Do you know that every telecom circuit has to have a demarc extension? A demarc extension is not only the most important piece of cabling within a building’s telecommunications infrastructure, but it is the transmission path in which information is shared and business is conducted. A bad demarc extension means a bad connection and will immobilize a business until the issue is resolved.

Problem:
Everyone depends on reliable internet connectivity to connect to the network and the outside world. In an office building, there are numerous employees that rely on their connection to remain productive and to drive business forward. If one computer goes down, that single employee can’t connect and productivity is lost until the issue is identified and resolved. If the whole building goes down, which will happen with an improperly installed or maintained demarc extension, nobody in the company can get a connection and business comes to a crashing halt.

Solution:
Often trivialized and overlooked before the installation of network services, a dependable demarc extension is essential to business operations and productivity. When a telecom circuit goes down, it can take much finger pointing to finally figure out that in the end, it was the fault of bad cabling. To save time, money and frustrations, it is essential to have the demarc extension installed reliably.

Circuit Down- It’s an Inside Wiring Problem:
To resolve circuit problems that are directed at the demarc extension the onsite field technician must come prepared to test not only the cabling and equipment (repeaters, media converters, etc.) that make up the demarc extension, but the circuit as well. This will expedite the diagnosis of the problem and, if the demarc extension is at fault, resolve the customer’s connection. Otherwise, without circuit testing, another dispatch may be required by the carrier or local access provider and will consequently increase the time to resolve the problem.

Telecom Circuit Isolation is required when demarc extension testing indicates no issues, which may be extensive depending on distances, connection points and equipment used. After the demarc extension is determined not to be at fault, then an onsite technician must go to the local access provider’s circuit demarcation point and separate the demarc extension. Then, the circuit must be tested with high level test equipment or a low level testing device at the demarcation point to determine if the circuit is at fault.

1. High Level Testing requires expensive test gear and trained personnel to operate the test equipment, this is typically not particle or cost effective for the contractor unless they install hundreds or thousands of demarc extensions yearly.

1. Low Level Loop-Back Testing requiring patch cables or specially configured connectors, plugs and/or devices to loop back the transmission path from access provider’s local loop is a particle solution for contractors not equipped with high level test gear.

NOTE #1: It is important to understand that firms providing demarc extensions be well versed in circuit testing and eCPE to expedite the fault resolution for a telecom circuit.

NOTE #2: eCPE may also be used for testing at the local access provider’s handoff if eCPE is in question.

DULLES, VA, JUNE 9, 2010 – Demarc Extension Nationwide today announced the release of a groundbreaking video series revealing an educational view of the demarc extension for telecom agents and carriers.  This three-part series acknowledges essential facts and concerns surrounding the demarc extension. Titles include:

• “Understanding the Demarc Extension – A Facility’s Most Critical Cabling Channel” Runtime: 3:52
• “The Loss of Standardization and Current Mandates of the Demarc Extension” Runtime: 3:16
• “The Critical Role of the Demarc Extension and its Impact on Business Operations” Runtime: 4:12

“Previously an area of uncertainty and blame, the demarc extension has always been a challenging area of service for telecom agents and carriers. The purpose of this short video series is to educate telecom agents and industry professionals on the most important cabling channel and transmission path in a facility, so as to be better prepared when a telecom circuit goes down and fingers start pointing,” commented founder of Demarc Extension Nationwide and President of Concert Technologies, Dennis Mazaris.

The videos in the series provide guidance with regards to the demarc extension. Key topics discussed include:

• Terminology and history
• Standards
• Installation
• Responsibility
• Connectivity issues
• The importance of the demarc extension to a business

Many of the topics discussed in this series were addressed at the information technology systems association 2010 winter conference held by BICSI in Orlando, Florida.

About Demarc Extension Nationwide
Demarc Extension Nationwide is a brand of Concert Technologies and was developed as the telecommunications industry leader for nationwide installation services and education of demarc extensions. In addition to providing these nationwide installation and maintenance services, the brand sets the standards and supplies the necessary information to facilitate the understanding of specifications and installation practices for demarc extensions. Demarc Extension Nationwide supports the telecom agent and carrier in ensuring complete operability of the circuit at the customer’s site. Visit Demarc Extension Nationwide online at www.demarcextension.com

Read the full article on TMCnet.com

The first edition of the Demarc Extension Nationwide Quarterly Newsletter was just released. Resulting from all the positive feedback, we are inviting anyone who is interested in information regarding this important cabling channel to sign up for the newsletter. If you are interested, please visit our Contact Us page and fill out your information.