Cabling & Network · Durham Region
Structured cabling that you can still work on in five years
Cabling is the one part of your network nobody sees and everybody depends on. We design it properly, label every drop, dress the rack, and continuity test every run before we call it finished.
At a glance
- Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a copper
- New builds and retrofits
- Labelled and continuity tested as standard
- Certification testing available as an add-on
Why the cable plant decides everything above it
Switches get replaced. Access points get replaced. The cable in the walls stays for fifteen years, and every problem above it inherits whatever was done down there. A network that drops one workstation every afternoon is almost never a switch fault — it's a run that was kinked around a corner, terminated against the punch-down standard, or never tested at all.
We install to spec and prove it. Bend radius respected, pairs kept twisted to the termination, separation maintained from fluorescent ballasts and mains runs. Then every drop is tested to its category and you receive the report.
What's included, and what costs extra
We'd rather be straight about this than let you assume. Three things are included on every job, at no extra cost, because we don't think an install is finished without them:
Labelling at both ends. Patch panel ports and wall plates marked to match. This is basic practice, not a premium — any installer who treats it as an extra is charging you for doing the job properly.
Continuity and wire-map testing on every run. This confirms each pair is landed on the right pin at both ends and nothing is open, shorted, split or reversed. It's what guarantees the run actually works, and it's non-negotiable on our jobs.
A rack you can work in. Runs combed, tied and routed so the next person isn't afraid to touch anything.
Where qualification and certification testing come in
Continuity testing proves a run is wired correctly. It does not prove the run will carry 10 Gigabit over its full length, and it isn't a compliance document. Those are separate tests, and we price them separately because most jobs genuinely don't need them.
Qualification testing confirms a run will support a given speed — 1G, 2.5G or 10G. Worth buying when you're pushing an existing cable plant harder than it was installed for, or troubleshooting intermittent faults.
Certification testing measures the run against the full TIA category standard on every pair, at every frequency in the band, and produces a signed pass/fail report with the margins shown. Worth buying when a manufacturer warranty depends on it, a landlord or consultant requires it, or you're handing a building over to somebody else.
If neither applies to your job, we'll say so rather than sell it to you.
Documentation scales with the project
Small jobs get a labelled panel and a port list. That's proportionate — nobody needs a drawing set for eight drops.
Larger projects get a full label schedule and as-built drawings, quoted as part of the project. If you want them on a smaller job, ask and we'll price it — we just don't pretend it's free.
What's included
What you get
- Site survey & drop count — Included — we walk the space, count drops and check pathways before quoting.
- Cat6 / Cat6a copper — Included — solid-core plenum or riser rated to suit the building.
- Terminations & patch panels — Included — punched to standard, wall plates and panel labelled to match.
- Labelling at both ends — Included on every job. Basic practice, never an extra.
- Continuity & wire-map testing — Included on every run — proves each pair lands correctly and the run works.
- Rack dress & cable management — Included — runs combed, tied and routed so future work stays possible.
- Qualification testing — Add-on. Confirms a run will carry 1G, 2.5G or 10G.
- Certification testing — Add-on. Full TIA category test per pair with a signed report — for warranties and compliance.
- Label schedule & as-builts — Larger projects, or quoted separately on request.
How it runs
The process, start to finish
Every job follows the same shape, so you always know where you are in it.
Site survey
We walk the building, count drops, check pathways, ceiling access and rack location.
Quote & scope sign-off
Fixed scope and price. You approve before anything is ordered.
Material staging
Cable, panels, plates and hardware ordered and staged.
Pull & terminate
Runs pulled, dressed, terminated at both ends.
Rack dress & label
Panel populated, runs combed, both ends labelled.
Continuity test
Every run wire-map tested. Any fault re-terminated and re-tested before we move on.
Certify (if purchased)
Qualification or certification testing run and the report produced, where it's been quoted.
Hand-over
Port list handed over — plus label schedule and as-builts on larger projects. Sign-off.
Want this scoped for your site?
Tell us the building and what you're trying to achieve. We'll tell you what it takes — and whether you actually need it.
Common questions
Before you call
What's the difference between Cat6 and Cat6a?
Cat6 handles 10 Gigabit over shorter distances; Cat6a is rated for 10 Gigabit across a full 100 m run and has more protection against crosstalk between adjacent cables. For most offices Cat6 is enough. For dense runs, longer distances, or if you want the cabling to outlast two more switch refreshes, Cat6a is the safer buy.
Can you work around our business hours?
Yes. Most commercial cabling we do is evenings and weekends specifically so nobody is working under a ladder. We agree the window before we start.
Do we get proof the cabling works?
Every run is continuity and wire-map tested as standard, and we'll show you the results — that proves each run is wired correctly end to end. If you need proof it meets the full category standard (for a manufacturer warranty, a landlord, or a consultant), that's certification testing and we quote it as an add-on. We'll tell you honestly whether your job needs it.
Is certification testing worth paying for?
Often not. For a straightforward office running Gigabit, continuity testing is enough and certification is money you don't need to spend. It's worth it when a manufacturer warranty depends on it, when someone else is requiring it in writing, or when you're pushing an older cable plant to 10G and need to know what it will actually carry.
Can you add to cabling somebody else installed?
Usually. We'll test what's there first so we know what we're joining onto, and tell you honestly if a section is better re-run than extended.
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