Category Archives: Cable Management

Why Do We Need Horizontal and Vertical Cable Managers?

With the increasing numbers of cable counts and devices, cable management in data centers is becoming more and more important. Can you imagine that after installing all network devices in the rack, you’re ready to have a break with the joy of success, and you should find bunches of cables everywhere? To make it worse, if one of the cables is broken, you have to exam every cable in a mess to find the culprit. Wouldn’t it drive you crazy? Fortunately, there are many excellent products available on the market that can help run cables under orderly and efficient management. This article will introduce horizontal and vertical cable managers.

What Is Horizontal Cable Manager?

Horizontal cable manager can manage almost all kinds of cables such as fibers, coaxes, patch cables, copper wiring, jumpers and so on to ensure rack cables are well organized and protected. It is commonly used to manage cables on front racks and used with patch panels or rack mount enclosures to provide cables a safe and organized pathway from switch ports into the vertical cable manager. Horizontal cable manager is designed with various forms such as D-rings, finger duct, brush strip, lacing bar and end ring, which can be assembled randomly to simplify cabling efficiently.

alt horizontalcable manager

What Is Vertical Cable Manager?

Vertical cable manager provides a vertical pathway for a large number of cables from switches to patch panels in the rack system. It utilizes extra space to secure, bundle and route the cables at both sides of the racks, cabinets, and enclosures. The most popular vertical cable managers are single D-ring vertical cable manager, 5U plastic vertical cable manager with bend radius finger, and 45U 4.9″ wide plastic vertical cable manager. All of those vertical cable managers help provide proper bend radius support for cables and supply users with a neat and organized cabling system.

alt Why Do We Need Horizontal and Vertical Cable Managers?

Advantages of Horizontal and Vertical Cable Managers

Horizontal and vertical cable managers have its own features, here we list their advantages separately for your reference.

Advantages of Horizontal Cable Manager

Minimize Downtime & Promote Growth

Horizontal cable manager can run cables orderly and efficiently, prevent cables from tangling together. Therefore, the technician can easily identify and access the error and fix it right away, which minimizes downtime. And we can add new ports and cables and track their locations without worrying about causing problems.

Extend Longevity

As rack cables properly installed, the risk of excessive bending or subjecting cables to heat sources or sharp edges minimizes. Therefore it extends the longevity of cables.

Ensure Efficient Running

Since cables neatly collected, there is less risk of airflow obstruction. As fans and air conditioning units do not have to work overtime to cool equipment, it ensures data center runs efficiently.

Advantages of Vertical Cable Manager

Reduce Signal Interference

Vertical cable manager separates power and data cables within the racks, which greatly reduce the chance for crosstalk and interference and help enhance system performance.

Avoid Unnecessary Cable Damage

Vertical cable manager helps maintain cable bend radius within the ranges specified for the type of cable being used. Therefore it reduces the chance of being damaged.

Improve Cooling and Airflow

Vertical cable manager can eliminate the airflow blockage and enhance the cooling efficiency within the rack.

Reduce Costs

Vertical cable manager can be used with angled patch panel directly, which reduces the usage of horizontal cable management panels and cost.

Solutions for Horizontal and Vertical Cable Managers

Horizontal Cable Managers Solutions

 

Horizontal Cable Manager with D-Ring

Horizontal cable manager with D-ring is an open-access management tool, which means the D-rings offer an “open” and efficient way to manage cables on the rack. Besides, the design of D-rings provides great flexibility for users to add, move or change components and cable in the system. You can combine horizontal cable manager with D-ring with various cable management products for different applications.

Horizontal Cable Manager with Finger Dust

Horizontal cable manager with finger duct provides a series of fingers and pass-through holes for routing rack cables and reducing cable strains. Moreover, it features a detachable top cover that provides flexibility for users to add or remove cables. Horizontal cable manager with finger duct is typically used with server racks and cabinets, structured wiring closets to keep cables clean and orderly.

Horizontal Cable Manager with Brush Strip

Horizontal cable manager with brush strip is usually made of steel and nylon bristles. It allows cables to pass from the front to the rear of the rack, facilitating proper airflow through the rack and preventing dust and dirt from entering and exiting the rack.

Vertical Cable Managers Solutions

 

Vertical Cable Manager with D-Ring

Vertical Cable Manager with D-ring is designed with a standard EIA hole spacing which allows products to be mounted to any standard rack. It also features with a flexible arm to provide an open access to allow installation of complete cable bundles. Vertical cable manager with D-ring can prevent sharp edges and occupies high capacity of cables, which makes it popular among customers.

Vertical Cable Manager with Bend Radius Finger

Vertical cable manager with bend radius finger is lightweight and can be mounted in specific areas of the rack to reach any height(U), making it an alternative of higher vertical cable management. It provides extra-deep cable management capacity for applications required large Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6a cable bundles or thick cables.

