Counterfeit cable and why it cost more

Why should I buy anything other than counterfeit network cable, which is cheaper? Yes, you can save money by using a low-grade cable on an installation, but does it really translate in to savings or cost you more money in the long run?

Let’s take a look at the evidence of time. It seems as if every time the price of counterfeit copper or other cable components increases that a new wave of fake/counterfeit products hits the market place. Once installed someone eventually gets caught.

Datcom has been monitoring and reporting these incidences over the years as these issues arise. Lately the frequency of occurrences has increased. We have encountered products in June 07, April 09, Aug 10, Oct 10, and was reported as a growing concern in the Feb 2011 reported in Cabling and Maintenance a popular industry magazine. Fast forward to 2015 a we now have a whole association; CCCA in place to combat this insidious issue.

This problem has prompted UL to integrated similar holographic technology used on credit cards to try and stem the flow of this type of product. You can protect yourself and verify products using the itunes Authenticator App.

But here are the real issues when the cable is always discovered:

1)    Cables seldom pass the standards.

2)    Intermittent problems occur resulting in unscheduled service calls.

3)    If an inspection is done it usually leads to a total re-install at the contractors expense

4)    Potential loss of a client due to a perception of poor quality work.

5)    Proliferation of low quality products in the market place.

6)    No point of presence or local manufacturer support.

7)    Zero product constancy.

8)    No compensation when problems arise.

Most non-branded products are a scam and are here today but gone tomorrow. If you have never heard of the brand before, then rule of thumb says don't buy it no matter what the price.

End users are responsible for hiring contractors that know what they are doing. Contractors are responsible for dealing with distributors who are reliable, and distributors are responsible for dealing with manufactures that stand behind their products. If all else fails plug the UL number into the online directory and make sure the cable is listed for use in the country of purchase and what regulations it meets. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for & you should be buying from a reputable distributor.

Written by: Edgar Schuchardt Account Manager at Datcom Inc. 

For more information on cable or other products call 1-800-427-2055.

Buying A Patch Cable is Not Rocket Science, is it?

According to the recent article in Cabling Installation and Maintenance it is closer than you might think. Find out why it maybe more important to know the components that make up your cable than the price.

Make sure that you are getting the cable that you are paying for, find out what is inside your Datcom Assured Patch Cables. 

·         Our cables use High Density, Inline, Low Profile, and Clear Snag-free Easy Squeeze Boot. 

·         All cable assemblies are RoHS Complaint.

·         The Polycarbonate RJ45 Modular Connector body we use is rated for 1000 mating cycles and contains phosphor Bronze crimp pins plated with 50um of 24K Gold and RoHS, FCC and ANSI/EIA 568-C.2 Complaint and Tested.

·         Performance is improved by using a composite staggered, pair separating loading bars with conductive NEXT reduction system.

·         Made from Quabbin Cable, 24 Gauge 7/32 tinned stranded copper cable complaint with TIA Category 6 & ISO 11801 Class E standards. Performance tested to 600 MHz and RoHS Complaint.

As you can see, not only do our assemblies meet your performance requirements, but also they are available in 13 colours, custom lengths and custom labels. Because we manufacture right here in Toronto and carry thousands of feet on the shelf delivery is quick and easy.

Take the guess work out of reliability with our 100% Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty against defects. 

Call Your Account Manager Now For This Special Pricing!!!  

* Some terms and conditions apply.

Written by: Edgar Schuchardt

Account  Manager at Datcom Inc.

For more information on Custom Assemblies call 1-800-427-2055.

How to Gain Control of Your Data Centre

Emerson’s Trellis line is the leading Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) solution in the market place today that collects information in real time. It is built with a high powered visualization and data presentation engine that enables a company to see everything within their infrastructure and how efficiently it is operating. Using the resulting data will allow you to plan out equipment roll outs efficiently and economically taking into consideration both power and heat requirements in real time.

Here are seven major benefits which will allow you to gain control of your Data Center:

ü  Allows you to view and manage from a single pain of glass.

ü  Pin point’s assets and identifies which business units are utilizing the assets and makes it easier for accurate departmental charge back.

ü  Identifies where devices can be added or moved making it easy to manage capacity requirements and locating devices where there is available space.   

ü  Planning changes can be done by playing “What if Sceneries” prior to making any actual moves or adds. This removes any guess work that may accompany changes which saves time and money.  

ü  Tracking power along the complete power chain provides visibility into what devices will be impacted if there is an outage anywhere along that chain.

ü  Generate work tickets based on best practice work flow processes which improve staff efficiencies by proactively planning and managing changes.

ü  Strategic decisions can be made on how to enable the technology infrastructure to support future business requirements as well as operational decisions to deliver service commitments on a daily basis. 

Find out why The Data Center of the Future Begins and Ends with DCIM

Written by: Jeff Quinn

Account Manager at Datcom Inc.

