Cabling and Network Hardware

• Study notes below:

Cabling and Network Hardware

• 66 Block: Older distribution frame for telephone cabling, largely replaced by 110 blocks and patch panels but still found in legacy phone systems.
• 110 Block: Modern distribution frame for terminating telephone cabling.
• Patch Panel: A panel with ports that connect incoming and outgoing network cables in a local area network (LAN).
• Blinking Amber NIC Light: Indicates a network interface card (NIC) fault, often related to connectivity issues, network congestion, or improper cabling.
• Crossover Cable: Connects the same type of network systems directly, like two computers or switches, without a hub or switch.
• Loopback Adapter: RJ-45 plug wired to test network interface cards by redirecting signals back into the device.
• Punchdown Tool: Used to terminate wires in patch panels, securing twisted-pair wires into insulation displacement connectors (IDC).
• Rack: Metal frame to house and organize server and network equipment, supporting structured cabling and airflow in data centers.
• Wall Plate: Component of modular jacks in a work area, providing a neat interface for network and electrical connections.
• RJ-11: 4- or 6-pin connector commonly used in telephone cabling for landline phone connections and DSL internet services.
• BNC: Bayonet-Neill-Concelman, is a quick-connect RF connector for coaxial cables in video and radio frequency applications.
• Coaxial Cable: Cable with a copper core conductor and plastic insulation, designed for minimal signal loss, ideal for cable TV, internet, and radio frequency transmission.
• CAT3: Category for telephone cables, once used for voice and 10 Mbps Ethernet, now replaced by higher categories like Cat5e and Cat6.
• CAT5 cable pulling tension should be no more than 110N

Network Infrastructure

• Equipment Room: Houses main or intermediate cross-connects in a structured cabling system, serving as a central hub for managing network connections.
• IDF: Intermediate Distribution Frame, typically used in multi-building networks to extend connectivity and reduce cable congestion.
• Backbone Cabling: Connects telecom rooms on different floors, providing high-speed data transmission between network distribution points.
• Telecommunications Room: Termination position of horizontal cabling.
• MDF: Main Distribution Frame, terminates external cabling and distributes backbone cabling.
• Horizontal Cross-Connect: Distribution frame, intermediary connection point between backbone cabling and work area cables.
• Entrance Facility: Point where the access provider's network joins a structured cabling setup.
• Demarcation Point: The point where the network begins to terminate on the establishment's network
• Horizontal Cabling: Runs from telecommunications room to individual workstations and other outlets.
• Blueprints: Hard to design architectural and engineering drawings that provide detailed technical information for construction.
• Wireless Devices: Commonly use the IEEE 802.11 standard; this governs Wi-Fi technology, specifying frequencies, data rates, and security protocols for wireless networking.
• Weak Wi-Fi can be fixed by directional antennas in long, narrow aisles to focus the signal and prevent interference, moving the router to the center of the house to reduce signal obstructions.

Security Systems

• Circuit Alarm: Detects when a window is opened or a fence is climbed by completing or breaking an electrical circuit.
• Conventional Lock: Uses a physical key for mechanical security.
• Duress Alarm: Allows a bank teller to manually trigger an alarm in emergencies.
• Motion Alarm System: Detects movement using microwave reflections or heat signatures.
• Multifactor Access Control System: Requires a smart card and a PIN for enhanced security.
• Token-Based Lock: Allows access using a magnetic swipe card, common in hotels, offices, and secure facilities.
• Electronic Lock: Allows entry with a keypad code, programmable access control without physical keys.
• CCTV: Surveillance system allowing remote view adjustment, zoom, and pan via PTZ cameras.
• CCTV Systems: Connected to a multiplexer using coaxial cabling, allowing multiple video feeds to be displayed/recorded.
• Color Coding: Indicates authorized access zones on identification badges.
• RFID Technology: Used to detect tags on merchandise to prevent theft and track inventory using electromagnetic fields.

Standards and Management

• Standard: Defines acceptable quality/attainment, providing guidelines for consistency, safety, and efficiency.
• Service Level Agreement: Defines expectations, responsibilities, and performance metrics between service providers and clients.
• CMS: Content Management System, refers to tools and databases for organizing, storing, and retrieving structured digital content efficiently.
• Schematic/Block Diagram: Represents system components and their interrelationships visually.
• Wiring Diagram: Shows detailed information like cable termination and port IDs for troubleshooting, installation, and maintenance.
• Work Instruction: Provides step-by-step installation or configuration instructions.
• ANSI/TIA/EIA-568 Standard: Used In Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling to defines requirements for network cabling, including cable types, distances, and performance parameters, ensuring compatibility and reliability in structured networks.
• TIA 606 Standard: Defines the administration of MACs (Moves, Adds, Changes), structured system for labeling and documenting network changes.
• SOPs: Standard Operating Procedures that set out goals and responsibilities for performing a task, defining workflows to maintain efficiency, safety, and compliance.

System Reliability and Components

• Fault Tolerance: System's ability to recover from component failure via redundant systems and failover mechanisms.
• Active/Active Configuration: All nodes process concurrently, ensuring resource utilization and preventing bottlenecks.
• ISO 50001: The Energy Management standard, it provides guidelines for energy efficiency.
• ISO 9001: Known as the Quality Management System (QMS).
• Kevlar: Provides strength in fiber optic cables during installation.
• LFMC: Liquidtight Flexible Metal Conduit, Typically used with outdoor electrical equipment.
• Link Aggregation: Combines multiple cabled links into a single logical channel, enhancing bandwidth and network redundancy.
• Load Balancers: Switch client traffic to alternative processing nodes, improving system performance and preventing server overloads.
• Magnetic Tape: Has the longest lifespan for file storage in backup servers.
• MTBSI: Mean Time Between System Incidents, which represents the time between system failures.
• MTTF: Mean Time to Failure represents the expected lifetime of a product or system, estimates how long a device or component will function before failing.
• MTTR: Mean Time to Repair measures the time to correct a fault and restore system operation.
• Snapshots: Point-in-time copies of data linked to the original VM, allowing rollbacks to previous states.
• Subsystems are smaller elements of structured cabling: entrance facilities, backbone cabling, horizontal cabling, telecommunications rooms, and work areas.