Why Use a Patch Panel?

To take advantage of the fast Internet now available in most homes and businesses, a wired network often will allow you to achieve speeds much closer to the promised maximum. If you want to set up a wired network that includes multiple wall ports in various rooms, a patch panel in a central location can provide a simple, neat and easy-to-manage solution. The definition, type, function, application and frequently asked questions of a patch panel will be demonstrated in this article.

What is Patch Panel

A patch panel is an effective and flexible networking device to keep your data center or server room organized as well as make it much easier to move, add or change the cabling infrastructure in the future. Each port connects, via a patch cable, to another port located elsewhere in your building. In a business environment, patch panels are the smart way to quickly transfer communications lines from office to another. Patch panels can be quite small, with just a few ports, or very large, with many hundreds of ports. They can also be set up for fiber optic cables, cat5 cables, RJ45 cables, and many others.

What are the Types of Patch Panel

• Standard Fiber Optic Patch Panel: The standard fiber optic patch panel can be loaded with LC/SC/MTP adapters, which are commonly used as the intermediate connection between the backbone and patch cables.
• Modular Patch Panel: Rack mount modular fiber enclosure panel and multimedia adapter panel are the two common types of modular panels. The former can hold up to 4 FHD MTP cassettes or fiber adapter panels, fitting for both front and rear mounting in horizontal cable management. The latter can allow users to customize their own adapter panel in a high density cabling system.
• Breakout Patch Panel: Specifically designed for high-density 40G-10G and 100G-25G breakout cabling. As an agile and scalable solution to mitigate cable clusters and improve airflow, breakout patch panels deliver aesthetic appeal and make the data center a more inviting place.
• Ethernet Patch Panels:Ethernet patch cables can be classified into different types: Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6a Ethernet patch panel, blank keystone patch panel, 110 punch down Ethernet patch panel, etc.

Fiber Patch Panels Recommendation

Designed for specific cables like Cat5e, Cat6 copper cables and OS2, OM3 fiber cables, patch panels types are different.

Fiber Optic Patch Panel: This type of patch panel takes the simplex, duplex and quad model designs at LightOptics.

LightOptics straight-through rack-mount 1U fiber patch panel has 3 slots,could mount kinds of adapter panels with LGX footprint. It is widely deploved in data centers,equipment rooms,telecommunications closets, or anywhere no need optical fiber splices and cable storage.

Why Use a Patch Panel

The patch panel is one of the few components used in both copper and fiber cabling networks and almost all business network setups use patch panels for cabling installations. So what can be a patch panel used for? And what are the patch panels advantages?

• Aesthetic Appeal: If you are annoyed with such a mess, the best way to reduce cable clutter more effectively is to use a fiber patch panel or Ethernet patch panel.
• Simplified Cable Management: The primary advantage of using patch panels, also known as patch bays, is improved organization and easier management of your wired network. For most newer patch panel designs, the main focus is on cable management. By using a front-access patch panel, for instance, you can get to all your cables and terminations easily.
• More Flexibility: Patch panels give you flexibility and prevent the need to re-run cables or swap equipment places around if you need to change something or if something breaks. By centralizing cables in one place, patch panels make it easy for network administrators to move, add or change complex network architectures.
• Lowering Cable Cost:Having a patch panel allows you to use shorter cables, which cost less than longer ones. Typically, you can also use inexpensive cat-5 cables to get to the patch panel rather than costly fiber optics.
• Easier Maintenance: If you ever need to run a test cable, test a port, or perform any other common maintenance tasks, it can be done more quickly and is much easier than if each device had a cable run to its final destination.

How to Use Blank Patch Panel for Ethernet Cabling

• To use blank keystone patch panels for Ethernet cabling, follow the instructions below.
• Choose the proper quantity of Cat6 or Cat5e RJ45 insert modules according to your Ethernet cable types. You have RJ45 insert modules shielded in metal silver and unshielded in various colors for option.
• Inlay Cat6 or Cat5e RJ45 insert modules (from the rear panel to the front) into the empty ports on the blank patch panel.
• Install the equipped Ethernet patch panel onto a 1U rack with screws and screwdriver.
• Plug Cat6 cables or Cat5e cables into corresponding Cat6 modules or Cat5e modules.
• Manage cables with the help of cable management accessories such as cable managers, lacing bars and cable ties.

Conclusion

If you can wire an Ethernet jack, you can wire a patch panel. You’ll simply need to repeat the sequence multiple times for your various ports. The most popular Ethernet patch panel nowadays is the Cat6 feed through patch panel, which is welcomed by its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. When you are not sure to decide in advance which type of cables will be used to connect your hardware, you can use a blank keystone patch panel to make a mixed connection based on your actual demands. If you’re putting together a home or business network, can you get the job done without patch panels? Certainly, since patch panels serve more as a convenience than necessity. But by incorporating a patch panel — or several — you can expect better cable management and easier fixes when a network component inevitably breaks down.