1. Entrance Facility (EF):
The entrance facility is where the external telecommunications services enter the building. It’s the point of demarcation between the service provider’s network and the building’s internal network. This area typically contains:
– The point of entry for cables
– Lightning protection devices
– Transition hardware from outdoor to indoor cabling
2. Equipment Room (ER):
The equipment room houses the main networking equipment for the entire building or campus. It typically contains:
– Core network switches and routers
– Servers
– Data storage systems
– Main distribution frames
– Private branch exchange (PBX) for telephone systems
3. Telecommunications Room (TR):
These rooms act as distribution points for each floor or section of a building. They contain:
– Intermediate distribution frames
– Switches and patch panels
– Sometimes, small network equipment like floor switches
4. Backbone Cabling:
Backbone cabling, also known as vertical cabling, connects the entrance facility, equipment rooms, and telecommunications rooms. It typically includes:
– High-capacity fiber optic cables
– Sometimes high-grade copper cables for certain applications
– Vertical cable pathways between floors
5. Horizontal Cabling:
This is the cabling that runs from telecommunications rooms to individual work areas. It includes:
– Copper twisted pair cables (typically Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat6a)
– Sometimes fiber optic cables for high-bandwidth needs
– Cable pathways like conduits or cable trays
6. Work Area (WA):
The work area is where end-user devices connect to the network. It includes:
– Network outlets (typically RJ45 jacks for Ethernet)
– Patch cords connecting devices to the outlets
– Sometimes, local switches or hubs
These six components work together to create a flexible, manageable, and scalable network infrastructure. The structured approach allows for easier troubleshooting, upgrades, and expansion compared to ad-hoc or point-to-point cabling methods.