Wiring companies......

TechBoy22

Im just looking for some opinions.

I was driving the other day and most of the time when I notice work vans, I always check for the company name and what type of company it is. I noticed a Wiring company that does voice data video.

I was wondering, would it help me to get a job with such a company in the long run for when I get a job with networking?

My goal is to become a network technician or admin one day and after i take my Net+ test within a year I would like to go for my CCNA. Im def going the Cisco route.

Would cabeling give me good training in a sense that it will help me with network installations one day? Ive done cabeling once before for data and voice, but at the time I was only 19 and it lasted 2 weeks. Ive ran cables and terminated them ona punch down block as well.

If anyone knows also, how much do those type of people make for running cable installs? Thanks for the help.

dynamik

What are you currently doing?

TechBoy22

Im currently a cargo supervisor at an airport =/

blargoe

Well cabling is a notch better than cargo supervisor if you're trying to get into networking. Actually, you might be surprised how many certified network people don't know how to properly run and terminate cable.

dtlokee

blargoe wrote:

Actually, you might be surprised how many certified network people don't know how to properly run and terminate cable.

To add to that, you'd be surprised how many network people don't know that the installation of data cabling requires compliance with the national electrical code. Yeah it's not just throwing a piece of wire in a ceiling.

I'm not implying that is what anyone here has done but I have seen some really awful installs that broke all the rules, done by the local admin on a Saturday afternoon.

There is a reason that firewall is there, and I am not talking about the kind of firewall you install in a rack.

Installing data cabling in the 90's is what made me decide to get into networking in the first place. Not really that it helped but seeing all thos server admins sitting about talking about how much they make convinced me that is what I should do.

TechBoy22

so I take it that working or applying for a wiring job would do some good.....It would be perfect to, because the company I found is about 5 blocks from my house.

EJizzel

Im also interested in learning cabling and have looked into a local community college to take a course. Has anyone heard of the Panduit Authorized Installer (PAI) certification? The course is supposed to get you ready to take the cert. I would like to think that this will be a great way to get into networking and at the same time possibly some side contract work.

LBC90805

Running wires and terminating them gets old in about three minutes.

Its fine to know the technology and practices when it comes to voice and data cabling; will make you a better tech/admin/engineer in the long run. But when it comes to brass tax, its not necessary. First thing I would do if I need a cable installed would be to call an installer/vendor; like AVAYA. Want that bad boy to be certified, especially if you have the means to fund and support such installations! Last thing I want to do is fart around with trouble shooting layer one issues when you can have the company that installed it, AVAYA, TELCO et al do it for you.

blargoe

That's a good point... I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not a wiring expert and would like to have a better understanding of required practices and regulations; but in the scheme of things it wouldn't add a lot of value to my overall profile. It's probably always going to be cheaper for me to just contract it out.

brad-

Unless you have a contact somewhere, I'm not certain that cabling will necessarily lead to a tech job. When we have lines added or work done on the T1's, the guys that come out arent someone I would want around anything important.

If you're a supervisor now, I think supervisory experience is better than running and terminating cables. I'd say look past cabling unless you just want to do it.

t49

EJizzel wrote:

Im also interested in learning cabling and have looked into a local community college to take a course. Has anyone heard of the Panduit Authorized Installer (PAI) certification? The course is supposed to get you ready to take the cert. I would like to think that this will be a great way to get into networking and at the same time possibly some side contract work.

There are many cable certification courses for installers. Courses that are vender specfic (Panduit, Systimax, Ortronics) only teach you how to use and install their products/equipment.

https://www.bicsi.org/installation_program.aspx This is where you want to go to become a certified cable installer. But the best way to learn cabling is on the job.

You can also google different wiring codes (A code and B code etc) and technologies and cable types, such as gigbit ethernet 10gigabit ethernet cat5 (do not use throw away NOW) cat5e, cat6a.

oo_snoopy

blargoe wrote:

Well cabling is a notch better than cargo supervisor if you're trying to get into networking. Actually, you might be surprised how many certified network people don't know how to properly run and terminate cable.

And I think most of us are perfectly happy with that. I want no business pulling cables.

LarryDaMan

oo_snoopy wrote:

blargoe wrote:

Well cabling is a notch better than cargo supervisor if you're trying to get into networking. Actually, you might be surprised how many certified network people don't know how to properly run and terminate cable.

And I think most of us are perfectly happy with that. I want no business pulling cables.

+1

It used to take great skill to work with fiber, but even that has become somewhat menial with all of the easy to use splicing and joining tools out there.

I appreciate cable pullers, but I don't ever want to be one.

Kalabin

Personally I think getting some wiring experience is a good thing. I worked in Tech Support for a couple year's and then switched to the trade side. Mind you I have run a lot of Cat5, Fiber, Coax, 25 pair, 50 pair cabling etc. But you also can exposure to the technical side of the wiring. Understanding attenuation, loop lengths, capacity, induced voltage etc and how it might affect a network.

Not all wiring jobs are just pulling Cat 5 and terminating them in a patch panel or 66 / 110 block. There's quiet a few companies out there that pull the cable, terminate, install the equipment, turn up and certify all work done. It just takes a while to get moved into that position, seeing as how most guys do just pull the copper and that's a good enough job for them. But with enough motivation you can get some great experience.

Eventually I plan to head back to the IT side and go for a Network Analyst / Admin position. But right now I just enjoy the exposure im getting on the edge side of networks.