45U Single Sided Vertical Cable Manager

45U single sided vertical cable manager equips with a user-friendly cover to protest cables from dust and damage. It’s designed with smooth oval holes to provide easy front-to-back cable routing and with flexible fingers to ensure optimum cable radius. It’s usually installed on open racks to organize and protect cables on the front of the rack without taking up the space of racks.

Conclusion

Cable manager is essential for data centers. An improper cable management can easily lead to a series of problems like data transmission errors and performance issues as well as system downtime. Horizontal and vertical cable managers are two important tools used to solve cable managing problems. If you have problems with this, do not hesitate to visit FS.COM.

Related Articles:
Horizontal Cable Management VS Vertical Cable Management: Which to Choose?
Selecting the Right Horizontal Cable Manager
Proper Vertical Rack Cable Management Solutions

FS FHD Fiber Optic Panels With Exquisite Workmanship

With the raising awareness of bandwidth and storage requirement in data centers and SAN (Storage Area Networking) environments, fiber companies are sparing no efforts to produce an ideal product to meet people’s needs. In this case, FS self-developed FHD series products to provide a space-saving and easy-to-manage fiber cabling situation. Let’s see FS FHD fiber optic panels, those with exquisite workmanship and help maximize the amount of connections and provide an affordable, compact solution for your network.

What Are FS FHD Fiber Optic Panels?

FS FHD fiber optic panels also named FS FHD fiber adapter panels (FAPs), which use zirconia ceramic split sleeves to fit specific network requirements. FHD fiber optic panels enable a quick and flexible fiber optic patch panel connections as they can snap into the enclosures easily. They are used for patching fiber cable to the termination enclosure like rack mount fiber cabinets, rack mount fiber shelf and fiber wall cabinets.

altFS FHD Fiber Optic Panels?

Types of FS FHD Fiber Optic Panels

FS FHD fiber optic panels are with different types, such as LC, SC, MTP fiber optic panels, multimedia modular panels and blank panels. Among those panels, LC, SC MTP fiber optic panels are mostly used ones. LC/SC/MTP single mode fiber adapter panels with 12 ports are very mated with 1U horizontal cable manager, they are available to install as required. You can mount the panels in FS FHD series rack or wall mount enclosures for additional flexibility and larger network system. Meanwhile multimedia modular panels allow customization of installation for applications requiring integration of fiber optic cables and copper cables. Blank fiber adapter panels reserve fiber adapter panel space for future use.

altFS FHD Fiber Optic Panels With Exquisite Workmanship

Comparisons of FS FHD Fiber Optic Panels

Here we list the detailed information of the three main fiber optic panels for your better understanding. You can check out the chart below.

Adapter Type LC FAPs SC FAPs MTP FAPs
Number of Adapters 12 6 8/12
Fiber Count 24 Fibers 12 Fibers /
Fiber Mode Single Mode: OS2 9/125μm

Multimode: OM4/OM3 50/125μm

Single Mode: OS2 9/125μm

Multimode: OM4/OM3 50/125μm

Single Mode: OS2 9/125μm

Multimode: OM4/OM3 50/125μm

Adapter Color Blue (SM UPC), Green (SM APC), Aqua (OM3/OM4) Blue (SM UPC), Green (SM APC), Aqua (OM3/OM4)

Charcoal Gray (Key up-Key up)

Black (Key up-Key down)

Dimensions (HxW) 1.38”x4.29” (35x109mm) 1.38”x4.29” (35x109mm) 1.38”x4.29” (35x109mm)
Application Matching for FHD Series Enclosures FHD Series Rack and Wall Mount Enclosures Matching for FHD Series Enclosures

Selection Guides

FS FHD fiber optic panels are used with FHD rack mount and wall mount enclosures. FS FHD series provides a comprehensive line of solutions for fiber optic cabling. The combination of fiber enclosure and fiber optic panels can deliver the easier MACs and the flexibility to migrate to higher data speeds. Here we list three solutions for your reference.

FHD-1UFCE+4 FHD fiber adapter panels

FHD-1UFCE is an unloaded 1RU rack mount fiber patch panel that can support 4 FHD fiber adapter panels up to 96 fibers. The combination between FHD-1UFCE and 4 FHD fiber adapter panels can provide a complete system solution for connectivity by installing either slack spools or splice trays inside the fiber patch panel.

altFS FHD Fiber Optic Panels With Exquisite Workmanship

FHD-2UFCE+8 FHD fiber adapter panels

FHD-2UFCE is an unloaded 2RU rack mount fiber patch panel that can support 8 FHD fiber adapter panels up to 192 fibers. The combination between FHD-2UFCE and 8 FHD fiber adapter panels can provide higher patch field density in fewer server rack units saving valuable space by installing either slack spools or splice trays inside the fiber patch panel.

