You’ve got a lot of options to connect your main building to your expansion building but it depends on a handful of variables.  The short answer is that ITN can help you connect these two buildings using any one of the following technologies;  1) wireless/radio, 2) VPN/internet, or 3) a hard wired aerial or underground connection using copper and fiber optic OSP cabling.  First question, how far apart are these buildings?             500’?     2000’?   15 miles?             The short answer here is that if the buildings are within 1,000’ or so, then wireless or a hard wired copper/fiber solution is certainly feasible.  If the buildings are 15 miles apart, then a connection through the internet is likely the best option for your business, group, or school.  Second question, what kind of traffic will you have and what connection speed is required for your network between buildings?  For the 15 mile example, you’ll have to weigh your budget against your connection needs as these internet solution decisions are often driven by price.  But in the example of “around 500’ of separation”, ITN can propose a couple different options.  A MERU wireless B/G client bridge might do the trick if you had just a few employees in a remote warehouse?  Or a Proxim Gigalink radio bridge with a 1GIG line of sight beam could be the solution where an underground or aerial cable couldn’t be installed but a 1GIG connection was still required?  Or a Laser Optimized Multi-Mode fiber optic cable capable of delivering up to 10GIG speeds at a maximum distance of 984’ could be the solution for the most demanding application within the second building.  An Engenius cordless phone might be the inexpensive fix for a handful of distant telephone users who don’t need a data connection? (a guard shack?)  The MERU Networks bridge, Proxim Gigalink, Engenius Phones, and the AMP Netconnect XG Fiber Optic systems are all just some of the products that ITN can lean on to solve your campus connection requirements.

The manufacturers and standards body have been working for several years on the 10GIG standard for copper and the associated copper product(s).  Most manufacturers have a 10Gig solution now in 2009 however the differences between the products and the construction of the cable is more evident than ever before as we test copper’s limits.  If your company is relocating and you are considering a 10Gig cabling solution for your next facility, we think there are a couple questions to ask yourself.  Is your firm running primarily Gigabit Ethernet (1000BaseT) currently?  Are your users fairly heavy bandwidth users?   Is your next lease longer than 5-7 years or will you own the facility with intention of being in place for a period of 10 years or more?  If the answer to any or all of these questions is “yes”, then ITN would recommend looking at a 10GIG cabling infrastructure like AMP NETCONNECT XG.