CVR Networks

Current networking trends favor an integrated network that can support data, as well as multimedia, voice, and video. Fortunately, new structured wiring and networking standards have been defined to help network designers to plan, install, and test cable systems that support gigabit- and multigigabit-per-second data rates.

In the 1970s and 1980s, coaxial cable was the preferred LAN medium. But by the late 1980s, data-capable twisted-pair wiring emerged as the predominant network cabling scheme. While twisted-pair wire has cable distance limitations, a hierarchical wiring scheme, initially built around hubs (and more recently switches), overcomes those limitations. Workstations are attached to workgroup hubs/switches in nearby wiring closets and those hubs/switches are attached to wiring hubs/switches at centralized data centers via twisted-pair cable, or via fiber-optic cable over long distances.

Today, there are a variety of standards that define cable and component specifications, including the configuration, implementation, performance, conformance, and verification of cabling systems. The most prominent standard is listed here:

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United States TIA/EIA-568-A (Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association-568-A), defines how to design, build, and manage a structured wiring system. Note that the specification is also called the EIA/TIA-568 in some references. Refer to "TIA/EIA Structured Cabling Standards" for more information.