Complete Network Setup // Toning, Identifying Ports

[@SamSkorokhodov]

This video, the “what’s a patch panel and do you need one”, and the home set up tour videos are so helpful. All of the other guys use tech jargain that regular every day people wouldn’t understand. Thank you for the great videos! I’m wiring our church and these videos were exactly what we needed.

[@cottondai]

Awesome tip. I am a new network engineer preparing for my network+ exam. This helped me to visualize the end goal of setting up a small network from ground up.

[@emmettbradford6983]

🖲️📠💼🛰️🧳🎬🥊🌐💺🎒📡🧰⚙️⚙️🖥️🖨️🖱️⌨️💻☎️💣✒️ www.bradfordtechnology.tech

[@bobblum5973]

*A Tip for Rack Mounted Devices:* I noticed at 04:30 the top screws were going in first. When placing the switch, router, patch panel or whatever into the rack or rails, I recommend putting the screws into the lower holes first. For lightweight devices it doesn't matter much, but for heavier ones the lower screws will act as a pivot point, with the weight of the device causing the top of the panel to move toward the rack or rails. By putting the screws into the top holes first, the weight will try to make the bottom of the front plate move out from the rack or rails. For units like rackmount servers and such it makes things so much easier.

[@sue_mama]

Thanks for reminding it... 😊👍🏻

[@James_Knott]

For heavier equipment, place screws in the holes immediately below where the bottom edge will be. You can then rest the equipment on the screws, as you use both hands to mount it.

[@bobblum5973]

@@James_Knott That's also a very good suggestion! Beware of the hole spacing on racks and rails. There's a standard "Unit" size (1.75 inches as I recall) and the pre-tapped holes are not evenly spaced. So a "1U" high device takes up 1.75 inches, a 3U is 5.25-inches, etc. I have actually seen a tape measure with markings for every standard Unit along it!

[@James_Knott]

@@bobblum5973 Yep, I started working with racks around 1973, in the old Toronto Stock Exchange, where the telecom company I worked for had a site. You can learn a lot from experienced techs.

[@bobblum5973]

@@James_Knott That's why as I became an experienced tech I wanted to pass it along. But I've also always been willing to learn from the newer ones, together. "Co-Mentoring" is the term I came up with for that! 😁

[@moismoje78]

Basically an example of everything not to do. Tone cables first so that you can punch them down in a logical order (same room together, same wall plate together) and use the strain relief on the punch down. Don’t punch down equipment to punch panels. Don’t put un-crimped RJ45 plugs into panels or equipment, you can mess up the plugs. And don’t use RJ-11 plugs in an RJ-45 port either.

[@sparkie5571]

Thank you, was watching this the whole time thinking this. He also didn't use the wall outlet plate he installed, and that one had the plugs facing the front instead of the back for some reason

[@yoshmarklund]

Oh God, I missed the RJ11 :D

[@ZS-bg7jo]

Also.. we have started using keystone panels. Infinitely easier to install, keep clean, and service if damaged. They also generally have stress relief bars to aid in cleaning up wiring

[@krisztianfekete3277]

Don't plug unterminated RJ45 jack into anything, because the copper plates are not push in, and when you plug it in, it could screw the socket up.

[@BudgetNerd]

I know this, they weren't in all the way, they were barely dangling there. But good tip none the less..

[@DynamicCash]

​@@BudgetNerd I would recommend buying some rubber plugs (similar to those you get with new PC components) I personally use these: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C6GKQ5L/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@Ricky-mk9sc]

@@BudgetNerd Use RJ45 Dust Cover--(also color code) (DC-0) (from R.J. Enterprises @Amazon.com) to solve the problem.

[@nickpaskal3961]

Toner tip: use a shorted jumper with the catch clip removed (faster) while you are using the wand, the tone will stop when you found the correct port and only the correct port. It is rf bleed that inpregnats a wire the rubs parrallel with yours. Also huge help on shielded cabling as the side of the wire will not allow for correct identification with sound of tone unless you make a jumper from tone generator that uses the shield as one of the tone generators to attach to. (This has been a life saver on many many jobs.)

[@sakriso]

I usually tone and identify cables before teminating them so that the port numbers are sequential by room. Again, nice and organized, but takes a few more minutes ahead of time. Like your idea about the empty RJ45 connectors to ID which ports have been identified and/or terminated already. Makes toning faster as you go along.

[@andrejankovsky9576]

Good job! Nothing is ever perfect, especially in IT, so your setup can be improved and I am sure you know it. I enjoyed the video very much.

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Sometimes it’s not about anything being perfect. It needs to be ideal, clean, professional and manageable

[@MattBSyd]

Dont punch down blindly then go toning out / using a tool to find them... when you pull the cables use a fine sharpie to number them as you start pulling them out of the box, then put the same number on the cable when you cut it off the box and then punch down in order. That way you wont have to chase down all the ports. Make sure you number more than once on each cable (i generally do 3 or 4 numbers over about 1 meter (3-ish feet for the americans) on each end... also number before you cut so you dont get mixed up. Generally if doing a small number of cables I'll have two boxes, odd and even, or just write the current number on each box and cross them out as you go... will save you a LOT Of time and you'll get logical numbering on the wall ports (i.e. ports 1 and 2 on the first plate, 3 and 4 on the next, rather than having 19 and 32, 06 and 18 on the next, etc.

[@michaelwaters6829]

Nah, Just punch them all down then use your 35 jack toner to label the outlets with their corresponding patch panel jack. It's faster. Trust me.

[@zapy-85]

@@michaelwaters6829 sounds like that will take forever, running in and out every room just to find one cable in one outlet because the second cable got punched in as cable nr 18 instead of 3and4. you mark the cables when you pull them and then you punch them and does all that what @Matt Byrnes said.

[@michaelwaters6829]

@@zapy-85 I've done it both ways. The sharpie method sometimes fails you when the sharpie gets rubbed off. Also on large pulls, spending the time to seperate all the cables and route them to look nice takes time as well. Routing them how they lay and punching them in order then jacking 35 of them with a toner kit doesn't take much.

