Independent Field Verification Program

Independent Field Verification Program

What is the ITS/ETL Independent Field Verification Program? An independent verification of your installed structured-cabling system for compliance with the TIA/EIA-568-A/TSB67 requirements and other bid specifications pertaining to your structured-cabling system.

The ITS/ETL field verification program was featured in the April, 1998 issue of Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine. Brian Ensign, ITS/ETL (left) and Dennis Mazaris, PerfectSite.

Click here to view the presentation
that was given at the recent BICSI Annual Cabling Workshop.

Press
Release

An Interview with Don Nicholson,
ITS/ETL Field Verification Manager

August 1999
Structured Cabling
Magazine

How to improve your quality through third-party testing

Who is ITS/ETL?
Intertek Testing Services (ITS) is the largest certification and testing organization in the world, with more than 2 million annual inspections, certifications, and tests worldwide and is an OSHA-accredited, nationally recognized testing laboratory. Last year's earning were reported at more than $600 million.

ETL is part of the performance division of ITS specializing in testing and/or administration of third-party certification programs. ETL is nationally recognized in the structured-cabling industry for its "ETL Cable Verification Program." You will typically notice the mark of "ETL Verified" on the outer jacket of high-performance LAN cables.

What is a field verification partner (FVP)?
To implement this program cost effectively and provide local services to you anywhere in the country, the ITS/ETL field verification program is made up of a team, strategically chosen as highly qualified independent firms in the structured-cabling industry. These firms are with staffed with Registered Communications Distribution Designers (RCDDs), independent to the cabling installation and manufacturing process.

Field Verification Partner Application

Field Verification Coordinator

PerfectSite helped launch the program at BICSI world headquarters and is the Field Verification Coordinator. PerfectSite provides quality assurance to the independent verification of your SCS project by reviewing all documentation and discussing technical aspects of the system with each field verification partner prior to ITS/ETL approval. PerfectSite also assists in the coordination and selection processing of each field verification partner.

Don Nicholson (ETL program manager) presents Jay Warmke (BICSI executive director) the ETL plaque that signifies that BICSI has been independently verified by ETL to the TIA/EIA-568-A/TSB67 standard.

Click here to visit the website.

Sample language for contract document.

Why have your structured-cabling system independently verified?
Cabling contractors typically have concurrent installations.
In this fast-paced industry, cabling contractors are continuously put under tremendous pressure from numerous concurrent jobs. You don't want to have your job put anywhere else but the top of the list for skilled labor and quality workmanship. By having an ITS/ETL Field Verification Partner to institute the program of independent verification at your installation site, you will be surprised how fast your job moves to the top of that contractor's priority list. The quality of workmanship increases dramatically because the contractor is aware that an expert in structured-cabling systems, independent of the installation team, is inspecting, testing, and reporting on the work.

Resource Allocation without
Independent Verification

Resource Allocation with
Independent Verification

The "Low Bid"
Most federal, state, and local governmental agencies have procurement requirements which mandate that the lowest compliant bidder receives the award. Into what position does this put the end-user of the structured-cabling system? The end-user is left with an unknown installation contractor who hasn't earned trust; and, at the end of the job, the end-user often finds out why the contractor was the cheapest. When industry standards are not met and the network is in jeopardy, to whom does an end-user turn?

Having an ITS/ETL Field Verification Partner on your side provides the assurance that an independent, experienced team will be verifying the installation for compliance to the TIA/EIA-568-A standard. When you specify in your request for proposal (RFP) that an "ITS/ETL field verification partner will independently verify the installation for compliance to the TIA/EIA-568-A standard," you can be sure that there will be a thought-out response to your proposal from the installation contractor. They will be aware at the bidding stage that an ITS/ETL Field Verification Partner will be verifying the installation for compliance.

Do you know if your cabling system will work with Gigabit Ethernet? Will you have to re-certify your Structured Cabling System?
Typically end-users gets their structured-cabling system certified from the installation contractor who installed the job. This is usually incorporated into the cost of installation. To keep cost down, but still be within the TIA/EIA-568-A/TSB67 standard, the contractor will test the installed cabling by using the autotest function for a basic (TSB67) link configuration which only test four parameters: NEXT, Attenuation, Wire Map, and Length.

Gigabit Ethernet requires additional parameters which will be incorporated into an addendum or a TSB in the 568-A later this year (1998) including: Return Loss, ELFEXT, and Delay Skew, which are becoming available in field test instruments and should be tested on your existing Category 5 and proposed 5E cabling system. If problems occur due to the inability of your cabling system to comply with Gigabit Ethernet (see Gigabit Ethernet below) you will be prepared to react before implementation.

