Title: Locations
Course: 2016FA-MCO-110-401 > Section: Module 8: IT Infrastructure

Click here for a downloadable version of this document:(EXTERNAL) Locations

Location, Location, Location. It’s not just important in real estate. Location in network setups is one of the most important, but often overlooked parameters. Everything from the core equipment (Routers, Switches, and Wireless Access Points) to the network cables require optimal locations to get the best possible performance.

Core Equipment – In the case of core equipment, heat is the enemy. Entire rooms in offices are built around the purpose of keeping networking equipment cooled. Network cabinets generate a high amount of heat and as such are most likely to be located in the basement of a building where ambient temperatures are not just lower but are less likely to fluctuate. Core equipment usually also requires a large amount of power to run as this infrastructure is never switched off. This is one of the reasons this equipment is centrally located as the circuits needed to handle the consistent load are easier to design and build for a single location rather than a distributed location schema.

Network Cables – As previously discussed, network cables have a maximum range of effectiveness over which data can be transferred without introducing errors. To reduce the chance of interference, you want to use the shortest cable runs possible to hopefully keep the data signal robust. This range can also be affected by the environment. For example, you would not want to use the same wiring conduit for networking and electrical cables. While network cables have some shielding, the proximity to live electrical wires would greatly reduce their range as the network signal absorbs interference from the electrical pulses. For this reason, network cables are usually routed away from heavy electrical sources.   You will rarely find a network jack next to a wall socket for this very reason, and if you do, the cables inevitably travel in opposite directions behind those wall plates.

Manhole/Duct Bank

Communication cabling, whether internal or external to the building in question has to travel in the most protected environment possible. To accomplish this, ducting banks are most often utilized. Duct banks are the origination point of a collection of pipes through which the networking cables are passed and distributed throughout the building and will be located inside the communication room. These banks are also utilized in campus installations where the need to connect multiple buildings is apparent. The piping in duct banks are most often constructed of PVC piping, however, in installations that see the wiring external to the building, the pipes are sometimes encased in concrete to give an additional amount of protection/isolation.

Manholes, in terms of communications, are the access points to communication equipment and cables exterior to a building. Manholes are utilized as service entranceways for communications as well as electrical wiring. They are not regularly utilized, but become critical in the event of a network fault that is found to be external to a building. Having them spaced in normal intervals allows more efficient isolation of a cabling fault.

Service Entrance / Demarcation Point (demarc)

The Service Entrance or Demarcation Point is the point on a building where the communication service provider’s wiring ends and the internal building wiring begins. Service providers are responsible for the fidelity of the wiring up to this point. This is where the “last mile” of carrier cabling terminates.  A Demarcation point can also be the point where the communication facilities for two service providers interface. It is characterized as being the handoff point of communication responsibility between two organizations.

Communication Room / Service Closet

The Communication Room within a building, as previously discussed, is characterized by a centrally located room with enhanced power and cooling capabilities utilized for the setup and storage of network communication equipment. This room is most often a secure access area with access being granted only to IT network professionals.

A Service Closet is an offshoot of the dedicated communication room. These closets are usually found on each floor of a building and house non-critical equipment such patch panels, signal repeaters, or wireless access points. These provide a point of investigation and/or modification for a particular portion of the network. This prevents unnecessary interaction with the core equipment located in the communication room.

Main Distribution Frame (MDF) / Intermediate Distribution Frame (IDF)

A Distribution Frame is a centralized point in the network that a larger circuit is broken down to smaller user specific connections. A Main Distribution Frame is usually a cable rack where the public lines coming into a building interface with the local network wiring or Communication Room. In larger installations, an Intermediate Distribution Frame is utilized to interface between the MDF and internal network. As an example, the external provider circuit would connect to the MDF (also demarcation point), and subsequently connect to an IDF on each floor which may contain additional communication equipment such as switches or patch panels for connections to the end user equipment.

Objectives met:
- C8
- 8.11