Small network, less than 24 ports. Why use a patch panel? Why not straight into a switch?

[MichaelD]

This is for my network-to-be, which will be going into my house-to-be.

Planning on a small network (Cat 5e). Basically wiring every room in the house w/at least two LAN jacks. All cables will terminate in a closet, where the server/switch/modem will be.

I know that in big networks, they run the cables to a patch panel, punch down the individual wires to the back of the panel, then use pigtails to go from the panel to the switch.

Is there a purpose/point to doing that with a small, home network?

Why not just put an RJ45 on the end of each cable and plug directly into the switch?

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[JOSEPHLB]

Good question...

I'll be watching this for some good answers..

 

[rw120555]

Why not just put an RJ45 on the end of each cable and plug directly into the switch?

This is what the guy who finished up my home network did. He said a patch panel created one additional thing that could go wrong. My network seems to work fine. Others on this board told me it would probably be ok, but that this wasn't the way the pros did it.

Just guessing, but could you be more likely to screw up putting rj45s on the cables rather than using a patch panel? Several people here have warned that putting connectors on isn't easy to do.

 

[Smilin]

Because it's easier to keep clean and maintain. No other real reason that I know of.

Are you going to have just a whole bunch of rj-45 outlets inside your closet? Or are you just going to have a mass of cat5 cable coming out of a hole in the wall? What happens if you damage one of those cables a year from now?

It's totally up to you but since you're spending time, money and effort I'd think you would give a bit more and do it right. Besides you want to be able to open your wiring closet to your friends and have them go "Ooooh, neato!" not, "damn, you let rats build a nest in your closet??"

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Smilin
Because it's easier to keep clean and maintain. No other real reason that I know of.

Are you going to have just a whole bunch of rj-45 outlets inside your closet? Or are you just going to have a mass of cat5 cable coming out of a hole in the wall? What happens if you damage one of those cables a year from now?

It's totally up to you but since you're spending time, money and effort I'd think you would give a bit more and do it right. Besides you want to be able to open your wiring closet to your friends and have them go "Ooooh, neato!" not, "damn, you let rats build a nest in your closet??"

You do have a point...I will be having the mass of wires entering the closet thru a PVC grommett in the ceiling/wall...a patch panel would look a lot neater...and would rate high up on the "oooooh-ahhhhhh!" meter.

 

[spidey07]

You use a patch panel because that is part of the EIA/TIA 568-b standards. 90 meters of horizontal cabling allowed with 10 meters of patch cable total.

Another reason is cat5 cable is horizontal cable is supposed to be reliatively stationary without much movement and bending, where as patch cables can be moved at will. So what you have is a cable plant that is very strong/performs well and your flexibiliy comes from patch cables.

In a home enviroment? who cares...plugging them into a switch seems fine.

But if you want to use your cat5 cable system as part of a "structured cable system" and use cat5 for voice, video, audio then spend a few bucks and get a small patch panel.

 

[ScottMac]

Because after all the pain and effort (and expense) of pulling the solid conductor cabling through the walls, it would suck big-time to have one of those cables break from being bent, stretched or otherwise abused.

The cable in the walls should go to a panel, because panels don't move, and the cabling is out-of-the-way and not taking abuse. The cheap and easily replaceable jumpers will take the abuse ... because that's what they're designed for.

Out of the walls and into a switch is the mark of a poorly installed system by people that don't have a clue ... or too lazy to do it.... or " I want it, it doesn't have to be right, but I gotta have it." Kinda like the guy that tells everyone about his '68 Chevy Z28 (blah blah blah) car..... except he doesn't tell anyone it's really a rust heap on blocks in the back yard.... he's got one, but it's not worth having ...

If $30.00-60.00 dollars for a panel is going to break the bank for a cabling installation, you probably shouldn't be doing it.

JM.02

Scott

 

[spidey07]

And the always policitally sensitive Scott posts his TRUE thoughts!

 

[Oaf357]

Using a patch panel provides quite a bit of flexibility.

 

[MichaelD]

Very knowlegeable replies by very knowledgeable folks. Thanks very much for your time.

You all make some really good points...I hadn't taken into account all the stuff about the panel being an non-flexing "anchor" if you will. It does make sense to NOT have all the wires I painstakingly ran moving around and possibly breaking.

I see now why I should have a panel. Thanks for the education. BTW, I can appreciate ScottMac's direct approach...I'm the same way.

Have a good day.

 

[Tallgeese]

Watch out tho...Scott's idea of "cabling done right" just might involve hot-glue and multicolored patch cables intertwined and fixed into a display that looks like a stage piece for a new off-off-off-Broadway musical..."Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Backbone."

BTW: Hey Scott...do you still have a pic of that setup for Interop up somewhere?

 

[Garion]

One other item to note.. If you use a patch panel, you can do some things you can't - For example, putting a crossover cable between two of the ports on the panel to create a stand-alone network.. Plugging an RJ11 jack into one of the ports to extend a phone line. Etc.

