77076ffirs.indd 2 6/11/09 9:11:08 AM
Cabling
The Complete Guide to
Copper and Fiber-Optic
Networking
Fourth Edition
77076ffirs.indd 1 6/11/09 9:11:08 AM
77076ffirs.indd 2 6/11/09 9:11:08 AM
Cabling
The Complete Guide to
Copper and Fiber-Optic
Networking
Fourth Edition
Andrew Oliviero
Bill Woodward
77076ffirs.indd 3 6/11/09 9:11:10 AM
Acquisitions Editor: Agatha Kim
Development Editor: Stef Jones
Technical Editors: Charlie Husson, Paul Neveux
Production Editor: Elizabeth Campbell
Copy Editor: Liz Welch
Production Manager: Tim Tate
Vice President and Executive Group Publisher: Richard Swadley
Vice President and Publisher: Neil Edde
Book Designers: Maureen Forys and Judy Fung
Compositor: Craig W. Johnson, Happenstance Type-O-Rama
Proofreader: Josh Chase, WordOne
Indexer: Nancy Guenther
Cover Designer and Illustrator: Richard Miller, Calyx Design
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
77076ffirs.indd 4 6/11/09 9:11:10 AM
Dear Reader
Thank you for choosing Cabling: The Complete Guide to Copper and Fiber-Optic Networking, Fourth
Edition. This book is part of a family of premium quality Sybex books, all written by outstanding
authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching.

Sybex was founded in 1976. More than thirty years later, we’re still committed to producing con-
sistently exceptional books. With each of our titles we’re working hard to set a new standard for
the industry. From the paper we print on, to the authors we work with, our goal is to bring you the
best books available.

I hope you see all that reflected in these pages. I’d be very interested to hear your comments
and get your feedback on how we’re doing. Feel free to let me know what you think about this
or any other Sybex book by sending me an email at n ed d e @ w ile y.c o m . Or, if you think you’ve
found a technical error in this book, please visit . Customer feed-
back is critical to our efforts at Sybex.
Best regards,
Neil Edde
Vice President and Publisher
Sybex, an Imprint of Wiley
77076ffirs.indd 5 6/11/09 9:11:10 AM
In loving memory of my brother Maurice. I miss you.
And to my parents, Mario and Colomba, and my
brother Dominick. Thank you for all of your support,
encouragement and great memories throughout the

Thanks to Chuck Schue, Randy Hall, Jim Moore, and Pat McGillvray at UrsaNav, Inc. for all
your support with this project.
Thanks, Charlie Husson, for the outstanding job with the technical edits. You are an excep-
tional engineer, great mentor, and friend. I have learned so much from you over the years and
look forward to working with you on future projects.
Many companies also provided technical information, equipment, and photographs. Special
thanks to Donald Stone from KITCO Fiber Optics, Harvey Stone and Mike Jones from MicroCare,
Mark Messer from Carlisle Interconnect Technologies, Manish Sharma from Corning Optical
Fiber, Ryan Spillane from Corning Cable Systems, Bob Scharf from Protokraft, Mark Roehm from
Amphenol Fiber Systems International, Chris Pegge from Stran Technologies, Scott Kale from
Norfolk Wire, Christine Pons from OptiConcepts, and Dave Edwards from W.R. Systems.
Dick Glass has been a friend, mentor, and co-worker for many years; he has spent many
hours guiding me through various writing projects. I feel very blessed to have met Dick and
greatly appreciate his guidance over the years and assistance with this project.
Thanks to the host of people behind the scenes who I did not mention for all your efforts to
make this book the best that it can be.
Last but not least, thank you to my family—to the love of my life, my beautiful wife Susan,
for making this possible; and to my children, Mike, Brandon, Eric, Nathan, and Kathryn, for
your patience, inspiration, encouragement, and prayers. I am the luckiest man alive to have all of
you in my life.
—Bill Woodward
77076ffirs.indd 7 6/11/09 9:11:10 AM
About the Authors
Andrew Oliviero is Senior Product Manager of optical fiber products at OFS (formerly Lucent
Technologies), a supplier of optical fiber, cable apparatus and specialty products. He is respon-
sible for developing global product strategies for the Enterprise, FTTX, Metro, Long Haul, and
Submarine markets. Andrew is presently focused on new product development for single-mode
fiber and is leading OFS’s product development teams in developing advanced bend-insensitive
single-mode fiber for Central Office and FTTX applications
Andrew began his career in Research and Development and has worked in single-mode