[@zapy-85]

@@michaelwaters6829 Still, you have to run around and test them with the toner to find them, and thats why i dont use those old shitty panels, i use keystone or similar, then you can move them around freely and dont have to "route" them, but if you do label them at the pull you wont need to route them. if the sharpie comes off id say buy another sharpie that dosnt come off. =)

[@michaelwaters6829]

@@zapy-85 you miss understand. You jack them in their outlets and search for them on the panel. 35 or 64 at a time. Any serious tech has a toner that has 35 or 64 rj45 toner dongles, numbered. All you have to do is plug them in, in your wing, take one trip to the patch panel and tone them all right there. No walking back n forth, unless you count collecting the dogle while labeling the outlet. Your still going to have to walk to each one to fluke test it anyways. So might as well do it right then too.

[@joehid]

I’m a IT Consultant. I started from the bottom just like anyone else and I now design network infrastructures for buildings. I can honestly say that labeling is a no brainer must do on each and every cable run. Every cable needs to be labeled. I’ve terminated thousands upon thousands of patch panels for sky rise buildings and if I ever caught anyone doing that on my project I would literally run them off because that tells me so much more about what they don’t know. I can’t afford wasting time and hunting down mistakes. If you’re doing a small project like this then to each their own BUT I would recommend to think twice before showing someone the wrong way because they’ll have to pay for those consequences. I don’t mean to offend anyone reading this either....it’s just advice from a professional.

[@theboibros7207]

I kept scrolling when you said “I’m a IT Consultant” ....

[@TuckerMcCannon]

What is the saying about "consultants"-->something like; you're just paying someone to tell you what you already know.

[@emancipatedhost4598]

Joe Hidalgo Lol thanks for your useless input buddddddddddy

[@stewartmoir9464]

I'm no IT expert other than self-taught knowledge. But it would make sense just to label cable runs. The time it takes to label the cable vs the time it takes to find out which cable goes to which port is a no brainer.

[@skynetbrobandzirapur6500]

I support you with this .

[@Deraco1]

As this was three years ago and was on a buget I am sure this has improved. I would recommend putting the switch in the middle between the two patch panels, that way, the patch panel at top doesn't get over burdened with cables from the lower. I would also recommend getting a shelf for equipment to sit on top of others. That way, for any reason you need to swap out the device holding said modem/devices (in this case, would be the switch) you wouldn't need to fiddle with removing that stuff.

[@zman919]

Dude! YOU ARE THE MAN!!!! Please keep doing videos! THAT WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!!

[@Spartan70NL]

You can also buy RJ45 to RJ45 keystones for the patchpanel. Alot faster, inserting them and switching them around. Oh and USB and HDMI keystones also exist, quite handy

[@ipullstuffapart]

I don't really understand the point of these, it takes like 30 seconds to punch down a jack, and takes way more time to terminate a connector, so where's the benefit? Also a lot of them don't really meet ethernet specs as it's a sizeable portion of the cable that is unshielded and untwisted.

[@jbdragon3295]

ipullstuffapart There is less untwisted wire in a keystone. Look at those patch panels. You have wire going to the top and bottom. That is s much larger spread then using keystones. For me, doing my home network in a small closet, so much easier to punch into all the keystones and then snap them into the patch panel. Since all my cables are labeled, I could snap them into place as groups. But you can also do things like color code the ports. Red for this, blue for that, red for something else, etc. another benefit is the flexibility of other things in the patch panel. For me it was keystones with RJ45 jacks on each side. So my WiFi Router, TiVo Stream and other devices that are on a couple shelves as they are not rackable, I can run the Cat6 cables to the back of the rack and down and plug into the back of the patch panel. That way all that’s out front are the same short patch cables going from my 2 patch panels to my 48 port switch. The spaces on the patch panels I didn’t use, I filled in with blank keystones. Let me tell you, my Home Network setup loos very professionally done. All my ports are labeled so I know where they go to. But the ability to add HDMI, audio, etc keystones also really make the setup far, far better. I would never again, not use a keystone patch panel. Also remember, you have keystones on the other end. If your wires are not short in the keystone, you’re doing something wrong. When done, I test every cable from keystone on one end to keystone on the other end. Found a couple booboo’s on keystones I punched. Man, if I had to fix that on the other type?? No thanks. If a port fails on one of those patch panels, you either replace the whole thing, which is not normally done, it it’s a dead port to no longer be used. Where as I can just swap out the bad keystone and all is good. Still for me, the biggest benefit is the flexibility. I also like the solid rack on the back of my patch panels to allow me to zip tie rack and every cable to it for better support and reliability. So with my cables all labeled, and the keystones all installed. I can start snapping them into place. MB1, MB2, MB3, CR1, CR2, on down the row. That is Master Bedroom 1 and Computer Room 1, and so forth. So all my rooms are grouped together. This is what makes using Keystone Patch panels great. I’m using s couple 24 port Keystone patch panels from Cable Matters that I got from Amazon. They look nice and work great and the price is good. Of course there is the extra cost of the keystones to pop into it. I’m so glad I went this route. I still have one of the other type of Patch Panels at my house I was at first going to use. But I’m going to sell it.

[@michaelwaters6829]

@@ipullstuffapart If you did it right and had the twist all the way down till the punch down split then it will pass fluke cert. We do it all the time. The standard isn't in the plastic jacket shielding the copper pairs... it's the number of twists in the pair canceling RFI. It's funny how Cat5e and Cat6 are the same AWG (24) but Cat6 has more twists and space between the pairs which allow for faster connection speed. Because it has more twists it uses more copper and more airgap material which is why it's stiffer but the actual copper is only shielded by the twists.

[@ipullstuffapart]

@@michaelwaters6829 Yes that is true for normal keystones which is what I'm talking about, Spartan70 NL mentioned RJ45-RJ45 keystones which require a male connector on the end of your structured cable, which takes way longer to do than a punch-down. With male-male RJ45's they also don't have internal shielding or twists so they're way more vulnerable to interference.

[@michaelwaters6829]

@@ipullstuffapart I do prefer keystone panels but we build to spec and the customer gets what they ask for. I feel for this youtuber. Hes a DIY networker and hes got all us pros comeing at him from all angles ha. And theres conflicting advice half the time haha.

[@rpoot82]

Or you could just label your cables when you pull them and don't have to find them later. Sharpies are cheaper than toners.

[@BudgetNerd]

+rpoot82 true. But not as easy on a large project,.

