sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring A Better Way?

I have a customer that has 138 data runs for network and 138 runs for telco. They will have a max of 35 stations in building, but wanted the flexibility of being able to move stations to where ever when ever.

I am planning on running the network to patch panel and the Telco to 66 blocks on the demarc. Telco is running in 7 circuits on 1 25 pair to a 66 so I will have to jump and punch all of them together. They will term on RJ11 and RJ45 at the wall plate; 2 cables per wall box.

The customer will not or did not add a phone system (Avaya, NEC) into the budget.

There is just so much cabling that I'm thinking the demark end will look like garbage being crammed into the data closet with the server cabinet and multiple blocks jumped together.

Is there any better way to terminate the Telco side of these data runs at the demark?

If it were me I would build my cross connect field as if I WERE installing a system- each run terminated on a split (50 pair) 66 block, 12 in all. Then my 25 pair COs go on one 25 pair 66 block, normally to the right of the others. Mushrooms along the top for wire management. Then I would take some 1 pair cross connect wire from line 1 and loop it around to all the clips that get line 1. Be sure to use the blade without the cutter. Do the same with the rest.

That said, your customer is nuts. What kind of phone do they think is going to handle seven lines and 35 extensions and not be a key system? Two 4 line phones on each desk? A system HAS to be less expensive!

-Hal

Like Hal said, the same layout is the only way to manage the wiring without it becoming a "rat's nest". A system will still be cheaper than all those multi-line POTS sets. As far as the move whenever and wherever, no it just doesn't work the way computers do....even if they were single line POTS sets. With that many lines, you will still be "swinging" lines....betcha!

My 2 M1-50 blocks worth...... :rofl:

As above, but with a twist. Even WITH a system, unless all extensions have the same button programming, line/ringing assignments, speed dial, etc, it won't work like they think, anyway.

138 station runs for 35 stations MAX? Funny that they can find the budget for a lot of potentially unused jacks & wiring, but not for the system they need to do it right.

Let me guess, this was thought out by the CG or IT department.

An I betcha the budget was used up for 'puters and other geek junk.

-Hal

Thanks for the replies guys. Very helpful.

The planning was done by an architect and general contractor.

I was brought in at the very end for the networking phase and looked in the closet and about passed out.

While I was looking I was asked if I wanted to install the phone lines too. I really didn't know what to say being I had a rough look at all the drops.

I was supposed to run the data drops, but when I came back they and the telco had all been ran. I was told because the GC gave them a huge discount.

I agreed just to make up the $ for the lost data runs. Looking back I shouldn't have done that.

Now I'm stuck with this monstrosity. Thanks for the help all.

It should be OK as long as you lay everything out neatly on a backboard like I said and the drops are long enough.

Put it to you this way, I would much rather terminate on 66 blocks than wrestle with the data end and patch panels. Unfortunately I'm sure it's all CAT5 which is a PITA to terminate on blocks but I charge extra for it.

-Hal

LL,

You still have some control over the situation. What you do is, you take out your trusty Cable Scanner (Pentascanner, Fluke, HP Agilent, etc.) and TEST those puppies for correct Bandwidth, etc. I've seen nary a GC (or his goons) that can put in cables to TIA/EIA 568A standards.

Then you can wave these Scan Reports at the IT Director, who will go North-Korean-Nuclear on the appropriate Manager and tell them to let you RE-do the job.

I've had to shine the ugly "light of truth" on some of these jake-legs before in similar situations. This will remind them why they are dealing with YOU - a trained professional!

Find some 66B-25 blocks (6 across x 25 pairs) like you used to find on 1A2 systems for multing station cables, and do the looping there. individual jumpers to each station block.

On the topic of There Must Be A Better Way...

I know my way around ethernet patch panels and products like Siemon's Z-Max and Tera, but when I run into an old, ugly 66 block installation, like the one in my apartment, I want to tear it out.

Even though all my phones are wireless, I don't want to disable all the RJ11 jacks in the apartment. I've only got 2 phone lines and about 14 Cat 5 cables into a central location. Some jacks are RJ11 and some are RJ45.

I literally want to tear out the 66 block and terminate every cable with an RJ45 plug. How could I do that and keep the existing 8 or so RJ11 jacks bridged together on line 1 and 2? (ok maybe I don't need all 8 bridged together, but at least a couple - upstairs and downstairs)

Should I learn to love the 66 block, or find a better way?