altFS FHD Fiber Optic Panels With Exquisite Workmanship

FHD-4UFCE+12 FHD fiber adapter panels

FHD-4UFCE is an unloaded 4RU rack mount fiber patch panel that can support 12 FHD fiber adapter panels up to 228 fibers. It assures flexibility and ease of network deployment and moves, adds, and changes.

altFS FHD Fiber Optic Panels With Exquisite Workmanship

Conclusion

FS high density FHD fiber optic panels preloaded with fiber adapters that serves as the intermediate connection between the backbone and your patch cable, provides an affordable, compact solution for your network. In addition to FHD fiber optic panels, FS also offers FHD fiber enclosures, fiber patch panels and fiber cassettes for your assembly to free you from network problems. For more information about FHD fiber cabling solutions, you can visit FS.COM. I’m sure your problems will soon be solved.

Related Articles:
Fiber Distribution Panel Wiki, Types and Buying Tips
Rack Enclosure Basics and Buying Guide

FS 42U Network & Server Cabinet: an Ideal Solution

With the urgent needs of computing power and space in data centers, network cabinet or server cabinet is always chosen as an ideal solution for enterprises from telecommunication industry. But one product alone can not fulfill the demands of all, so it’s necessary to find one that can perform both sides. At FS.COM, we succeed in finding 42U network & server cabinet, which provides the best performance. In this article, we will give an all-round introduction to FS 42U network & server cabinet.

What Is 42U Network & Server Cabinet?

42U network & server cabinet, as the name implies, is a multifunctional device. It can be both used as 42U network cabinet and 42U server cabinet. One part as the network cabinet, it is commonly used to house routers, network switches, patch panels and other similar networking equipment. Another part as the server cabinet, it’s applied to server installations, house UPSes and monitors as well as other similar equipment. So FS 42U network & server cabinet combines the advantages of both. It’s a distinctive, robust cabinet solution that supports and protects rack-mount servers, storage and network equipment in multi-tenant and enterprise data centers, computer rooms and network facilities.

altFS 42U Network Server Cabinet:an Ideal Solution

Components of FS 42U Network & Server Cabinet

  • Perforated doors: provide massive ventilation for servers and networking equipment.
  • Removable hinge system: hinge pins allow easy removal during maintenance.
  • Top panel: six brush-covered cable openings in the top panel provide easy access for overhead cabling.
  • Grounding system: utilize quick-release ground wires that detach from the front and rear doors.
  • Equipment support: can be adjusted in half-inch (12.5mm) increments.
  • Side panels: locking removable side panels keyed alike with doors.
  • PDU brackets: allow for easy integration of rack PDUs and cable managers.
  • Vertical cable managers: allow for easy organization and location of large cable bundles.
  • Casters & Leveling feet: casters & levelers are removable.

altFS 42U Network Server Cabinet:an Ideal Solution

FS 42U Network & Server Cabinet Highlights

  • It has adjustable depth mounting rails that support a wide range of equipment, even up to 1500kg (3307 lb) of equipment.
  • Cable and power management accessories create separate pathways for cables.
  • Heavy-duty cold-rolled steel construction with a black powder-coated finish for durability.
  • Server cabinet is able to provide a variety of air segregation strategies, such as cold aisle containment, hot aisle containment, cabinet-level containment.
  • The top panel is designed to maintain proper hot aisle or cold aisle flow. The split side panels are locking removable with half height. Thus, the size and weight can be both reduced for an easier operation and access to equipment.
  • The innovative frame design maximizes RU utilization. Each configuration accelerates deployment and promotes rapid upgrades without reconfiguration and downtime.
  • The cabinet can be locked, which might avoid visitors or other unauthorized people accessing the equipment.
  • With doors and side panels, the cables in the cabinet has much less access to outside air. So it helps to reduce the risk of getting damaged by contaminants.

Conclusion

From the above highlights, we can know that FS 42U network & server cabinet is beyond our expectation for combing both advantages of network cabinet and server cabinet. It simplifies rack equipment installations and rack equipment maintenance, serves as the ideal solution for secure, high-density server and networking applications in IT environments. It is also compliant with lots of standards such as, ANSI/EIA RS-310-D, IEC297-2, DIN 41491; PART1, DIN41494; PART 7, GB/T3047.2-92, ETSI Standard. Data, security, audio visual and telecommunication areas, you will find FS 42U network & server cabinet covers a wide range of applications. If you need one, you can contact us at FS.COM. Our business radiates globally, we are sure your demands can be satisfied.

