Network gurus - question!

[The Frisco Kid]

I have all of the Cat5 runs in my house pulled to a central location...

IN THE ATTIC!


What are your thoughts about running a punch down patch panel in the attic and down to a nearby closet? It's the most costly of the install options, but I think that it's my best bet to get a switch into temp/humidity controlled environment.


Thanks!

 

[Steevo]

The installer of that cabling should be shot.
Use top quality components, and put a 110 block up there inside a box with a door that closes and seals well. Punch down the original cables and run another group of cables to your desired network switching location, punching them down on a patch panel that you can jumper to your switch with patch cords.

Or, if the attic junction is within a reasonable distance from the switch location, say within 10 feet or so, you could buy some 25' Cat5 patch cords, cut them in half, and run the cut ends up to the junction 110 block, using the RJ45 ends to plug directly into your switch.

This all assumes the runs do not end up exceeding Ethernet distance limitations.

 

[madosta]

That definitely *****.

Are the runs stapled down? Can you just fish new runs? 1000' of CAT5e is cheap. Homeruns back to an accessible location will save you headaches.

If you want to splice, you could put an RJ45 patch panel up there, punch the drops to the back and then crimp some RJ45 ends on to the new drops to the new patch panel.

You could also put a 110 block up there and use connector blocks (C-4 Clips) to piggyback the new drops down.

 

[madosta]

Hmm... these are neat as well:

http://www.networktechinc.com/cgi-bin/keemux/rj45-ff-blck.html

 

[jkeyser14]

Depending on how much your time is worth, there are rugged switches out there rated for extreme environments.

Here's a 5 port rated for -40 to +176 deg F (p/n HUG-500SE). It costs $299. I've used it before for extreme temperature environments and it works very well.

http://ethernetdirect.com/products_hug-500S.asp#

 

[theoldwizard1]

Overtime, heat, cold and humidity are going to cause corrosion on the wires and punch down block.

Messy, but I would coat all the punch down pins with silicon dielectric grease.

 

[madosta]

How many drops are we talking about? I would just pull new home runs if not stapled down. Your pull cords are already in place.

 

[wssix99]

The installer of that cabling should be shot.

Not if its an older house and they were thinking telephone.

If the house was built in the last 10 years... they should definitely be shot.


IMO - The path of least resistance is to get a basic switch and put it up in the attic. They are cheap and can be considered disposable. If it lasts 7 years and you need to buy a new one then, you'll probably only have to pay $10 for the replacement and it will be 10X better than anything you can get today.

 

[mrjaw14]

I'm a network admin. you'll have issues with a cheap switch in the summer heat. I see it all the time with installations in a garage. Switch will flake out and have to be restarted 1-2 times a month. You're on the right track with terminating the cables to a patch panel, in a nice box as others have suggested, and depending on length of the other run into the closed either using pre-made patch cables, or making new runs to another patch panel. After you've punched down, it's not a bad Idea to coat the exposed punch down points with some dielectric grease.

This will work as long as the total run per cable is less than 328ft (including patch cables!) Put your switch in the closet like you're already planning.

Running new cables instead of making a spice is the BEST option though if practical

 

[Vinci]

Some switches can handle an awful environment. I have some Cisco switches that have run in dirty closets with no A/C (old buildings) in humid Florida for years without a hiccup. You pay for that reliability, though, and you shouldn't go that route unless absolutely necessary.

If it were me, I would give a hard look towards replacing the runs so that they are unbroken all the way to your patch panel. Dealing with corroded punch blocks and servicing a switch/UPS in an attic will be a real pain in the ***.

 

[wssix99]

I also have a Cisco switch in my garage and its doing fine. It doesn't get Texas hot here, though.

 

[madosta]

I had a switch under the house. Great idea... </sarcasm>

Also, you should put your circuit breaker panel somewhere inaccessible because that makes sense.

I wouldn't worry about corrosion, but any splice is going to be less than optimum compared to running new UTP.

I had my CCNA, now I'm a software engineer... wish I was still doing "hookups" as my mom called them. Shoot I'd even come help you....