atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring cabling in sequence

When we cable jobs, most of the time we terminate the cables in any order. So when we go to label the voice and data jacks they are out of numerical order. For example, you'll find a plate with V-9 & D-20, instead of V-1 D-1.

So, how do you guys run and terminate cables in numerical order? When I do it I find it to be very time consuming.

I do it the same way as you. Punch them down then go back and Tone/Test/Label. I dont care where V5 ends up in the office, I care that the punch block and patch panel are in order. I usually make a map anyway.

If a customer/CG wants the voice and data cables to be in order on the office floor I have no problem doing so for them. I just ask them, "so when I add a V/D drop here in the middle, your numbering plan goes out the window." They always reply with "we shouldnt be adding any more cables" :rolleyes:

For example, you'll find a plate with V-9 & D-20, instead of V-1 D-1.
The V1 D1 on the same plate is ok until you add just 1 data drop at one location then 2 voice cables at another.

On a new build I always number the runs on the print first. So naturally it falls as the furthest runs from the communications room are V/D 1, V/D 2, etc. I label all the dual runs first, then go back and add in the singles : V 31 as a wall phone by its self, D 36 as a printer by its self, etc.

If I walk into an existing build, I study their existing setup and number accordingly, starting with the first available number. Sometimes cable numbers have been skipped, so I'll fill them in first (i.e. - if V 1 - 12 are in order, then they skip to 14 - 22 / 24 - 30, I'll make the first three V runs 13, 23, 31, etc.

I too agree that the jack side doesn't matter in the end, but I still suggest starting off in logical order and taking additions as they come.

I always label both ends before I cable and terminate in order. Why would you want to walk around toning everything? It also makes testng easier because you know where all the locs are.

Kevin has the right idea, IMO. You can kill an AWFUL lot of time toning cables if you have a bunch of them. ESPECIALLY if you wind up doing it by yourself. Try it in a 2 story motel with no working elevator and all home runs. We'd bid out of town jobs that are cabled by 'sparkie' as cable in place and marked with room number/location. If we have to tone cables end-to-end, it's by the hour, whole hours, and not cheap! And I'm here to tell you, I'd MUCH rather not have to bill the work. Wear out a pair of shoes in an 'unlabeled' job! Maybe I should mention that we almost never sent more than 1 man on a motel job. But, our contract covered everything, including stuff you learn the hard way. "If the front counter is not in place when we are ready to install "Front Desk" equipment, Tech goes on $80/hr rate and waits, or leaves for home and returns when counter is installed, GC option. We'd always ask if the counter is in place before we left "home". GC says yes, we take their word. If it's not when we get there, we'd point out the clause in the contract and get started. There was always at least 3 days work before we needed to do the counter, but! One outfit ignored the warning, the day came and the counter STILL wasn't even on site! GC picked the go home option, (2 days each way) and said he'd have someone local finish it and take it out of our bid. I pulled the system, put in the van, loaded the phones in the van and he tried to stop me. I pointed out that the equipment was ours until paid for and the warranty would be void if anyone else worked on it without our approval. I eventually won the arguement, when he called my office and they backed me up. I wound up going back 2 weeks later and reinstalling, finishing the front counter and the whole mess cost him 30% more, which he did pay! Yes we did lot's more business with the outfit, probably because we were always the best bid and everything worked when we left. And we gave free phone support 1 year, and took care of warranty issues using reliable subs or going ourselves. 'Ya' git wacha pay fer'! John C. (Not Garand)

I always label both ends and keep the runs in a logical order. When possible I also try to keep the voice matching the data like Tony mentioned.

Almost every office ends up with adds in the end but it is still easier to troubleshoot/change cross connects/etc when the majority of the cables are in a logical order. For instance, you have a row of offices that were done in order and one office has furniture in the way of the jack so you can't see the jack number but the offices on either side have the jack number visible. If the cables are in order, there is a good chance you know what the cable number is without moving furniture and without toning it.

As for taking slightly longer to terminate the blocks/patch panels in order, it just takes a little planning to speed things up. I generally seperate the voice from the data as they are pulled in with an extra hook etc. Then I also tend to group 6 or 12 at a time with a bit of tape depending on the job size. This makes identifying the numbers a whole lot easier than searching through the bulk of cable for each individual number.

It takes more time to go back and tone everything out IMO. You're basically doing everything twice.

if your going to test then why does it take longer to tone ?

two people walkie talkie , plug tone in ,label , plug tester in ,test go to next jack its a lot faster than marking each end and then organizing them prior to terminating

I agree with 94astro. Pre-numbering is a PITA. We don't tone out data cables. We use the data lights. Plug in the red light into one data and the green into the other and find them instantaneously on the patch panel and then test. I have been doing that for years and years. I am always surprised when people say they have never seen them used before. I couldn't work without them. We do tone voice cables, but they can be found very quickly after they are punched down anyway. The numbering schemes get obliterated with the first adds, often before the job is even completed.

I'm with Skip on this one. That's the way we do it. To me it's a big PITA to label, make sure you pull the right run to the right location, label the other end, then go through them again when you cut them down. When I run cable I line and stack the boxes up on the floor (if I don't have reels, hate those damn boxes!) grab a handful and run them to the locations without regard. Heck of a lot faster. It's always been my opinion that only sparkies label cables.

When it's time to finish I install the jacks and label the plates in order. Then tone/terminate/test. I don't usually work alone unless it's a small job, we use Nextels or walkie-talkies.

Now if it's a really big job you would separate your runs into groups in some logical order according to the building layout. But that's as far as I would go when I'm running the cables.


-Hal