Patch Panel

Hello

I have a patch panel to install soon. I am familiar with cabling and the different cabling standards etc.

However, the only thing I haven't done so far is install a patch panel.

I have never been able to find any clear, concise and photographic tutorials on installing a patch panel.

I have a picture of a patch panel that uses either the A or B standard, and as the 'norm' nowadays is to use the B standard that is fine.

However, let's take the B standard. On the back of the patch panel there is a diagram which shows the colour coding from left to right to be as follows for each cable:-

white/blue, blue, white/orange, orange, white/green, green, white/brown. brown.

Yet, the B standard on a rj45 jack is as follows:-

white/orange, orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown. brown.

Am I correct to assume that I would need to follow the colour coding to the patch panel as above for each cable?

The link below shows a picture of the patch panel I am referring to, the picture is 2/3 down the page:-

http://www.lanshack.com/cat5e-tutorial.aspx

Regards,
Jeff

 

Jeff,
Punch it down just like it shows. The pinout is converted in the jack.
You will notice there are pin numbers next to those colors.

I dug up some pictures of a patch panel I did last year.
Just a little 48 port.

http://bumracing.com/albums/album01/DSCN4486.sized.jpg

http://bumracing.com/albums/album01/DSCN4487.sized.jpg

http://bumracing.com/albums/album01/DSCN4488.sized.jpg

http://bumracing.com/v-web/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album01&id=DSCN4489

 

See where the blue pair is numbers 4&5?
http://www.lanshack.com/images/568ab.jpg
http://www.lanshack.com/images/568-B.gif

 

Don't forget that CAT5's only shielding to RF noise comes from the cables being twisted. Therefore, avoid untwisting the cable as much as possible. If after you've installed the cable, you can see trailing untwisted wires more than a few millimetres long, then the install isn't very good - its a very easy way to spot poor cabling.

I've done a quick trawl through google and here are a couple of examples of what your cabling should look like after installation:

http://conewall.co.uk/patchandnetwork.php?cen=f6f7e50cdee3cce1d3e567309509215a

http://dmiller.sofi.org.uk/home/home.php?page=patch

Note the minimum exposure of untwisted wire.

I have seen installation where the wiring looked more like this:

http://www.morganscott.co.uk/images/HDMI cable showing pairs small 392.jpg

(and they wondered why they got so many strange networking problems!!)

I also found a nice FAQ here:

http://www.datacablingspecialists.co.uk/page010.html

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in network cabling:

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Net...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204019016&sr=8-1

very easy to read and useful information therein.

Lastly, if you want to network cable professionally (that is be paid for it), I would strongly recommend that you go on one of the training courses that good cabling companies provide. It is in their interest that their cable is installed correctly, and therefore they are very supportive to people wanting to learn how to do so. Companies such as Krone and Molex for example.

 

Thanks Scott and Reggie,

Your input is always quick and clear. The best forum site I've come across by far.

Please may I just clarify then?

(1) So for the patch panel as shown below, just follow the 568B colour coding standard as shown on the back of the panel for each cable connection in the following order from left to right:-

white/blue, blue, white/orange, orange, white/green, green, white/brown. brown.:-

http://www.lanshack.com/images/568ab.jpg

(2) and for the rj45 jack, the numbers shown in the jack correspond to the order of the B standard i.e:-

1=white/orange, 2=orange, 3=white/green, 4=blue and so forth.

Regards,
Jeff

 

Jeff that is correcto!

Reggie,

Like you stated the manufacturers do train well on their products.

But when you throw the word "Professional" in there it goes to Bicsi certification over on this side of the pond.
In fact BICSI certification is required for large jobs like the one I posted the photos of. http://www.bicsi.org/
It's kind of like a MCSE for structured cabling.

We do mostly BICSI certified jobs for the DOD (Department of Defense).
Fiber, Cat6, and outside plant.

The current project I'm on has over 280,000 feet of http://www.nexans.com/eservice/Navi...earchAttrList=&idParametricSearch=0&CZ=US#top

FUN FUN FUN!

 

Thanks guys once again

Jeff

 

Hi guys

Just one last question regarding the cabling to the back of a patch panel.

In the image shown below, there are numbers showing as 5,3,1 and 6,4,2 below and above each connection point, what do these numbers refer to? Do they refer to the cable connections which will run to each network wall point? If not, then how do we ascertain this?

http://www.lanshack.com/images/568ab.jpg

Thanks guys,
Jeff

 

That's ports 1,2,3,4,5 & 6

That matches the port number on the front side.

On the front from Left to right 1,2,3,4,5 &6 thru 12,24,48 or 96 depending on the size of the panel.

 

Thanks Scott,

that makes sense.

Thanks,
Jeff