Related Articles:
Data Center Server Rack Wiki: Definition, Types and Buying Guide
Fiber Distribution Panel Wiki, Types and Buying Tips
Considerations for Choosing the Right Network Rack or Cabinet

Comparison of FS 1U Rack Mount Fiber Enclosure

Since the demands for high-density cabling increase, data center operators should look for devices that can provide higher performance without expanding physical space. Now as a necessary fiber cable management component, the 1U rack mount fiber enclosure is widely used in data centers to house, organize, manage and protect fiber optic cables. The 1U rack mount fiber enclosure comes in different types. Today we will make comparisons of two types of FS 1U rack mount fiber enclosures as an example to give you some professional buying guidance.

What Is 1U Rack Mount Fiber Enclosure?

The rack mount fiber enclosure is generally made for 19 inch rack mounting and comes in rack units of 1U, 2U, 3U, 4U, or more rack units depending on the number of required connections. It offers full front and rear access with a drawer that slides forward and backward. FS 1U 19 inch rack mount fiber enclosure is generally loaded with four fiber optic patch panel, cassettes or modules. There are also two ways of pulling out the tray, cover removable type and slide-out type. The slide-out type is more expensive but is more convenient for high-density cabling deployment. The slide-out rack mount fiber enclosure features the pull-out sliding trays, so there is no need to remove the whole fiber enclosure from the rack to gain internal access.

Types of FS 1U Rack Mount Fiber Enclosure

There are two types of FS 1U rack mount fiber enclosures, FHZ premium fiber enclosure and FHD series fiber enclosure.

FHZ Series Fiber Enclosure

FS FHZ premium fiber enclosure provides solid fiber-optic-link protection and space-saving cable management. The highest fiber densities and port counts contribute to maximizing rack space utilization. FS FHZ series 1U rack mount premium ultra HD fiber enclosure use the FHZ cassette platform to provide a premium ultra high density solution for inter-connects or cross-connects between backbone horizontal cable and active equipment. It’s ideal for ultra high density fiber applications in data centers, equipment rooms, and central offices.

altComparison of FS 1U Rack Mount Fiber Enclosure FHZ Series Fiber Enclosure

FHD Series Fiber Enclosure

There are two different types of FS FHD fiber enclosures: FHD-1UFMT-N and FHD-1UFCE.

FHD-1UFMT-N

FHD-1UFMT-N can house 4 pcs FHD series MTP modular cassettes or fiber adapter panels. Equipped with a cover removable drawer, it provides a high-density flexible system for managing fiber terminations, connections, and patching in data center application to maximizing rack space utilization and minimizing floor space.

altComparison of FS 1U Rack Mount Fiber Enclosures FHZ Series Fiber Enclosure
FHD-1UFCE

FHD-1UFCE is designed to accept up to 4 series MTP modular cassettes or fiber adapter panels within a 1U space. It provides a modular system for managing fiber connections and offers best-in-class cable management for every installation. Equipped with a new-design parallel sliding drawer, FHD-1UFCE can be pushed or pulled more stably as well as faster. It also serves as a transition from backbone cabling to distribution switching, an interconnect to active equipment, or as a cross-connect or interconnect in a main or horizontal distribution area.

altComparison of FS 1U Rack Mount Fiber Enclosures FHZ Series Fiber Enclosure

Buyer’s Guide

Here we list three main factors for your consideration when purchasing a 1U rack mount fiber enclosure.

Scale Requirement

Firstly you should know the external specification you need, such as height, width, numbers of ports. Rack mount fiber enclosure usually comes in 48/96/144 ports. The more ports, the more expensive the enclosure will be. We suggest that you choose a bigger one for your existing requirements considering the near-future growth.

Accessibility Requirement

Secondly you should think about cover removable type or slide-out type enclosure to better suit your situation. Cover removable type enclosure can fit your current situation, but takes more energy and time to add, move or change cables without moving or disturbing active fibre cables in the future. While slide-out type provides larger adjustment space.

Budget

Most importantly, whether to choose a cost-effective one for current situation or a expensive one with high-quality for future. You should balance factors that matters to you and make the final decision.

Conclusion

Now that you have a comprehensive understanding of four different FS 1U rack mount fiber enclosures. I believe that you are able to choose the most suitable enclosure for yourself. If you have made the decision, you can visit FS.COM and bring your favourite enclosure home.

Related Articles:
Rack Enclosure Basics and Buying Guide
Which Type of Rack Mount Fiber Enclosures Should You Choose?
FS 1U Rack Enclosure Types and Selection Guide

Ethernet Cable Management Solutions

Ethernet cable management, also called network cable management, has been a necessary part for any structured cabling system. However, do you know why Ethernet cable management is needed and how many wire management ways can be exerted, and what their differences are? To know the answers, you can follow this post.

Why Need Ethernet Cable Management?

With a large number of input and output patch cords in racks or cabinets, the patch cord management can effectively provide a stable cabling system for applications of the data center. It can help to prevent unnecessary cable damages and dust, improve cooling and airflow, reduce signal interference and downtime, save space and cost, etc. In most cases, the solution to Ethernet cable managing relies on organizing devices, like patch panels and cable organizers.

