--- title: "Structured cabling certification | DataRoad IT" description: "Cable stays in the wall for 15 to 20 years. Why to certify every outlet, which category to choose and how to spot a weak network. No-obligation proposal." language: en url: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/certified-structured-cabling-report/ source: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/certified-structured-cabling-report/ publisher: DataRoad IT (DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting), Portugal --- > Cable stays in the wall for 15 to 20 years. Why to certify every outlet, which category to choose and how to spot a weak network. No-obligation proposal. # Structured cabling certification: why testing is not enough At a glance For decision-makers short on time. - 01 Cabling lasts 15 to 20 years; switches, servers and PCs change several times in that period. - 02 Certifying means measuring every outlet with calibrated equipment and an individual report. - 03 Choose the category for the traffic ten years out; the labour costs the same. - 04 Plan 20 to 30% extra outlets: cheap during the works, not afterwards. ### In this article Replacing cabling after installation means opening ceilings, disturbing walls and stopping the company. That is why **structured cabling certification** is the cheapest insurance in network infrastructure. Cable stays in the wall for 15 to 20 years, while switches, servers and computers change several times. Certifying means measuring every outlet with a calibrated instrument and delivering a report per point, not just checking that there is a connection. Without that document, nobody can prove the network delivers the performance that was paid for. ## Why does the cable decide the performance of everything else? Because no equipment can exceed the medium that connects it. A switch lasts five or six years, a server four or five, a laptop even less. The cabling stays. A latest-generation access point connected to an old, badly crimped or overlong cable is limited by that cable. And cabling rarely fails obviously. It degrades. Slowdowns appear that come and go, illogical drop-outs, workstations always slower than their neighbours. The blame falls on the computer, the server or the carrier. Almost never on the cable. **The sum for the board:** cabling weighs little in the total investment, but it is the component that lasts longest and is the most expensive to redo. ## What is the difference between testing and certifying? | Criterion | Simple test | Certification | | --- | --- | --- | | Question it answers | Are the wires in the right order and is there a signal? | Does every link meet the electrical limits of its category's standard? | | Instrument | A basic, cheap tester | Calibrated measurement equipment | | Measurements | Pass or fail | Attenuation, crosstalk, delays and the other values that define real throughput | | Document | None of any use | A report per outlet, passed or failed one by one | | Value to the client | Almost none | A guarantee and grounds to demand corrections | Rule of thumb: always demand certification with a report. An installation without certification is an installation without proof. ## Which cable category should you choose? Do not ask what you need today. Ask what will run over that cable ten years from now. Three factors decide: - **Future traffic** Video, backups and cloud keep growing. - **Lengths** Beyond certain distances, fewer options remain. - **PoE** Access points, cameras and phones draw power over the cable itself, which calls for conductors that are up to the job. Between categories, the price changes almost only in materials. Labour, which is the largest share, stays practically the same. Choosing a lower category saves little and limits a lot. ## What should you demand in a cabling project? - **Floor plan**: where each outlet is and where each cable tray runs. - **A tidy rack**: patch panels, cable management and spare space. You notice it as soon as you open the door. - **Labels**: every outlet and every cable identified at both ends. - **Certification**: a report per link. - **Dossier handed over**: floor plan, outlet map and reports stay with the company, not the installer. - **Room to grow**: as a rule 20 to 30% more outlets than needed today. During the works it costs little; afterwards it costs a lot. ## How can you tell whether your current network is weak? If you recognise three or more of these signs, certify before buying new equipment: - Some workstations are always slower, and the computer is not the cause. - The connection drops and comes back with no pattern. - Nobody can trace a cable in the rack, because nothing is labelled. - There are improvised plugs or visible splices. - The cabling is more than fifteen years old and has never been certified. - New equipment does not deliver what it promised. ## When is the right time to redo the network? During an [office move or a new office fit-out](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/office-network-installation-lisbon/). It is the only occasion when everything can be redone from scratch without extra works and without stopping operations. Design, install and certify with the next fifteen years in mind. ## Want your network measured and documented? DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting designs, installs and certifies [structured cabling and network infrastructure](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/structured-cabling-installation/), with a report per outlet and a dossier handed to the client. It then maintains the network under an IT Unlimited contract. Request a no-commitment proposal. **More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and telephone support.** +351 211 459 950 * · sales@dataroad.pt **Call to a Portuguese landline.* Chosen by respected and international companies ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews DataRoad ## Related articles [Networks and cablingManaged SD-WAN: multiple stores and offices without outagesA store without internet cannot sell or invoice. With managed SD-WAN, every site has two links and switches over on its own, so one ISP fail…12 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-sd-wan-multi-site-networks/)[Networks and cablingBlackout-proof networks: autonomy and redundant internet for SMEsOn 28 April 2025, Lisbon was without power for more than 8 hours. 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Certified cabling, Wi-Fi 7 designed to the metre and every device monitored. - **15+** IT vendor certifications - **2015** designing UniFi networks - **11** years in business, since 2015 We do **IT** right. DataRoad IT Unlimited ## Does your IT depend on a single person? Documentation, inventory and one contact who answers for everything. [Request a proposal, no commitment →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#contact)+351 211 459 950 **Call to a Portuguese landline · More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support[Not sure what you need? Talk to the assistant →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#assistente) --- Versão HTML desta página: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/certified-structured-cabling-report/