Month: June 2018

Posted on by

Zxyel Network Switch Training – 28th June 2018

Empower your Expertise for the Internet World

Networking environments today have become more dynamic. AV and IT professionals cannot rely on being just ‘good enough’. Individuals and organizations need to be equipped with the right knowledge and skills to overcome any and all situations to keep ahead of the technology curve.

Zyxel’s Training Course ensures that AV and IT professionals are constantly learning about the cutting-edge of networking technology, and will be well-equipped with in-depth knowledge and pertinent skill-sets to deploy, maintain and improve their network’s performance.

Introduction to Zyxel and the switch range

  • Learn about the different switch ranges that Zyxel have to offer from the unmanaged to the full Layer 3 range.
  • Zyxel’s range of switches offer different PoE power budgets so how can we make the most of the available power budget and make sure that switch provides the correct power to the correct device.
  • 10Gig options that Zyxel offer to support your higher network throughput including stacking and what does this mean for your network design.
  • Understand the fibre connections and the different modules that Zyxel offer to interconnect your switches.

Technical setup of the switches

From the very basic environment to the complex, the Zyxel product range can handle all these requirements. Introduction to Zyxel configuration and the features that might be useful in your environments.

  • Look at different network designs and the pro’s and con’s in these environments.
  • VLAN – what are they and how can we use them to isolate and segregate a network.
  • Link aggregation – What is it and why should I use it?
  • Spanning Tree – Providing resilience in your network.
  • IGMP – What is Multicast, and how do we control it on the network?
  • Look at the Zyxel GUI, and how easy these features are to configure for any installer.

hugh-simpson-250x230px.jpg

 

 

Hugh Simpson – Head of Channel Pre Sales, Zyxel
Hugh has been with Zyxel for over 12 years, having started as the UK support manager. He then moved to run the European Customer Support Organisation and then into Presales focusing on the UK channel business. By being with Zyxel for over 12 years, Hugh has seen a wealth of change and experience in the organisation, products and features.

 

Cost:
The Zyxel Training Course is FREE OF CHARGE. We only ask that you commit to attending once you have signed up!

Time:
The Zyxel Training Courses begin at 10am and run until around 2:30pm.

Location:
TDI Tremiver Ltd, West Farm, Popham, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 3BH. (Click HERE to see us on Google Maps)

Contact:
To secure your place on any of our FREE training academies, please email links above or, alternatively, give us a call on 01256 397 770 to register.

Our close relationships with manufacturers enables us to offer bespoke training sessions. Give us a call to discuss your training requirements for course content, presentation style (classroom or hands on workshop), and location. We can tailor training to suit your needs.

If you would like to book on Zyxel Training, please click the following link – BOOK NOW

To view our range of Zyxel Network Solutions, please click HERE.

Posted on by

CAN A CAT6 CONNECTOR WORK ON A CAT5E CABLE?

If you’ve been running Ethernet cable or making patch cables for any length of time, you now have an assortment of RJ45 connectors and cable types representing the evolution of your network. You may be tempted to use what you have on hand to do your work, mixing and matching a bit. Visions haunt you of hunting through the cable jungle only to find that it was one of your cables that came loose, cable from connector, or even worse — looks just fine, but really isn’t making reliable contact. But is that just unnecessary worry?

It Just Might (Reliably) Work!

If you’re using Cat5e cable and all you have is newer Cat6 connectors, you may be all right. Generally, connectors may be backwards compatible with cable from older standards, but the reverse is not true — if you’re pulling Cat6 cable, time to update your Cat5e and older connector collection! There are some things to consider in proving that you’re using a workable combination of cable and connector, including a simple friction pull-test, cable and connector measurements, conductor fit and contact quality. There’s also the question of whether you’re already playing the odds with your cable quality.

Does It Hold Securely?

This is a simple test that determines whether the diameter of the cable is in the range which works with the Cat6 connector. This test ensures that the primary latch takes the strain of cable pull, rather than the conductors. Some Cat5e cables won’t be big enough for the latch to grab.

  1. Cut a 4 inch piece of cable
  2. Insert it into the connector
  3. Crimp the connector
  4. Tug and test the strain relief from the crimped cable

Do the Numbers Match?

Cat6 connectors are designed to accommodate much larger cable diameters than Cat5e, so most cables should fit — but check the numbers. For example, Cat6 EZ-RJ45 connectors from Platinum Tools use 0.275 inches as a maximum cable OD, which is plenty for a typical 0.205 diameter Cat5e cable. For these EZ-RJ45 connectors, individual insulated conductors must also be 0.041 inches or less to fit through the connector. Cat6 connectors are designed for 24 and 23 AWG conductor wire sizes, and less can be problematic. Most 24 AWG Cat5e cable should measure up, but depending on the source it sometimes it doesn’t, as mentioned below.

Will the Connections Work?

Conductor size determines whether the connection is going to be reliable or not. Although Cat6 solid conductor cables usually contain 23 AWG wire, Cat5e cables with 24 AWG conductors should seat and connect properly in the Cat6 connector. Conductors on the small side which worked for Cat5e may float or shift in the connector channels. This can cause problems ranging from an obvious open circuit to failure during certification. Ongoing issues from unreliable and incomplete surface contact may also occur.

Where Did You Get That Cable?

The volume of cable that installations use can tempt the use of questionable cable, often unknowingly. Purchasing can find a great price that appears to meet specs, but fails in the field. Cable such as “offshore deals” (some have other, more colorful names for it) can have marginal performance and quality. Marginal wire sizes, in particular, can produce intermittent or failed conductivity in Cat6 connectors, and PoE heat problems.

Once you do your homework, using those spools of Cat5e cable with new Cat6 connectors is a pretty safe way to keep moving forward with your network installations. Remember to check that the strain relief is from crimping the cable jacket, protecting the conductors, and that your conductors are seating securely in their channels for reliable connections at any speed, and in any rated conditions!

Check out the tutorial video below