Ethernet Cable Management Solutions

Figure 1: Ethernet Cable Management Solutions

Ethernet Cable Management Ways

Customarily, based on how you use network cable organizing devices, the way to manage network cables can be divided into two types: horizontal cable management and vertical cable management. Surely, depending on specified network conditions and special needs, you are allowed to choose the matching type. Sometimes, it’s still possible for you to apply these two types together in cabling.

Horizontal Cable Management

In Ethernet cabling, horizontal cable management is often applied as the 1U cable management. 1U, the acronym of one unit, stands for the height of the racks or cabinets, usually 1.75 inches. The size has been officially set as the standard vertically usable space for 1U. As its name shows, this type of management requires you to place proper managing devices on front racks or cabinets and manage Ethernet cables in a horizontal way. For the 1U horizontal cable managers, the plastic single sided horizontal cable manager with finger duct and the metal horizontal cable manager with five D-rings are the most popular types. While considering Ethernet patch panels, Cat5e patch panels, Cat6 patch panels, and blank keystone patch panels are the commonly used types.

Horizontal Cable Management Devices

Figure 2:Horizontal Cable Management Devices

Vertical Cable Management

Comparing with the horizontal type, the vertical cable management requires you to place organizing devices, usually the cable organizers, at both sides of the racks and secure them in a vertical way. For vertical cable managers, single D-ring vertical cable manager and 5U plastic vertical manger with bend radius finger are the top two types in the market.

Vertical Cable Management Managers

Figure 3:Vertical Cable Management Managers

Summary

In networking cabling, no matter in your homes or office buildings, the Ethernet cable management has been an irreplaceable solution to deal with messy network cables. Choosing what kind of managing method, horizontal cable management, vertical cable management, or the combination of the two types totally depends on your needs.

Networking Patch Panel Wiki, Types, and Purposes

Networking patch panel has been an indispensable part in daily cabling. Whenever setting up connections for all sorts of devices, like servers and switches, you have to deal with a large number of input and output cables. Under such a circumstance, the patch panel for networking will do help to effectively manage those cumbersome cables. Then, a series of questions about patch panel in networking ensued. In this post, what a networking patch panel is and why it is needed will be answered.

Network Cabling

Figure 1: Network Cabling

What is the Networking Patch Panel

Networking patch panel, a kind of cable organizer, is designed to connect and manage copper or fiber optic cables coming in or out. Usually, in networking patch panel cabling, the panel will be attached to racks or enclosures in wiring closets or on walls. Then, patch cords will be used to connect ports in patch panels to ports in servers or network switches.

Types of Networking Patch Panel

Basically, according to the cables connected, there are two types of networking patch panel: Ethernet patch panel and fiber optic patch panel.

Ethernet Patch Panel

Ethernet patch panel, also called copper patch panel, provides interconnections for Ethernet applications in local area network. There are many types of Ethernet patch panels, among which Cat5e patch cable, Cat6 patch cable, and Cat6a patch cables are commonly used in network cabling. As for ports of the copper patch panel, various options also can be found, such as 24 ports and 48 ports. If you want to buy an Ethernet panel, you still have to consider its designs: shielded or unshielded, flat or angled, punch down or feed-through, and loaded or unloaded. With various options, you can always find a needed type.

24 Ports Blank Keystone Ethernet Patch Panel (Left) and 24 Ports Cat6 Shielded Feed-Through Patch Panel (Right)

Figure 2: 24 Ports Blank Keystone Ethernet Patch Panel (Left) and 24 Ports Cat6 Shielded Feed-Through Patch Panel (Right)

Fiber Optic Patch Panel

Fiber optic patch panel, the other branch of networking patch panel, is designed to organize fiber cables. Similar with Ethernet patch panels, the fiber optic patch panels also are varied in designs, such as adapter types, fiber types and fiber count. Conventionally, fiber optic patch panel is commonly used as rack mount fiber patch panel or wall mount patch panel, which also applied for the Ethernet patch panel.

Blank Fiber Patch Panel (Left) and FHU 1U 48F SC Patch Panel (Right)

Figure 3: Blank Fiber Patch Panel (Left) and FHU 1U 48F SC Patch Panel (Right)

Benefits of Patch Panel in Networking

Knowing what the networking patch panel is just partly solves the concern, what is the purpose of patch panel in networking? Understanding the benefits of network patch panel, the question can be solved. Commonly, there are four major benefits shared by networking patch panels:

First, saving time. With a patch panel in networking, changes and repairs of cables are much easier for IT technicians. They don’t need extract time to clear and identify cables.

Second, space saving. Without messy cabling, you can organize cables in a neat and orderly way. Especially, for high-density cabling, a networking patch panel can help you save a lot of space.

