Tag Archives: Cat6 patch panel

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.

Introduction of Patch Panel Types

Patch panel, an unsung hero, is the most important cable management tool of the data center. When you want to connect a vast number of devices to a central server or other network hardware, there must be plenty of various cables, and you have to plan each thing out properly. It’s always smart to use a patch panel to help you manage the cables and keep your server room organized. However, patch panels are available in different ports and applied in various cables, like 24 port or 48 port patch panel, Cat5e or Cat6 patch panel. There are so many patch panel types on the market that make you confused. Usually, patch panels can be used in two systems, fiber and copper cabling systems. Therefore, patch panel types will fall into two main categories, fiber optic patch panel and Ethernet patch panel.

Fiber Optic Patch Panel

Fiber optic patch panel is applied in distributing the single mode and multimode fibers to realize the connection, allocation and scheduling between the weak trunk and level system. Often times, two ports stand together on a panel are prepared to connect a pair of wires. One port acts as the transmitting end while the other is the receiving end. Due to different port designs like SC, LC, FS.COM launched LC patch panel and SC patch panel with 24 ports and 48 ports, and blank patch panel.

LC Fiber Patch Panel

Constructed of light weight, high strength steel with black coating, a 24 port patch panel is robust and designed to be installer-friendly. The design includes integrated cable management features to connect 48 single mode or multimode fibers, and provide proper strain relief for those fibers. Often times, the panel used to connect single mode fibers adopts the blue design, while multimode type takes aqua. The following figure is an example of single mode LC patch panel.

 LC patch panel

Figure 1: 24 Port LC Fiber Patch Panel

SC Fiber Patch Panel

This 24 port SC patch panel is made almost the same size with the LC fiber patch panel but in different port. Designed for OS2 fibers, it uses the blue design.

SC patch panel

Figure 2: 24 Port SC Fiber Patch Panel

Blank Patch Panel

The 1U blank panel fits all 19 inch standard server rack and cabinets. The panel uses metal material which helps ensure superior thermal insulation performance. It’s an ideal tool for improving airflow within the rack by covering the unused spaces.

blank patch panel types

Figure 3: 1U 19″ Rack Blank Panel

Ethernet Patch Panel

Functioned like the fiber optic patch panel, Ethernet patch panel is used to connect specific cables like Cat5e, Cat6 cables, creating a standard-based and flexible copper platform. Designed for shielded and unshielded cables, FS.COM published shielded/unshielded Cat5e patch panel and Cat6 patch panel.

Cat5e Patch Panel

This 24 port shielded Cat5e patch panel enables quick and easy cable patching by plugging Cat5e cables into any of its RJ45 ports. Made from SPCC and ABS plastics material, it can stand up to the conditions where the temperature varies from -25°C to 70°C. Clearly numbering on the front allows for easy identification of cable runs. With the connections of 24 Cat5e cables, this 1U rack mount patch panel will maximize your network performance.

cat5E patch panel

Figure 4: 24 Port Cat5e Patch Panel

Cat6 Patch Panel

This 1U rack mount unshielded Cat6 patch panel is designed with the same process of 24 port Cat5e patch panel. This 24 port patch panel for Cat6 cable is rated up to 1Gbps and meet T568A/T568B standard, which will keep up with the greatest of changes in your network.

cat6 patch panel

Figure 5: 24 Port Cat6 Patch Panel

Conclusion

When you decide to buy one, figure out what cables you need to connect first, then choose the suitable patch panel. FS.COM offers a comprehensive line of patch panel types to support your data center patching needs in current 10G and next generation 40G or 100G applications.

Feed Through Patch Panel Recommendations

Patch panels act as the central role in the administration of the telecommunication network. They form the primary link for collecting cables and routing data to the place where it needs to be. The most copper cables in network presently use Cat5e patch panel or Cat6 patch panel. However, there are various styles of Cat6 patch panels on market, like punch down or feed through patch panels. Consumers may be confused when they need to select one. Here I’d like to talk about Cat6 feed through patch panel and recommend some for your reference.

Why Choose Feed Through Patch Panel

Compared with punch down type, there is no need to punch down cables with feed through panel. Unlike the punch down panel that needs to punch down Ethernet cables for the rear side, feed through patch panel have RJ45 ports on both sides, making install cables is fairly simple. Though the price is a bit higher, the feed through panel saves time and energy for cable management.

Feed Through Patch Panel Recommendations

FS.COM offers feed through patch panels with different styles making them ideal for any installation in server racks. Here is a video to show the products.

Unshielded Feed Through Patch Panel

Unshielded patch panel is used to connect unshielded cables that actually with faster transmission in the absence of electromagnetic interference (EMI). The following is a 24 port Cat6 unshielded feed through patch panel at the price of 30 dollars. It meets Cat6 specifications and works with T568A and T568B wiring to comply with industry standards. Made from SPCC+ABS plastics material, the Cat6 patch panel features 24 numbered ports to help you identify connections. And it’s supplied in black color.

unshielded feed through patch panel

Figure 1: 24 Port Cat6 Unshielded Feed Through Patch Panel

Shielded Feed Through Patch Panel

Shielded patch panels are recommended for high EMI environment, because shielded cables can more effectively block interference. Therefore, shielded panel is more expensive than unshielded one, this 24 port Cat6 shielded patch panel costs 43 dollars at FS.COM. Made to be efficient and durable, the Cat6 feed through patch panel is constructed with a fully enclosed, 6 port module design, which provides flexibility and protection of printed circuitry of termination. With a cable management bar on the rear, it helps Cat6 cables to pass through patch panel in a neat and organized way.

shielded feed through patch panel

Figure 2: 24 Port Cat6 Shielded Feed Through Patch Panel

Blank Keystone Patch Panel

To meet customers’ different usages, FS.COM produced blank keystone patch panels that are available in 24 port and 48 port. Here is the 48 port patch panel which offers unlimited flexibility and ease of installation to the customers. The port openings will accept both Cat5e and Cat6 insert modules, thus a mixed connection will be made. Designed with a stainless steel cable manager on the rear, this patch panel keeps cabling neat and tidy, and can mount to any standard 19 inch server rack. Beside, it has a favorable price of 11 dollars.

blank keystone patch panel

Figure 3: 48 Port Blank Keystone Patch Panel

Conclusion

To sum up, when you need to connect the unshielded cables choose the unshielded feed through patch panel, while use the shielded panel to link shielded cables. And if you want to make a mixed connection, choose the blank keystone design. FS.COM patch panel offering includes copper and fiber types which are in stock and ship the same over the world. Welcome to pick at FS.COM!