Patch Panels

LAN Infrastructure for Office buildings.

From the PC all the way to the Core Router/Switch.

Now im sure not all, but for most, Like a Call Center/Helpdesk with a Floor full of pc's for end users all connected to a Patch Panel in a Network Closet. This network closet is organized and connects to the network equipment such as the Access Switches/Distrib Switches/ and all the way up the ladder toward the Core switches/Routers and out to the WAN?

This correct?

My understanding is Patch Panels are just for receiving the huge bundles of cables that come from the Floor so it can then be organized and directed out toward all the necessary switches & routers for convenience of on site technicians & engineers

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blackninja

DerekAustin26 wrote: »

LAN Infrastructure for Office buildings.

From the PC all the way to the Core Router/Switch.

Now im sure not all, but for most, Like a Call Center/Helpdesk with a Floor full of pc's for end users all connected to a Patch Panel in a Network Closet. This network closet is organized and connects to the network equipment such as the Access Switches/Distrib Switches/ and all the way up the ladder toward the Core switches/Routers and out to the WAN?

This correct?

My understanding is Patch Panels are just for receiving the huge bundles of cables that come from the Floor so it can then be organized and directed out toward all the necessary switches & routers for convenience of on site technicians & engineers

The reason for at the patch panel is just as you said, the cable guys lay the cables and terminate them to the patch panels. The engineers turn up with the switches and run "patch cables" to them.

DerekAustin26

These patch panels have weird port #'s like "30F29" right?

blackninja

DerekAustin26 wrote: »

These patch panels have weird port #'s like "30F29" right?

Just depend on which patch panel is used and how big. Some are just just numbered 1 through whatever.

desertmouse

blackninja wrote: »

Just depend on which patch panel is used and how big. Some are just just numbered 1 through whatever.

This. And not all panels are #'ered or labeled in any way. Hence the reason for a trusty toner!

dynamik

DerekAustin26 wrote: »

My understanding is Patch Panels are just for receiving the huge bundles of cables that come from the Floor so it can then be organized and directed out toward all the necessary switches & routers for convenience of on site technicians & engineers

They're also nice because they limit the amount of damage that occurs if something happens to a cable. It's easier to run another short cable from the patch panel instead of doing another long run.

blackninja

desertmouse wrote: »

This. And not all panels are #'ered or labeled in any way. Hence the reason for a trusty toner!

Not all panels are numbered: well that makes sense ?

Never had the pleasure of finding one yet.

trusty toner??

rwwest7

blackninja wrote: »

Not all panels are numbered: well that makes sense ?

Never had the pleasure of finding one yet.

trusty toner??

A tone generator and a tone tracer. They will become your best friends in poorly installed networks.

blackninja

rwwest7 wrote: »

A tone generator and a tone tracer. They will become your best friends in poorly installed networks.

Never heard if it, never had anything to do with installing yet though

/usr

My understanding is Patch Panels are just for receiving the huge bundles of cables that come from the Floor so it can then be organized and directed out toward all the necessary switches & routers for convenience of on site technicians & engineers

That is absolutely correct. Anytime you're in a building where you see data jacks, you can rest assured that 99% of the time, all of that cable will run back to a central location where it has been terminated into a patch panel.

Patch panels serve as a way to keep all cable easily accessible and organized. For example, you could simply put RJ-45 ends on all cables back at the central location, but then you end up with a massive amount of cable that you need to plug into switches.

Patch panels make organization, documentation, labeling, adds/moves/changes all MUCH easier.

You would then take patch cables from the patch panel and hook it into the switch, creating the link between the end user who has their PC hooked up to a data jack and the switch, which links to the router, to the servers, to the internet, etc.

Morty3

DerekAustin26 wrote: »

These patch panels have weird port #'s like "30F29" right?

Lil off-topic, but when you see that it tends to be marked like this:
Wire closet
Panel
Port

So, 30F29 would be Wire closet 30, panel F, port 30.

Mrock4

rwwest7 wrote: »

A tone generator and a tone tracer. They will become your best friends in poorly installed networks.

+1, I'd never go anywhere without my fluke when I was making calls. Some cable guys are fantastic and very accurate with their labeling of the patch panel, others are sloppy at best..if they even labeled them at all.

Forsaken_GA

Patch panels give you organization, and flexibility. It's alot easier to re-run one section of cable than it is to re-run the entire length.

It also gives you some flexibility. If you wire extra ports, you have the ability to connect virtually any machine to any other machine in the data center.

For example - if I need two computers connected back to back on their secondary NIC's for whatever reason, if all my runs are straight connections, I have to run a length of cable from that NIC to the other NIC, or I have to move equipment around.

If I'm using patch panels, I can just plug the NIC into a patch panel port on both ends, and then use another cable to cross connect those two ports in the central distribution facility.