As a business in the digital age, you need a strong and reliable network to ensure that all of your devices can be consistently connected. This leaves you with an important decision: structured cabling or unstructured cabling.
We’re going to help you decide on an answer to that question below, describing the characteristics, pros, and cons of both options. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about structured cabling vs unstructured cabling.
What Is Unstructured Cabling?
Unstructured cabling is a form of cabling wherein all devices are hooked up directly to one another. In other words, it utilizes nothing but one-to-one connections.
These cabling systems are generally messy in appearance. They possess an assortment of tangled wires. They lack organization and are usually very complex to alter.
Unstructured cabling typically comes about because, in their early days, businesses didn’t understand the complexities of setting up a digital network. As such, they took more of a DIY approach.
While this approach may produce results, they’re not optimal results. In other words, unstructured cabling is best avoided if you’re looking for max efficiency and load speeds.
What Is Structured Cabling?
Whereas unstructured cabling lacks organization entirely, structured cabling is incredibly organized. It doesn’t involve one-to-one connections. Instead, it involves running several cables into a patch which then uses a single cable to direct those cables’ devices to a singular device.
As a result, there’s much more order to a structured cabling system. Wires are neatly tucked away into slots and can be accessed quickly and efficiently when needed.
Structured cabling systems are also much more efficient. They transfer data quicker and therefore provide faster load speeds.
In addition, structured cabling systems are highly scalable. It’s simple to add new cables to such a system, allowing for seamless network growth over time. This is not true of unstructured cabling systems, which have to be altered radically in order to allow for scalability.
What Can Structured Cabling Be Used For?
Now, you might be wondering: what can structured cabling be used for? It can be used to connect everything from computers to printers to copiers to telecommunications systems to audio equipment and much, much more.
In essence, if it requires a wired connection, it can be run through a structured cabling system to allow for max efficiency and speed. If you’re looking to create a wired network of any kind, you should know that a structured cabling system is the best of all cabling options.
Structured Cabling vs Unstructured Cabling: Which Is Best?
When it comes to the issue of structured cabling vs unstructured cabling, there’s really no question: structured cabling always wins out. Not only is it more efficient and easier to alter but less prone to overheating as well.
Need help with a structured cabling system in Jacksonville, Florida? If so, we here at Communications Solutions, Inc. have you covered. We offer low-voltage structured cabling for all purposes.
Contact us today to discuss your needs!