Chapter 1  •  Introduction to Data Cabling 3
Chapter 2
  •  Cabling Specifications and Standards 57
Chapter 3
  •  Choosing the Correct Cabling 101
Chapter 4
  •  Cable System and Infrastructure Constraints 129
Chapter 5
  •  Cabling System Components 153
Chapter 6
  •  Tools of the Trade 177
Chapter 7
  •  Copper Cable Media 207
Chapter 8
  •  Fiber-Optic Media 247
Chapter 9
  •  Wall Plates 273
Chapter 10
  •  Connectors 291
Chapter 11
  •  Network Equipment 317
Chapter 12
  •  Wireless Networks 335
Chapter 13
  •  Cabling System Design and Installation 357
Chapter 14
  •  Cable Connector Installation 389
Chapter 15
  •  Cable System Testing and Troubleshooting 421
Chapter 16

  •  Fiber-Optic Light Sources 697
Chapter 28
  •  Fiber-Optic Detectors and Receivers 723
Chapter 29
  •  Passive Components and Multiplexers 739
Chapter 30
  •  Passive Optical Networks 767
Chapter 31
  •  Cable Installation and Hardware 777
Chapter 32
  •  Fiber-Optic System Design Considerations 803
Chapter 33
  •  Test Equipment and Link/Cable Testing 831
Chapter 34
  •  Troubleshooting and Restoration 871
77076ffirs.indd 10 6/11/09 9:11:11 AM
Contents at a GlanCe
|
xI
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 897
Appendix A  •  The Bottom Line Solutions 899
Appendix B
  •  Cabling Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951
Appendix C  •  Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD)
Certification 957
Appendix D  •  Home Cabling: Wiring Your Home for Now and the Future 963
Appendix E
  •  Overview of IEEE 1394 and USB Networking 969
Appendix F
  •  The Electronics Technicians Association, International (ETA)

Wire Gauge 31
Solid Conductors vs. Stranded Conductors 32
Cable Length 33
Cable Length vs. Conductor Length 33
Data Communications 101 34
Bandwidth, Frequency, and Data Rate 34
What a Difference a dB Makes! 38
Speed Bumps: What Slows Down Your Data 42
Hindrances to High-Speed Data Transfer 43
Attenuation (Loss of Signal) 44
Noise (Signal Interference) 45
Types of Crosstalk 47
Near-End Crosstalk (NEXT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Far-End Crosstalk (FEXT) 48
Equal-Level Far-End Crosstalk (ELFEXT) 48
Pair-to-Pair Crosstalk 48
Power-Sum Crosstalk 49
Alien Crosstalk (AXT) 50
External Interference 50
77076ftoc.indd 13 6/11/09 9:02:11 AM
XIV
|
Contents
Attenuation-to-Crosstalk Ratio (ACR) 51
Propagation Delay 53
Delay Skew 53
The Future of Cabling Performance 53
The Bottom Line 54
Chapter 2  •  Cabling Specifications and Standards 57
Structured Cabling and Standardization 57

Classification of Applications and Links 98
The Bottom Line 98
Chapter 3  •  Choosing the Correct Cabling 101
Topologies 101
Hierarchical Star Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Bus Topology 104
Ring Topology 105
77076ftoc.indd 14 6/11/09 9:02:12 AM
Contents
|
XV
UTP, Optical Fiber, and Future-Proofing 106
Network Applications 107
Ethernet 108
Token Ring 121
Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) 123
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) 124
The Bottom Line 126
Chapter 4  •  Cable System and Infrastructure Constraints 129
Where Do Codes Come From? 129
The Federal Communications Commission 129
The National Fire Protection Association 130
Underwriters Laboratories 132
Codes and the Law 134
The National Electrical Code 135
NEC Chapter 1 General Requirements 135
NEC Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection 136
NEC Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials 140
NEC Chapter 5 Special Occupancy 141
NEC Chapter 7 Special Conditions 141

Punch-Down Tools 185
Fish Tapes 188
Voltage Meter 190
Cable Testing 190
A Cable-Toning Tool 190
Twisted-Pair Continuity Tester 192
Coaxial Tester 192
Optical Fiber Testers 192
Cabling Supplies and Tools 194
Cable-Pulling Tools 195
Wire-Pulling Lubricant 199
Cable-Marking Supplies 200
Tools That a Smart Data Cable Technician Carries 202
A Preassembled Kit Could Be It 204
The Bottom Line 205
Chapter 7  •  Copper Cable Media 207
Types of Copper Cabling 207
Major Cable Types Found Today 209
Picking the Right Patch Cables 217
Why Pick Copper Cabling? 218
Best Practices for Copper Installation 219
Following Standards 220
Planning 222
Installing Copper Cable 224
Copper Cable for Data Applications 228
110-Blocks 228
Sample Data Installations 231
Copper Cable for Voice Applications 234
66-Blocks 234
Sample Voice Installations 238