[@rpoot82]

Budget Nerd I do this for a living, it is absolutely necessary to do it the larger the project. Just take a sharpie lable your boxes, then label the cable. Keep counting til you get to 48, and change panel ID. I always start with buildingfloor.panel.port so say you're in building B 3rd floor your first cable would be B3.A.01 and continue til B3.A.48 and then continue to B3.B.01 and so on. Then when punching down you can look at the label and place it where it belongs. Now you cut out a lot of time testing because you just go from port to port and don't have to guess or jump around. When building closest with 300-400 or more drops you don't have time to guess. Your time is valuable don't spend it running in circles

[@myzt1cz3r03]

@Budget Nerd, Agreed it is not ease to label, and should not be labeled at time of pull. If a painter comes in and hits the label you are left guessing. How ever I do not recommend using a tester like the one that you are using for installs there is a better way, and always use the right tool for the job. I recommend at least a Klein Tools VDV Scout Pro , it is expensive, and it is very durable I have let my tester fall off a three story building got my help to throw it back to me, and went about my job. You can make testing, and mapping a one person job with doing multi lines at once. Also I recommend learning how to properly use a patch panel. The punch blocks are designed to have the wire inserted in a direction that the larger ledge supports the cutting blade on the punch if you are going to use those types of panels. It also helps with management you can easily run them off the side if you do, and tie them to one another. If you are going to do a job where multi jacks are in the same box I recommend that you use a keystone patch panel it makes organization easier you can map the lets say top jack to be 1a and the bottom to be 1b, and use the two panels one as a and the other as b. Check out this power management for your next install it can improve your life: ELIMINATOR LIGHTING LLC E107 Eight socket control reliable rack mount power center. It has a 15 amp beaker and each of the 8 sockets has its own switch witch makes power cycling the devices easier for you, and the client. I hope you made your friend aware that that modem will not handle the max clients that the switch, and wireless can. I know you recommended a router other than that one. I under stand that some people don't know the repercussions, but my main argument is: "Do you want your ISP controlling your network, and security when they leave there passwords set to default all the time." As well as: "What would they get more out of you getting the most out of your network or charging you up to $300 a year for a router that is designed for at most 20 devices." I also have clients that have learned this the hard way. @rpoot82, I find it interesting that you do this for a living but all you point out is labeling cables while pulling even tho that is not good practice. Dude if you do have a job doing this I feel sorry for your boss. You have no attention to detail at all. Don't feel bad I would fire both of you. You for wasting time labeling cable and not pulling them, and him for the above reasons. @Cyber_Z0mbie, with the Mapping tools that I have I can map out a job in about 5 - 10 min. that is less time than rpoot82 spends playing with a Sharpe. When I walk on a job to map the job I have labels printed, and ready to install nothing is done with a Sharpe that is just lack of professionalism. When it comes to T568A and T568B standards here is a fun fact for you. The T568A is the old standard used by AT&T and is still used by most government and medical IT departments. T568B is the refined standard, and supports backward compatibility with USOC for one pair.

[@BudgetNerd]

+Myzt1c Z3r0 cool. Thanks for the tips!

[@myzt1cz3r03]

No problem Budget Nerd. As fare as labels I go to my local sign shop and they don't charge me a lot and I get sheets of them to my specs for the hardware I use on the jobs. I come out paying less than $5.00 a job. and there printed with UV ink on Vinyl. I also see that others suggested the cable supply led thing. I buy supplies from there all the time why pay $65 for a battery box, and leds stuffed in a plug. when you can spend a little more and be able to test as you map. you need to rerun two cables and need to know how long they are the Klein will tell you that as well. That in its self will give you so much value when it comes to biding some rerun and upgrade jobs now that more people are moving from cat5 to cat6.

[@andrewmchugh4856]

Some things that need noting from this video... 1. None of the cables are secured to the patch panel. There are loops on these ones to secure them down, they shouldn't hang free out of the back. @5:10 2. The wall sockets should be paired up on the patch panels.... Tone before dressing and punching down

[@dimitriskatsoulis4986]

Thanks for an easy, comprehensive presentation on the matter! So many videos around not clarifying each and every step of the procedure. You were a big help! Please do some videos with the software side of configuring a network as well like DHCP and security management😊

[@ExtraTechy]

Whoever ran the cable and did not label them are monsters. Kudos for having to spend the time to figure it all out 😮

[@BudgetNerd]

Toning them wasn't really a big deal and was my intention the whole time.

[@ExtraTechy]

@@BudgetNerd Got your steps in that day :)

[@BudgetNerd]

Could have.. but I had help. :)

[@ExtraTechy]

@@BudgetNerd hah! 😁

[@daxjacks5871]

So simple to just label cables as you run them. That way there is no guess work and you can have a uniformed patch panel. I made a "L" bracket to hold panel in correct position (not upside down) to make termination. I also add in 6 inches of slack for each termination. This can easily be hidden behind wall once you straighten out the cables. Now you would only need a straight through cable to jumper between top and bottom for each room at the panel and then do your testing at one location. I have five cables I made and do five rooms at a time. No hunting for cables. Front of panel is organized instead of customer having to hunt for jack on panel. Much more professional.

[@AngelusChevalier]

Dude this one of the best vids with a breakdown of well a high level overview of network mounted rack and connections to network drop connections. Awesome man g8 job.

[@ReptilianLaserbeam]

I like more to place one patch panel above the switch and one below, better for cable management, and get those really thin/slim cat6 patch cables to connect from the patch panel to the switch. It looks SO tidy when you do it like that.And you can plan ahead before crimpling the cables into the patch panel: even ports above the switch and odd ports below. that way when you need to find a port/cable you can do it instantly, ; and if you crimp the cables in order in the patch panel and in the rooms, the labeling and wiring will be extremely easy.

[@michaelcarey]

I use patch panels that have integrated cable management on the rear. A little more expensive, but nicer to use.

[@hongtanke]

plug in the termination end to the tester into the port you know you have. IE, the wall port. Then take the testing device with you to the patch panel. This will save you a lot of walking around.

