42
CONVERGED INFRASTRUCTURE
all the connected devices in the world today. To tackle this
and facilitate future growth, IPv6 has been launched, which
can hold 340 undecillion (340 x 1036) IP addresses. If the
total number of IPv4 addresses could be contained inside a
golf ball, then the total number of IPv6 addresses would fit
inside the Sun. In addition to the ability to offer many more
unique IP addresses, IPv6 also has other advantages to
IPv4 including mandatory IP encryption security and more
payload per IP packet. Furthermore, all devices connected
to a router are assigned their own address, instead of being
identified through the router.
Another convergence-related structured cabling ‘game
changer’ is the next generation of Power over Ethernet;
expected to be adopted in 2017. This will allow for
more than a threefold increase in the amount of power
transmitted through IP networks (up to 100W). IP networks
will be able to connect and power devices such as digital
signage and TV monitors.
for example. Furthermore, another major development is
changing the way we look at structured cabling design and
management – billions of new (wireless) devices are being
connected each year. Until relatively recently, Internet
Protocol (IP) addresses were exclusive to computers,
network-related devices and VOIP phones. Today, however,
IP convergence is a fact – we’re connecting everything from
cameras, lighting, TVs, cars, home appliances and parking
meters. Each device requires a unique IP address so it can be
located and identified on an IP network.
The Cisco Visual Networking Index Forecast and
Methodology (May 2015) predicts that by 2019, there
will be 3.2 times as many connected IP devices as there
are people in the world: 24 billion. Ericsson predicts there
may be some 50 billion IoT enabled devices by 2020. IT,
telecom and consumer technology analyst IDC forecasts a
significantly higher number - some 212 billion. Soon, global
IP networks will carry 2 Zettabytes of data each year, which
is equivalent to a stack of DVDs that reaches to the moon
and halfway back to Earth. It would take five million years to
watch all the video being streamed each month in 2019.
Accommodating growth
The existing Internet Protocol (IPv4) offers just 4.3 billion
unique IP addresses, which isn’t enough to accommodate
Specifying smartly
Looking at the 802.11n standard, a 576MB/s data rate can
be achieved over networks with a 1Gbps Ethernet backbone,
for which Category 5e/Class D is quite sufficient. This fits
in nicely with the view that connected ‘non-user’ devices
transfer relatively low quantities of data and therefore a
10/100MB Ethernet service is more than adequate. That
leads to 50173-6 cabling being specified as Category 5e.
Wireless bandwidth consumption has already driven
WAP speeds beyond 1Gbps, and this means that a 1Gbps
Ethernet backbone is already becoming a bottleneck. The
first WAPs supporting the IEEE803.11ac standard are
already available, enabling wireless transmission of up to
1.3Gbps. WAP speeds will probably move beyond 5Gbps by
2019. In response, the IEEE has started a new technology
initiative to enable 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps transmission over
Category 6 (and possibly 2.5Gbps over Category 5e).
However, there are still some technological hurdles to
overcome, mainly related to alien crosstalk. As a result of
alien crosstalk, bundle size and maximum reach will both be
adversely affected with this new technology. Both the EN
and ISO / IEC standards recommend Category 6A cabling
for WAP backbone, providing a 10GbE connection for
each node. This makes Category 6A cabling the minimum
requirement for current bandwidth-hungry applications such
as WAPs and HD Video.
.
Complex requirements
Today, cabling designers and specifiers need to ensure
installed cabling will fulfil its designated function for more
than just a few years. Already, networks everywhere are
struggling with the resulting bandwidth requirements.
In just a few years, the connected world will experience
a convergence-driven explosive growth in bandwidth
demand, an evolution in wireless technology, and a threefold
increase in the amount of power transmitted through
IP networks. Infrastructure design and technology will
have to accommodate these future demands. This means
that simply checking whether components have the right
specifications will no longer suffice, as the more complex
requirements of a converged environment need to be taken
into account. Carefully considering network requirements
today will definitely save a great deal of replacement
cabling and components in the (near) future. n
www.networkseuropemagazine.com