Wiring an office with Cat6 & Phone Cabling

[futureal]

In the coming weeks I am going to be wiring up our new office prior to us moving to it. We'll need to run about 40 Cat6 connections to wall jacks, along with about 24 standard RJ45 phone jacks.

I have the cables already, but I am looking for the following:

- jack panels that support 6-8 modular jacks of various types (e.g. RJ11/RJ45)
- RJ45 jacks for the above
- RJ11 jacks for the above that are rated for Cat6
- cable ends for the Cat6 cables that are (duh) rated for Cat6
- a recommendation on a crimping tool for use with the Cat6 jacks/cables
- a recommendation on a testing tool that will, at the very least, allow me to test the continuity of the connections when all is said and done, for both the phone and network cabling
- sources (online, B&M, whatever) to buy the above

As always, any and all help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[imported_Paladin]

Professionally we use Panduit ( http://www.panduit.com/products/ ) products and have had zero trouble with several hundred runs. I would run all 4-pair cat 6 cables terminated on 8-pin cat 6 jacks. 6 position modular plugs work with no problem in Panduit cat 6 jacks. The floor end would end in surface mount or partition mount or wall mounts; the terminal room end I would terminate on rack mounted patch panels. You can have rack mounted switches and for telephones/fax you can run another set of patch cables from the rack to 66 blocks on your telco backboard.

Photos of:

Backboard mounted patches/switches: http://www.dslretorts.com/Paladin/images/Dbldg-new.jpg
Swing-Gate mounted patches/switches: http://www.dslretorts.com/Pala...2154swinggateclose.jpg
Rack-mounted patches/switches: http://www.dslretorts.com/Paladin/images/Abldg2-new.jpg

 

[cmetz]

Call up Anixter - you may have to spend a few calls to get a sales guy who's helpful, but once you do they can walk you through all this.

I use Ortronics mostly (IMO and TrackJack) and am very happy with it. I've also worked at sites that used Panduit and their stuff is very good also.

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: Paladin
Professionally we use Panduit ( http://www.panduit.com/products/ ) products and have had zero trouble with several hundred runs. I would run all 4-pair cat 6 cables terminated on 8-pin cat 6 jacks. 6 position modular plugs work with no problem in Panduit cat 6 jacks. The floor end would end in surface mount or partition mount or wall mounts; the terminal room end I would terminate on rack mounted patch panels. You can have rack mounted switches and for telephones/fax you can run another set of patch cables from the rack to 66 blocks on your telco backboard.

Photos of:

Backboard mounted patches/switches: http://www.dslretorts.com/Paladin/images/Dbldg-new.jpg
Swing-Gate mounted patches/switches: http://www.dslretorts.com/Pala...2154swinggateclose.jpg
Rack-mounted patches/switches: http://www.dslretorts.com/Paladin/images/Abldg2-new.jpg

Kudos Paladin.

I second Paladins approach - it's exactly how I'm currently wiring up the phones and network in a group of offices. I've never bothered with any certain brand though and I've never had any problem with 6pin plugs connecting to 8 pin jacks. I'm using all wall plates with 3 jacks in them and, likewise, running three cables to each wallplate. Only 2 jacks will be used, but you never know when you might need that third one and you don't want to have to re-wire. I'm also running 3 cables for all backbone connections even though only one is needed right now, and I even put 5 runs in one particularly hard to reach location.

 

[Optical]

I got a newbie quesiton. What is the easiest way to secure down a 19" rack. Do you just screw it down to the floor. I see this as being difficult to do if the floor is concrete or could potentially do a lot damage to the floor.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Optical
I got a newbie quesiton. What is the easiest way to secure down a 19" rack. Do you just screw it down to the floor. I see this as being difficult to do if the floor is concrete or could potentially do a lot damage to the floor.

bolts are drilled into concrete floor (hole drilled and then concrete compression fittings are used) and hopefully secured to the ceiling as well forming a pretty solid structure.