers that improve performance and safety. Get in touch today to learn how.


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