Installation Guide

Securing the Rack
The rack should be attached to the wiring closet floor with 9.5 mm (3/8 in) lag screws or equivalent
hardware. The floor under the rack should be level within 5 mm (3/16 in). Use a floor-leveling cement
compound if necessary or bolt the racks to the floor as shown.
Figure 146: Properly Secured Rack
Brace open equipment racks if the channel thickness is less than 6.4 mm (1/4 in).
Evaluating and Meeting Cable Requirements
Use professional consultants for site planning and cabling.
The Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) Registered Communications Distribution
Designer (RCDD), which is globally recognized as a standard in site planning and cabling, can be used.
For information, visit www.bicsi.org.
Labeling Cables and Keeping Accurate Records
A reliable cable labeling system is essential when planning and installing a network.
Keeping accurate records helps you to:
• Relocate devices easily.
• Make changes quickly.
• Isolate faults in the distribution system.
• Locate the opposite end of any cable.
• Know the types of network devices that your cabling infrastructure can support.
Follow these guidelines when setting up a cable labeling system suitable for your installation:
• Identify cables by securely attaching labels to all cable ends.
• Assign a unique block of sequential numbers to the group of cables that run between each pair of
wiring closets.
Securing the Rack
Site Preparation
170 ExtremeSwitching Hardware Installation Guide