West Penn Wire Blog

When a new installation is taking place or an update is needed, some potential mistakes may be overlooked. Often, trying to get a project done as easy and cost-effective as you can, can sometimes a few areas may be overlooked. If a project is rushed and not properly planned from the beginning that could result in a company facing hidden costs and slower network performance.

Topics: Low Voltage Cables, networking, network

This year's winter weather has been far from pleasant from coast-to-coast thus far. With the polar vortex that took place in January and high speed winds, there have been many power outages, cabling issues and more. With frigid temperatures and a record low of -50 degrees in certain parts of the country, how does this affect our cabling, especially fiber optic cable?

Topics: Fiber Optic Cable, Fiber Optics, Fiber, Fiber Optic

AV/IP stands for Audio-Visual over Internet Protocol. This translates to the communication of AV over an Internet, LAN or WAN network. It’s replacing traditional circuit-based AV infrastructures with packet-based Internet-Protocol or IP-based streaming infrastructures, while preserving the very best image and sound quality over greater distances. It differs from the existing AV systems because it streamlines the infrastructure.  In this article we will be going over the benefits of switching to an AV/IP system has they begin to merge into one. 

 

 

Topics: Category 6A Cable, IT Systems, ethernet, Category 5e, AV, AV/IP Systems, Category 6 Cable

When installing or looking to update any cable system it is important to understand what is being used to simplify the project. With the launch of a new line of branded West Penn Wire networking accessories, it's important to understand the basics of cabling within a networking system or infrastructure.

Topics: Category Cable, Connector, networking, network, accessories

This year marks the first year that West Penn Wire published blog posts on a regular basis, a total of 20 blogs this year ranging from basic cable information to systems with greater detail.

Topics: Category Cable, Category 6A Cable, Fiber Optic Cable, Fiber Optics, Copper Cable, Armored Fiber Optics, Fiber Optic, fire alarm, fire alarm systems, fire detection systems

There are many different types of cables, designs and purposes. In this article, we will be breaking down the comparison between twisted pairs and braided (coax) cables and how they provide connections and how they are different for a network. Data or information, is essentially carried through cables and connectors to provide the proper connection. Each cable has different features and reduce that possibly for interference. 

Topics: coax cable, networking, network

Although wire and cable are referred to as the same thing, they are different with separate characteristics. Both wire and cable are used in the communication and security world, and are designed to carry a message from one point to another. So what are the differences between the two?

Topics: Low Voltage Cables, Fiber Optic, cable construction, coaxial cables

 LEDs have become increasingly popular and it's easy to see why since they offer many benefits over traditional lighting. They have greater lifespans, use less energy, safer alternatives and much more! The following are seven advantages to consider when switching to LED lighting:

Topics: Low Voltage Cables, LED Cables, Lighting, LED Lighting

Category cable or, Networking cable, is essential for networking or multimedia installations in projects such as higher education, government, corporate, conference rooms, healthcare, houses of worship, digital signage, hospitality and large venue applications. This article will go over the most common and different types of category cables.

Topics: Low Voltage Cables, Category 7 Cable, Category Cable, Cat7, Category 6A Cable, networking, Category 5e

There has been a big change in the AV industry from the standard coax cables to networking cable solutions, known as category cables. Although Category 5 cables are still heavily used, many growing businesses are looking into faster solutions with Cat 6, Cat 6A Cat 7 and Fiber Optic cabling.

In this article, we will compare the differences between Cat 6, Cat 6A and Fiber Optic cable so that you can best decide what will suit your customers and business in the evolving AV industry.

Topics: Category Cable, Category 6A Cable, Fiber Optic Cable, Fiber Optics, Fiber