Third, reducing the signal interference. When cables separated in an organized way, it will greatly lower the chance for crosstalk and interference between them. As a result, the networking performance will also be enhanced greatly.

Fourth, cost reducing. With previous benefits, it will definitely bring about cost reduction. You don’t need to spend extra money on repairing, managing and future network expansion.

Summary

After revealing what the patch panel is and why it is used, it’s easy to find the networking patch panel is the best solution to manage cables, no matter in the office or home network. As we mentioned, there are various benefits of networking patch panels. However, if you want to make a full advantage of those benefits, a wise use of patch panels is needed. For detailed information about how to wisely use patch panel manage cables, you can refer to the article: Best Patch Panel Cable Management Techniques.

How to Use Cat6a Patch Panel for Network Cabling?

Cat6a patch panel, a kind of copper patch panel has been an important contributor in 10 Gigabit Ethernet for network connection. Nowadays, it has been in a widespread deployment in Ethernet network cabling. With such a great importance, it’s necessary for us to know how to terminate Cat6a patch panel.

Cat6a Patch Panel Cabling

Figure 1: Cat6a Patch Panel Cabling

An Overview of Cat6a Patch Panel

Cat6a patch panel, an improved version of the Cat6 patch panel, is also a mounted hardware assembly containing ports to connect and manage the incoming and outgoing copper cables. Supporting different kinds of Cat6a cables and any earlier generation of Cat cable, it confirms with cabling specifications, like 802.3an (10GBase-T) and TIA Augmented Category 6. By the way, if you want to know more details about Cat6 vs Cat6a patch panel, you can refer to the article, Cat6 Patch Panel vs Cat6a: Difference and Usage.

With different components, there will be corresponding subbranches of the patch panel Cat6a version. If you put ports as a selection basis, there are Cat6a patch panel 12 ports, Cat6a patch panel 24 ports, and Cat6a patch panel 48 ports.

When it comes to the design for high EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) environments, Cat6a shielded patch panel and unshielded patch panel Cat6a version are found in the market. Moreover, options for connecting methods are also available. You can choose a punch down Cat6a patch panel or a feed-through patch panel Cat6a version.

How to Install Cat6a Patch Panel

Having an overview of the patch panel Cat6a version will be the preparation step to use Cat6a patch panel. As has mentioned in the last part, many types of this cable organizer are available in the market. Different designs come in different wiring methods. The most obvious installing difference lies between punch down Cat6a patch panel or a feed-through patch panel Cat6a version.

Punch Down Cat6a Patch Panel

For the punch down type, on its front plate, it comes in RJ45 ports to directly connect Ethernet cables. While on its rear side, the plate module is set with color markings for punching down Ethernet cables. If you are holding a patch down patch panel Cat6a version, you can follow the steps listed as below one by one:

24 Ports Unshielded Punch Down Patch Panel

Figure 2: 24 Ports Unshielded Punch Down Patch Panel

First, strip about 3-6 inches of the outer jacket from the end of each cable with a cable stripper.

Second, separate cable wires. After removing the outer jacket, four twisted pairs of exposed wires will be found. You need to split each pair into two single wires.

Third, set all the cable wires into its own slots of the patch panel. Please note that don’t make wires exposed too much or twisted in case of the signal weakening.

Fourth, terminate each wire. Use a 110 punch down tool to press down on each wire and cut the excess wire.

Using Punch Down Tool to Terminate Wires

Figure 3:Using Punch Down Tool to Terminate Wires

Fifth, if there is a need, you can write specific information on labels for identification. For example, you can mark the terminated incoming cables with a label to indicate where the cable is from.

Sixth, inspect the wire. After terminating, you need to use a cable tester to check whether all the wires are terminated correctly.

Feed-through Cat6a Patch Panel

As for the feed-through Cat6a patch panel, its installation will be much easier than that of a punch down type. Since the front and the rear plates of the feed-through patch panel Cat6a version are both configured with RJ45 ports, you can directly insert all the cables into the slots of the panel. For a feed-through Cat6a patch panel, you can take the following steps:

First, hold the drawer of patch panel at the height of the layer of the rack you need to set and push it forwardly.

Second, use the appropriate machine screws to attach the patch panel assembly to the rack.

Third, insert cables into the matching port one by one. After that, you can use a strap to secure the cables.

Fourth, it’s an optional step. Similar with punch-through type, you also can write specific information on labels for identification.

Fifth, you still need to make a visual inspection to ensure the safety of all the network environment.

Conclusion

In this article, you will have a full learning of the Cat6a patch panel from its background information to user guide. As for terminating a patch panel Cat6a version, it is not so troublesome as you have imagined.

