For Immediate Release
July 16, 2003

Modular Patch Cords — The Weakest Link?

Watertown, CT — Much like the weakest link in a chain, a patch cord with poor transmission characteristics can degrade the performance of any cabling system significantly, even when used with the best performing outlets and cable.

Recent studies have shown that up to 83% of Category 6 patch cords fail to meet the requirements of TIA/EIA-568-B. Siemon was confident that its patch cords met or exceeded the standard 100% of the time, as their investment in modular patch cord quality assurance is unparalleled in the industry. As such, they performed a series of tests to ensure their patch cord quality.

John Siemon, Vice President of Global Operations said, “We tested our category 6 MC^® 6 patch cords against 6 different competitive brands. All cords, including our own, were randomly purchased through distribution. A total of twenty 3 ft. (0.9m) and twenty 15 ft. (4.6m) patch cords of each brand were evaluated for NEXT performance on all six combinations in both directions, providing a total of 12 measurements per cord. Only Siemon and one other manufacturer passed all 40 cords. A significant number of cords from five other manufacturers failed.”

The only real way to guarantee modular cord performance is to test every cord across all pairs combinations, in both directions, after assembly. 100% factory transmission testing is critical to ensure the quality of the assembly process. Without 100% transmission testing during production, poor performing cords are not detected and end up in customer installations.

“To ensure our modular patch cords deliver guaranteed channel performance, Siemon transmission tests 100% of its MC 6 modular patch cords on a laboratory grade network analyzer. No cord leaves our factory without passing our stringent testing,” confirmed Siemon.

Not every patch cord is created equal, so be sure to specify patch cords that are 100% factory transmission tested.

Resources

White Paper: Not All Modular Patch Cords Are Created Equal

About Siemon
Established in 1903, Siemon is an industry leader specializing in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA Siemon has global offices and partners throughout the world. Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company's long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

Siemon’s Australian head office is located in Allambie Heights, Sydney, with offices also located in Brisbane and Melbourne.

For more information about this press release, please contact:
Alana Patton
The Siemon Company
Marketing Communications Executive
Tel : (02) 8977 7500