Page 83 - E-Rate 2020-21 Workbook

KSLLC – RFP QUESTIONNAIRE – HELP TEXT

E-Rate discounts are available for connections between buildings as long as the buildings
ARE WITHIN THE SAME CAMPUS OR LIBRARY SITE. ** Funding for the
connection charges will be limited to your Category 2 Budget. ** For further details on
when a connection is considered Category 1 or Category 2, see the USAC News Brief
Dated December 2, 2016: http://www.usac.org/sl/tools/news-briefs/preview.aspx?id=732
Provide from and to location for each connection. Quantity will usually be 1 for "1
connection" between the two buildings. Please provide a simple diagram (Google map
and hand written connection is fine) to explain the buildings to be connected.

430. Network Cabling

Enter the location for network cabling, purpose of the cabling (data drops, access points
cabling, switch cabling, or other cabling) cabling type and quantity you are requesting
proposals for.

Cabling Purpose: Data drops are classic data drops installed in the wall of the classroom,
office, library area for connecting workstations, printers, etc. Wireless Access point
cabling is installed in the ceiling or walls to connect wireless access points. Switch
cabling is installed in equipment closet to connect network switch gear.

Cabling Type: Category 5E networking cables are rated to have a transmission speed up
to 1000 Mbps, while category 6 cables are have a speed of at least 1000 Mbps. There
may be some overlap in transmission speed but if this the main concern, consumers
should consider category 6 cables. Ethernet cables are backward compatible with devices
that do not support the higher transmission speeds or frequency of either type of cable.
The cables will thus operate at a lower speed if any equipment in the network has a lower
transmission rating. Ethernet cables with a high speed alone do not guarantee those
speeds.

Cat 5e has been around for over 15 years. At the time it came out, it gave the first
glimpse of the 1 Gigabit networks as a possibility, although it was not typical to find
hardware reasonably priced that would support those speeds. In the past few years,
hardware costs have come down and allowed Gigabit networking to become easier to
afford. In order to support today's education curriculum or library resources, the absolute
minimum network should be a Gigabit network. Cat 5e cables are typically 24 gauge
twisted pair wires, which can produce a Gigibit network at distances up to 328 ft.,
including patch cables at both ends.

Cat 6 cables came out only a few years after Cat 5e. This cable gave the ability to have a
10 Gigabit network. For much of the 2000's, Cat 5e was run to the workstations and Cat 6
was run as a backbone from router to switches. However, the 10 Gigabit network on Cat
6 cables is limited to 164 ft., including patch cables. After that distance, its ultimate speed
is the same as cat 5e, i.e. 1 Gigabit.

Beyond the speed/distance factor, Cat 6 has a tighter twist in the cables, which allows for
two-way communication on each pair of wires, where Cat 5e does not allow this feature.

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