Structured Cabling Mistakes That Cause Expensive Problems in Commercial Buildings (Southeast Michigan)
Structured cabling is one of those things you don’t think about—until it starts causing daily problems: slow network performance, random device disconnects, messy closets nobody can troubleshoot, and costly downtime when you least expect it.
For businesses across Southeast Michigan—whether in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ypsilanti, Brighton, Novi, Saline, or West Bloomfield—we see the same avoidable cabling mistakes over and over.
Here are the most common ones, why they matter, and what “done right” looks like.
1) Skipping Labeling (Or Labeling That Doesn’t Match Reality)
Unlabeled cabling turns every change into a guessing game.
What it causes:
Hours of troubleshooting for simple moves/adds/changes
Unplanned outages when the wrong cable gets pulled
High service costs because no one can work efficiently
Done right:
Consistent labels on both ends (rack and device side)
A simple map or spreadsheet that matches the labels
Patch panels labeled by port range and destination
2) Messy Network Closets That Can’t Be Serviced
A closet doesn’t have to look pretty, but it does need to be serviceable.
Common problems:
Patch cords tangled and overstretched
Switches mounted with no airflow plan
No cable management, no slack control
Devices stacked on shelves with “temporary” power strips
Done right:
Clean pathways (vertical/horizontal management)
Service loops where appropriate (not giant coils)
Proper rack layout with room for growth
Clear separation between copper, fiber, and power
3) Poor Terminations That Create Random Dropouts
Bad terminations don’t always fail immediately. They often show up as “weird intermittent issues” that waste time and money.
Symptoms:
Devices dropping offline randomly
PoE cameras/phones rebooting
Slow speeds that come and go
Ports that “work sometimes”
Done right:
Correct bend radius and cable handling
Certified terminations tested to standard
Proper patch cords (not mystery cords from a drawer)
4) No Plan for PoE Devices (Cameras, Phones, WiFi, Access Control)
Most modern buildings rely on PoE for:
VoIP phones
WiFi access points
Door controllers and readers (access control)
Common mistake: installing devices without planning switch power budgets and cabling quality.
What it causes:
Devices rebooting under load
Cameras going offline intermittently
WiFi coverage issues that look like “internet problems”
Done right:
Switch PoE budget planning
Proper cable type and run length planning
Logical grouping of critical PoE devices
Documented patching so troubleshooting is fast
5) Overbuilding in the Wrong Places (And Underbuilding in the Right Ones)
A lot of cabling is installed based on convenience, not business impact.
Common issues:
Too few drops in conference rooms
Not enough cabling for printers/scanners/workstations in high-use areas
No spare capacity for future growth
Expansion projects that require re-opening finished spaces
Done right:
Drops planned around actual work areas and device types
Extra capacity where growth is likely
Cabling designed so you can expand without ripping things apart
6) Mixing Old and New Without Documentation
Buildings evolve—renovations happen, tenants change, IT teams change. The problem starts when old and new cabling gets mixed with no record of what’s what.
What it causes:
Mystery patch panels and abandoned cables
High service costs because nobody can trace anything
“Temporary fixes” that become permanent problems
Done right:
Remove or clearly mark abandoned runs
Document what’s active
Standardize rack naming and labeling across closets
Why This Matters for Southeast Michigan Businesses
In Southeast Michigan, we often see:
Buildings with multiple remodels over decades
Mixed construction types (brick, concrete, steel)
Multi-suite facilities with shared infrastructure
New devices added faster than closets are upgraded
Structured cabling isn’t just wires—it’s the foundation that determines how reliable your security, networking, and communications are.
Want Your Cabling to Be Clean, Reliable, and Expandable?
Tier One Technologies designs and installs structured cabling that supports modern commercial systems—from network infrastructure to security and access control—without creating future service headaches.
➡️ Schedule a free site assessment today and we’ll review your closets, labeling, PoE demands, and overall cabling health—so your infrastructure stops being a bottleneck.