Comms & Data Rooms Cable Management Guide
COPPER ON THE MESH. FIBRE IN THE YELLOW. EVERY RACK IN ITS PLACE.
Everything you need for a clean comms or data room: mesh tray, fibre tray, and data cabinets with accessories. What to use, what to think about, how to install it, plus a quick cheat sheet.
COPPER ON THE MESH. FIBRE IN THE YELLOW. EVERY RACK IN ITS PLACE.
The comms room is the heart of every network. When it's done right it runs cool, stays tidy and makes every future change quick. When it's done wrong, every job after it costs more.
This guide covers the three product groups that build a clean comms or data room: mesh tray overhead, fibre tray for the fibre, and data cabinets with the accessories that go in them. For each one, it covers what to think about before you order and how to use it. If you're short on time, jump straight to the cheat sheet.
The products for comms and data rooms
- Pemsa mesh tray: overhead routes for copper and power
- Fibre tray and raceway: an enclosed, protected route for fibre
- Data cabinets and accessories: where the network lives
Before you start: the big picture
- Plan the room layout first. Mark where the cabinets go, where cables enter the room, and where the routes run overhead to each cabinet.
- Separate the services. Give copper data, fibre and power their own routes. Mesh tray takes copper, fibre tray takes fibre, and power runs separately. Check segregation requirements under AS/NZS 3000 and AS/CA S009.
- Plan for growth. Comms rooms only ever get fuller. Size the tray, raceway and cabinets with spare capacity, and leave floor space for another cabinet.
- Think about heat. Equipment runs hot. Plan the airflow, cabinet ventilation and fans from day one.
- Keep access clear. Leave room in front of and behind the cabinets for doors to open and technicians to work.
1. Mesh tray: the overhead backbone
Pemsa Rejiband wire mesh tray runs above the cabinets, carrying copper data cables from the building into the room and down into each cabinet. The open mesh keeps every cable visible and lets heat escape. Rejiband Rapide comes in widths from 150mm to 600mm, in electrogalvanised or black finishes.
What to think about
- Width and depth. Size them for today's cable count plus room to grow.
- Finish. Black suits exposed ceilings and data centres, and electrogalvanised is standard.
- Route above the cabinet rows, with drops lined up to each cabinet's top entry.
- Supports, such as cantilever brackets, threaded rod or wall brackets, to suit the ceiling and load.
- Clearance to lights, sprinklers and air conditioning ducts.
How to use it
- Cut and form bends, tees and drops on site. No special tools are needed.
- Use the Pemsa brackets and supports to suspend it over the cabinet rows.
- Drop cables into the cabinet top entry, keeping the bend gentle.
- Bond and earth the tray as required.
- Keep power in its own tray run, separate from data.
2. Fibre tray: protecting the fibre
Fibre tray and raceway is an enclosed, modular system that keeps fibre separate from copper and protects it from damage. Sections lift off for adds, moves and repairs without disturbing live fibre. It comes in five sizes: CF120, CF240, CF300, CF360 and CF600.
What to think about
- Size. Match the CF size to the fibre count, plus room for growth.
- Bend radius. Fibre is delicate, so use the proper bends and drops rather than forcing tight corners.
- Route, meaning the path from the fibre entry point to each cabinet, usually running alongside or above the mesh tray.
- Fittings. Count every bend, tee, drop, joiner and bracket from the fibre tray accessories range.
How to use it
- Install the raceway before pulling the fibre, then lay the fibre in. Don't pull it through tight.
- Use drop-outs to bring fibre down into each cabinet with a controlled bend.
- Keep the covers on. The enclosed design is what protects the fibre.
- Lift sections off for future adds instead of cutting into the run.
3. Data cabinets and accessories: where the network lives
Data cabinets house the patch panels, switches, servers and power for the network. Choose the cabinet to suit the room and the equipment:
- Wall data cabinets and mini data cabinets suit small offices and tenancies.
- Swing frame wall cabinets swing out for rear access to equipment.
- Corner mounted cabinets suit tight spaces.
- Free-standing cabinets suit comms rooms and data centres. They come in 600w x 600d, 600w x 800d and 800w x 1000d.
The accessories that go in them
- Patch panels in Cat 5e, Cat 6 and Cat 6A, where the horizontal cabling terminates.
- Cat 6 patch cables to link the patch panels to the switches.
- Data jacks for the outlet end of each run.
- Cable managers to keep patching neat between the panels and switches.
- Power rails (PDUs) to power the equipment in the cabinet.
- Shelves for gear that isn't rack-mounted, such as modems, NBN boxes and small devices.
- Vented doors for better airflow through the cabinet.
- Other accessories: cantilever shelves, blank panels and more.
- WiFi access point brackets for mounting WAPs out on the floor.
What to think about
- Rack units (RU). List every panel, switch, cable manager, shelf and PDU, add them up, then add spare space for growth.
- Depth, which needs to suit the deepest equipment going in. Servers need deeper cabinets than patching.
- Width. 800 wide gives room for vertical cable management beside the equipment.
- Heat, which comes down to vented doors, fans and blank panels to control airflow.
- Power, meaning how many outlets the PDUs need, and whether you need more than one circuit.
- Security, meaning lockable doors and side panels.
How to use it
- Plan the layout in the cabinet: patch panel, cable manager, switch, cable manager, and repeat.
- Bring copper and fibre in from the top, and keep them apart inside the cabinet.
- Fill empty RU spaces with blank panels so hot air doesn't recirculate.
- Use the shortest patch leads that reach. Excess length is what makes a cabinet messy.
- Label everything: patch panels, ports, leads and PDUs.
Quick cheat sheet: comms and data rooms
No time? Here's the whole job on one page.
| Product | Where it goes | Use it for | Key tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesh tray | Overhead, above the cabinet rows | Copper data (and power in a separate run) | Line the drops up with the cabinet top entries |
| Fibre tray | Overhead, beside or above the mesh | Fibre only | Use proper bends and never force tight corners |
| Wall cabinet | On the wall | Small offices and tenancies | Count RU, and add spare space |
| Free-standing cabinet | Comms room floor | Comms rooms and data centres | Depth to suit the deepest gear, 800 wide for cable management |
| Patch panel | In the cabinet | Terminating horizontal cabling | Match the category (5e, 6 or 6A) to the cabling |
| Cable manager | Between panels and switches | Neat patching | Use one per panel and switch pair |
| Power rail (PDU) | In the cabinet | Powering the equipment | Count outlets and circuits before ordering |
| Vented door / shelf / blanks | In or on the cabinet | Airflow and non-rack gear | Blank out every empty RU |
Comms room checklist
- ☐ Room layout set out: cabinets, entry points and overhead routes
- ☐ Copper, fibre and power on separate routes
- ☐ Tray and raceway sized with spare capacity
- ☐ RU counted per cabinet, plus spare
- ☐ Cabinet depth checked against the deepest equipment
- ☐ Ventilation, fans and blank panels planned
- ☐ PDU outlets and circuits confirmed
- ☐ Clear access in front of and behind the cabinets
- ☐ Everything labelled
Got a comms room coming up?
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