Some folks are intimidated by the demarc. Large enterprise relies on outsourcing and the outsourcers rely on contractors and sub-contractors. Those charged with reducing costs and improving service seldom see or even visit the demarc. For customers that do venture out visiting their own demarcations, they often appear with a sense of awe and usually shock when they see the demarc in disarray--and wonder, "How can anyone work in this environment?" Confusion over what goes where and who does what is only part of the ongoing amassed collective abuse that is played out daily in customer demarcations. Behind it all there's potential billing errors and then there’s reliability and service issues that end up being mismanaged at the customer demarcation.
The photo below may look vaguely familiar and in my last post I only revealed the bottom right corner of this cable can. This particular site is a small campus and not really a large install compared to larger mid-rise buildings and some factories that we serve. But all demarcations have commonalities regardless of customer size or where you are in the U.S.
By now you may get the sense that I loathe sloppy work. Band-aids I can live with and I am sympathetic to the notion that customers want "it" to work now. Ever since I can remember, documentation was a big deal and it still is for some of us. We maintained cable plant and cut sheets showing where every pair of wires was connected, be it at the MDF (Main Distribution Frame) or IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame). The cut sheets even had the color codes, and all these details were to assure customers that for anyone coming in behind us, the facilities were in order and serviceable.
Among the things to notice in this picture: the cross-connects you see strewn about this cable can housing the 50-pair outside feed and customer blocks for cross-connecting to underground cables and other gear. MT1, MT2 and Mount 3 are card cages that all should have been mounted on the plywood. You may recall from my previous post that the metal flex tube feeds underground to another building and behind this building is a cell tower. The red plastic clips you see on the 66-blocks on the right lower side of the can are identifying tags for T1's, but only two of the many T1's are bridged with these identifying clips. In case you ever do wonder why cellular service drops calls and doesn't have that kind of quality you want, just note that these card cages are not grounded properly. It's not easy to see but MT1 does have an empty ground lug (red color) on the bottom right end.
But Telco folks aren't alone in their lack of housekeeping and installation skills. The Lucent logo found on the gray plastic modular boxes mounted on the plywood between MT1 and MT2 are ITW/Linx co-branded digital station (extension) protectors. At the top unit numbered 31 & 32 you can see the copper ground ring on the right. The way these modules work is pretty simple--they require a power module, usually connected to the bottom of the stack or if you prefer, somewhere in the stack. The modular protectors use a common ground (copper ground ring) that all interconnect to the (missing) power module that connects to the AC wall receptacle for ground. When the Interconnect cross-connected the station pairs from the underground cable, the other ends of the cross-connects are on the 66-block next to MT1. The 66-block is mounted upside down.
Still you can look and wonder why anyone cares or even bothers. My hope is that my "On the Road With Matt" mini series will inspire you. Complacency places a heavy toll on customers and when we walk into these closets we do spend more billable hours cleaning up what others leave behind. The greater problem is restoring service, and in case you're beginning to wonder whether wires are randomly disconnected then you can appreciate why. Mistakes are higher when you work in the rat's nest that lacks any wire management by vendors and Telco personnel.
This photo doesn't negate the fact that the building owners haven't provided adequate fire rated plywood space on the wall and better control of contractors, vendors and Telco personnel.
The last thing I want to mention is wire knock offs--sold by companies that sell cable that is inferior and does not stand up well. You may see a couple of cables on the upper top left inside the can that appear white or milky white. These milky white cables were knockoff products back in the late 1980s and they are inferior in every sense. Customers that elected to use cabling contractors offering a great price ended up with higher costs due to the need for replacement, service and downtime. Those little orange cards are where you can find the carrier circuit numbers and that gray rectangular can on the wall isn't a trash receptacle.
There are several other irritating practices in this photo. What would be refreshing is to see a well-kept demarcation. Is your demarc something to show off? Please send me a photo, or if you want to show off your rat's nest that you inherited, I'd love to see that too. This entire area of our business reflects poorly on everyone. It shows a lack of work ethic and it's just unprofessional. But don't be discouraged and don't fear the demarc--the worst things that can happen: you forget the wiring method or pairs for certain circuits, ringing current wakes up, or you cause some service disruptions.
