The Difference Between Backbone And Horizontal Cabling

For the casual observer it’s easy to dismiss the nuanced structure of a data network. The cables bring internet in from the internet service provider (ISP) and deliver it to the individual workstations or the wifi routers that service each floor. For the IT professionals responsible for building and maintaining the network, the nuances are critical.

The difference between backbone cabling and horizontal cabling is one such difference. The two categories seem superficially identical and often use the same types of structured cabling. Perhaps it’s as simple as saying that backbone cabling runs vertically (similar to a human backbone) through a building and horizontal cabling runs… horizontally through individual floors. And that’s where the details really matter.

As with human anatomy, you can break a data network into broad sections and as you examine closer, the details grow vastly more complex.

In order to understand what makes backbone cabling different from horizontal cabling, it’s enough to examine the anatomy of a data network in broad categories.

This is where the primary data “pipe” from your ISP enters the building. You may have multiple equipment rooms in a given building or campus, but the one where your network interfaces with the worldwide web is where all other connections emanate from.

Backbone cabling connects your ISP to your equipment room and then runs throughout the building to service other subsequent telecommunication rooms. It commonly passes between floors and is subject to additional installation regulations to ensure optimal performance and hazard resistance.

While smaller businesses and buildings may only require a single telecommunications room or closet, for buildings with large floor plans or multiple stories, numerous telecommunications rooms are necessary. These rooms service the network on each floor or area vial horizontal cabling.

Horizontal cabling emanates from individual telecommunications rooms to service work areas on a single floor.

These are the connection components that allow individual users to connect to the horizontal cabling that services the floor. It may look like ethernet outlets embedded in cubicles or wife routers and wifi mesh points.

Although the term “backbone” hints at a hard, skeletal structure, the reality is that backbone cabling behaves more like the primary arteries in a human vascular system. They carry the greatest load and service other smaller branches, much the way that the arms, legs, and head each have their own primary artery that is responsible for pumping blood to that area.

And while backbone cabling may connect telecommunications rooms at the same elevation, backbone cabling is the recommended way to connect telecommunication rooms on separate floors of a building. As such it requires specialized cable management supports and fire protection.

Backbone cabling must perform at the highest possible level since it supports the entire network.

Horizontal cabling is equivalent to the smaller blood vessels the arms, legs, and head. Horizontal cabling emanates from the telecommunications room to deliver data to individual work areas or work stations. Aside from ceiling drops or floor risers, horizontal cabling runs primarily flat throughout the floor along a raceway or other cable support system.

While it’s possible to use the same structured cable throughout your building, there is good reason to blend fiber optic and copper cables to deliver optimal performance.

Thanks to the higher bandwidth of fiber optic cable, it can be a good idea to deploy it for all your backbone cabling needs.

CAT 6, 6a, or 8 cable offers an excellent balance of capacity and cost-effectiveness for horizontal cabling. While some IT professionals may object to laying slower cable (copper) after faster (fiber optic) cable, the reality is that doing is not only feasible, it’s practical and effective.

Whether your retrofitting an existing network or planning a network for new construction, the difference between backbone and horizontal cabling matters a great deal. The human body knows exactly how to layout the large and small arteries for the best performance. For IT professionals and architects, the challenge is one that is solved best by avoiding the temptation to underestimate the cable management needs of your project.

i.e.Smart Systems is a Houston, TX based technology integration partner that specializes in design and installation of audio/visual technology and structured cabling. For more than three decades, our team of in-house experts has partnered with business owners, architectural firms, general contractors, construction managers, real estate developers, and designers in the Houston market, to deliver reliable, scalable solutions that align with their unique goals.