WARNING, HERE BE ESSAY:
I appreciate your comments completely. and I will attempt to answer the questions you have all posed. I agree 1000% with Hal and Kevin that I was brought in much too late.
I may have dropped the ball some too in this process. I have known that we would be moving into the new space. I had asked, but not very forcibly about some of these questions and been told that everything was all set and took that to be an educated response(my big mistake). Then I found out they wanted me to cable it. That was late last Friday. I didn't get into see the space until Tuesday afternoon. I remembered I had this board bookmarked part way though Wednesday, and started reading to see if I missed anything that covered even part of what was going to be needed before posting.
With he flags I raised prior to and with the posts above I managed to convince the person who found me this opportunity to at least try and sub out the cable pull. It was probably when I started talking to him about grounding the racks in the server room. Which I had remembered on my own. It is partly a relief to me anyway. Now I just have to make sure some other does it right, and I will watch them to pick up some pointers.
Even though there is a good chance I wont be stringing this, I want to treat it like I will be, until it is done by someone else and I believe it.
For some reason it was thought I could spec out a full install in 24 hours for parts I may use once every couple of years if I was looking at 5E gear and not 6.
I also mis-used a term above. The number of patch panels, is for 3 drops in a box with 63 boxes or 189 total planned drops. The color was my idea only because I didn't want to number each cable in a box at the server room, but instead number boxes only. Each labeled 3 cable bundle would be self numbering by color, nothing to rub off. Call me vain, but it would look nice cabled correctly later.
The client wants the end users to be able to plug any device into any port, I think this is silly myself, said so and was shot down. The Cat-6 cabling requirement was by someone, call him a VP who reads magazines, likes buzz words (you know the type) once again, I was told to go with it. I cannot help them if they don't want to listen. I offer, and try to save my breath for arguing where the POWERS THAT BE have not DECIDED. I mean don't you hire someone to tell them how to do their job?
Three of the 21 rooms are testing labs, my personal thought was to use the third port to link users who needed access to a segregated network segment through that method. Then being able to easily find that third port in a mass, would be handy. I'd guess 80% of the boxes will never use that third port.
I totally agree that the place is way over cabled, over powered too. Every office (under 130sqft) has at least 2 data and electrical boxes in opposite walls some rooms have three and all data boxes are 3 fers. I'd guess there is at least 5000 extra feet of cable than needs to be there.
The real kicker is 189 ports is more switching capacity than we currently have so even running them all, there is no way to make more than 2/3 live on opening day.
I wish I had been in on planning the drops. The layout now that I'm looking at it was done by someone to whom the cable ends are magically attached to the server room. No three of them are on the same line, even diagonal that I am able to draw except the four outside walls of the space, two of which don't have planned drop location since they are for cube space another dumb idea not planning those drops because now that meas surface conduit of some kind, if the outside wall sheet rock is attached to foam board. I wont know until I drill in.
I am technically the CG for this place, the person who is my supervisor thinks that VoIP traffic should run inline with regular traffic and be sorted out by VLAN is missing the point that recommending a dedicated port for those things saves on the network bandwidth side as well as making routing less complicated, even with QOS capable switches. So all the phones are IP, thus patch panels for everything, no analog. Our pots lines terminate in a switch at a company in the DC area -- with locally assigned numbers. Everything from here to there is VoIP.
crisco3 & Ken: the boxes are duplex with a centered single gang opening. Conduit comes in on a back corner of the box. the conduit is plenty for 3 cables, If I had no other way I could probably get 5 drops down it. I didnt measure it but It looked like 1-1/4"OD. I was planning on using lube but didn't specify it. In typing this I just realized I can leave a smaller service loop on these because short of tearing out the wall, there is no way to latterly move the box - fixed to the stud. Easier to just run a new drop. Since everything is steel stud, that means a sawzall or a cutting disc to get through the top cap. Setting up the wireless is going to be 'fun'.
I've been told again that the grid was always in and not removed to install our new walls. A lot of the electrical is run along the wall tops. Some electrical fixtures are hung from the roof truss. It certainly explains some interesting sprinkler placements and ducting.
The ducting is about a foot above the grid and just clears most of the wall tops. I don't think I would be able to keep a constant level wire path and stay below the ducting while remaining the recommended distance away from the electrical mess. I wanted to go above most of the HVAC ducting to get away from the the electrical and into an area more open to stringing straight runs of cable.
For hanging from the roof truss some have suggested j hooks on chain. Would using a long threaded rod with an S or J hook on it hung from the truss and another S or J hook on the lower end for cable meet code? Once it was installed the weight of the cable would keep it from moving, and I don't think that would need to be attached to the grid since like the chain it isn't wire correct? How do you handle a spot where truss isnt overhead other than avoid it when possible?
It would be a royal PITA but you could stand a 10-12' step ladder up though the grid and open it to reach higher towards the truss. The other way would be to use an extension ladder. Maybe that was how some of the electrical was hung. Either way, its a lot of labor.
Supposedly the ceiling space is not used for air return, so plenum was not needed. I'm beginning to distrust the word of this particular person on wiring related issues though.
Kevin: I'll go look for that conduit from the building Demarc I have a guess where it might come up/in. Also it will let me take a look at and maybe some pictures in the building Demarc for the "When good installs go bad." Which I see is a second post now.
Lastly once again :bow: :bow: Thank You Everyone :bow: :bow: for your comments and suggestions. We are currently trying to run down a company to pull the cable, if you know of anyone in my area though contacts send me an email through the board.
Rowan
