Patch pannel or direct connect?

[Scooterit]

In a household network about 12 cat6 cables are coming into a wall cabinet.
Is there a (dis) advantage of crimping the Rj45 Jacks directly to the cables and plug them into a switch..
Or should I do it "nice' and connect the wiring first to a patch panel.
My idea is that less interruptions in a wiring is always better.

Am I missing something?

Rogier

 

[fistv]

Organization mostly, some people like spider nests, some don't. Put a patch panel, punch it down and mount the panel in a rack, make the rack at least 8-12U so you can also mount a switch, a shelf for your router, maybe two shelves, another for the cable modem and I would mount a decent UPS to power the cable modem, router, switch. Come out of port 4 of your router into port 1 on your 24 port gb switch, use 12" patch cables to go from the switch to the patch panel.
A neater installation is much easier to work with and troubleshoot.
One suggestion, if you are running wire always put two cables where you think you only need one, four where you only think you need two, they can be used for other stuff. I'm going to be pulling 6 this weekend to my entertainment center so I can get the fully used 5 port switch out of there in preperation for a new TV, my current plasma does not have a nic, the new OLED will.

 

[azazel1024]

In a household network about 12 cat6 cables are coming into a wall cabinet.
Is there a (dis) advantage of crimping the Rj45 Jacks directly to the cables and plug them into a switch..
Or should I do it "nice' and connect the wiring first to a patch panel.
My idea is that less interruptions in a wiring is always better.

Am I missing something?

Rogier

Err, not really missing anything persay. A lot of people claim, and they aren't necessarily wrong, that crimping your own connectors is often done poorly. So they go with punch down your own, do the patch panel and then buy in bulk short, 1-2m patch cables pre-made in, to do the last bit of run to the switch. It is a little neater, but it is extra cost, and IMHO, if you are good at crimping...then no, it isn't really any better than patch panel and buying pre-made cables.

Some day I may get a patch panel and terminate it at one and run patch cables to my switches...but meh. It was easier/cheaper just to crimp connectors on and run right to my switch (I've got around 20 runs currently). I've verified the quality of all of my connections and they are good.

 

[azazel1024]

Organization mostly, some people like spider nests, some don't. Put a patch panel, punch it down and mount the panel in a rack, make the rack at least 8-12U so you can also mount a switch, a shelf for your router, maybe two shelves, another for the cable modem and I would mount a decent UPS to power the cable modem, router, switch. Come out of port 4 of your router into port 1 on your 24 port gb switch, use 12" patch cables to go from the switch to the patch panel.
A neater installation is much easier to work with and troubleshoot.
One suggestion, if you are running wire always put two cables where you think you only need one, four where you only think you need two, they can be used for other stuff. I'm going to be pulling 6 this weekend to my entertainment center so I can get the fully used 5 port switch out of there in preperation for a new TV, my current plasma does not have a nic, the new OLED will.

Oh and I can't argue with the do 2 where you think you need 1 and 4 where you think you need 2. Of all of my runs, where I did a pair of 2 wire runs to a box, in both cases in hind sight I kind of wish I had run 3 to the boxes...but oh well. They are runs that really just can't be redone easily at all as they are two of the three runs in my house that are just totally inaccessible now that walls/ceilings are up from a reno. Basically all of the rest of the runs in my house are moderately to easily accessible either from crawl space or unfinished portion of my basement. You live and you learn.

Fortunately I don't NEED extra runs, I can just think of some things I could do if I had the extra runs.

At the very least if you want to cheap out, run string with the cat cables so you can pull through new cables later if you decide you need more (if it is feasible to do a new pull).

 

[Scooterit]

Thanks for the feedback.

I agree a patch pannel looks more professional. And is the way to go with a large network. But for something with less than 16 cables. I am not sure. As long as they are organized well. Spare but no exesive cable length. Most importantly properly labelled....

And yes if possible always run extra wires where possible. A specially to work and entertainment spaces..

Smiles across the wires,



Rogier

 

[thiggins]

When I wired my home, I put in patch panels, one for phone (ha!) and one for data. Everything was CAT5e. The panels have come in handy for converting phone lines to data.

The main push toward panels for me is that I HATE crimping RJ45 plugs!

 

[azazel1024]

When I wired my home, I put in patch panels, one for phone (ha!) and one for data. Everything was CAT5e. The panels have come in handy for converting phone lines to data.

The main push toward panels for me is that I HATE crimping RJ45 plugs!

5e I don't mind crimping, but I am not a huge fan of 6 with the larger gauge wiring.

 

[fistv]

What I don't like about the crimping method is that 180deg turn the wire has to make to plug it into the forward facing switch if you have run your cable down the wall behind your equipment. Crimping is easy with an easy rjpro, connectors are a bit pricey though. I bring the cable down from the floor joists in the cellar then put 2" split tube conduit from there to the back of my rack.

 

[Scooterit]

What I don't like about the crimping method is that 180deg turn the wire has to make to plug it into the forward facing switch if you have run your cable down the wall behind your equipment. Crimping is easy with an easy rjpro, connectors are a bit pricey though. I bring the cable down from the floor joists in the cellar then put 2" split tube conduit from there to the back of my rack.

I tend to velco the router and switch against the wall so wires come straight down to the switch. Only a 1ft jumper cable between the router and the switch.

I am using the EZ-RJ45's from Platinum Tools. They save me time and frustration. Just make sure to use their crimp tool..

 

[rudex]

I just finished installing my home network a few weeks ago. Five rooms, four ports each. I'm glad I decided to go with the patch panel.

 

[azazel1024]

What I don't like about the crimping method is that 180deg turn the wire has to make to plug it into the forward facing switch if you have run your cable down the wall behind your equipment. Crimping is easy with an easy rjpro, connectors are a bit pricey though. I bring the cable down from the floor joists in the cellar then put 2" split tube conduit from there to the back of my rack.

I have a couple of rack mount switches sitting on top of shelving about 18 inches below the ceiling joists. Cables come down from the joists in front of the switch and plug in. No 180s needed (except for the cables from my server, but that is because my server sits under my switches and the cables come up and over the switches.

 

[Scooterit]

Yup very neat and surely more than 16 cables

 

[CaptainSTX]

The EZ-RJ45s are well worth the extra cost. Make a frustrating job much less so. I have only had to redo one connector out of the 80 or so I done using this tool and connector.

 

[fistv]

I tend to velco the router and switch against the wall so wires come straight down to the switch. Only a 1ft jumper cable between the router and the switch.

I am using the EZ-RJ45's from Platinum Tools. They save me time and frustration. Just make sure to use their crimp tool..

Just remember to tape over the unused ports of they will get filled with dust and dirt and can short out the port. I like them horizontal so I can see the lights.

 

[fistv]

I just finished installing my home network a few weeks ago. Five rooms, four ports each. I'm glad I decided to go with the patch panel.


View attachment 2501

Nice.
How deep is that rack and who makes it, I need a couple of more U's.

 

[rudex]

Nice.
How deep is that rack and who makes it, I need a couple of more U's.

It's the WALLMOUNT6 made by StarTech. 6U 12 inches deep

http://www.startech.com/Server-Mana...l-Mounting-Bracket-for-Patch-Panel~WALLMOUNT6