The Smart Buildings, Data Center and AV Blogs You Read Most in 2021

Our team of in-house experts take turns sharing their insight and expertise with you based on what they see and hear as they talk to customers, create new products, help develop standards and attend events. As a result, Belden’s blog continues to grow in terms of readership.

As 2021 comes to a close, we reviewed the topics that were most important to you over the past year.

Here are the most-read blogs about smart buildings, data centers and broadcast and AV published in 2021. Did you catch these blogs the first time? If not, now’s a great time to check them out!

1. Do You Know What’s Printed on Your Cable Jacket?

Cable jackets obviously protect what’s inside your cable: the insulation and conductor core. But have you ever taken a closer look at the cable jacket itself? The letters, numbers and words printed there give you all the information you need to know about the cable—as long as you know how to read them. Have a question about the cable you’re using? Consult your cable jacket … it holds the answers! This blog walks you through how to read a cable jacket legend so you understand what it’s telling you.

2. Why Hasn’t Category 7 (and Category 8) Cable Taken Off?

Category 5e, 6 and 6A are Ethernet cable types that the industry knows a lot about; they’re used frequently. But what about Category 7 and 7A—or Category 8? We don’t hear nearly as much about these cables. On paper, they may seem like a good and logical next step after Category 6A to support emerging technology. But is that really true? This blog takes a look at Category 7, 7A and 8 cables, what they’re designed for and where (and if) you should use them.

3. 9 Reasons Why Belden Supports Smart Buildings

Smart buildings can deliver economically, environmentally and for the benefit of occupants. Belden is at the center of this transformation to a connected country and a connected world. There are many benefits to the deployment of smart building technology, but there are nine reasons why we’re in support of the design and creation of smart buildings—and you can read about them in this blog!

4. Cable Considerations for AV over IP

While Ethernet technology started with computer networks, it has expanded to encompass voice, security, building automation and now commercial AV. There are many reasons for this shift—easy-to-use infrastructure and high-bandwidth capabilities, for starters—but the low cost of Ethernet switches has led this charge. This blog discusses IP challenges, network speeds and choosing the right network for AV (should it be shared, separate or virtual?)—and how all of this impacts cabling.

5. 4 Technology Disruptions Set to Change Cabling and Connectivity

We’re always watching for changes that will impact the industry and bring new possibilities to the way networks are designed and deployed. Blogs about emerging technology are always popular, but this one rose to the top. Disruptive technology alters the way we operate, driving us to improve processes, operations and systems. This blog discusses four of those disruptive technologies: single-pair Ethernet, Wi-Fi, small cells and Digital Electricity™. We’re monitoring these four technology disruptions closely and think you should be, too.

6. Are We Headed Toward Lights-Out Data Centers?

When someone mentioned a lights-out data center a decade ago, they were likely talking about a passive data center. Today, however, a lights-out data center (also called an “unmanned data center”) is just what its name implies: a fully automated facility that can operate in the dark without onsite staff. The lights can literally be turned off to save the operator money. Instead of engineers and operations managers being onsite, data center services and equipment are monitored and managed remotely. This blog details what you need to know about them.

As we get ready for 2022, we want to thank you for continuing to read Belden’s blogs—and for sharing your feedback, comments and ideas. Are there topics you’d like us to cover next year? Questions you want us to answer? Let us know! Or speak directly to one of our cabling and connectivity experts.