For more information on DCIM products call 1-800-427-2055.

The Data Center of the Future Begins and Ends with DCIM

The networking environment has changed drastically over the last decade and there seems to be no slowing down as consumption of data begins to move from static workstations to mobile devices with access everywhere at any time. This transformation of how people are doing business and are leveraging mobile computing devices such as phones and tablets is more than a game changer, it is a life changer.

This change is not only happening for the individual but also at the other end of the system, the Data Center. Mobile computing has its own challenges and issues, such as access, scalability and speed. As more and more information is used when and where it is required these issues are becoming a greater concern. Connection to the cloud (aka Data Centers) is the key to service.  According to http://www.statista.com/statistics/271405/global-mobile-data-traffic-forecast/ global mobile traffic is almost doubling per year, and the amount of Exabytes of information being shared per month will increase by 10X in the next 5 years from 2.5 to 24.3. That’s a lot of data.

Not only is data steadily increasing, but we have already experienced sporting and social seismic events which can impact systems radically in a short span of time. For example during the last Superbowl, 4.1 Terabytes of data were generated compared to the previous years of 1.7 Terabytes, according to http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizon-att-sprint-and-t-mobile-reveal-network-traffic-stats-super-bowl/2015-02-04. These spikes in usage require data systems to be flexible and scalable enough to handle “on demand” traffic. Capacity from a user perspective is now considered a given no matter where they are; expectations are that service should be everywhere and available at all times.  

In order to keep devices as user friendly and portable as possible, software is no longer being housed at its access point. Apps and virtual machines have taken over the bulk of processing within the network landscape and the SaaS model has allowed mobile devices to become flexible platforms and interfaces that can do almost anything. Enter the modern day Data Center, the brains behind this technological brawn. They are not only a facility to store, house and process information; but also a platform that needs to maintain scalability to deal with the influx of users accessing a given program at a single point of time.

The Data Centers main function in this scenario is to support the networking and data environment, while at the same time providing a suitable environment for the physical infrastructure. And since the nature of how we access and use data is changing, so to must our Data Centers. Data Centers are very complex environments that have many different components at both a facilities level as well as a networking level. One system impacts another, which makes scalability difficult to achieve. To sit down and draw out how a singular change in equipment sends ripples through the DC environment, would be like trying to count the ripples in a lake once you threw a boulder into the centre.

Each piece of hardware is unique in its power consumption, heat generation and cooling requirements and although you can guestimate its effect on an environment using the operational specification ranges, until you turn the unit on in a given environment you won’t know its impact. The closest you will be able to come to a projecting a Data Centers power, cooling and capacity, is in a virtual environment.

 Virtual environments allow you to build a data center without actually building a data center. You can run comparisons of different equipment, heat profiles, efficiency profiles, rack densities and even projected growth models that would take care of scalability. Making a Data Center as efficient as possible is the key to controlling the costs within a Data Center. Data Infrastructure Management (DCIMs) not only allow for extensive and comprehensive planning but also comparison of projected and real environmental offsets. 

In my opinion this is the only way anyone should be building Data Centers today. The granularity of facility data produced through the monitoring of a live data center allows the user to make intelligent decisions about power and cooling costs as well as tracking projected hardware change impacts. In essence we are actually comparing Data Centers without DCIM and those with DCIM. I am a numbers guy and that is the way I make personal financial decisions, and would also make business decisions. Without monitoring where money is being spent and how much on what, there is no hope of realizing the full potential of cost savings which can be achieved by fine tuning and optimizing the Data Center.

Just like we have SMART phones, we need SMART Data Centers to support them and that means DCIM.

Written by: Edgar Schuchardt

Account  Manager at Datcom Inc.

For more information on DCIM products call 1-800-427-2055

A scalable testing platform for the future

 Softing's WireXpert 4500 is designed to certify high-performance cable systems that are used in enterprise networks and data centers. The intuitive, easy-to-use tool offers a testing range of 2,5 GHz that enables installers to perform certification tests up-to CAT8 copper cabling, as well as MPO, SM and MM fiber optic cabling.

Currently it is the only certifier supporting all data center, premise cabling and industrial Ethernet requirements and is approved by over 20 manufacturers worldwide. Softing; the manufacturer, is a spin-off company that originally made the Wirescope/HP/Agilent tester which we have used for years in house and recommend to all of our certified clients.

As with the majority of our vendors we decided to go with the leaders in the industry and it paid off. This unit provided software and hardware upgrades which were free and a life span far outlasted other testers in the industry. The reason behind their success is that the tester was made as a platform which allowed them to upgrade over the web as time went on and as new standards entered the market place.

The upfront cost of the unit was more than their competitors; however, looking back over the lifespan (2004) we got a better unit upfront and didn't have to upgrade 3-4 times as the others have. So it worked out that we paid less over the long run for a better solution.

