A professional Cat6 cabling installation is essential for any modern car dealership, especially with the rapid growth of electric vehicles and the digital systems that support them. But in this case study, we show what can happen when the initial cabling is installed poorly — and how our team stepped in to rescue a brand-new electric car dealership from serious network problems before opening day.

What began as a simple request to terminate pre-installed Cat6 cables quickly turned into a much bigger challenge. When we arrived on site, the dealership’s refurbished showroom had cabling that was the wrong grade, badly routed, and in many cases too short to reach the cabinet. Despite this, the project needed to stay on schedule with no disruption to the fit-out.

In this case study, we explain how we corrected the issues, delivered a reliable Cat6 system, and ultimately became the dealership’s trusted partner for all future data cabling work across their sites.

How the Project Began

Our relationship with the dealership began with what sounded like a straightforward request:

“Can you come in and terminate the Cat6 cabling that our electrical contractor has installed in our refurbished showroom?”

This is a common request. Electrical contractors often run cabling during fit-outs or refurbishments, and then call us in to complete terminations, patching, testing, and certification.

We expected a simple day’s work.
But what we walked into told a very different story.

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What We Found on Arrival

The cabling installed by the electrical contractor was:

• Poor-quality Cat6 cable

• Incorrectly run with bends, kinks, excessive tension, and unsupported sections

• Not run to any industry standard containment practices

• Untested and uncertified

• And, most significantly…

• Only 20% of the cables were actually long enough to reach the cabinet

To be clear:
In a professional Cat6 cabling installation, you expect all cable runs to reach the cabinet cleanly and safely with enough slack for termination. Here, we saw cables stopping halfway across the room, pulled tight against ceilings, or simply cut too short.

For a brand-new showroom fit-out, this was far from ideal.

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The Challenge: A Fix Was Needed — But It Was Too Late to Re-Run the Cables

The dealership was already at the end of their refurbishment timeline.

Furniture was in.
Flooring was finished.
Ceilings were sealed.
Showroom displays and lighting were installed.
And staff were scheduled to move in shortly after.

Re-running the cabling properly — which is normally the right solution — was no longer practical without:

• Delaying the opening

• Damaging new décor

• Increasing costs

• And causing major disruption to multiple trades

So, like many real-world projects, we had to find a workable solution that preserved function, safety, and reliability without tearing the building apart.

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Our Solution: Extending the Cables Professionally and Safely

Even though extending data cables is not the ideal option in a new installation, in this case, it was the only option available.

Here’s what we did:

1. Installed Krone termination boxes on the back wall

These provided reliable, professional-grade termination points for the short cables.

2. Extended all short cables to the correct cabinet location

Using high-quality Cat6 cable, we extended each run from the Krone blocks into the comms cabinet.

3. Maintained performance standards as much as possible

We followed all best practices:

• Tight bend radius control

• Correct separation from power

• Secure containment

• Proper slack management

• Labelled source and destination clearly

4. Tested and certified every run

Even with extensions, every outlet:

• Passed performance testing

• Met gigabit requirements

• Was labelled, mapped, and documented

5. Delivered the completed system on time

Despite the unexpected complications, we still completed:

• All terminations

• All extensions

• All cabinet work

• All testing

• All documentation

…within the client’s required timeframe.

This meant the dealership could open on schedule — no delays, no downtime, and no disruption.

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The Client’s Response — And How This Job Built a Long-Term Partnership

You might expect frustration when a client discovers their cabling hasn’t been installed correctly.

But instead, the dealership was:

• Relieved we found and resolved the problem

• Grateful we could fix it without delaying the opening

• Impressed by our professionalism and communication

• Surprised by how quickly the work was completed

• Pleased with the final quality and performance

Most importantly:

The dealership has now made us their go-to installer for all data cabling work across their network of sites.

What began as a rescue job has turned into:

• Multiple new showroom installations

• Service department upgrades

• Fibre links between building units

• New Cat6 outlets

• CCTV cabling

• Wi-Fi AP installation

• And ongoing support whenever they expand or refurbish

This is exactly how we like relationships to develop — built on reliability, honesty, and quality work.

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What This Case Teaches About Cabling Quality

This project is a perfect example of something we see often:

Not all cabling is installed to professional standards — even in brand-new buildings.

When non-specialist trades handle data cabling, common issues include:

• Using cheaper, unbranded cable

• Running cables near power

• Incorrect containment

• Excessive bending or tension

• Patch panels located in the wrong positions

• No testing

• Cables cut too short

• No documentation

These problems lead to:

• Slow network speeds

• Dropouts

• Faulty outlets

• Poor Wi-Fi performance

• Increased future repair costs

• Safety concerns

Fixing these issues after a fit-out is always harder (and more expensive) than doing it right the first time.

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Why Cat6 Cabling Installations Must Be Done Properly

A proper Cat6 or Cat6a installation requires:

• Correct cable routes

• Proper containment

• Good-quality materials

• Certification testing

• Experienced installers

Even small mistakes can compromise the whole network.
That’s why dealerships, schools, retail chains and manufacturers rely on specialists like us.

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Our Work in the EV Sector Is Growing

Electric vehicle dealerships depend heavily on digital systems for:

• Diagnostics

• Vehicle software

• Customer displays

• Charging system control

• Staff workstations

• CCTV

• Wi-Fi

Reliable cabling is the backbone of all of this — and we’re proud to support dealerships as they modernise and expand.

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Conclusion: A Difficult Start That Became a Great Partnership

Even though this project didn’t begin in the smoothest way, it ended in exactly the right one:

• A fully functioning Cat6 network

• A dealership opening on time

• A client who felt supported

• And a long-term relationship built on trust

Sometimes the best partnerships start with solving a problem that someone else created.

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Need Professional Cat6 or Cat6a Cabling Installed?

We carry out Cat6, Cat6a, fibre, AP installation, CCTV cabling and troubleshooting across the UK — for dealerships, schools, offices, manufacturers, charities, hospitality venues, and more.

📞 01793 863453
📱 07811 462276
📧 sales@datacablinginstallations.com

We’re always happy to advise – whether you’re planning ahead or dealing with an urgent situation.