IP Telephony Demands High Quality Cabling

VoIP and high performance networks that truly deliver will generate a real return on investment, but successful real-time applications rely upon high quality connections, such as those provided by an ADC KRONE TrueNet® structured cabling system.

Switched voice networks need dedicated network resources but lay idle for most of the time leading to inflexibility and high costs. IP or packet networks have no dedicated connection - packets are transferred over the network using differing routes and are reassembled at the receiving end to recreate the data. Some packets may arrive in the wrong order or damaged

VoIP relies upon data to arrive on time. When information has too much delay, vo_ce q_al_ty wil_l be impa_red (voice quality will be impaired).

Modern active equipment has the ability to reduce packet damage ensuring the quality of voice data, but low quality cable, connectors and even patch cables can all have a detrimental effect on data integrity. Poor quality components may look the same as high quality ones. Also certification is not always a guarantee. A connection may pass during installation but changes in operating conditions could lead to failure.

Research has shown that up to 70% of network downtime can be attributed to cabling issues - copper or fibre - often due to quality of product and / or the installation. These issues can be masked by non real-time applications such as file transfer which are resilient and cope well with transmission issues or "bit errors".

"Bit errors" are unacceptable for VoIP solutions - packets need to arrive on time. If they don't then audible "clicks" or interrupted audio could result. Establishing root cause and prevention is vital; there are some anecdotal stories of companies replacing active network components with more expensive ones only to find that it was the cabling infrastructure at fault.

It is important to select a vendor that is able to consistently deliver high quality solutions. Sometimes this may mean that the initial investment may be greater than some low end solutions.

Always analyse the investment in infrastructure over its full lifecycle - don't just look at the initial investment.

ADC KRONE's TrueNet® Structured Cabling solution is unique in that it is supplied with a 20 year Zero Bit Error warranty when installed by an approved TrueNet® Integrator which ensures that no bit errors will be introduced into the network as a result of the cabling infrastructure.