[@cardcomm91]

We would use a swing rack, not a fixed rack, pick one side and bring all the cables down on that side. Then swing the panel open when termination is needed. We always put the fiber panels on the top, the patch panels on the upper part and the switches on the lower part of the rack to allow for expansion, leaving space below each. I realize for some severely anal IT techs it makes it prettier to bunch it all together, but it is not very practical. With the switches above the cables it makes it very difficult to troubleshoot and/or terminate any new cables you install, not to mention blocking available light in the room. Having the switches below the patch panels also makes a convenient place for your termination tools while you punch down the cables. On a 7' fixed rack we would come in on both sides, 12/24 cables on each side for a 24 /48 port panel, once again starting at the top and leaving spaces for expansion. The cables are supposed to be run in the channels between the upper and lower 110 termination points. It's a decent video, but in the 30+ years in the trade I've never seen experienced techs terminate panels like this. There are BICSI and TIA courses available or some entry level training provided for free by the vendors you buy cables from.

[@Firespyer]

Label your cable on both ends as you pull it, 10 seconds with a sharpie before saves you min of toning each port. Also your jacks will be sequential at the desk, instead of having port 1 and port 37 being next to eachother

[@myzt1cz3r03]

Lets see how may times I can copy, and past this. 2 So you are one that plays with Sharpe's to. Your fired, and I never hired you. It is not good practice most of the time when a real cable installer does an installs the dry wall has not even gone in. This is what happens in the real world. after you have gone in and left your Sharpe marking the dry wall goes up then texture is sprayed on the cables, and then the painter paints and gets paint all over it. By the time that the job is passed back to you the Sharpe scribble you wasted time on is gone. Get a good mapping tool Klein makes them all day long.

[@Firespyer]

Are you some kind of moron, read the comment before replying. I said mark the cable on both ends, not the drywall. And "real' cable installer, only works on new construction? it must be nice in the ivory palace you descend from every day to pull cable. Pretty sure that working in renovated spaces, or adding existing lines is standard work for real cable installers, at least the ones that know how to read.

[@myzt1cz3r03]

Man learn to read. I am the moron.... Dude, me and my guys do installs on both new, and existing structures. Labeling cables at the pull is a wast of time. If it is a new build-out map your cables after you have pulled them. If you do not when you get back to the site to punch down you Sharpe marks are gone, or if you have spent the money on labels they are gone or covered in paint and/or dry wall mud. This is the real world we live in not the perfect that you dream up. So get a life, and the right tools to do a job.

[@chomp7927]

Do you just go around spreading this crap everywhere? Let me bring you on one of my large scale installs. Last one was 1500 drops in 2 closets, occupying 6 racks in each closet. Please, o please, tell me how a few seconds with a marker is somehow longer than it would take your super powered best crew in the world ever to hand tone 1500 drops on two floors in two closets... Been doing this 11 years now, haven't met a single other pro who is dumb enough to ever try your approach. So, tell me, 11 years pulling cable in 4 countries with crews from over a dozen countries, why have I never met a single person who subscribes to the crap you are saying? One of these things is not like the other, and it's you. Stop giving people horrible advice. Talks about marking on the drywall lol, some pro you are lol

[@bennettste]

25 years cabling voice and data working on jobs up to 100000 points and all ways label both ends. Also put them in bunches of 24 at cab end and label them. Mark up floor plan as you go if there is one. Saves so much time and then you don't have cable 7 next to cable 23. Makes testing so much easier even more so if certifying the cables. Totally bad practice not labeling even the painters cover one end you will still have them right.

[@alec4672]

At the patch panel when you think you've found the jack plug in a patch cord just like a 1ft one so you can probe that specific cable further from the panel eliminating interference from neighboring jacks. I really old telecom guy tought me that

[@zeddpilsner4]

Good tip!

[@amak1131]

Haha yep, sounds like a telecom trick. Another one I learned maintaining old 66 blocks from a telecom guy is to use a pocket knife to short a pair you think the tone is coming from. You then touch the knife blade with one hand and the probe tip with the other. If you touch the blade and tone is wailing, you know you got the right pair. This is good for very suspect runs where tone is bleeding through a few pairs and you can't narrow it down right away.

[@alec4672]

@@amak1131 That could ruin a pbx now days, we have flash monitoring meters you can narrow stuff like that down really fast with modern equipment

[@thepenultimateninja5797]

Something you might want to look into if you ever decide to mess around with your patch panel again: You can buy blank patch panels with cutouts for keystone jacks. You can buy female to female RJ45 keystones. Put them together, and you have a patch panel with female RJ45 ports on the back instead of punch down connectors. This enables you to use regular patch cables instead of punching down loads of connections. Also makes reconfiguring things easier in the future if you ever need to.

[@BudgetNerd]

+James Beat I've heard that before. That would have its benefits thanks for the tip.

[@lassejonassen3628]

You srsly got the best taste of cars. All the love to you

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

Seen a youtube video somewhere on a contractor that ran the network cables during construction. He had made a system where 1 person would go around with like a 9v battery attached to the cable ... and then on the patch panel he plugged in custom plug that had a led on it. ( assuming a resistor as well ) .... then instead of having to wand the patch panel to find the signal .... simply look for a bright light.

[@BradBo1140]

I’ve been searching You Tube for this exact type of video . An explanation of a network for the average person. I did a bit of this in my remodel and I realized real FAST I had to go get that cable tester. It’s so much easier than labeling. At least on the rough install. I know this is an old video but I am curious why you used the pattern on the incoming upper and lower patch panels?

[@juanrf2122]

Label the cable first and make sure you have a little extra slack in both ends

[@ynnus_]

Its easier to organize the patch panel this way rather than having to ports on the wall next to eachother and across the patch panel from eachother

[@gregsitzes1205]

I agree with those saying to label the cables ahead of time. IT doesn't' add that much time and will save you time in the end not toning everything out, trust someone that does this on large commercial jobs every day for a living. For commercial jobs, if you have more of a budget I would look at the multimedia patch panel, would help make service in the future easier if you ever had to redo something on the patch panel.

[@BudgetNerd]

Good tips, but I've heard people argue it out both ways. Even if you don't have to probe for the line, you're still testing each one.

[@James_Knott]

You mentioned running the cables before the drywall goes up. When I've cabled a new office, the studs are steel and an electrician has installed the boxes and conduit up to above where the ceiling will be. I then run the cables down through the conduit. You don't know which cable is which? You mean you didn't mark them as you pulled them in??? A Sharpie is your friend! I've used that rollover method for BIX strips, but I prefer keystone patch panels, where you have individual keystone jacks. BTW, I have a Unifi AC-Lite access point in my home.

