Network Communications News (NCN) November 2016 | Page 33

Quality Essential Distribution

ADVERTORIAL

Mixing transmissions?
Mixing different types of infrastructure is
not a dark art, but there are always pros
and cons to each transmission type.
For example, fibre can extend
transmission distances vastly and is not
prone to interference or information
being accessed without authorisation.
Yet fibre requires expensive specialist
termination and cannot support PoE.
Copper, on the other hand, is fibre’s polar
opposite but transmission distances
are limited to 90m (without the use of
additional equipment). Wireless solutions
cannot support PoE but can extend
transmission distances many kilometres
and come into play when the cost or
other constraints make physical hard
wiring impractical. Wireless solutions,
however, bring many more environmental
considerations than other formats.
With an understanding of transmission
types and limitations, you can deploy a
trouble-free multi-transmission network.
But because many suppliers only deal
with one or two types, single sourcing
can be time consuming. It can also create
technical support issues, with potential
for finger pointing (“It’s not our part
of the network, it’s theirs”) and limited
evidence to help you tell fact from fiction.

Integrating everything

PoE pitfalls
The growing use of Power over Ethernet
(PoE) devices has created another
pitfall: the lack of understanding
of wattage requirements against
budgeted supply. Mainly a result of
manufacturers’ classification against
standards, budgets can easily rise
beyond expectation when unexamined,
rendering features unusable.
If a manufacturer has failed to
classify its product correctly, the
network switch will give the maximum
PoE budget available from that port
rather than the required wattage as
stated in the technical specification
because the switch cannot identify the
item’s correct classification.

With the evolution of remote access
and smart phone/tablet apps the
demand for integration is a growing
market. The ability to place everything
– from internet access to streaming
surveillance video, unlocking doors to
home automation - at the touch of a
button or the swipe of a screen is an
essential requirement for the modern
day network. These solutions sometimes
require specialist equipment - especially
when high bandwidth applications are
required in cases where physical hard
wiring is not an option. By integrating
various technologies to achieve these
solutions, single sourcing becomes a
much harder task.
Multi-manufacturer networks can be a
cost effective way to meet your application
demands without compromising on
features. Yet this type of solution can
also be prone to issues due to the
increased risk of non-compatibility or
incorrect deployment. Dealing with
different manufacturers and sources can
be time consuming, making diagnostics
and fault finding difficult. Sourcing
from a single distributor removes these
headaches because the complete
infrastructure and hardware solution
design is tailored for compatibility.

Built for tomorrow
The benefit of choosing a complete
application solution is clearest when
looking ahead. Expansion should be
an integral part of the flexibility of any
network, whenever that expansion is
deployed. A single solution makes that
expansion simpler, protecting your
investment for longer.

About Quality Essential Distribution Ltd
As a single source distributor of technology security
solutions, Quality Essential Distribution Ltd supplies
everything from your first fix infrastructure to the second
fix of network hardware. With over 10,000 products in
stock for next day delivery, advice you can trust and expert
support from our in-house technical team, we help make
security simpler, more effective and more affordable.

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01/11/2016 14:43