Wall Mount Patch Panel Basics and User Guide

Patch panel, an indispensable cable managing device, has been divided into wall mount patch panel and rack mount patch panel for different applications. In the previous article, we have explored the rack mount patch panel. Therefore, in this time we will continue to explore the other branch of patch panel: wall mount patch panel.

What Is Wall Mount Patch Panel?

Similar with rack mount patch panel, the wall mount patch panel is also a mounted hardware assembly containing ports to connect and manage the incoming and outgoing fiber or copper cables. The different point is that as its name shows, the wall mount patch panel is a patch panel fixed on the wall instead of in a rack. The patch panel in wall version is regarded as a perfect solution for networking and fiber distribution from the vault or wiring closet to the user’s terminal equipment.

Types of Wall Mount Patch Panel

Conventionally, based on different application environment, the wall mount patch panel is divided into wall mount fiber patch panel and wall mount Ethernet patch panel.

Wall Mount Fiber Patch Panel

For a fiber patch panel in wall mount version, it consists of two parts: the fiber adapter panel and a fiber optic wall mount enclosure. The fiber wall mount enclosure usually collocates with two or four adapter panels. Featured with its flexible and compact design, the patch panel of this type offers a perfect choice for securing and protecting fiber connections in telecommunications closets or other installation areas where wall space is limited.

Wall Mount Fiber Patch Panel

Figure 1: Wall Mount Fiber Patch Panel

Wall Mount Ethernet Patch Panel

When it comes to the wall mount Ethernet patch panel, it also involves in two units: an Ethernet path panel and a wall mount panel bracket. Sharing the same blood with the copper patch panel, the panel of this type is also used in a local area network(LAN) and supports both shielded and unshielded copper cables. In most applications, Cat5e wall mount patch panel and wall mount patch panel Cat6 version are the most favored types.

Cat5e Wall Mount Patch Panel

Figure 2: Cat5e Wall Mount Patch Panel

User Guide for Wall Mount Patch Panel

After knowing some basic information about the wall mount patch panel, here comes another practical question-what should we notice when we buy or use it? Here are two major points:

Size

Here, the size does not only refer to the height, depth, width, and weight of the patch panel, but also the space for the installation of a wall mount patch panel, especially the wall mount fiber patch panel. You need to consider the space for opening and removing the doors of the enclosure.

Loaded or Unloaded

The loaded panel means it’s pre-installed with fiber adapter panels or keystone jacks. Take Cat5e patch panel as an example, it refers to the Ethernet patch panel inside the bracket has been pre-loaded with Cat5e jacks. While the unloaded type is an empty fiber panel or a wall mount keystone patch panel. With unloaded patch panels, users have to install required adapters or keystone jacks before installing the patch panel in the wall.

Conclusion

As a branch of cable management, the wall mount patch panel provides a good solution to optimize your work space by keeping equipment off floors and desks. In order to maximize the benefits of this device, please remember to have a full consideration of all aspects before you use it.

How to Install a Rack Mount Patch Panel?

When looking at the title, especially the words “Rack Mount Patch Panel”, will you hesitate for a moment? Yes, I do. I am thinking what the blood tie does it have with a patch panel and whether it needs to be installed differently. Taking this chance, we will have an exploration for these doubts.

What is a Rack Mount Patch Panel?

It’s easy for us to understand what is a rack mount patch panel. Firstly, you need to bear in mind it’s definitely a patch panel. Sharing the same blood with a patch panel, patch panel rack version is also a mounted hardware assembly containing ports to connect and manage the incoming and outgoing fiber or copper cables. Then, you need to differentiate the rack mount patch panel with wall mount patch panel, the other type of patch panel. When a patch panel associated with the rack mount, it refers specially to a kind of patch panel connecting with racks or rack mount enclosures in a typical data center network.

Rack Mount Patch Panel Cabling

Figure 1:Rack Mount Patch Panel Cabling

Types of Rack Mount Patch Panel

Basically, the rack mount patch panel consists of fiber optic patch panel and copper patch panel used for different applications.

For a rack mount fiber optic patch panel, it is mostly designed for the standard 19-inch rack. Depending on the number of connections required, it is often available in 1U, 2U, 4U configurations with flat or angled design. Typically, the rack mount fiber patch panel has four empty slots where LC/SC fiber adapter panels or cassettes can be installed prior to or during deployment. All in all, according to the space and requirements of your project, there will always be an optical fiber panel suiting for you.

The other type is the copper patch panel. The copper patch panel can be inserted with both shielded or unshielded copper cables like cat5e, cat6, cat6a, and cat7. Among all these types, the cat6 patch panel is the most favored one used for the Gigabit Ethernet high-density cabling. In addition, all these types of rack mount copper panels are available in 24 ports and 48 ports in the market.