- G

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Garion
One other item to note.. If you use a patch panel, you can do some things you can't - For example, putting a crossover cable between two of the ports on the panel to create a stand-alone network.. Plugging an RJ11 jack into one of the ports to extend a phone line. Etc.

- G

Stop, please. You're getting me all hot and bothered! That stand-alone network idea...well, that's just the best thing since sliced bread. Yummy.

Watch out tho...Scott's idea of "cabling done right" just might involve hot-glue and multicolored patch cables intertwined and fixed into a display that looks a stage piece for a new off-off-off-Broadway musical..."Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Backbone"

Ahahah! TallGeese, you've done it; you are my Quote of the Week! "Amazing Technicolor Backbone"

 

[n0cmonkey]

I nominate this "Best Thread of the Day." Thanks to those here, I actually learned something on Anandtech forums today!

 

[MichaelD]

BTW, SCOTTMAC, I'd be interested in seeing that "Interop" picture that Tallgeese is referring to.

 

[Eltano1]

This thread shows why is worth it to come every day to read them, even if you (me) don't add anything to it, the information that we have here available and the people that is willing to help (you guys) is what is all about (sorry for the cliche). I know i would be one of the lazy ones to go straight to the router/switch, just no to be bother setting up the patch panel and all the labeling.
But again thanks you guys for showing me and the others how to do it the right way.

Eltano

 

[Need4Speed]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I nominate this "Best Thread of the Day." Thanks to those here, I actually learned something on Anandtech forums today!

yeah me too...that scott and i know the same kid with that z28

 

[eklass]

just fyi... we had our office custom built-out for us... the retard electrician F'd up all the wiring (put rj-11 jacks on the end of rj-45 wire? uh.. idiot)... anyway... that's about a dozen jacks in the wall and all the wires just hang in the closet where we plug it into a 16 port netgear switch... works quite nice, as our dsl modem is punched right into the patch panel (in the same closet) and then just runs straight into the switch (the modem runs dhcp and dns so as to reduce the need for a router). as far as a getting a workgroup of computers on, our 4 machines are faced inward in a circle and have a switch on the ground where we plug into and a cable then goes to the wall... fully switched 100MBps network... nice


p.s. out file servers are set in the closet as well, so we plug those right into the switch... it's a pretty sweet setup actually

 

[chsh1ca]

Garion's post with examples of flexibility is definitely why.

Patch panels are definitely a good idea. Why do things proper halfway right?

 

[skyking]

Mark me up for some sort of patch panel also.
At my current abode, I do not have a good closet for networking, so I used a different method with much the same results. Two six-hole wall plates, side by side, with keystone jacks, labeled and tested. This is a very clean installation in what is essentially a spare bedroom. I can remove the furniture, the jumpers to the switches, and paint the room easily, and the two plates have a minimal impact on the house in general. I have 9 runs of data, my cable modem connection, my phone, and a spare with a blank.
The other end is also properly installed wall plates with phone and data, or as garion pointed out, most anything I want to jumper to in the computer room.

 

[madwok]

Patch panel gimme a nice place to put my label ( jack/port ) . Try to do that with bunch of loose RJ45 cables and you will see !!!

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: MichaelD


You do have a point...I will be having the mass of wires entering the closet thru a PVC grommett in the ceiling/wall...a patch panel would look a lot neater...and would rate high up on the "oooooh-ahhhhhh!" meter.

It may sound vain or silly but you can't discount the "oooh aaaahs". For instace: I got sick of explaining to everyone non-technical what a badass computer I have so last time I said screw it, got a nice all black case with side panel and neon and whatnot. Now everyone "ooohs and aaaahs" when they see it and only the technical people (who I don't mind) are the ones asking about it.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: Smilin

Originally posted by: MichaelD


You do have a point...I will be having the mass of wires entering the closet thru a PVC grommett in the ceiling/wall...a patch panel would look a lot neater...and would rate high up on the "oooooh-ahhhhhh!" meter.

It may sound vain or silly but you can't discount the "oooh aaaahs". For instace: I got sick of explaining to everyone non-technical what a badass computer I have so last time I said screw it, got a nice all black case with side panel and neon and whatnot. Now everyone "ooohs and aaaahs" when they see it and only the technical people (who I don't mind) are the ones asking about it.

I like it! that neon is worth at least 500 mhz, right?

 

[Smilin]

Yep. LED colored fans are another 66mhz each.

 

[heartsurgeon]

one thing to consider is that you can purchase a really cheap 5 port switch (linksys $32.00) for each room you want to "wire"
it may be considerably cheaper to run a single cat5e to each room and then use a switch in that room to increase ports as needed, rather than run
two wires to each room.

if you pay an electrician to run the wires and install the outlets in each room - i suspect running a single wire and using a switch in each room, will be cheaper.

something to consider

check this article out linky

i ended up doing this in my house (used the 5-port linksys switch) - worked great - added extra ports to some bedrooms, even tacked a WAP11 onto the switch in one upstairs bedroom
to add wireless capability on the second floor of the house (for those who wanted to be portable)
the original router is in the basement.