[@FatherlyFox]

I might actually take this video into consideration when I'm done with college(earning a B.S. in Computer Network Engineering Tech.) and I am going to help my friend with wiring up her house.

[@BudgetNerd]

+wheyofmilk that's high praise. Thanks!

[@FatherlyFox]

No problem ^-^

[@myzt1cz3r03]

lol, B.S. in Network Engineering. I joke, but I commend you for staying in school. Maybe you can go to work for someone besides Cisco, and make something of your life. If they offer you a job run, and don't look back. They are cutting people right, and left. Just don't waist that education on running cable other wise you will not be able to pay for school.

[@jerrymiller8313]

Once you go to a modular patch panel, panduit for instance you will never want to punch down a patch panel again. label as you go but test every connection or at least wire map. If a big project you want to prenumber a print so you do not miss any also a pro job should have connections numbered in order out on the floor as much as possible.

[@danniandersen5858]

When i worked with a lot of network cables I used a small pointed pen/sharpish and wrote a number in both ends.

[@lmaoroflcopter]

Cheat mode when dealing with structure cabling that you didn't install and therefore didn't label at install time (which you totally should have done already). Patch all patch ports to switch ports. Run around site with laptop and Excel spreadsheet. Plug into wall jack Access switch management See what interface comes up. Mark it. Move to next hole in the wall.

[@BudgetNerd]

Didn't want to label. I don't think it saves much time personally. My toner and tester actually whipped through those pretty quickly.

[@xorinzor]

5:07 kinda creeps me out that you didn't add any brackets to tie the cables to, to prevent them from accidentally getting pulled out of their keystones.

[@dinakhaled96]

Perfect perfect It really helps me please make a series of Hardware connectivity..big thanks❤️❤️❤️

[@anthonynacci2008]

Hey, thanks for that -good common sense wasn't even thinking of it. By the way you just made the first positive comment out of all the Techs/engineers comments I have read previously, as a sales engineer i will say thats why we are careful of letting them talk in a business meeting- LOL!! I mean really, its called social aptitude.

[@TuckerMcCannon]

Placing modular plugs into the ports on the patch panel is a good idea (protects them from the elements) just remember that most blank RJ45 and 48 connectors will not fit into the ports unless your crimp them first. Trying to force an un-crimped plug into one of the ports on the patch panel could damage it.

[@BudgetNerd]

+Tucker McCannon I know, they weren't being forced.. they were barely in. Thanks for the tip.

[@TuckerMcCannon]

right on thanks for sharing!

[@anthonynacci2008]

Hey, thanks for that -good common sense wasn't even thinking of it. By the way you just made the first positive comment out of all the Techs/engineers comments I have read previously, as a sales engineer i will say thats why we are careful of letting them talk in a business meeting- LOL!! I mean really, its called social aptitude.

[@yassirg4365]

When you are unable to detect or find the port where you put on the sound. Or the sound comes from different ports. You can put one finger on the sound detector nose and one finger in the port on the patchpanel. When pressing on the detector, and testing it with your fingers, you should only hear sound where it really comes from (PORT).

[@tomhiggins9242]

Excellent video, thanks! Also anyone viewing this should go through the comments for constructive critiques and for laughs.

[@sumeetsharma155]

Very well explained. Good work ! Thank you

[@OsehShalomTV]

Amazing cable management

[@DIYPYROTUB]

You forgot to add a service loop in your cat 5E cable for any future maintenance.

[@BudgetNerd]

+Brandon1994youtub I didn't run the cable, also hard to see, but where all the cables come out into the room (in the beginning of the video) they didn't give me much slack. I had to organize all the short cables first and punch those down first just have them reach. I made sure there were services loops in my house, but I didn't get too many options in this building. I'm not thrilled with the people that ran the cables to be honest.

[@DIYPYROTUB]

Budget Nerd sorry man, wasn't trying to sound picky just thought I'd throw in a gesture. I've had companies do that to me as well it sucks.

[@BudgetNerd]

+Brandon1994youtub no worries. Just explaining the situation as well. Good tip though!

[@WoodUCreate]

A couple things I'd do differently on this. Because of the number of jacks in use I would have purchased 2 smaller switches. This way you have a backup and secondly wiring in the rack. You would install a patch panel, switch, patch panel, switch so that your cable runs are short and easier to manage. Another thing, No way using patch panels. Flipping over that panel and stressing all of the wires you have connected to it from the back is not good. It's also harder to work on the wiring given that it's all right up there at the rack. Better is to use a Keystone panel and wire each connector via keystones. This might go outside of the cost of a minimal budget, but I don't think nearly that expensive that cost is a consideration. With keystones, you can put them in the order you'd like on the panel and can easily work with each one at a time. New reply to an old video, but it's worth commenting for any new listeners.

[@ThatE46]

Maybe on the back of the patch panel label each wire where they go. Then if you every needed to remove evrrything you wouldnt have to test them all again.

[@WhitentonMike]

