Electricians and Network Cabling Specialists – What is the difference?
Why does it matter for your network if an Electrician or a low-voltage specialist installs it? We’ll explore this concept in the article below, and help you understand why it probably makes the most sense to work with a dedicated specialist.
An electrician specializes in installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical systems. These electrical systems consist of high-voltage components that generally offer a facility’s main power supply and distribution system. This ranges from a simple power outlet in the wall to powering up a large data center with multiple power sources, filled with redundancy.
Particularly in a commercial or enterprise setting, network cabling services are usually not done by Electricians, rather it is done by Low Voltage cable installers or technicians. Low voltage wiring is typically 50 volts or less and includes components of network cabling such as cat5, cat6, coax, telephone, and fiber optics. Network cabling professionals are a subset of electricians and specialize in the telecommunications and network engineering industry.Â
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Can Electricians Install Network Cabling?
Yes, electricians can install network cabling but more often than not, it’s far from preferable. Network cabling professionals have the knowledge and capabilities to install network cabling properly and to the highest standards. Electricians need to focus on power for a facility, while low-voltage cabling supports the physical layer of a network. A network cabling specialist can bring a lot of efficiency and nuance to the network infrastructure setup.Â
A vast majority of electricians don’t have a thorough enough understanding of how a network is laid out or what a network is meant for. As a network installer, we understand that a network is meant for various applications and most centrally: for devices to talk to one another. A network is built for connectivity and communication. Businesses rely heavily on network communications to perform some of their basic functions; including email, internet access, WiFi, phone calls, internal server access, cloud access, security cameras, POS, and more.
The improvements over the last couple of decades in technology have ensured that the list of critical business infrastructure that rides on a network is growing, and essentially never-ending. Because of this, it’s important that the physical network installation is done properly and that all components are installed accurately, to lower the amount of network outages and maximize efficiency. No one wants to deal with a network that is slow or has errors causing network users to be unhappy or worse, not be able to perform their job function.
Most importantly, the workflow for an electrician doesn’t maximize the documentation and planning aspects that the workflow of a network installer does. This can have dramatic positive impacts on your sustainability and network capabilities when scaling in the future, or when maintenance or issues do arise. And, in an increasingly connected world, you’re going to want to know that your network is robust and ready to be flexible as you grow.
Some of the specialized skills that come with being a network cabling installer are being able to terminate RJ45, punch down copper cabling, fiber splicing, cable management, rack installation, and wireless access point installation. Behind all skill sets is a huge understanding of why networks are installed the way they are; there is a theory behind the network topology. Being able to offer true redundancy to minimize network downtime is something most generalist electricians won’t understand.
Utilizing a proper network installation professional will leverage the underlying network understanding and will improve cost controls in the labor phase of the installation of a network project. It’s simply more efficient to use an installer that is dedicated to the specific practices and has the experience to install enterprise-grade networks. Â
Collaboration Between Electricians and Network Cabling Specialists
There are many times when electricians and network cabling professionals work together to install a network or security system. The two main areas that these trades work together are when an Individual Distribution Frame (IDF) is being installed and sometimes when the conduit is needed for the network cables.
An IDF can be a room within a facility, or sometimes it can be a wall-mounted rack in the corner of a warehouse about 20 feet in the air. A Low voltage professional and an electrician need to work together to get power to these IDFs. Most of the time network infrastructure is the last thing on a builder’s mind when a new facility is being erected. This seems unbelievable, as your human capital will be utilizing your network during most of their working hours in some form or another. Network planning and implementation are absolutely paramount to optimal performance by your people.
Because network infrastructure is almost always an afterthought in the building and implementation phases, this usually means that power for these IDFs is thought of at the last second as well. Electricians and low-voltage people must collaborate on important physical facilities projects because power is needed for each IDF. Most of the time electricians will run an extra power line to unique IDF locations.
Depending on the low-voltage contractor and the amount, the conduit can be an opportunity for collaboration. On some projects, the electrician installs all the conduits for the low-voltage contractor, while on other projects, the low-voltage contractor handles all of that work. This all depends on how the General Contractor wants to distribute the workload and what each subcontractor is willing to take on contractually.
How to Hire the Right Low Voltage Contractor for Network Cabling Installation?
There are several considerations when choosing a Low Voltage contractor. The first step is to determine your project requirements by talking to your IT team or other potential departments that will need network access. This sets the minimum parameters for your planning.
Consider a low-voltage contractor that specializes in commercial facilities and has a website that is updated regularly. If it seems like their website is stagnant, it’s probably an indicator of stagnancy in other aspects of their business as well. You want to see recent projects, service capabilities, and strong regard for continuing education and pushing into new innovative technologies.Â
Generally, if it makes sense, it is a preference to work with local companies. This is an important factor for two reasons. A lot of companies that have impressive online footprints are lead generation companies that then offload critical infrastructure projects onto lesser-skilled and lower-cost contractors that deliver subpar results for you. It’s important to vet a company on whether they meet your unique needs and have a history of delivering on promises – not a national lead generation company. These national low-voltage installation companies usually end up hiring a local company to do the work, allowing them to take a cut of the contract; removing the middleman will save a lot of money.
One of the best ways to determine whether you are at risk of doing business with a 3rd party lead-gen company is to ask where the company is located, and then ask what their contract and estimation process looks like. Confirming that the same company you reach out to is the company that delivers the project can help you get the best result. Ideally, your low-voltage partner is located within your city or has the ability to work in your area. Don’t hesitate to ask what their process is to work with them from the time the contract is signed to when the project is completed and for ongoing maintenance. If the company can give you satisfaction on those points, it’s generally going to lead to a better outcome.
Once narrowing down the search for the perfect Low Voltage Contractor, schedule a walk-through with each of the contractors. For big projects, we recommend 3 bids and a physical walk-through. If the company is unwilling to come out for a walk-through, it can be difficult for the contractor to deliver an accurate bid, unless they have a lot of information to reference. This is especially important because a contractor could underbid the project, and later try to increase the bid because of unexpected problems encountered on the job site. After all, a walk-through was not completed before the bid. This can be a big problem for clients that work to forecast how much the cost will be per project.
After the walk-through is complete, track how long it takes for the contractor to deliver the bid, was it a realistic time frame? This means it isn’t a boilerplate that takes a few hours, but also that it doesn’t take the contractor several weeks as well.
What was the communication like? You want a contractor that is highly responsive and doesn’t take days to return a phone call or email.
Within the bid, is there information regarding exactly what is being done and all network infrastructure requirements accounted for?
These are important questions to keep in mind when trying to determine the best low-voltage professional for your project.
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Should You Hire A Low Voltage Contractor or an Electrician For Network Cabling?
The best option is to hire a specialist low voltage contractor. They provide the knowledge and experience to install enterprise-level network infrastructure. Don’t take shortcuts and risk your entire project on critical network installation services. When there is a major problem, such as incompatibility or lack of planning, changes can become pricey. It’s also important to note that price may not be the biggest problem that needs fixing with a poor network installation, it can also lead to facility-wide outages lack of physical network flexibility, or nightmare maintenance.
If you have already hired an electrician for network cabling services and want a second opinion, Universal Fiber Optics offers low-voltage consulting to make sure your project is being installed properly. Most electricians know the concepts regarding network cabling, but they lack some of the nuanced experience and understanding of the topology, network infrastructure hardware, and the specifics of efficient network cabling installations that can save a lot of time and money.