Smart Building Blog Round-Up: 2024’s Most Popular Reads
At the end of every year, we review the smart building blog topics that resonated most with readers like you over the last 12 months. This helps shape our information-sharing strategy, allows us to better understand what’s important to you and brings our most popular content together so you can see it all at once.
Last year, blogs about data center density and security, along with blogs about cable combing, private wireless networks, and standards, were the most popular. This year, a data center topic tops our list once again, followed by blogs about cable certification and testing, optical LANs, and extended reach.
If you haven’t read these smart building blog posts, then now’s a great time to take a look at the topics that ranked highest in 2024.
Happy reading!
Most-read smart building blog posts published in 2024
These blogs were written and published in 2024, and they top the list of most-read smart building blogs this year.
1. Introducing ANSI/TIA-942-C: Recent Updates to Data Center Standards
Earlier this year, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) released ANSI/TIA-942-C, which documents the latest industry consensus on data center design and construction best practices. This new version of the standard includes updates to connectivity requirements, more information on edge data centers, clarification of TIA’s data center certification rating system, and new requirements for cabling, floor-loading capacity, and cabinet width. If you need a quick overview of these changes, this blog is a great place to begin.
2. OLTS or OTDR: Which Test Is Acceptable for Fiber Certification?
Two types of fiber tests can be conducted to qualify for cable certification: OTDR (optical time domain reflectometer) and OLTS (optical loss test set). But how are they different, and which one should you use? This blog maps out the distinctions between the two tests and explains which are necessary to certify your fiber installation. (Hint: While more installers have recently been submitting OTDR test results to certify, that creates two problems you need to know about.)
Read the blog about OLTS and OTDR testing.
3. Cable Certification + Installer Certification Is a Winning Combo
Cable certification involves testing to verify that installed cabling complies with industry standards. But cable certification isn’t the only thing you can do to verify the performance of your cabling system. To stand out, installers can also certify the work of their team. This blog explains the ins and outs of cable certification and installer certification—and how the two can work together.
Read about cable and installer certification.
4. Local Area Networks: Passive Optical vs. Traditional LANs
As more network backbones are built on fiber to handle more density, more bandwidth, and faster network speeds, optical LANs are becoming a viable alternative to traditional LANs. This blog compares optical LANs with traditional LANs in terms of network components, functionality, space requirements, energy consumption, security, costs, and lifecycle.
5. Don’t Over-Engineer IP Camera Systems: RemoteIP vs. Category Cable
As more enterprises transition from CCTV to IP cameras, this shift impacts planning for bandwidth requirements, cable selection, power usage, and distance limitations. This blog maps out the differences you should expect when upgrading to IP cameras and helps you calculate accurate bandwidth requirements. Finally, it proposes a new cabling choice to support IP cameras: RemoteIP Cables, which can supply power and data up to devices that are up to 215 m away.
Learn more about engineering your IP camera systems.
Most-read smart building blog posts of all time
These blogs were written and published prior to 2024, and they top the list of most-read blogs since 2012, when Belden’s first blog was published.
1. Deciphering RJ45 Color Codes
This blog joined our most-read list for the first time last year, coming in at No. 3. This year, it hit No. 1! This blog explains what color coding is and how it works with Ethernet cable pair colors (blue, orange, green, and brown). If you want to better understand color codes for RJ45 plug and jack termination—and see visual representations of how they work—start here.
2. APC vs. UPC: What’s the Difference?
This blog remains at No. 2 on our list of most-read blogs, which is where it ranked last year as well. Curious about the differences between ultra physical contact (UPC) and angled physical contact (APC) singlemode fiber connectors—and which you should choose? This blog takes a closer look at both options, along with associated fiber connector loss, so you can make an informed choice.
Learn more about APC and UPC connectors.
3. 3-Phase Power—Why it Matters
Written more than 11 years ago, this topic is still on our list of most-read smart building blogs. In response to the requests we received about expanding on certain statements of the blog, the content was updated to provide even more information about 3-phase wiring and 3-phase Wye. The blog makes for a good read if you want to learn why 3-phase Wye—a type of 3-phase power—is being used in data centers.
Learn about 3-phase power in data centers.
4. What’s the Real Cat 6A Cable Distance Limit (and Why Does It Matter)?
Making it onto our list of most-read smart buildings blogs for the first time is this one written by one of our frequent contributors, Senior Solution Architect for Enterprise Solutions Ron Tellas. Because Category 6A cables are capable of supporting a full 100 m distance across the entire channel, many professionals assume that all Category 6A cables are able to do this. But that’s not the case—and this blog explains. There’s a distance limit for Category 6A cables based on how they’re designed and deployed. This blog describes the factors that impact distance limit, including outside diameter, heat, and power, and explains what happens when these factors negatively impact distance.
Learn about the cable distance limit for Category 6A.
5. 11 Types of Networks Explained: VPN, LAN & More
For several years, this blog topped the list of most-read smart building blog posts. First published in 2016 and later updated to include new information, this blog acts as a summary of the different types of networks in use today, including LAN, WLAN, PAN, MAN, CAN, and more. This year, as other topics join the list, the blog that used to hold the No. 1 position now sits here at No. 5.
Learn more about network types.
What do you want to read about?
As you work to bring your data infrastructure into alignment, we want to make it easy for you to find reliable, unbiased information about how to ensure seamless connections and unlock new possibilities.
Thank you for reading and sharing our content and staying connected to Belden by asking questions, providing feedback, and sharing your ideas. If there’s a topic you want to know more about in 2025, then let us know so we can address it. Or you can speak directly to one of our experts.