Structured cabling
Cabling outlives every computer, switch and phone system plugged into it. Done well, it carries your network for a decade or more; done badly, it becomes a tangle nobody can trace. We plan, install, test and document cabling for offices, warehouses and moves.
Reviewed by the ITRS security team · Last updated
Planning drops and runs
We start from how the space will be used, not just where the desks are today. Each workstation, printer, phone, wireless access point, camera, door controller and display gets a planned drop, plus spares for growth. Running a few extra cables during construction costs far less than opening ceilings later.
We plan cable paths, distances back to the communications room, and pathways through walls and ceilings, and coordinate with your landlord, general contractor and electrician. Ethernet copper runs are limited to 100 metres per channel, so large floors may need more than one telecom closet.
- Workstation drops, typically two per desk.
- Ceiling drops for wireless access points and cameras, powered over Ethernet.
- Drops for printers, TVs and boardroom equipment.
- Backbone links between floors or closets, often fibre.
- Spare capacity for future growth.
Cable categories
For new installations we generally recommend Category 6A for access point drops, because modern Wi-Fi and higher-power Power over Ethernet benefit from it, and Category 6 or 6A for desks depending on budget and plans. Plenum-rated cable is used where building codes or the landlord require it in air-handling spaces.
| Type | Typical use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Category 6 | General office drops | Gigabit to every desk; 10-gigabit only over shorter runs |
Category 6A | New builds, wireless access points, future-proofing | Rated for 10-gigabit over the full 100-metre channel; thicker cable, larger pathways |
Fibre (multimode or single-mode) | Backbone between closets and floors, longer distances | Immune to electrical interference; needs suitable switch modules |
Racks and patching
The communications room is where cabling either stays tidy for years or turns into a mess. We install racks or wall cabinets with patch panels, cable management, and space for switches, firewalls, UPS units and, where you have them, servers or recorders.
Patch cords are sized to length and colour-coded by function (for example, one colour for wireless, another for cameras). Power is planned for the equipment the rack will hold, and the room should be lockable: the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security's baseline controls for small and medium organizations treat physical access to network equipment as part of protecting it.
Testing and test reports
Every run is tested end to end after termination. A cable certification tester checks wiremap, length, insertion loss, crosstalk and other parameters against the category's performance standard, and produces a report for each link. Those reports are handed over with the job, so you have proof the cabling performs as specified and a baseline if a problem appears later.
Fibre links are tested for loss and polarity. Any failing link is re-terminated or replaced before sign-off.
Documentation and labelling
Good documentation is what makes the next move, addition or troubleshooting call quick. It also helps security: you can tell what an unexpected device plugged into port 2-14 is, and where it is.
- Every jack and patch panel port labelled with a matching, consistent identifier.
- Floor plans showing each drop's label and location.
- Port map showing which switch port serves which jack and its VLAN.
- Test reports organized by label.
- Photos of the communications room and ceiling pathways at completion.
Moves and additions
Offices change. We handle additional drops, reconfigurations after renovations, and full office moves, coordinating cabling with your internet provider's installation, phone system, wireless and security systems so everything works on the first morning in the new space.
For moves, we survey the new space early, ideally before lease details are finalized, so cabling and communications room needs are in the plan rather than a surprise. Our teams work across the GTA from Vaughan and Toronto, and in the Vancouver area.
Survey
Walk the space and review drawings.
Design and quote
Drop schedule, cable types, rack layout and pathway plan.
Install
Run, terminate, dress and label.
Test and document
Per-link reports, floor plans and port maps handed over.
Connect
Patch to switches, configure VLANs, verify devices.
Questions we hear
Wireless access points themselves need cabling, and desktops, printers, phones and cameras are more reliable wired. Most offices need both.
Yes. We trace, test and label existing runs, replace failing ones and produce the documentation that was missing.
Low-voltage data cabling is separate from electrical work. Where new power is needed for racks or equipment, your licensed electrician does it and we coordinate.
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Want this handled for your business?
Tell us your users, devices and sites. We are staffed 24/7 and reply with next steps. Quotes are built from your environment, not a price list. Active incident? Call (289) 582-9930, 24/7.