This is the way patch panels have been done for decades. It should be noted that a great deal of world experience has found solutions to some of the PITA parts of doing network installs. I will point out several here. 1. Don't cluster your patch panels together at the top or bottom of the rack. Install panels directly above and/or below each network device. Example: If you install a switch that has 1 row of jacks, install above or below it a patch panel so the patch cables can be as short as possible. Ideal is one 6 inch patch cable to every jack directly above or below each switch port. This does several things. It makes horizontal cable management unnecessary. The cost of patch cables is far cheaper. Every port in the panel is live to a corrisponding switch port. This makes physically labeling port numbers less important since all wall jacks are live from the beginning. Specific devices can be labeled but generally being anal about labeling ports is a thing of the past. 2. Switch away from punchdown panels and jacks to keystone passthru. This makes updating and repairing the panels and jacks faster, more flexible and it can take less time terminating the cable ends with plugs once you get used to it. If you find a specific cable coming from another part of the building is in the wrong panel it can be simply unplugged from the back of the keystone and moved to the correct panel location. Takes a few minutes and you don't end up with long patch cables on the front of your rack. 3. Color code your keystone jacks and patch cables for special port/device configurations. This gives a heads up to someone looking at the patch panel that this port is not like the others. Let's say you have 2 VLANs. Use blue for VLAN1, black for VLAN2, and green for both VLAN1 & VLAN2. Use red for LAG ports. You get the idea. 4. Use smart or managed switches so you can identify each port's description with what the end point device is and the color of the jack and patch cable. Really helpful if you are remotely managing the network. 5. Never run a patch cable over a device or panel that will prevent that device from being removed quickly and replaced in an emergency. 6. By setting things up as in steps 1-5 if say a 48 port switch fails or needs to be upgraded, you power down the switch, unplug all the patch cables, power, and remove and replace the switch. Plug in each patch cable into the adjacent port on the switch and power it on. If you have preloaded the configuration for the new switch you are good to go. You are down for 5 minutes instead of spending half the morning identifying patch cables, jacks and ports. Let's say you are doing a new install. It's pretty easy to determine if a PC is not connecting to the switch correctly or at full speed. In those cases you can quickly trouble shoot that specific port, keystone, patch cable, or plug end. Just swap the patch cables, redo the cable plugs, or replace the keystone passthrus. If you have 5 connection issues out of 100 cables you should be able to fix all of them in about 20 minutes. You saved an entire day not identifying, labeling, punching down, and routing patch cables on the rack. It also looks infinately cleaner and easier to maintain. Rarely would you ever need to rip out everthing from a rack during an redesign or upgrade. You can do most of it live during business hours which is fantastic for those 24/7 businesses.

[@BudgetNerd]

Great info!

[@martinwierenga1648]

So your using Cat6e wallplates with a Cat5 patchpanel? NEVER put in incrimped plugs, even though it's not a huge issue you could break a port. Also put patchpanels on the top instead of bottom, it's much better to access the rest of your gear like this. When connecting patchpanels, run the wires to the sides instead up or down, you can create a much nicer service-loop and pull a patchpanel out with enough slack and better cable management.

[@brkbtjunkie]

I love ubiquiti’s unified software so much

[@BudgetNerd]

I was very impressed by it, shame I never really got to use it after this video.

[@Reedith]

loved the tp link hard wear but have since moved to unifi stuff so much easier to manage

[@MrJGarcia13106]

Thank you for taking the time to do this video. It seems to me that a lot of people in your channel love to criticize, but I bet you not a single one has done a video in regards to networking. Probably they go home and sit on their fat ass doing nothing, expecting for their wife to do everything for them. Anyway, this was an awesome video.

[@pbblack18]

Many of these comments are promoting professional development, which is critical for any tradesperson. Feedback and constructive criticism is critical in developing skill sets. This person executed many tasks well in the video, however had other areas in which they could improve. Either this individual is going to incorporate these suggestions into their next project or they won't. No harm no foul.

[@James_Knott]

Many of us have years or even decades of hands on experience. I've been in the business since May 1, 1972.

[@dawsonbowcut3706]

In the video you said you would be doing a future video about the Ubiquiti you were using. I didn’t see it in any of your videos. Could you do a video like that explaining what access points are and how to set them up? I’m sure there are other videos out there about this, but your explanations make it easy for me to understand and I like that. Especially since I’m new to all of this.

[@BudgetNerd]

I was planning on doing a video on the ubiquiti, but I never needed to mess with that ap ever again. Worked great, so it never happened. I do have a video on a Zyxel ap. Might sort of have give you what you are looking for. I might have another ap video coming soon as well.

[@DodgyBrothersEngineering]

I like the single sided patch panel wiring.

[@litan1106]

Thanks for the video. Do you have any idea for Plex/NAS on the network?

[@ivic1112]

If you are in situation that you do not know how the building is cabled use cheap ebay tester and one co worker...Co worker has the main part of the tester and connects it to the wall plate anywhare in the building.On the patch panel you check for a cable using the other part of the cable tester,just break away the tab from lan cable that goes into the panel to be faster.

[@sale666]

Funny how that expensive gadget "guesses" port by beeping and I bought a 10$ on wish thing you just jack in the same way you just punch the cable in port by port and it lights up.. seems more convenient and works perfectly!

[@zemaria847]

This is a pretty cool video! Don't feed the ego of the ALL-KNOWING gurus in the comment section!

[@jabs02360]

If the data cables are labeled as they are run, they can be organized and labeled as they are punched down in the patch panel. This prevents you from handling the cables twice.

[@aglaisma]

I am no professional and I did the same job in my appartment 2 years ago alone. 16port unmanaged PoE switch, hooked to a 24port patch panel. No testers used on T568B connections and it works flawless. Smart Tv's, Home alarm, Voip, computers, Dvr, etc. No lost packages, everything running 1Gbps steady. The only nightmare is the cable management

[@admiralgeneralaladeen2949]

Whats the difference between unmanaged poe switch and a normal switch? Well, I'm a beginner and I want to learn.

[@aglaisma]

@@admiralgeneralaladeen2949 there are two common kinds of switches. Unmanaged type which are for home use where no supervision is needed(you just plug them in, and they operate) and the managed ones which have subcategories (ex enterprise and smart switches) and built in web interface for further customization. You may find them also as level 2 switches(unmanaged) and as level 3(managed with routing capabilities). To answer your first question, PoE refers to Power over Ethernet, which is another protocol for powering devices through 12v output for example cctv cameras. Practically PoE is needed for long distances where you want to power and at the same time have access to your device without a need for extra cable for electricity. PoE does them both in the same cable

[@admiralgeneralaladeen2949]

@@aglaisma I'm starting from the basics of designing network setups. And these things confuses me. Btw, Thanks for the answer. 1 more question. Do we just plug in some Cat 5e to a patch panel from a switch so that the connection from the switch will extend to the patch panel? Like for example. (Switch) Port 1 then connected to a patch panel. Then the whole ports on the patch panel can now have connection comming from the switch? I'm very grateful you answered my prev question.

[@aglaisma]

@@admiralgeneralaladeen2949 No. Patch panel brings all your rooms/workstations to one place so you can easily give data/internet/telephony etc via your telephone plug/switch/modem etc. It s up to you, what exactly to connect on it. Mine for example, has 2 Lan cables running to the first bedroom, two more to the second bedroom, one Lan cable to my office, one port is in use of extra wifi access point, one is attached to 4g antenna for better signal of my mobile, one goes to my alarm system and 4 more in the other house. 1 port of my patch panel goes to my modem. In front of this port i connect a plain 5e lan cable to the switch. Now i have internet into the switch and any cable i connect now from switch to patch panel has internet connection. It's exactly the opposite of what you asked. Patch panel ends connections-switch shares connections

[@Thurjf]

Looking forward to the video on Ubiquiti AP. Very informative!

