Install Cat 5e Patch Panel

I have just purchased several routers and switches. I want to purchase a cat 5e patch panel. I am just wondering how hard it is to install it and do I really need a 110 Keystone Punch Down Tool? I absolutely got no idea about the patch panel. I actually don't really need it but just want to learn how to install it. Hope you can guide me. Thank you.

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Pash

rj45eth wrote:

I have just purchased several routers and switches. I want to purchase a cat 5e patch panel. I am just wondering how hard it is to install it and do I really need a 110 Keystone Punch Down Tool? I absolutely got no idea about the patch panel. I actually don't really need it but just want to learn how to install it. Hope you can guide me. Thank you.

If you are mounting all of the equipment inside the same rack in the same room (or even stacked ontop of each other) then you do not need a patch panel. Typically the patch panel is the termination for network ports that are connected over a building, then from the patch panel the endpoints are "patched" to switches or whatever other devices you may need connectivity to. Also, multi-floor businesses normally run fibre links and cat6 vertical links with patch panels on either end.

Btw if you wanna learn how to do it there are several guys/gals on this forum who have done cabling work, I am sure they can tell you

dottore11

Just from the limited network experience I have, I can tell you that you will definitely need a punch down tool if you are wiring a patch panel

phreak

You can go to home depot and find an inexpensive 110 tool. They are made in two flavors, impact and non-impact.

The impact tools have a spring loaded plunger in them so when you push down on them they compress and fire back so to speak, the punch action doubling the force. It is a lot less strenuous on the user. The non impact models require you to generate the punchdown force. They have a special piece on the end called the blade. One end is punch only, meaning it just punches the wires in. Take the blade out and insert it back into the tool in the other direction (like a reversable screwdriver) and you have punch and cut. This action punches the wire down, and cuts the overhang off at the same time. The tool also is color coded so that one side of the tool is usually brighter colored so you can tell the orentation of the blade. You dont want to punch and cut the wire in the wrong direction or your termination will be screwed up.

Random google search:

Old harris punch tool (this one has a 66-blade in it)

http://www.ba-electronics.com/images/10055000.jpg

Ideal Punchmaster (you'll find this at Home Depot)

http://webobjects2.cdw.com/is/image/CDW/1124718?$product_full$

I have both tools. I like the harris myself as I do this stuff as part of my job.

phreak

http://www.swhowto.com/

good info on termination there

More here from google:

http://www.netday.org/install_wiresph.htm

http://www.netday.org/install_punchpch.htm

I have some photos of an install I did at my parents house with my brother a few years ago when I first taught myself how to do this. I'll get the web server fired back up and links for you.

phreak

These pics are huge, so if you are on 56K i feel bad for you....

You've been warned.

http://dbnetworkz.com/Public/networking_photos/parents/P1010114.JPG

http://dbnetworkz.com/Public/networking_photos/parents/P1010115.JPG

http://dbnetworkz.com/Public/networking_photos/parents/P1010119.JPG

Keep in mind this job was done early on in my self-taught years. Today I do things a bit differently as far as how I keep the twists, mostly ensuring they are all uniform and not untwisted. It takes a lot of practice.

rj45eth

Thank you for all of your helps, especially, those great links and pictures. It really helps me a lot and also other people in here too! Thank you.

freetech

Punching a patch panel is just like owning you home lab. Experience is the best teacher.
You may not really need a patch panel, but the experience is invaluable.

Rearden

Another option is to purchase Panduit jacks and a panel that you can mount those in, instead of terminating right to a patch panel. It's sometimes a little easier to work with, however new installations (at least that I've seen) use patch panels.

phreak

The unloaded media panels can be great for those installs where you want to mix and match voice, data, and video into the same panel.

All of our jobs we use regular panels.

dps

You should also know what type of wiring standard you're gonna use. T568A/B etc.

You can click this for more info..
http://www.accesscomms.com.au/Reference/lanwiringschemes.htm

ellis360

Make sure you use cat 5e cable, patch cords, jacks
CAT 3 can create a bottle neck, ie no high speed
don't strip the jacket on the cable back further than 1.5''
try not to untwist the pairs.
also try not to kink the cable.
make a service loop incase you make a mistake
make sure you wire 568a or 568b, look at the station jack they should tell you which one

as far as the punch tool, if this is a one time thing, homedepot has plastic tools for about $5
the others are more than $50

If thats all to complicated I'd say crimp a mod plug on the end of the cable and plug it in directly.
look at another straight through patch they're usually 568B swap the orange and green for 568a

rj45eth

Thank you for all of your helps again. They are really helpful for me!

Thanks ellis360. I was just about to ask those questions.

I bought a Cat 5e patch panel and a 110 Keystone punch down tool on eBay, and they will be arriving next week. Hopefully I will be able to make the patch panel work.

darkuser

you can buy the leviton system at home depot .....

phreak

FWIW during termination it is ok to strip the jacket back further than 1.5"..... you just have to not leave the pairs exposed

its just that when it is finally terminated the jacket should be as close to the end as possible (eg all the way to the end.).....The jacket is actually part of the cable because of the high frequencies that ethernet operates at.

blackninja

QUOTED SPAM DELETED

This is a very old post and I think you've posted this comment in the wrong thread as this thread is explaining patch panels and ethernet cabling. Nothing to do with DSL filtering.

P.S. if you use adsl and voice together with no filters you will get disconnected from the internet when the phone rings.

EDIT: and note to MOD the website he/she has linked is the same as the username, I smell a rat!!

tech-airman

rj45eth wrote: »

I have just purchased several routers and switches. I want to purchase a cat 5e patch panel. I am just wondering how hard it is to install it and do I really need a 110 Keystone Punch Down Tool? I absolutely got no idea about the patch panel. I actually don't really need it but just want to learn how to install it. Hope you can guide me. Thank you.

rj45eth,

Do you have residential or commercial Internet access?

Kaminsky

rj45eth wrote: »

Thank you for all of your helps again. They are really helpful for me!

Thanks ellis360. I was just about to ask those questions.

I bought a Cat 5e patch panel and a 110 Keystone punch down tool on eBay, and they will be arriving next week. Hopefully I will be able to make the patch panel work.

Is simple enough these days. You don't even need to know the pinouts as they are colour coded.

I picked my 48 panel up from ebay for about £10 and the punch tool for half that. See if you can pick up a cheep cable management bar if you have a rack and position it just below the panel to tidy up those tailing cables.

I've punched my router ports, console ports of all devices, etc to it. Also my PC NIC ports and my ISP feed. It has made the home lab so much easier and stops the mrs complaining about untidy cables.

When labbing, the panel makes it so easy to mess about with topology and jump from one device to the other.

loxleynew

ellis360 wrote: »

Make sure you use cat 5e cable, patch cords, jacks
CAT 3 can create a bottle neck, ie no high speed
don't strip the jacket on the cable back further than 1.5''
try not to untwist the pairs.
also try not to kink the cable.
make a service loop incase you make a mistake
make sure you wire 568a or 568b, look at the station jack they should tell you which one

as far as the punch tool, if this is a one time thing, homedepot has plastic tools for about $5
the others are more than $50

If thats all to complicated I'd say crimp a mod plug on the end of the cable and plug it in directly.
look at another straight through patch they're usually 568B swap the orange and green for 568a

This is probably the best post.. When I first got to my job and started patching cables I did not do any of what he said. I even hooked up to a when we were using b. Then I had to go back and re-do it. Not fun.

Overall I think it is one of the easiest things to learn in networking after you do it a few times and saves you a lot of money in the long run if you know how to do it.