Here are 10 reasons you should be interested in the WireXpert:

1.    It is the first Category 8, 40Gig tester and beyond for enterprise networks and Data Centers and is consider to be the Best-in-Class Cable Certifier.

2.    Major Cable manufacturers are using it in the verification of the Category 8 cable systems currently under development. Assuring you of testing performance that is industry attested.

3.    It supports certification up to 2500MHz to meet TIA Cat8 and ISO Class I & II draft standards and other emerging applications.

4.    Currently it boasts the fastest Cat6A auto-testing in the market place with a 9sec performance which will save you time on site.

5.    The unit has been independently verified by ETL ensuring unparalleled accuracy.

6.    WireXpert has been endorsed by over 20 cable companies worldwide indicating the industries adoption and approval.

7.    The unit is also field upgradeable allowing for next generation applications and extended fiber optic testing including encircled flux compliancy.

8.    It is the first to support MPO testing to support Data Center applications and certification.

9.    Along with performance the WireXpert provides for advanced reporting and documentation for Manufacturer warranty programs.

10.  The unique Dual Control System allows the user to perform testing with both the remote or local units.

If you are testing 10 Gb/s cabling, WireXpert is the clear choice. If you are thinking beyond 10G, WireXpert is the only choice. Built on a future proof, scalable measurement engine, WireXpert protects your investment in test equipment as the data rates supported by the cabling systems increase. WireXpert employs a novel measurement architecture that achieves extremely wide bandwidth with superior measurement accuracy. Its unique RF measurement engine exceeds level IV and level V requirements throughout the measurement frequency range.

Written by: Edgar Schuchardt

Account  Manager at Datcom Inc.

For more information on the WireXpert call 1-800-427-2055.

You can also visit the WireXpert product page to see the product in action.

10 Advantages of WBT Shaped Cable Tray

Just like highways support cars and traffic, management trays are designed to support communication cables. As the condition of the road affects the traverse of our vehicles, so too does the quality and design of the tray affect the performance of our cables. 

Cost is one of the biggest considerations in any structured cabling installation and must be weighed against the quality of any individual component. In the case of cable tray here are 10 advantages and benefits associated with the use of WBT Shaped cable tray.

1.    WBT shaped tray has flat rungs.

By flattening their cable tray rungs WBT has increased the surface area of support by about 400%. This means that the stress and pressure points placed on the cables will be less than when using round rung trays.

2.    WBT uses T-welds on their trays.

Unlike other trays all of WBTs trays come with a T-Weld edgewire. This insures safety for both the installer and the cabling from any sharp edges.

3.    WBT is Eco-friendly and uses 100% recycled content.

As a member of the US Green Building Council, WBT is proud to contribute to environmental responsible corporate business practices. Now more than ever Data Centers are looking to minimize their impact on the environment by sourcing products that will help with LEED credits and WBT’s tray systems do.

4.    WBT trays are available in many colours.

Both architects and engineers are incorporating painted tray as part of the design elements within a building’s interior. WBT’s Architectural Series of painted tray is perfect if you are looking for a way to distinguish or identify different network cabling runs or simply supply an ascetically pleasing product.

5.    WBT painted trays are UL & cUL certified.

With WBT there is no need to remove any paint during the installation. Most other manufacturers don’t have this capability, and the installer is left to field remove the paint at splice points in order to properly ground the tray.

6.    WBT has great lead times.

Because Datcom maintains inventory in Canada on most tray sizes and accessories, standard inquiries can often be supported in hours, not weeks. WBT’s manufacturing plant and stock is based in Illinois and larger projects are turned around quickly.

7.    WBT is available in various sizes.

Because WBT has various width and depth options, this means that you can get the right size for your job every time while maintaining a control on budget.

8.    WBT has a configurator to shape your tray at the factory.

The configurator is a machine designed to quickly shape bends without the need for cutting the tray which maintains UL certification and saves the installer time on the job site.

9.    WBT has easy to install preformed fittings.

These fittings allow the installer to avoid cutting on site and keep things clean, quick and easy.

10.  WBT has no-splice supports.

These supports allow for quick and easy joining and supporting as well as helps cut down on the number of required supports per straight section.

Unlike the traditional, rounded cable tray offered by other manufacturers, WBT brings to the table a suite of industry changing products & features that maximize your wire tray performance.  If you are installing category cabling or optical fiber, WBT’s high performance patented shaped cable tray is the ONLY tray system you should be using. Its ‘no cost’ insurance, to ensure that your cabling will provide the speed it was designed to.

Written by: Edgar Schuchardt

Account  Manager at Datcom Inc.

For more information on WBT products call 1-800-427-2055.

You can also visit the WBT YouTube page to see the product in action.