Manufacturer System 274
Wall Plate Location 274
Wall Plate Mounting System 276
Fixed-Design or Modular Plate 280
Fixed-Design Wall Plates 281
Number of Jacks 282
Types of Jacks 282
Labeling 283
Modular Wall Plates 283
Number of Jacks 283
Wall Plate Jack Considerations 284
Labeling 287
Biscuit Jacks 287
Types of Biscuit Jacks 288
Advantages of Biscuit Jacks 289
Disadvantages of Biscuit Jacks 289
The Bottom Line 290
Chapter 10  •  Connectors 291
Twisted-Pair Cable Connectors 291
Patch-Panel Terminations 291
Solid- vs. Stranded-Conductor Cables 292
Modular Jacks and Plugs 293
Shielded Twisted-Pair Connectors 306
77076ftoc.indd 17 6/11/09 9:02:12 AM
XVIII
|
Contents
Coaxial Cable Connectors 307
F-Series Coaxial Connectors 307
N-Series Coaxial Connectors 307

Disadvantages of RF 347
Examples of RF 347
Microwave Communications 350
How Microwave Communication Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Advantages of Microwave Communications 354
Disadvantages of Microwave Communications 354
Examples of Microwave Communications 355
The Bottom Line 355
77076ftoc.indd 18 6/11/09 9:02:12 AM
Contents
|
XIX
Chapter 13  •  Cabling System Design and Installation 357
Elements of a Successful Cabling Installation 357
Proper Design 357
Quality Materials 359
Good Workmanship 360
Cabling Topologies 360
Bus Topology 361
Hierarchical Star Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Ring Topology 361
Mesh Topology 362
Backbones and Segments 363
Selecting the Right Topology 364
Cabling Plant Uses 364
Telephone 364
Television 365
Fire Detection and Security Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Choice of Media 366
Telecommunications Rooms 367

Fiber-Optic Cable Connector Installation 403
Connector Types 403
Connectorizing Methods 403
Connector Installation Procedures 404
The Bottom Line 419
Chapter 15  •  Cable System Testing and Troubleshooting 421
Installation Testing 421
Copper Cable Tests 422
Fiber-Optic Tests 429
Cable Plant Certification 432
Creating a Testing Regimen 433
Copper Cable Certification 434
Fiber-Optic Certification 439
Third-Party Certification 440
Cable Testing Tools 441
Wire-Map Testers 441
Continuity Testers 442
Tone Generators 442
Time-Domain Reflectometers 443
Fiber-Optic Power Meters 445
Fiber-Optic Test Sources 445
Optical Loss Test Sets and Test Kits 446
Optical Time-Domain Reflectometers 446
Fiber-Optic Inspection Microscopes 447
Visual Fault Locators 447
Multifunction Cable Scanners 448
Troubleshooting Cabling Problems 449
Establishing a Baseline 449
Locating the Problem 450
Resolving Specific Problems 451

Work Safely 484
Make It Pretty 485
Look Good Yourself 485
Plan for Contingencies 486
Match Your Work to the Job 487
Waste Not, Want Not 488
Case Studies 488
A Small Job 488
A Large Job 490
An Inside Job 492
The Bottom Line 494
Part II

•

Fiber-Optic Cabling and Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Chapter 18  •  History of Fiber Optics 497
Evolution of Light in Communication 497
Early Forms of Light Communication 497
The Quest for Data Transmission 498
Evolution of Optical Fiber Manufacturing Technology 499
Controlling the Course of Light 499
Extending Fiber’s Reach 501
Evolution of Optical Fiber Integration and Application 502
The Bottom Line 503
Chapter 19  •  Principles of Fiber-Optic Transmission 505
The Fiber-Optic Link 505
Transmitter 506
Receiver 506
Optical Fibers 506

Chapter 21  •  Optical Fiber Construction and Theory 537
Optical Fiber Components 537
Core 538
Cladding 538
Coating 538
Standards 540
Materials 540
Tensile Strength 542
Manufacturing Optical Fiber 543
Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition (MCVD) 544
Outside Vapor Deposition (OVD) 544
Vapor Axial Deposition (VAD) 545
Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (PCVD) 546
Mode 546
Calculating the Numerical Aperture and Modes 546
Refractive Index Profiles 547
The Bottom Line 551
77076ftoc.indd 22 6/11/09 9:02:13 AM
Contents
|
XXIII
Chapter 22  •  Optical Fiber Characteristics 553
It All Adds Up 553
Dispersion 554
Modal Dispersion 555
Material Dispersion 556
Waveguide Dispersion 556
Chromatic Dispersion 557
Polarization-Mode Dispersion 560
How Dispersion Affects Bandwidth 561

Chemical Exposure 589
Fire 590
The Bottom Line 590
77076ftoc.indd 23 6/11/09 9:02:13 AM