Planning network cabling for a new office

Network cabling is easiest and cheapest to get right before the walls are closed and the furniture arrives. Fixing it later means opening ceilings, running cable around finished spaces, and working around your team. Here’s what to think through when you’re building out, moving, or remodeling.

Start with how the space will be used

Walk the floor plan room by room and note what will plug in:

• Desks: computers, desk phones, docking stations
• Ceilings: Wi-Fi access points and security cameras
• Conference rooms: displays, video bars, the table connection
• Shared areas: printers, copiers, TVs
• Building systems: door access, alarm panels, sometimes building management

How many drops per desk

A “drop” is one cable run from a jack to your network closet. A common rule is two drops per desk. Even if one goes unused today, adding a cable later costs far more than running it now. Add drops for printers, conference rooms and anywhere you might reconfigure the space.

Cat6 or Cat6A?

Cable	Speed and distance	Good fit
Cat6	1 Gbps to 100 meters, and 10 Gbps on shorter runs	Most desks in a typical small office
Cat6A	10 Gbps to the full 100 meters	Wi-Fi access points, longer runs, and spaces you’ll be in for many years

Many offices run Cat6A to Wi-Fi access points and Cat6 to desks. Newer Wi-Fi access points can use more than 1 Gbps, so this is where the extra headroom pays off.

Plan Wi-Fi and cameras with the cabling

Wi-Fi access points and most security cameras get both data and power through one network cable (PoE). That means they need a cable run to wherever they mount, usually the ceiling. Decide where they go before cabling starts. See Business Wi-Fi vs. a consumer router.

The network closet

Every cable ends in one place, usually a small room or closet with a rack. It needs:

• Enough space and airflow, because network gear makes heat
• Dedicated power, and ideally a battery backup
• A way in for your internet provider’s line
• A lock

Keep runs within 100 meters (about 328 feet) from the closet. In larger spaces, that can mean a second closet.

Details that save headaches later

• Label both ends of every cable and keep a map of which jack goes where.
• Test and certify every run and keep the results.
• Use plenum-rated cable where the building code requires it, typically in air-handling spaces above ceilings.
• Leave service loops, a bit of extra cable, so things can move a little later.
• Coordinate with the electrician and furniture vendor, especially for desks in the middle of a room.

When to call

Bring your cabling contractor in during design, not after construction starts. A walkthrough with the floor plan usually takes an hour and can save a lot of rework. Learn more about our low voltage cabling and AV service. We work across the Portland and Vancouver area and on projects nationwide.