Patch panel in small business?

Is there any advantage to using a patch panel in a gigabit ethernet network? I'm pulling all new cables for less than 24 stations in a small business. The owner is questioning the need for the panel and wants RJ-45 plugs crimped right to the cables which will be plugged into the (cheap) Linksys SR2024 switch.

He's arguing that the fewer connections the better the reliability. I have to agree, but is there any reason I'm missing to use a patch panel in this situation?

Thanks,

Reply to
John E.
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About $40, retail, local. But it's not the cost, so much as the reliability issue (110 punch down plus the patch cable's connections, vs. crimped plugs into the switch).

You're of the opinion that made-for-solid wire RJ-45 plugs crimped to solid cat5e cable is not reliable? I was not aware of this...

Reply to
John E.

I'll be interested in hearing what others say on this but one important point if you go this way is that there are different plugs for solid and stranded cable. Make sure you use the right kind.

If the installation is small enough that you don't have plenum issues to contend with you might be able to get away with just buying long patch cables and not have to make anything.

True, but better connections are also better for reliability. A crimp usually a worse connection.

Reply to
Jim Prescott

I work for a communications company and I deal with stuff like this daily and personally I would go with a patch panel having that many connections. If it were less than 6 i might not worry about it however in this case to keep the wiring nice and neat plus add flexibility I would keep the patch panel. Also if you terminate the cable correctly you will likely never know there is a termination (at the patch panel), so be sure to keep the pairs twised right up the pins on the 110. Another thing to think about is that you can use patch cables that are premade and tested. if you crimp your own you risk them not being as good as a professional cable. I make my own cables daily but I know how to do it correctly if you do too then fine.. but the flexibility of a nicely wired patch panel is worth alot more than the cost of it. Ask him this, if patch panels are no good why do the biggest datacenters in the world use them?

Adair

Reply to
Adair Winter

It sounds like the cable is already in place.

I agree. A patch cable with good strain releaf is a much better way to go.

Reply to
Adair Winter

I believe plugs crimped to solid wire cable are enough less reliable to offset the other points of failure. That doesn't mean I wouldn't do it, though. How much does the patch panel cost?

-- glen

Reply to
glen herrmannsfeldt

No, not yet.

Seems to be the consensus.

Reply to
John E.

Fully aware of the difference and need for the former (solid) type, in this case.

What are "plenum issues"? You mean running between floors and such? No such thing in this small, 1-story building.

50-60 foot patch cables??

Ah, good information to know.

Reply to
John E.

Its never appropriate to use solid conductor cable as patch cable which is effectively what you are doing by crimping a plug onto the solid conductor cable.

Sounds like you are just dealing with someone who wants a cheap job and wants to tell you what to do even if it isn't standard practice.

Reply to
George

Actually you could very well need plenum rated cable in a 1 story building.

Reply to
George

So you're of the opinion that solid cable / RJ-45 crimps are never good? (I'm taking a poll...)

He writes the checks...

Reply to
John E.

That should never be a consideration for not doing work according to standard and accepted practice.

A business needing twenty four runs isn't some guy selling stuff on ebay from his basement.

He is pushing to see how cheap of a job he can get. If the guy wants a Mickey Mouse job then let him find someone else to do it. Do you want your name and reputation associated with crappy work?

What would say your body shop do if you were having work done and you said "don't bother with the primer just slap the finish paint on because I want to cheap out"?

Reply to
George

After many years in varying electronics related careers I learned that solid wire anything is a disaster eventually when used in any situation where it can flex. The telephone, broadcast and recording industries learned this long before the computer pros came to the same conclusion.

Reply to
Pen

You really should run the panel for the mechanical benefits , remember solid core with a plug and some motion will fail , now he seems to be kinda cheep so do you really want to have your name on the cert ? , use the panel and good quality patches as plugs and solid mix badly

Reply to
atec77

Not true with RF, but you have to follow the 3" radius(?) rule.

Reply to
Rick Merrill

Fire code may require that special plenum rated cable be used in plenums. If you are running above a drop ceiling or inside of walls you probably need to use plenum rated cable. Wiki has some info

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cat5e patch cables, 50ft 9.91, 100ft $18.99

Reply to
Jim Prescott

I agree. You want the solid wire to not flex or over time it will fail. And putting plugs on it and connecting that to a switch means it will be moving. Way more than anyone thinks. Things will change and things will need to be moved, upgraded, etc...

If you go to a patch panel you're basically putting the hard to replace cable into a static situation. And the failure points are now in the $3 to $15 patch cables which can be tossed and replaced easily. Heck even if you don't plan ahead and keep spares lying about, you can run to Wal-Mart these days at 3 am Sunday if needed to get a Cat-5e patch cable. :)

As to plenum needs, the number of stories and size of the space has nothing to do with it. It is based on how and where air flows and the local building codes. Some places now require all "permanent" cables to be plenum rated.

David

Reply to
DLR

In comp.dcom.lans.ethernet John E. wrote in part [NGtrimmed]:

It all boils down to costs, and avoiding "peeny wise, pound foolish". If this is a temporary install with low costs of failure, the why not go ahead with crimped plugs? If correctly done (crimping correctly is far more difficult than it looks) it will work fine for a while then fail erratically.

However, if reliability is important, the extra $10/end for jack & patchcord is very cheap insurance.

-- Robert

Reply to
Robert Redelmeier

On Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:32:41 GMT, John E. wrote (with clarity & insight):

From this thread I hear these items:

Crimping a plug is really hard to get right but punching a jack is easy.

Terminating cables to one device is inherently better than terminating cables to another.

No cable management devices/hardware/concepts required.

So a simple direct termination to a switch, with simple cable management (to avoid mechanical issues) is tossed as inexpensive & viable in favor of terminating to a patch panel and adding more connections that are allowed to flop around as needed?

When astronauts needed to write in space we spent millions coming up with space pens. Cosmonauts used pencils.

Reply to
Wayne R.

Have you tried to crimp RJ45 jacks in the real world and tried 110 punchdowns? I get no sense from your post that you've ever done either. Until you've tried the jacks, don't underestimate how much of a PITA they can be.

For a simple network, use surface mount 110-RJ45 blocks close to each end of any cable that runs between rooms.

For a high-density location, use a wall-mount patch panel like this. They are available sized from 8 jacks and up.

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Reply to
Al Dykes

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