Inside a Commercial Network Cabling Rebuild: Tracing, Cat6 & Testing
Written by Spike, WireWizards.tech
Based on a real commercial network cabling project carried out by the WireWizards installation team.
Sometimes adding another network cable is the wrong answer.
On this commercial project, years of additions and alterations had left the existing infrastructure difficult to understand and difficult to expand.
Two businesses were coming together, and we were asked to assess what was still being used, trace the existing network and prepare for new network cabling, networking and CCTV infrastructure.
The decision was made to start again.
That didn’t mean simply ripping cables out.
Before anything could be removed, we first had to establish where the existing connections went, what equipment was still relying on them and what the new network actually needed to do.
Real WireWizardsTECH commercial infrastructure work — assessing the existing network before the new cabling, networking and CCTV infrastructure was installed.
What This Job Involved
The problem: years of additions and alterations to the existing infrastructure.
The first job: trace and identify existing connections before removing anything.
The plan: build new network infrastructure that would be easier to understand, maintain and expand.
The wider project: new network cabling, networking and CCTV infrastructure as two businesses came together.
Sometimes the sensible solution is not another patch.
Sometimes you need to work out exactly what you have and build from there.
Why We Were Asked to Start Again
Networks rarely become complicated overnight.
Someone adds another office.
A new CCTV camera goes in.
Another WiFi access point gets installed.
A desk moves.
A switch gets changed.
Then somebody comes back a few years later and adds something else.
None of those jobs necessarily causes a problem on its own.
The difficulty comes years later when nobody is completely sure what half the cables do anymore.
That was effectively what we were dealing with here.
The customer wanted infrastructure that could be understood from the beginning rather than another layer being added onto years of previous alterations.
So before we installed anything new, we had to understand the old network first.
Mapping an Existing Network Before Removing Anything
You cannot just stand in front of a network cabinet and start unplugging cables because they look old.
Something somewhere may still depend on them.
So we trace them.
We work through outlets, cables, switches and equipment and gradually build a picture of what is actually connected.
Sometimes a cable goes exactly where you expect.
Sometimes it absolutely doesn’t.
On an older commercial network you can find cables disappearing into ceilings, running across different parts of a building and ending somewhere you would never have guessed.
It takes time, but doing this properly tells us what can stay, what can go and what needs replacing.
Tracing and testing existing network connections before equipment and cabling are removed or altered.
What We Look for in an Existing Network Cabinet
A network cabinet can tell you quite a lot about the history of a building.
You can often see where equipment has been added over the years, where patch leads have accumulated and where different generations of network equipment have ended up living together.
What we are interested in is not whether the cabinet simply looks tidy.
We want to establish which cables are still live, where they go, what equipment is still being used, whether connections have been labelled and what infrastructure the customer will need going forward.
A tidy network cabinet is nice.
A network cabinet that makes sense is much more important.
Someone needs to be able to come back several years later, open that cabinet and understand what they are looking at.
For customers needing new wired infrastructure, we also provide network cabling and Ethernet installation across Hereford and Herefordshire.
Installing and Terminating New Ethernet Connections
Once the new network has been planned, the physical installation can begin.
That can mean running new Cat6 cabling, fitting Ethernet sockets, bringing cable runs back to the network cabinet and terminating the connections correctly.
This is the bit most people never see.
The customer sees a neat network socket on the wall and plugs something into it.
Behind that socket is the cable route, the termination and the connection all the way back to the network equipment.
Every part of that connection needs to be right.
Terminating an Ethernet connection during a real WireWizardsTECH commercial network cabling installation.
Why a Network Socket Can Look Fine and Still Have a Fault
That doesn’t mean the network connection behind it is perfect.
Ethernet cable contains individual conductors which have to be terminated correctly.
A poor connection, damaged conductor or termination mistake can cause anything from a completely dead network point to an intermittent fault that is much harder to diagnose.
That is why we don't assume a network point works just because the socket looks good.
The faceplate is the part everybody sees.
The connection behind it is the bit that actually matters.
Testing and Tracing Before the Network Goes Into Service
Once network cabling has been installed or altered, we check it.
Testing helps identify wiring faults and confirms that the connection we think we're working on really is the connection at the other end.
That becomes particularly important in a commercial building with lots of network points.
Knowing what terminates where saves a lot of grief later.
Testing is also useful when diagnosing existing installations.
If somebody tells us:
“That network point doesn't work.”
we don't want to guess.
We want to establish where it goes, what it connects to and where the problem actually is.
Building a Network That Somebody Can Actually Maintain Later
This matters more than people sometimes realise.
A network shouldn't only work on the day it is installed.
It should still make sense when somebody has to work on it three or five years later.
That means thinking about sensible cable routes, the network cabinet, patching, labelling and leaving room for future expansion.
Businesses change.
More CCTV cameras get installed.
More WiFi access points are needed.
Desks move.
New equipment gets added.
The network grows.
So when we're rebuilding infrastructure, we're not only thinking about what is connected today.
We're thinking about the next person who opens the cabinet and has to work out what on earth is going on.
Existing commercial network infrastructure before the rebuild began.
Network Cabling Is Often the Backbone Behind Everything Else
Network cabling isn't really separate from WiFi, CCTV or other technology.
The systems often depend on one another.
A hard-wired WiFi access point needs a network connection.
An IP CCTV camera may use Ethernet and PoE.
Computers, printers, VoIP phones, network switches and other equipment may all need wired connections.
If you're trying to connect another building, the answer might be Ethernet, fibre optic cabling or a point-to-point wireless bridge depending on the distance and what is practical on the site.
That is why we don't automatically start with:
“You need Cat6.”
We start with:
“What are you actually trying to connect?”
Then we work out the sensible way of doing it.
Network Cabling Installation in Hereford & Herefordshire
WireWizards.tech installs network cabling and Ethernet infrastructure for homes and businesses across Hereford and Herefordshire.
That can range from an additional Ethernet socket through to Cat6 cabling for WiFi access points, CCTV systems, offices and larger commercial networks.
If you've inherited a network and you're looking at the cabinet thinking:
“I haven't got a clue where any of this goes.”
you're definitely not the first person to call us.
And if you're starting with a completely clean sheet, even better.
See our Network Cabling & Ethernet Installation in Hereford and Herefordshire service for information about the network cabling work we provide.
Network Cabling Installation FAQs
Can you install Ethernet sockets in an existing building?
Yes. In many properties we can add new Ethernet outlets to an existing network. The cable route depends on the construction of the building and where the new connection is required.
Is Cat6 suitable for home and business networks?
Cat6 is commonly used for modern Ethernet installations in both homes and businesses. The right cable and installation method depends on the route, distance, environment and what the connection needs to support.
Can network cabling be used for WiFi access points?
Yes. We regularly use wired Ethernet connections for WiFi access points. A hard-wired connection back to the network can provide a reliable backbone for the WiFi system rather than relying entirely on wireless repeaters.
Do you install business network cabling?
Yes. WireWizards.tech installs network infrastructure for offices and commercial premises as well as homes and rural properties
Do you test network cabling after installation?
We check network connections as part of our installation and fault-finding work so we're not simply assuming a newly terminated connection is working as intended.
Need Help With Your Network?
If you've inherited years of mysterious network cabling, need additional Ethernet points installed or you're planning a completely new network, tell us what you're trying to achieve.
We'll work out the sensible way of doing it.
CALL 01432 483144
Not Sure What You Need?
Send us a few photos of the existing cabling, network cabinet, sockets or the area you need connected. We can take a look and advise whether you’re likely to need Ethernet, Cat6, fibre or a wireless link before arranging a site visit.
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