Building refurbishment - things to consider?

[san_narula]

It is the time we refurbish one of the older buildings as we have received the grant after waiting for few years. The leadership is in the process of finalising the design of the rooms and the furniture and I have been asked for my input in regards to the IT networking, cabling and equipment etc. There are mainly five classrooms which need to be taken care of but this is the first time I have been involved in such a project so I don't have much experience doing it. I understand it's not very demanding but would like not to miss anything and make sure I future proof everything.

 

So what would you IT guys suggest in terms of:

How many ethernet ports and where they should be?

What type of ethernet cable should I use (Cat 6/7 etc.)?

What type of projectors should I buy?

I am in the process of upgrading the wireless so that is already covered.

Anything else I should consider?

[FN-GM]

CAT 6

No Protectors - use interactive LCD screens, something like this - https://iiyama.com/gl_en/products/prolite-th7067mis-b2ag/

 

For a basic classroom, these are the main bits really. If you go for projectors, you will need to consider your sound setup, speakers amp etc.

 

Make sure you have HDMI on your face plates.

[HTCPCP]

How many ethernet ports and where they should be? - More than you think you will need - I tend to go for 4 on each wall (they don't all need patching through, but means you have flexibility.

What type of ethernet cable should I use (Cat 6/7 etc.)? - Cat 6

What type of projectors should I buy? - Interactive Smart Screens - makes the room just look a lot neater too. Most no longer come with VGA, so you need to factor that in.

Anything else I should consider? - Power - you need to have 2 for PC, 1 for screen, potentially 1 for powered splitter, spares for camera, ipad etc where the board is going to be. Then you want at least 4, I normally go for 8 power by each set of network sockets - I find primary use more than secondary, but people always moan there aren't enough sockets!

[unixman_again]

[Power - you need to have 2 for PC, 1 for screen, potentially 1 for powered splitter, spares for camera, ipad etc where the board is going to be. Then you want at least 4, I normally go for 8 power by each set of network sockets - I find primary use more than secondary, but people always moan there aren't enough sockets!

 

+1 - you can never have enough electrickery. Don't let the designers space them evenly around the room either. You want them in clusters.

[Blue_Cookeh]

- Ethernet ports for access points

- Ethernet port in the middle of the wall behind interactive displays

- Ethernet ports and four power along teaching wall for laptops (usually wireless but you never know)

- Teaching wall should have USB, HDMI, audio, VGA connections in DADO with above

- Ethernet and dual power in DADO trunking along three other walls

- Ethernet going to external wall for exterior CCTV

 

Use Cat6 where possible.

 

Then double up on how much ethernet you'll think you need! This is what I've just done for our new Primary classrooms.

[Bedders]

One of the most useful things in our rebuild was to have two high-level data points just below the false ceiling, one each in opposite corners of the room. These were initially for wireless access points however proved useful in offering flexibility around each room and occasionally into nearby corridors.

[psydii]

6 Cat6 sockets near the teaching position for PC / Printer / Phone and others stuff.

 

Two at high level for Tv/Projector AV stuff

 

Two on ceiling (near middle of room) for Wireless APs etc.

 

Would recommend two in opposite corner to Teaching position for flexibility/ future proofing.

 

A double gang power socket per single CAT6 cable has proven to be adequate in all office/classroom situations I have encountered since implementing that policy sometime back in 2006. If IT suite then consider 2.5 double gang power per CAT6 cable.

 

I've always been a fan of the downfiring av connection plates (5m Sahara Cable Kit with HDMI adapter | Sahara Presentation Systems PLC) though these days you's epect to have two HDMI and no VGA.

 

Projectors are the lowest cost way of getting a large image.

Large Panel TVs are probably the lowest overall cost.

Interactivity, some question whether it is needed.

 

You need to ensure the walls are of sufficient strength to take the weight.

 

LIghting should be out of the way of any projector mounting or image throw.

 

Lighting in front of the screen should be controllable separately from the rest of the room.

 

Don't put a switch that powers off the AV in one hit anywhere a teacher or student can touch it.

 

Don't put any air conditioning controls anywhere the teacher or students can get to them (set to 21.5/22 degC)

 

Hard wearing anti-static floors

 

Reverb/Sound dampening panels are great (though can be damaged).

 

Decent speakers - cheap stuff is very tiring. Even if you think you can't tell the difference, a good pair of speakers really are worth the extra cost.

[SamanthaD]

Another thing to consider - how is the cabling getting from the teaching PC to the board? Floor boxes are a godsend and saves a big umbilical cord going to a wallplate from the desk. No need to loom everything together and stops wheeliechairs rolling over cables.

[san_narula]

Thanks everyone for the input.

 

I have made a list of these and sent them to the principal and the Business Manager. They had allowed for fourth of what is suggested here. Now the real challenge is how do I convince them to spend money on something which is not needed on day one but will likely be used in future.