[@coolbionicle]

I have a quick question, I'm pretty new to this, does connecting multiple lan ports from the router to the switch improve internet speed and/or latency in all pther devices or does not make a difference?

[@billstathakos]

Personally I have moved away from punch down patch panels to using blanks with RJ45 keystones. This way I can actually colour code/match the ports themselves with type of connections. Blue=data, White=Voice/VOIP, RED=Camera. Even for zones. separate colour to match cable destinations. I just use RJ45 blanks for any unused ports in the blank.

[@james-57264]

I have an idea, attach an rj45 to an LED and do that loads, then get a battery pack and attach that to an rj45 connecter, put the rj45 LEDs in the patch panel and the one that lights up is the one attached to the wall panel

[@BudgetNerd]

That is a good idea. There is a product out there like that already.

[@dimagrad4452]

The perfect video how to do it is not necessary!

[@Windhover551]

No firewall device, UPS?

[@stefanburemo9661]

I just ordered a 48 port Poe+ managed swtich...for My home Network. Hahaha A familj of 4 clearly will have use for it. When it shows up here at home....I should have an excuse ready for my wife....still have no real excuse. Hehe

[@ReptilianLaserbeam]

nowadays 48 ports does not sound so crazy for a home network. Like, everything is connected now; starting with a security system is at least 6 to 10 ports for cameras, doors and the DVR. If you want to place AP for the surroundings of the house at least 2-4 additional ports. And how many TVs does a family has now, at least 4, right? better to have them connected through wired if possible. So just TVS, security and APs is around 18-20 ports, lol! And having a managed switch is awesome to create separate vlans for things like security, printers, tvs, etc.

[@stefanburemo9661]

@@ReptilianLaserbeam Thank you. Just wished I had those very valid arguments when the switch showed up. How ever when it comes to my family there are no REAL usage for anything more then a 10 port switch. But at the ripe old age of 43 I all of a sudden got changes interest in computers. Been mostly gaming for the past 30+ years. But as you write. The best possible type of connection is wired. So I guess I will be deep-diving into a solid home network with security, server and Nas for our computers. Well well...I guess that better then Street racing.

[@justinblanco2804]

Could you wire up the jumpers from the patch panel to the switch to their corresponding numbers, for example your T1 would go into switchport 1 and then use a link runner on each drop and have it tell you which port you're connected to on the switch for labeling?

[@nerdchild3869]

Awesome video!

[@rizztism]

Why not tone before you punch them into the patch panel. Then you don't end up with random numbers on plates. Also add a cable management arm between the panels... otherwise it will get messy quickly...

[@BudgetNerd]

+Lochie Nichols I was thinking of getting two cable management arms, but one works for now, but that is a good idea. If you tone the cables, then patch them down, you still would have random numbers, unless you fight the cables to get them punched down in order. Secondly, if you tone the cables before punching down, after punching them down, you would have to go through them all and test them for connectivity doubling the work.

[@jfbeam]

The point of toning _each wire_ is to get them punched down in order. It makes the punching process take an eternity, but you're going to have to do it anyway to figure out what's what. Because the cables weren't labeled and bunched when pulled, punching them down in logical order will mean a physical disarray behind the panel. (For me, a logical order is a must. The physical disorder is ugly, but no one is ever looking at it.)

[@NGeese]

That's some dodgy cabling at the patch panel.. No strain relief on the punched down cables, and is pretty messy as well. Cables are typically run directly along the back of the panel tray and secured with ties of some sort to keep all the cables run to one or the other side of the rack (to avoid the rats nest of cabling here). Functional, but it's a real bitch to work with down the line the way you have it here.

[@BudgetNerd]

+socialismcanwork all valid points. Most of this know. I did what I could.. wasn't super easy to make that neat.

[@NGeese]

Not to knock you, but I wouldn't say you did what you could have at all. Install should look something like this goo.gl/images/gdTAAC. Neat, and all tucked to one side.

[@Barbaratio]

+socialismcanwork You are aware zip-ties are a bad idea in networks.

[@johnschroeder3072]

In Australia it is actually illegal to use cable ties on cat6 and greater cable as it can be done too tight and reduce the performance of the cable.

[@JGnLAU8OAWF6]

Illegal like cops would find out and you go to jail? :)

[@MrAbdulHaque]

At 10:52, why do we need to connect cable from any router lan port to patch port 1 and then from patch port 1 to switch port 1? Can't we connect straight from router to switch port 1? And then other switch ports to patch ports?

[@BudgetNerd]

Yes you can do as you suggested. I did it this way to keep it neat. Otherwise you'd have a cable coming from around the back, plugging into the switch in the front. Just doesn't look as good.

[@MrAbdulHaque]

@@BudgetNerd I noticed that's what you said in the video, apologies and thanks for confirming.

[@mattakadanja]

It appears you aren’t the one who ran the cables without labeling them so I won’t blame you, but I think EVERYONE who’s watched this video can agree: NOT labeling your cables resulting in having to test them and place random numbers on the wall plates is AMATEUR HOUR.

[@SullySadface]

Those wall plates look absolutely delighted as they vomit thick ropy strands of network connectivity :D

[@TornTech1]

in my whole IT Career iv never seen twin wall sockets which arn't incremental. IE A001 & A002. is it common to just terminate the wires and then label them up after not worrying about location on the patch panel?

[@BudgetNerd]

+TornTech in my opinion it's common. There are those who clearly think cables should be labeled as they are ran (ie. read comments) but also plenty on the other side of the fence (ie. read other comments.)

[@jfbeam]

I've been around this stuff for decades. I have never encountered a site wired in such and idiotic, lazy, haphazard manner. But youtube is full is this crap. (maybe because the pros are busy working rather than recording youtube video) It takes seconds to label a f'ing cable, to save how many minutes / hours of walking back and forth toning out and guessing which port is which? All the people whining "labeling is a waste of time", try it and see how much of your time it doesn't waste by knowing which cable is which, and where it goes. As for "what if the painters paint the label", in 30 years, I've seen that happen only once -- and it was drywall mud, not paint. Good installers tuck the cable in the box at the drop (where it's very unlikely to be painted.) The best installers also label the cables at the slack loop above the drop ceiling.

