TV Tip-Overs and How to Prevent Them

As TV’s become bigger and bigger, so does the risk posed by tip-overs. In the past 10 years, a child has visited the emergency room every 45 minutes because of a TV tipping over. Some injuries are permanent or even fatal.

The best way to prevent TV tip-overs is to have the TV properly wall-mounted using a high-quality, weight appropriate TV mount/bracket. It is also important to have wires and cables properly run to the TV so that they can’t be tugged on. Running the low-voltage audio/video cables behind the drywall or through a wall-mounted cable manager is both safe and aesthetically pleasing. For power to the TV, an electrician should install an outlet behind the TV so that the power cord is not running down to an outlet near the floor.

A second option to secure a TV is to use a properly installed anti-tip strap that attaches to your wall and your TV. This is the option to use when the TV is resting on a piece of furniture. It is a good option for renters since it does less damage to the wall. Furniture should also be properly anchored to prevent it from tipping.

With either of these options, proper installation and hardware is crucial to safety. A poorly mounted TV can unexpectedly fall causing injury or death.

For a professional TV wall mounting installation, contact Omni Cabling.

What is Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Do I Need It?

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a standard that allows electrical power to be transmitted over your network using the same cables that transmit your network data. In order to take advantage of POE, first you must have a POE network switch. A POE switch can deliver power to attached devices. Many network attached devices, such as computers will not use the power, but some POE enabled peripheral devices such as wireless access points and VOIP phones can get all of their power via the POE enabled network. This allows you to discard those unsightly wall warts normally used to power peripheral network devices. PoE also avoids the problem of having a network port available, but no AC receptacle nearby.

What is the difference between PoE and PoE+?
PoE, which is covered by the 802.3af standard can supply up to 15.4 watts of power to a network attached device, whereas PoE+ (i.e. 802.3at) can supply 25.5 watts to a device. Whether you need the higher power of PoE depends on the power consumption of the devices you plan to use.

The High Cost of Cheap Ethernet Cable

Cat6 is becoming the standard for many network installations. Most people expect that using all Cat6 labeled parts means that all links in the network will support Gigabit Ethernet. At a glance, there seems to be little difference between a cheap Cat6 cable, and a more expensive, high-quality Cat6 cable. Often times, it is assumed that if it says Cat6 on the box, then it must be capable of passing Cat6 compliance testing. Surprisingly, this is usually not the case. One study found that every single Cat6 cable tested from brick and mortar stores and most from online vendors did not meet the Cat6 standard. Many vendors label their cable Cat6 even though it may not meet Cat6 or even Cat5e test standards. There is no regulatory authority to audit Cat6 cable vendors, so underperforming cable has become the norm instead of the exception. This means the speed being promised will not be delivered by the cable, leading to potential network speed and reliability issues. These issues may not crop up until months after the install, when the network sees heavy data traffic. The cheap “Cat6” cables are often much lower in price so they catch the eyes of uniformed purchasers. Many inexperienced or even misleading installers will quote and install the cheaper option, sometimes marking it up more than they could the pricier option to pad their profit. While the customer may not realize this is happening when they choose an installer, they will certainly notice when their network speed is not what it should be. In some instances, the cheaper cables do not even meet the fire safety codes they claim to. In other instances, longer cable runs won’t work all. This is a costly mistake because the only fix is to have all new cables run. In the event that the cheaper cable doesn’t meet fire safety standards, that cable will need to be removed at more cost still.

Omni Cabling uses only high-quality cables and backs this up with included testing and reports with every installation, ensuring you get the speeds you need for your network.

The bottom line: while cheap cable may be appealing, it can quickly add huge costs to your project. The most expensive cable is the one you have to replace.