Cable is VERY important. If it weren’t for the cable, we’d
have no network.
The first concern is cable
quality. Quality, in effect, is rated using the Cat
System. The higher the Cat Rating, the faster your cable will
travel. Being Cat cable also rates phone lines, there are only
two Cat ratings used for Ethernet cable. They are Cat3 and
Cat5. For 10/t networks, that WILL NOT be upgrading in the
future, Cat3 is fine. But, as soon as you want to upgrade to
100/TX, all Cat3 cable must be replaced to Cat5, which can handle that
speed.
Physical cable placement is
another concern. For liability and safety reasons, I’m sure you
don’t want cable running all over the ground. For the home user,
that might be fine, but in a business, it’s a hazard waiting to
happen. Cabling can be run though the walls, and attached to a
port that fixes to your wall just like the phone cable port.
They are called "Data Drops." These plastic outlets
only cost a buck or two, depending on where you buy them, and are very
worth while. One final note, just remember to buy the right
amount of cable needed to run where you want it to go. Having
left over cable is better than having not enough.
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