70-210 - Patch Panel - Patch Cable Question

Author

Patch Panel - Patch Cable Question

coop

2002-05-11, 8:02 pm

In our school I was in the Head End-Server area , 1st floor and it had one patch panel there. There are a couple of other closets in the school but I don't know if they have patch panels or not. Typically, are patch panels only in the Head Area with the Switches and Routers?

For instance in the computer lab on the 2nd floor 40 computers are connected to a hub. There is not patch panel in that room, just a NT apps. server and the hub. How is this hub connected to the 1st floor where the patch panel and web server are located? Fiber or Cat5?

And, do patch panels mostly connect to switches or routers?

I am just trying to understand Patch Panels and Patch cables a bit better. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Coop

larkspur

2002-05-11, 11:41 pm

Coop,
Its been my experience that patch panels are usd to extend networks or communications between floors or rooms so you don't run a cable each time (it can be a pain in the butt). For example at my last position I had 46 t-1's come in at the telco closet on the first floor. In that closet I had two patchpanels that went up to the third floor telco closet. At this point I would use a patch cable to connect to another patch panel that would go in the datacenter. From there to the dte or dce using the 586b standard or straight through cable. Now the backbone for the "user network" was fiber so it would break into a 3com fiber switch and come out cat5 to the hubs using a patch cable.

quote:
Typically, are patch panels only in the Head Area with the Switches and Routers?

General yes

quote:
How is this hub connected to the 1st floor where the patch panel and web server are located? Fiber or Cat5?

Probably by a sinlge a cat5 cable. Look at the hub there should be a uplink port what kind of cable is jacked into it.

quote:
And, do patch panels mostly connect to switches or routers?

Probably routers and csu\dsu's, some cases channel banks. You could use for switch too.

Sorry for the long explanation butit can get very complicated. Found this about cat5 check it out good to know your color code.

http://www.cabletron.com/support/techtips/tk0231-9.html

coop

2002-05-12, 5:29 am

Thanks for the answers. That clears things up a bit. I will have a better look tomorrow.

Also, I need more info. on Punch Downs. Are they ususally in the Head End room or could they be in a few different places throughout the school?

I am just trying to understand the punch downs - patch panel connections. I have seen the whole thing a ton, but am just learning that end of things.

And larkspur, you noted you had 46 T-1's, why 46? How many computers for each line? Or does 1 of those 46 go to a router which are hooked up to multiple computers?

Thanks again.

Coop

larkspur

2002-05-12, 12:40 pm

each t-1 is diferent some go into channel banks that break the t-1 into 24 channels. Some are for avr, fax products, dial in, and internet. the punch downs are a little differntent generaly 25 pair cable will be used to connect the different floors to each 66/110 block.

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