Question disadvantages of patch panel in a home network setting?

[coolmanfever]

Hello all,

I started a thread earlier on how to setup patch panel in small home networking setting and received lots of people recommending patch panel for good cable organization and different ideas on how to make the connections.

But are there any disadvantages of having patch panel in home network setup esp. for someone like me who will not touch and modify the network in the future once first setup?

I can think of few:
1.add extra cost to equipment setup because I need to buy patch panel and frame that panel can mount on
2. add another layer of complexity to the network. Instead of ethernet cable connect directly to switch, patch cables are needed to connect from panel to switch. As result, more cost is added to buy patch panel and add another point of error at patch panel keystone jack + RJ45 jack.
3. If the cable are stranded type, then more difficult to finish them in keystone jack on patch panel

What do you guys think? Any disadvantages?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Read the standards docs for "thin" ethernet cabling.

 

[JackMDS]

Nice words are not very Helpful in technology decsion.

You stated:

But are there any disadvantages of having patch panel in home network setup esp. for someone like me who will not touch and modify the network in the future once first setup?

There is No answer unless we know what the Network is?

How many computer? Wire or Wireless ? Or other Network related products like printers etc.

What are the location that they are placed in and what is the actual topogrphy of the enviromet.

E.g. One floor with One wired computer and One wireless, is a diffrent story than few floors and more hardware that depends on Netwrok connection.

 

[coolmanfever]

I am just talking about in general for home network setup. Pretty much every room in my house has a ethernet keystone jacket for TV's. I intend to do streaming thurs ethernet cable via LAN instead wireless.

 

[QuietDad]

At 62 years old and 40 years of professional networking, I have set up dozens if not hundreds or thousands o network closets and wired almost 100 houses and EVERY setup was done with the intention it was never going to change, Not one of them lasted a year before they were "updated"(the first time). Homes more than offices. Spouses and teens want the TV on THAT wall, teens WANT the new playstation and keep their old one AND their PC and every day a new appliance comes with a RJ45 port. Keeping it hung up and labeled in one place is so much easier than untangling a closet a year after you connected it all

 

[mv2devnull]

EVERY setup was done with the intention it was never going to change, Not one of them lasted a year before they were "updated"

This.

"One can never have too many cables" but a patch panel is way more manageable than a closet full of spaghetti.

If there is a disadvantage (at all), then it is initial cost. However, that is insignificant compared to later changes. If I were building new, I would not put "a wall port". I would put two to each location, and preferably have "locations" in every corner of every room.