If you are upgrading from copper to fibre cables, you need to select an expert to install structured cabling so that you can ensure durability of the cables. And each cable has to be clearly labelled when the network is being installed. The same has to be done when you are installing electrical cabling.
The reason for carrying out cable labelling is to prevent any tampering with the cables. Sometimes people might unplug certain cables without understanding their purpose and this can educate the person on what the cable is for. And this is a good way of reducing tampering or risking downtime. When your technician is working with the cables whether for routine maintenance or a repair, if they are working with unlabelledcables it can take a long time for them to figure out which cables are for what purpose. They will spend a lot of time sorting the cables which will further delay the repair or maintenance. This means you are dealing with more downtime. This will happen again and again with unlabelled cables as the technician has to figure out the purpose of each label every time they come for repairs. It is an unnecessary waste of time that can be avoided by simply identifying and tagging the cables at the time of installation.
Sometimes when cables are not tagged properly or at all, they can get pulled from the wrong end or disconnected simply because there is no knowledge of what it is. And there is always an adjustment period if your network is new. The label will let the technician know where the cable needs to run which can save a lot of time. You may not experience a lot of issues when your network administrator or personnel that are managing the cables are in the office. But once they leave, new employee will find it hard to understand the network. And if you happen to have a new technician, they will find it easier to pick up where others have left off so that they don’t need to spend a lot of time trying to figure out the cables.
However, it is very important to label the cables the first time effectively. You need to have high quality labels that are waterproof and resistant to smudges. The labels have to be resistant to tearing. It is always best to print the labels instead of writing them by hand. This will not leave any room for mistakes or misunderstandings. There has to be a uniform system for the labels. There are standard systems that you can adhere to along with standard information that needs to be included in the label such as the rack, port, panel, floor number etc. You need to select a technician who is aware of the best practices pertaining to labelling so that everyone else that comes afterwards understands the system clearly. You will be able to simplify troubleshooting procedures and reducing the time for repairs with proper labelling will bring down the cost of the service as well.