[HTCPCP]

What's the difference in price for running 4 or 6 network points in the same area as apposed to 2? - Not a fat deal. It's just as easy to run the extra cables, and takes a couple of minutes extra to terminate each end. Whereas if you have to run cables later, it can look a bit scruffier, and you have to pay for someone to come in and do it at the same time. If you can, try and get a proper network cabler, not a sparkie to run the cables too though!

[PotNoodleTech]

However many cat6 drops your planning, double it. It's cheap an easy to do it all in one go, not so cheap and easy 5 years down the line.

 

The suggestion of putting a drop or two in the ceiling is a great one - can be used for WAPs or Projectors.

 

On a new build I would be using interactive touch screen TV's such as Prowise or Clevertouch.

[nadeem]

Everything that's already been said, but also Induction Loops

[korifugi]

On the network point front - ensure all sockets are doubles.

 

 

There is a whole plane of hell reserved for people who run singles.

[Bedders]

On the network point front - ensure all sockets are doubles.

 

 

There is a whole plane of hell reserved for people who run singles.

 

Same here for power. Nothing more annoying than a single power socket on a whole wall - I MEAN WHY WOULD YOU EVEN DO THAT​

[Boredguy]

We try to ensure that we have a seperate power circuit in new rooms for cleaners equipment/low level sockets so it does not effect the computer ring if something blows.

[elsiegee40]

Make sure whoever runs your cabling doesn't treat network access points like electric sockets. Don't assume they know each has its own cable.

 

Painful memories of lots of sockets where one linked to the next and so on....

[psydii]

Make sure whoever runs your cabling doesn't treat network access points like electric sockets. Don't assume they know each has its own cable.

 

Painful memories of lots of sockets where one linked to the next and so on....

 

Require a full Fluke test report demonstrating a pass on each cable.

Cable ID, Test limit, length, Headroom, date/time.

[jmak]

Make sure whoever runs your cabling doesn't treat network access points like electric sockets. Don't assume they know each has its own cable.

 

Painful memories of lots of sockets where one linked to the next and so on....

Wish mine had been wired like that. On our refurb, I asked for network data points in specified places. I got RJ45 sockets exactly where I wanted them. The issue was that they weren't connected to anything 😫

 

At least it was only one room.

[san_narula]

Have had a meeting and while they agreed on most of other things, not on the network ports. They said as we are going all wireless from next year we won't need the cables at all so why waste money on something we are not going to use. I tried to explain but ...........So hopefully half a dozen will suffice us and I won't have to deal with getting it done again. Edited August 4, 2017 by san_narula

[free780]

Have had a meeting and while they agreed on most of other things, not on the network ports. They said as we are going all wireless from next year we won't need the cables at all so why waste money on something we are not going to use. I tried to explain but ...........So hopefully half a dozen will suffice us and I won't have to deal with getting it done again.

"They said as we are going all wireless".

 

Oh no. And then when you need to switch back to wired when it all goes wrong...

[PotNoodleTech]

Cardinal rule of wireless, don't use wireless if you don't *need* to. E.g. I've got 100 SIMS PCs, they're all wired. They will never be wireless, as each is a PC that is in a fixed location in every room, therefore wired is the correct approach to connectivity. Wireless for the sake of wireless seems to quite often end in disaster.

[san_narula]

"They said as we are going all wireless".Oh no. And then when you need to switch back to wired when it all goes wrong...

We will get the cabling done on the spot. Well, that is what their strategy is.

[san_narula]

Cardinal rule of wireless, don't use wireless if you don't *need* to. Wireless for the sake of wireless seems to quite often end in disaster.

I can't agree less but the I have been told that trend amongst other schools is wireless and to compete with them we have to do it as well. It gives teachers and students mobility making them more productive. All I can do is wait and see.

[PotNoodleTech]

I can't agree less but the I have been told that trend amongst other schools is wireless and to compete with them we have to do it as well. It gives teachers and students mobility making them more productive. All I can do is wait and see.

 

I wasn't too clear there. I did not mean "don't use wireless" I meant don't clog up your wireless system with fixed location non mobile PCs such as in my example, use your wireless for student devices and your own ipads/androids/chromebooks/laptops. Wireless is a finite resource and if you clog it up with PCs that could have been cable then you'll risk reducing performance for all the other users that can not use cables.

[AlanD]

"They said as we are going all wireless".

 

Oh no. And then when you need to switch back to wired when it all goes wrong...

 

Big Mistake. Huge mistake. Wireless is not capable of replacing wired networks for classrooms of PCs/laptops with domain logons (apart from in the minds of suppliers and senior school manager). Yes its fine for BYOD where there is no downloading of group policies, virus updates and user profiles at the start of lessons. And increasing use of multimedia data files isn't great with classrooms of wireless kit either.