Networks
Moving or fitting out an office in Cayman? Plan your cabling first
Cabling is the one part of an office move that’s hard and expensive to change once the walls are closed. Here’s what to plan, and when to get your IT and cabling team involved.
By the CNS team · · 4 min read
Key takeaways
- Involve your cabling and IT team at the design stage, before walls and ceilings go up.
- Plan more network points than you think you need. Adding them later costs far more.
- Give your comms room power protection, cooling and security, especially in hurricane season.
- Insist on labelled, tested cabling with written test results.
Get involved early
The cheapest time to install network cabling is when the walls are open. Bring your cabling contractor and IT provider into the conversation with your architect and fit-out contractor at the design stage. That way, cable routes, containment, power and the comms room are designed in rather than squeezed in afterwards.
How many network points?
Wi-Fi handles most laptops and phones, but wired connections are still best for desks, printers, phones, CCTV cameras, access control and Wi-Fi access points themselves. As a rule of thumb, plan two data points per desk, points for every printer and screen, and ceiling points for access points and cameras. Spare capacity now is far cheaper than a return visit.
Cable type and standards
- Category 6 or 6A copper for desks and access points, installed to ANSI/TIA-568 standards.
- Fibre between floors, buildings or comms rooms, ideally fusion-spliced for the lowest loss.
- Proper containment: trays, conduit and separation from electrical cables.
- Labelling at both ends, matching a floor plan you keep.
- Testing of every run with a certification tester, with results handed over.
The comms room
Your comms room or cabinet holds the switches, firewall and internet equipment everything depends on. Give it a lockable door, dedicated power circuits, a UPS for clean power and short outages, and enough cooling. In Cayman, also think about flood risk and keep it off the ground floor if you can.
Internet and phones
Order internet connections early, as installation lead times vary. A second connection from a different provider gives automatic failover if one goes down. If you’re moving to Teams Phone or VoIP at the same time, plan numbers and porting alongside the move.
How CNS can help
Our in-house cabling team has fitted out offices, hotels, schools and campus links across Cayman since 1997. We design the network, install and test the cabling, set up Wi-Fi and the comms room, and move your IT over, often outside business hours so your team isn’t disrupted.
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