24 Ports 1U Rack Mount Fiber Optic Patch Panel (Left) and 24 Ports 1U Shielded Cat6 Rack Mount Patch Panel (Right)

Figure 2: 24 Ports 1U Rack Mount Fiber Optic Patch Panel (Left) and 24 Ports 1U Shielded Cat6 Rack Mount Patch Panel (Right)

Steps of Installing Patch Panel in Rack

Clearing about the rack mount patch panel is just a warming-up step for a better installation. Generally, there are three main steps for users to install a blank rack mount patch panel. If a pre-loaded rack mount is held, you can directly start from the second installation step.

Preparation

Before installation, the user should evaluate how many rack units are going to be used. Then you can decide the number and the size of the patch panel. After that, you need to choose the jacks that you are going to use. Then you can install the jacks into the patch panels.

Installation

First, you can hold the drawer of patch panel at the height of the layer of the rack you need to set and push it forwardly. Then you need to use the appropriate machine screws to attach the patch panel assembly to the rack.

Installing Rack Mount Patch Panel

Figure 3: Installing Rack Mount Patch Panel

Second, insert cables into the matching port one by one. After that, you can use a strap to secure the cables. Typically, for fiber optical cables, we would prefer to use a Velcro cable tie to strap; while copper cables, we would use Nylon cable tie.

Third, if there is a need, you can write specific information on labels for identification.

Validation

Finishing the second step, you still need to make a visual inspection to ensure the safety of all the network environment. After following all these three steps, the installation can be finished.

Conclusion

Rack mount patch panel is the most popular solution to manage cables in dater center network. Especially, there are plenty of types of rack mount patch panel for choosing, which have been proved to be a kind of future-proof management. It’s practical and wise for us to learn how to use it.

How to Install a Keystone Patch Panel?

In this article, we will focus on the installation of keystone patch panel. Previously, we have introduced many solutions for cable management, such as horizontal/vertical organizers, patch panels, rack mounted enclosures, etc. In this post, we will take the keystone patch panel as a case to illustrate how to install it.

An Overview of Keystone Patch Panel

Before the installation, let’s have an overview of the keystone panel. This is also regarded as the preparation stage, which has a great impact on your following installation.

What is Keystone Patch Panel?

Keystone patch panel, also called blank patch panel or unloaded patch panel, is a kind of Ethernet patch panel. Unlike the pre-loaded patch panel, the keystone panel is not configured with built-in RJ45 ports. To set keystone jacks such as Cat5e and Cat6, the keystone panel is often available in two types: 24-port patch panel and 48-port patch panel.

48 Ports 1U Blank Keystone Patch Panel (Left) and 48 Ports 1U Blank Keystone Patch Panel (Right)

Figure 1: 48 Ports 1U Blank Keystone Patch Panel (Left) and 48 Ports 1U Blank Keystone Patch Panel (Right)

Types of Keystone Patch Panel

With different standards, such as ports and keystone jacks, the keystone panel can be classified variously.

According to ports, there are 24-port keystone patch panel and 48 ports panel version. Usually, the 24-port patch panel version is an unshielded/shielded Ethernet patch panel in a compact 1U with STP/UTP. It can accommodate all keystone jacks, including RJ45 Ethernet, HDMI audio/video, voice and USB applications. While the 48 ports panel version can be used as 1U rack-mount unshielded multimedia blank patch panel, also compatible with all keystone jacks.

Classified by keystone jacks, we can also get different types. When the keystone panel is inserted with jacks, we also call the panel as keystone jack panel. Among all kinds of RJ45 keystone jacks, Cat5e and Cat6 keystone jacks are used frequently.

48 Ports Blank Keystone Patch Panel Cabling

Figure 2: 48 Ports Blank Keystone Patch Panel Cabling

Installation Guide

After the preparation step, it’s time for us to move to the installation stage.

First, proper RJ45 jacks should be chosen. As we mentioned before, unlike pre-loaded or fixed patch panels, keystone patch panels have no built-in ports. Therefore, you need to decide the type and quantity of the jack at first.

Second, insert the RJ45 jacks. After choosing the proper RJ45 jack, it’s time for you inlaying the jacks into the slots of keystone  panels, from the rear panel to the front.

Third, install the equipped Ethernet patch panel into a 1U rack with the help of screws and screwdriver.

Fourth, plug cables that you have chosen into corresponding jacks you have inserted into the keystone patch panel.

Fifth, manage cables with the help of cable management accessories such as cable managers, lacing bars and cable ties.

If you are still unclear about the installing process, you can refer to the following video made by FS: Blank Keystone Patch Panel for Cat5e/Cat6 Ethernet Cabling.

Conclusion

Keystone patch panel just likes a joker for its easy matching. It can be customized for users’ cabling requirements. Moreover, installation is also easy to catch. In any case, the keystone panel is a wise choice for anyone requiring easy and direct access for Ethernet cabling.