Q&A with CommScope®
The fine folks over at CommScope® were our guests at a recent Lunch & Learn event where Jarred Baker, infrastructure SE, and sales director Matt Towles provided the latest and greatest on:
- CommScope small diameter Cat 6A cable
- New universal SMB (surface mount box) — fits SL Series, Keystone, and M Series jacks
- EPX (fiber terminated panels)
- Propel for data centers
The session was pretty lively — especially during the Q&A session. Below are a few highlights:
Q: Is the new CommScope Universal Surface Mount Box Plenum rated?
Answer – Yes! Not only are these SMBs universal (fit M-series, SL series and keystone jacks) but each model is rated for use in the plenum space so you can install them anywhere in the building. This is truly unique to the industry.
Q: Do the new Mino patch cords handle POE/POE+?
Answer – Yes, they sure do! In fact, they go beyond what the standards call for and provide additional distance support. That shouldn’t surprise anyone who has experienced CommScope solutions in the past. They always excel!
Q: Does CommScope offer a deeper version of their horizontal cable manager series (HTK series)?
Answer – Unfortunately, no. The HTK series is available in single-sided or double-sided models with a depth of 5.5” from the front cover to the rack.
This question does highlight the growing congestion of patch cables, which leads to two issues to consider:
- Moving the vertical managers to the rear-most mounting position on the rack can provide more room to enter/exit the horizontal managers.
- MiNo patch cords will take a fraction of the space traditional cords consume. Changing over to MiNo cords doesn’t need to be painful; gain space simply by beginning to use them now. Eventually, you’ll have the whole rack converted.
Q: When using the POE extenders in a powered fiber cabling system what distance is supported from the extender port to the IP device?
Answer – CommScope supports 100 meters from the extender to the IP device on solid conductor Cat6 cable or up to 70 meters if using stranded patch cables.
Q: What polarity is used on the CommScope Propel fiber system?
Answer – Enhanced Method B is used on all Propel components. It provides correct connectivity without any special items. So, there’s no need to remember to order special items regardless of which end you’re working on. Literally, just plug it in and go… really fast!