[@jbdragon3295]

jfbeam If that spaghetti garbage is how they are working, they should be fired and never work in the industry again. It looks like a 10 year old did it. Wires should always be labeled. Then labeled at the patch panel. At some point someone, maybe you a year or more later, maybe someone else is going to have to waste a lot of time figuring out that mess. That is someone or more someone’s with no pride in their work. That was rushed, slapped to heather crap with no real plan and it shows. Talking about amateur hour. So much better at the end of this video.

[@sambrightmacpetersobinnaya9069]

You didn’t explain the configuration to be used on the cable wether straight through or cross over or do you mean anyone can serve?

[@lukeroberson7028]

Awesome Video! Super Helpful!

[@jckgamer]

When should you be using a 66 block or a 110 block? I know the short answer is phones but I don’t understand how those blocks connect to a patch panel? And I believe you don’t need them if you’re doing POE just analog? Could you do a video explaining that? Or provide a link for some helpful tips? Thanks

[@ipullstuffapart]

66 and 110 blocks are an alternative for patch panels used for structured cabling of analogue telephone lines. Most businesses use IP phones now with a digital internet connected PBX.

[@James_Knott]

Don't use 66. They're telecom grade. You used to be able to use BIX strips for 100 Mb, but not Gb. I believe the 110 strips are good for Gb though. In a large office, you might use them to cross connect between cables. I've never seen that with Ethernet though. The keystone connectors also use 110 punches.

[@Robert-ug5hx]

I used a modular patch panel in my new setup, it is wlot nicer to work with

[@hedwardrodriguez2538]

I bit confused when you showed router connecting to switch and patch panel. So, if I get it right, you connect a patch cord from router to patch panel, then patch cord from patch panel to switch? Awesome video by the way, I learned so much ! 👍

[@BudgetNerd]

Correct. Thanks!

[@Ricky-mk9sc]

Would that be much simpler and time-saving if u use a feed-through panel and tarceable patch cord?

[@Chavacano]

Awesome dude and awesome video. 👍

[@justkilian7795]

Quick question. I see the boxes in the wall were Cat 6. But the patch panel is Cat5e. Are the cables Cat5e as well or why did you decide on Cat5e Patch panels

[@BudgetNerd]

I didn't run the cables, but the company that did ran 5e.

[@jacksp8452]

Hey great job and I was wondering what is that arris modem for the phones? Is he using that for internet because if so it’s not a good source of internet it is great for phones though.

[@BudgetNerd]

Yes it is for his ip phones.

[@IamDoQtorNo]

Thanks for your last response. This next one maybe off topic but here it goes: I have a cisco 48-port managed and (2) 24 port unmanaged switches. Right now the (2) are paper weights. Im only using tge 48 port switch now because its PoE. Any recommendations on how i can get some use out of those other 2?

[@martllamas]

I have a question. What arrangement did you do to the cable for it to be male on one end and a female on another (patch panel). Seen at 10:32 to 10:37.

[@BudgetNerd]

I made my own cables. So I either added a jack to one end, and punched down the bare wire to the patch panel, or I took an existing cable and just cut the jack off one end and then punched that end down on the patch panel.

[@cimone5718]

This was perfect! Thanks a bunch! Helped tremendously.

[@androidtabsuser348]

Way too much time wasted tracking and labeling cables.

[@BudgetNerd]

+Android Tab S User it didn't really take much time. Actually went much quicker than I thought it would. Worth mentioning as well, I didn't run the cables.

[@Ray102386]

Cables should have been labeled. I would have fired a tech for not labeling the cables.

[@sargcj3263]

If you didn't run the cables you can be forgiven, but the person that run the wires and didn't mark them should be fired. I have never run Ethernet cables in that capacity, but I do occasionally plan and run various low voltage dc, fiber, and data cables through arms in OR lights we install, or for the other equipment we install. I also run AC, DC, and comm lines through various conduit in hospitals, research centers, etc for the equipment too. Labeling is a must and a massive time saver. Sometimes it's just a simple mark, usually I use colored tape though.

[@sohailanjum6337]

Nice sir explain thank you very much

[@mrvegan1497]

I'm a big fan of your work. How did you learn all this?

[@BudgetNerd]

Just sort of interested in it. Gathered this knowledge from all over, including KZbin.

[@nayemhayder882]

Greate video and great understanding

[@LifeofBliss]

that was a very well made video describing the steps. about to set up my home network. Thank you!

[@predragsinko2513]

Great job. Thanks. Maybe video about UniFI AC Pro home configuration?

[@BudgetNerd]

I wanted to, but they are pretty self sustaining and haven't really called me about much. So never got to mess with the access point like I wanted to for a review.

[@vamodizer]

Suposing that my router stays 20 meters far from my switch, and I have 2 pcs wired to my router and 5 pcs wired to my switch. Should I connect my new NAS system to my router or should I prefer pluggin it into the switch, so the NAS will be "near" the 5 pcs of the network? (these 5 pcs frequently transfer more data to the NAS)

[@janrafcejas1622]

One of the best video ever.

[@IamDoQtorNo]

Thanks, great video. I have a 48 port oatch panel and a cisco manned router. i also have cameras that are hard wired to my network. as i learn mors i want to separate my cameras from the rest of tge netwk. any suggestions on how to go about doing that?

[@BudgetNerd]

That's something I need to learn more about as well, but if I would make a recommendation, I would have a managed switch with VLAN support and you could put the security system on it's own VLAN and have it "logically" separated. I think that would be the easiest way. My vet friend will eventually do this too. I better do some Googleing!

[@robertpoynton9923]

make sure you make a video on it!!!

[@myzt1cz3r03]

Agree with him VLAN but the switch is only part of it the router also has to support it.

[@IamDoQtorNo]

Myzt1c Z3r0 Gotcha. Thanks.

[@gauravk7343]

Awesome video

[@nikolatodorovic2819]

This is how you make a good video!

[@rudydiaz2488]

Great video. Why did you choose a power strip with the AC outlets in the front?

[@BudgetNerd]

+Rudy Diaz some have them on both sides. This one has them on both sides. In case you want more I guess