When adding ar phone/dsl cat5 run to another room is there any concern about existing phone outlets degrading the phone or dsl signal. The house already has lines to 3 rooms, but I need a 4 line for converting a useless formal living room into an office. Also can I use a punch down panel in the attic to take an existing line from one of the rooms and split it out for the new line.
Cat5 Roughed in How do I finish it?
- Thread starter VonMoldy
- Start date
JOHNMAN
Well-known member
I started drawing a plan for what my phone and data so that I could more easily understand my cabling needs and attempt to not miss any of my present or future needs.
While drawing out my plan, I came to the conclusion that the patch panel and patch cables seem to be an extra step that I don't understand.
Why do folks use the patch panels instead of terminating the CAT5 or CAT6 cables with plugs and simply plugging them into the switch? What am I missing?
Perhaps some of you communication and data experts could show me the errors of my thinking.
Thanks in advance.
While drawing out my plan, I came to the conclusion that the patch panel and patch cables seem to be an extra step that I don't understand.
Why do folks use the patch panels instead of terminating the CAT5 or CAT6 cables with plugs and simply plugging them into the switch? What am I missing?
Perhaps some of you communication and data experts could show me the errors of my thinking.
Thanks in advance.
the quick answer is the plugs are easily damaged, a patch panel gives you a solid termination point thats part of the building. Same as why do you put an outlet in the wall instead of just having the romex hanging out with a plug on the end.
JOHNMAN
Well-known member
bry@n
Well-known member
It does make sense.
For instance, let's say in the future, you add a couple of switches. The rack gets filled up. Now you need to feed connect to a switch that is 3 feet lower/ higher in the rack. You just use a longer/ shorter patch cord. Besides, clips break and you will need to cut/ strip to make a new head. That means the cable will have to be terminated and tested again. Using patch panels, is just a smarter and cleaner way to do it.
JOHNMAN
Well-known member
If this was not a home application and was for a business or in industry, I could see a point to this. Since I believe that most of us are talking about home applications, I understand what you are saying, but I really don't see that many home networks having multiple switches, multiple servers, etc.
I did some googling and for the most part people seem to agree with the terminate the solid CAT5 wire at a punch down rather than a plug. Most of these opinions are based upon business environments that typically change on a fairly regular basis (I can see a point there as well). Some opinions were that the "patch cables" are more flexible and terminate to plug ends better than solid wire does. (I can see some merit to this as well).
Still other opinions match what my thoughts are: "In a home network, where there are few cable runs (a dozen or so), a patch panel tends to be overkill."
Now that I have a bunch of opinions and no hard and fast rules, I tend to believe that solid wire should be punched down to a terminal instead of terminated to a plug end. I still don't believe that I will end up plugging and replugging my network cabling enough to worry about plug tang breakage, but it may be a valid point.
My current plan is to use an inexpensive punch down block and use patch cables.
in home wiring that doesnt have a structured wiring panel, I do one of two things. Depending on where the other end of the cabling is (office, garage, etc) I will use a 12 port vertical patch panel with the same footprint as a 66 block (see picture) or if it needs to be nice, ill use a double gang wallplate with jacks in it -this is what I did on my hosue. In the office I have a double gang wallplate with 10 cat5e jacks in it and a cable port. My cable modem is connected to it and the network ports are all connected to my switch.
bry@n
Well-known member
in home wiring that doesnt have a structured wiring panel, I do one of two things. Depending on where the other end of the cabling is (office, garage, etc) I will use a 12 port vertical patch panel with the same footprint as a 66 block (see picture) or if it needs to be nice, ill use a double gang wallplate with jacks in it -this is what I did on my hosue. In the office I have a double gang wallplate with 10 cat5e jacks in it and a cable port. My cable modem is connected to it and the network ports are all connected to my switch.
nice set up
nice set up
thats not my house, thats a friend's store I wired for him.