WireScope 155

Click on Scope icon for details on:

Gigabit Ethernet

Issues in Copper Cable Testing

Issues in Fiber Cable Testing

Is your installation physically compliant to TIA/EIA-568-A standard?
There are thousands of structured-cabling systems installed each year that do not adhere to the TIA/EIA-568-A installation and performance standards. Although this lack of compliance may not cause immediate concern at the time of installation and, most of the time, is over-looked, future ramifications of a poorly installed structured-cabling system can be devastating on high-speed transmission over the life-cycle of your network. Here are some examples:

UTP category 5 cables, exceeding more than .5", untwist in terminated spaces.

The horizontal cables have been spliced in the ceiling because the cables were too short to terminate on connecting hardware.

Poor quality patch cords that are not TSB67 channel qualified are used.

Cable jacket abrasion – a sign that the cable could be damaged and a failure could result if the cable is moved.

Unused fiber connectors having polarity reversal and not having protected covers applied to them, subjecting connectors to environmental contaminants.

Do you know if all cable links have been tested and examined thoroughly upon certification?
Just because you have had the installation contractor supply you basic-link reports does not mean that all cables have been tested 100%. For the most part, contractors do not intentionally miss cabled locations to save a few dollars on testing, but mistakes frequently occur. They are especially prevalent in pre-wired locations that are not required to be plugged in at the time of occupancy, or are in inaccessible areas at the time the testing occurred.

This is why it is so important to have an outside independent source performing the certification of your structured-cabling system. Taking time to examine each individual test report by an RCDD, as well cross-referencing each test report to assure the installed location on current floor plans matches with each jack (insert) number, can ensure accuracy. After an examination of all the test reports, the contractor corrects all locations in question.

See How We
Analyze UTP
Reports

See How We
Analyze Fiber
Reports

Do you have any records of the attenuation losses for the fiber installed at your site? And has it been compared to the attenuation loss of the TIA/EIA-568-A standard which allows for .75 dB per mated connector and 3.75/KM (which should be scaled to reflex the length) for short wave length? Do you know if your fiber-cabling system will comply with the 1000BASE-SX attenuation losses for your fiber system?
Typically, contractors will supply you a report for the total attenuation loss that occurred when measuring the installed fiber cable and connectors; but, as an end-user, it will do you no good because it does not provide you with a comparison to TIA/EIA-568-A standard. Is the contractor comparing it to the passive loss budget for future applications like Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-SX) which only has 2.38dB (850nm) attenuation loss for an entire link?

Will there be litigation because your structured-cabling system will not perform?
With an increase in manufacturer warranty programs that offer performance guarantees of anywhere from fifteen years to life, there will be an increase in litigation. You will need an independent source to provide the installation facts. Be aware of manufacturer application warranties like 1000BASET, introduced prior to full development of the standard.

Conclusion
As you can see with so much riding on your structured-cabling system investment, it pays to have an ITS/ETL Field Verification Partner on your side. Now for the first time in the cabling industry, you will have an expert independently evaluating your site. This will bring a better quality installation with an attention to details that has been missing before.

Independent verification has numerous benefits:

Increases the probability that your Structured Cabling System project will be at the top of the cabling contractor's list for quality workmanship and allocated resources.
Assures a more thorough, though-out response to the Request for Proposal and installed SCS project from the awarded contractor, even when the end user is subjected to the "low bid" requirements.
Testing above typical auto test functions to ensure more headroom and better quality links and channels.
Ensures a thorough examination of test reports by an RCDD.
Determines whether older Category 5 cabling links are capable of running higher speed applications such as Gigabit Ethernet.
Ensures that all copper and fiber pre-wired locations are labeled correctly and will operate properly when they are eventually brought on-line.
Provides a third-party proof of performance for cabling system warranty issues.
Reduces the chance of litigation.
Provide a third-party proof of performance for litigated issues.

Data Communications
Industry observers say up to 20% of the existing Category 5 cabling runs may not support high-speed traffic. Most of difficulties encountered so far are caused by cabling that was improperly installed and connected.

LAN Times
Experts say that less than one-fifth of all Category 5 installations in the United States adhere to TIA termination guidelines.

Receive a FREE examination from an ETL Verification Partner by e-mail or by calling 1-800-345-3851.

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