Useful network documentation helps another technician understand the environment without having to rediscover it. The documentation should answer what is installed, where it is, how it connects and which operational details matter. Core sections Device inventory and management address WAN/ISP circuits and handoff information VLANs and subnets Switch and rack locations Critical circuits and uplinks […]
A switch’s PoE budget is the total power it can deliver to powered devices. That total budget is separate from the amount any one port can provide. List every powered device Add access points, cameras, phones, intercoms, access-control equipment, sensors and PoE-powered downstream devices. Use conservative wattage For design, use manufacturer maximum power draw or […]
The most reliable NVR storage estimate starts with bitrate rather than a vague resolution label. Multiply average bitrate by camera count, recording time and retention period, then add reserve. Inputs that change storage Configured bitrate Codec Frame rate Scene complexity Continuous vs motion recording Retention days Camera count Why 4K does not equal one fixed […]
Estimate cable boxes by calculating total pathway footage, adding service-loop/waste allowance and rounding the final box count up. Basic formula Total cable = number of runs × average actual pathway length × (1 + waste allowance). Then divide by the footage in each box/reel and round up. Example Forty-eight runs averaging 90 feet equals 4,320 […]
Your technician’s wage is not your billable labor rate. A sustainable rate needs to cover loaded labor, non-billable time, company overhead, risk and profit. Start with loaded labor Loaded labor includes base wage plus employer costs such as payroll taxes, workers compensation, benefits and other labor-related expense applicable to your company. Then account for utilization […]
A repeatable cabling estimate begins with scope and pathway, not a cable-box price. The goal is to translate what you saw during the site survey into quantities, technician hours, materials, project costs and a defensible selling price. 1. Define exactly what is included Count drops, cable type, terminations, patch panels, racks, testing, labeling, firestopping, demolition, […]
Cat6A is not simply a more expensive box of cable. Material, termination hardware, bend radius, cable diameter, pathway fill and technician time can all change the project economics. Material cost Cat6A cable and compatible components generally cost more than ordinary Cat6 components. Use current supplier pricing rather than a fixed percentage assumption. Labor can change […]
There is no single correct price per Cat6 drop. The profitable price is the one that covers your actual cable, hardware, loaded labor, access difficulty, testing, travel, overhead and risk while still fitting the local market. Build the price from cost, not from a competitor’s number Start with expected technician time. A short open-ceiling run […]
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