Bad Network Installs

Tell me about all your bad network installs

We've never had any.

We had a network manger that built our new vanilla network. This was a brand new e-learning centre and lots of new stuff so we could move of RM CC.

He basically cripped the network by bad design using roaming profiles that were setup wrong.

It was a costly rebuild to fix it after he left.

We've just suffered in the past from the usual LEA approach of bolting bits on here and there with no real consideration for the effect on the whole network. It's the usual story of various contractors simply being told to stuff bits of kit here and there without stopping to ask if it's the right thing to be doing.

Had a compnay come in to do latest ICT Suite and this is the state of the wall ports - and the patch panels...

Messy buggers.

Woha! Thats a big uncertifiable mess!

That shouldn't even bloody work. The pairs are twisted for a reason.

what did you end up doing? a Rewire?

Well, since I've only been in my post for a year, I can't say we've had any bad installs. However, I can say that in the past we have had bad installs.

It appears that with every building that has been added to the school, the county council has gone with the cheapest bidder for network cabling, and as such the quality of the kit is awful.

We have 2 buildings where they used cabinets which are nearly completely inaccessible (they have a door on the front, but no way of getting to anything either side of switches or to the back). Most of the sockets are unlabelled. The patch panels are flimsy to the point of being easy to break simply by plugging a cable in.

On the other hand, we seem to have mixed quality work from our old supplier, half of it being top notch, with krone components being used, everything labelled and everything certified. On the other half, there are a good number of un-numbered sockets, random joins etc...

I am slowly working to fix all the little bodge jobs that have been done, but it is going to take time.

Worst experience here was a company who were sub-contracted by our regular supplier to install some interactive boards.

We mount the projectors quite high (at least 2.5 metres up) as we find that any lower than that, and they are in the teachers' eyes even when they're not stood directly in the beam. As well as installing two new ones at that height, they were asked to move an existing one up to that height. They told me this was a bad idea and they never installed above 1.8 metres (I'd hit my head on one at that height!). I said that I understood the limitations, but wanted it anyway. They said no, again.

They mounted the first new one at 2m - which they made VERY clear was a bad idea and a huge concession on their part. I told them to cut it down and start again. The same "discussion" happened in the second room, and again in the third room (which I actually stormed out of, which isn't like me at all).

Our supplier sent another team a week later (therefore during term time, not the holidays as originally booked) to replace all three installations. I have told them the "installation" company is only coming back to this school in the future if it is to apologise!!

Not really had any bad installs per-se but in most of the schools I've been in the network points have been minimal (one per classroom) with no forward planning for possible alternative points, networked printers, etc..

Net result has been to require running additional cable or having to use small 4 port hubs to expand.

We had an area of school refurbished during the summer. I was kept at arms-length by our ex-bursar during the whole design/planning process but was eventually invited to attend a meeting with the building contractors 2 days before they came onsite to start work. I specifically asked about the network and telephone cabling work that was being done. I stipulated what I wanted done, mentioned testing, certification, labelling etc. I was assured everything would be ok.

When I got back from holiday, there were no phone sockets, half of the 8 network points were not working, they had terminated the cables in the network cabinet with RJ45 plugs (left in a bunch on the floor of the cabinet) instead of putting in a patch panel, and of course none of the cables/network points were labelled.

A few days later I got a call from the contractor to discuss my 'issues', he tried to tell me that they always terminate their cables with RJ45 plugs, and had never had anyone before ask for patch panels to be installed! Clearly they had used their resident 'sparky' to put the cabling in, and he was obviously not trained to do networking installs.

They were of course the 'cheapest' at bid time. It took them three visits to get it right. Needless to say the additional 20 or so cables I wanted installing this half term for our wireless network expansion will not be done by them.

TAW used bullet point for some installs...awful company. Reports of installers fighting in classrooms etc!

Here, we've had no issues apart from one TAW recommended contractor who saw a nice network extension we'd commissioned by another company (non recommended), proper quality jobbie, brandrex cabling, decent patch panels etc..just not "theirs".

Next day I go up to see why the sockets are not working..the patch panel is on the floor, wiring chopped off, replaced by their (identical) kit.

Needless to say we kicked off big style.

We've both (me and NM) had the "official" TAW "How to wire a cable, a patch panel and a socket" 45 minute course with practical exam, and now for alterations and things like that we're "authorised" and "qualified" to work on the structured cabling without endangering the warranty.

Talk about a pointless course..;)