Your Cabling and Wiring Project Budget

While working within a budget is certainly something one should consider, it must be understood that the difference in costs between Cat5e, Cat6 and optical fiber is insignificant compared to the costs involved in not using the correct conveyance media for current and future network requirements. The old adage that “it’s better to do it right the first time” certainly holds true when planning your network infrastructure. Not doing it right the first time could cost your company far more than it saved by choosing an older technology or less expensive conveyance media, not to mention that not choosing the correct media could cripple a network and bring about the wrath of it’s users. Because of this, current and future bandwidth requirements, as well as an understanding of your network environment should play a far more important role than cost in determining which type of cabling is best suited for your needs.