The Truth About Twisted Pair Patch Cords Take 2

As I mentioned in the previous blog, the interest in patch cord testing caught my attention.  I picked up some cords from local distributors, got a DTX CableAnalyzer a couple of sets of patch cord adapters, and hit the lab for a couple of hours.  My goal was to take a crack at some of the myths about patch cords: 

-  There isn’t really that big of a difference between cords.
-  Offshore manufacturing produces bad cords.
-  If the jacket says Category 6 isn’t that sufficient?
-  I shouldn’t have to check to ensure that  “well-recognized” manufacturers sent me good cords.
-  I don’t need to test patch cords in the field because they do it at the factory.
-  A channel test adequate to test patch cords.
-  Won’t  a good link compensate for poor patch cords?
-  There isn’t even a standard for testing patch cords? 
-  My customer says that they’ll procure the cords themselves. There is nothing I can do about it.

I presented a lot of the data from my lab session in a recent webcast. To see the recorded version of the webcast, visit the following link:  http://flukenetworks.adobeconnect.com/patchcord/  It was interesting, but really confirmed what I already knew. Compliant cabling products are necessary to produce network cabling systems that meet the performance standards and operational requirements for network technologies. Cabling infrastructure is a sum of all the parts and field testing certifies that the cabling will adequately perform.  Together, the components and the installation practices determine the performance of the cabling. Permanent link, patch cords, and Channel are a exemplified here.  If an element of the system is overlooked it can cause problems. The most overlooked component is often the patch cord.