atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring It never ends

Let's see if any readers can predict the punchline to this story:

A steady customer of mine, whose real estate business office phone and data systems I have moved twice before, called me on Thursday.

"Arthur, can you come over to our new office, and tell us how we should proceed with our telephone and computers? We had an electrician do the wiring, but we're not sure how it's going to work."

Here's what I found:

1. One blue Cat5e to each of ten locations.

2. One white RG6 coax to each location.

3. All wires fastened to the underside of the floor joists in the basement, and coiled up at the front of the basement, near the electrical panel.

4. All wires crimped, because he used electrician's staples to fasten the wires.

The phone/data closet is in the rear of the ground floor. So all the wires are run to the wrong place. The electrician's explanation of why he ran coax to each desk? We're waiting for that answer. Probably because in HIS home office, there's a coax feeding his lone computer, so that's the way it's done if you have ten computers.

I was asked to fax them a proposal explaining what was wrong with the work so far, and how much it will cost to do it right. I assumed the crimped Cat5e's can be used for the key system (one pair out of each will probably be serviceable). The coax's? Leave them there, I suppose.

The thing that irks me the most is that the owner's husband is the "GC" and is running the job as cheaply as possible, and in the past, I have had this same conversation with him, about "call me first." I bailed them out the last time this happened, too.

I faxed the explanation and proposal on Thursday. So far, no communication from them. I suppose they're trying to get a refund from the EC, or trying to get him to redo the wires. It will be interesting to see what he does next. My wife says I ought not to obsess over it, and "if they call, they call, if they don't, they don't."

My new motto: "Call me first, or don't call me at all."

Kinda like Magicjack. "It doesn't work" Yeah, but just think of the money you're saving.

Carl

Tell them congratulations. They are now ready for an 80's Arcnet network that you can't find parts for anymore.

Sometimes I wonder what world some of these ECs live in. They don't know that they don't know! I'll bet Hal would have had a few choice words to add if he were still around!

Arthur, I should put your line on my business card!

Seems you can save the COAX with a series of splitters or a concentrator. But I know what you mean. It's like shoot the messenger. They have to get pissed at somebody and you are handy. BTDT.

what, you've been on hold for 15 years now Jeff ? :rolleyes:

Guarantee you the coax is for the "internet from the cable company". I had the same thing happen to me when one of my customers moved to a new office. They told me the landlord was a retired AT&T guy who had wired the office for them. He flat out told me that was for the internet... when i explained that they would need a modem (and a separate account) at each of their 10 locations he was dumfounded... we ran cat 5 and all was good.

I am with you on this stuff Arthur... get the knucklehead who didn't do it right to come back in and fix it.

I just had a small job for a new vet that was opening... he told me the electrician was doing the wiring .. when i met him onsite the electrician told me they were roughing the cables in and that was it. I explained all of the potential pitfalls and then explained that my price to rought the cables in wouldn't be too much different anyway so why not have one vendor do it all.

The electrician was happy he didn't have to do it.. he was only doing it to keep the GC happy. The GC just couldn't comprehend that roughing the wires in was only half the job... there was just as much time (and expense) dressing everything in and terminating it.

You have to speak consumerese. To the consumer there are two jacks in the wall, one for phone and one for internet. He does not suspect there is a LAN. For "internet" therefore read "data". That old ATT guy probably put in coaxial cable thinking it was the latest for the LAN. Ethernet 10Base5, 10Base2, Token Ring, Arcnet, DecNet, and others all used coax in a loop-thru arrangement. Anyone remember those? Twisted pair LAN came later. If you wanted the latest you got Cat-3 installed for your phone and your data. Of course phone only requires Cat1 aka Cat0, but the FCC and others pushed Cat3 for phone so it would be in place for data.

No Skip...

"My new motto: "Call me first, or don't call me at all.""

there are plenty experienced ,competent techs that have no problem being called second, third or fourth to clean up the work of others and get things working bill accordingly and pick up a new customer .