What is a Patch Panel? Do You Need One?

[@TheAussiePirate]

Before I saw this I didn't need a patch panel. Now though…

[@MohamedMostafa-pj4cj]

Bro you still alive 😳

[@wescooper2961]

@@MohamedMostafa-pj4cj he might be gone...

[@jerrykiely373]

@@MohamedMostafa-pj4cj the patch panel probably stopped working

[@nikobellic840]

Come back bro….. 😭😭😭

[@GETBENT1331]

@@nikobellic840 what did the vatos say when his homework brew away in the wind? come back essay. what did the thug say when the two houses fell on him? get off me homes.

[@corcon6976]

This is the first time I've understood what a patch panel is used for. Thank you!

[@thekillbreathfamily7371]

I subscribed because of the quote: "Nothing says I love over-engineering things and am I giant IT nerd like a patch panel in a comm closet in a residential home. It's nerd bling. And sometimes that's the only reason you might need."

[@BudgetNerd]

Ha yeah.. I'm rediculous.. thanks for the sub!

[@AmericanAnt_]

From someone who works in the telecommunications and networking field, this was a very well made and concise video! Good work!

[@craigbrewer433]

Seeing a switch rack is giving me memories and hand cramps. I spent the first 2 weeks in Iraq changing out wires and rewiring the switches and routers. I was seeing Orange-White, Orange; Green-White, Blue; Blue-White, Green; Brown-White, Brown; in my sleep. And now i got the twitches thinking about it.

[@AlexanderWebster_]

Lol nice. I hope to have a sweet setup when I have a house one day.

[@MustafaAli-wg5mu]

I sincerely appreciate you making this video. What I couldn't understand in 5 years, you made it so clear in 17 minutes. Wish I had found this video sooner.

[@ZackChannel]

man the most easy to understand video. Hard to find people who explains things like you no fancy words just straight to the point

[@joshuaf.5398]

Studying and preparing for networking and A+. Read several different articles on this subject and you finally answered my basic question. Why have a patch panel? Love your directness

[@SFefy]

Hi, another example for the use of patch panel is: you can easily color code your cables without much expenses. e.g.: your wires in the wall are the same blue/gray/green/yellow/etc. color, but the patch cables are different. Red for internet router to switch and yellow for switch to switch (red=Don't touch because this is the INTERNET cable!, yellow=Don't touch beacuse if you pull it out or ruin it, half of your network not working!), green for pc-s, notebooks, tv-s without poe, blue or purple is for POE connections (ip cams, poe powered wifi devices, etc), grey for voip/phone. With this coloring scheme you can easily identify the port functionality in just a second. In my house I use the following color combination: the in-wall cables are blue, solid core cat6a cables. Patch cables (cable type, endpoint client speed): red (cat6a, 10gbps): internet router to switch (for redundancy, the router is connected to all switches, so I have 3 red cables :)) orange (cat6a, 10gbps): switch to switch yellow (cat6a, 10gbps): nas/server to switch blue (cat5e, 100mbps): poe powered devices (eg: ip cams) purple (cat6a, 1gbps): poe powered devices (eg: wireless ap-s) green: (cat6a, 10gbps): pc-s, notebooks and other fix wired devices what are required more speed/bandwidth black (cat5e, 100mbps): regular non poe powered devices (tv-s, printer) white or light grey (cat6a, 10gpbs): direct connection between patch panel ports grey or pink (maybe cat5e, 100mbps or cat6a, 1gbps): currently not used in the patch panel but in the future it will be used by the home automation system You can see, I can easily inditify the functionality just by the cable color.

[@james1787]

Seeing a patch panel with almost 40 terminated connections in our house is what sold me to buy where we live now.

[@BudgetNerd]

Lol nice!

[@JoeBob79569]

Nicely done. I was sceptical of the idea of a patch panel at the start of the video, but you covered all the reasons quite well. I'd go so far as to add a reason 7 "I just wanted to do it". That's the reason I give people who ask me why I built "a big computer with all the water pipes".

[@drthmonkey42]

I think the only part of this video that actually answers the question is the part where he said that a patch panel looks cooler and more nerdy. That's really it.

[@WoodyBevill]

It also allows you, the home owner, the power of groundinf a teenager with punishment of no jnternet by removing a 6"patch cord, and fiktering the wifi rouyer on the kid's mac address so it cannot get access to the internet. Using a smart switch with a patch oanel also allows internet access for a couple hours for homework, without having to pull the plug in the patch panel. Lots of flexibility with this design.

[@SpaceCadet4Jesus]

Thought I would put this out there for everyone. - Reason for using solid wire in walls is better conductance of signal over potentially greater distances especially at higher frequencies. There is reduced signal propagation delay and lower cable capacitance, both of which affect the transmission of your data (less trouble related to wiring issues). Another reason to use solid is it punches down easier and more reliably in a patch panel. It also "holds" the punch down better than stranded (in my experience). Final reason, its a national (TIA/EIA-T568A) and International (ISO/IEC 11801) standard. - Reason for using stranded wire (as patch cables) is, again, standards, being much more dependable in frequent connects/disconnects, needed flexibility and keeps terminated in an end connector better than solid. Of course, not all solid or stranded cable is the same quality of wire from different manufacturers, Belkin does tests of their wire vs. competitors to show how all cable is not merely simple pure copper, but is found with a thin copper veneer and made of inferior metals affecting speed, reliability and longevity. Don't go cheap, get real copper wire. Lastly, the way you treat the cable during installation has a lot to say during your future usage of that cable. Cable installation is where a lot of attention to detail is left behind. Sad to say, there are professionals who don't really care and just put in the cheapest saying its all the same. These are usually the same professionals who don't have to troubleshoot the network years later for problems relating to bad cabling or bad installation. Or maybe I should thank them for keeping me employed.

[@kuldipsingh366]

Thank you much for your post.

[@SpaceCadet4Jesus]

@@kuldipsingh366 Your welcome. I recently acquired a new client whom needed an entire office of new computers server and related networking equipment. The only thing I didn't change was the premise wiring and *some* patch cables. After the installation, the NEW server kept frequently dropping out of the network for no apparent reason (when I wasn't there and a one hour drive to visit). This made remoting in very hard. Onsite I ran a wire sniffer to see that data packets were jamming themselves together in a mess. I blame the cabling but the client didnt want to replace it, so I installed a 100mbit NIC and forced the connection speed to the switch at 100mbit. And that solved it.....for a week. Same dropping out again...So I ran a long patch CAT6 cable from server to switch, which has stopped all dropouts and I was able to dial up the connection to 1Gbit. All the while, I tell anyone in ear shot....your cabling is *very* bad and I need to replace it. So....they don't replace the wiring, meanwhile.... They want 802.11AC wireless, so I install a full Unifi gateway, switch, AP and as I open the ceiling panels to run a new CAT6 for the AP, I see the old CAT 5?? (actually it looks like old POTS cabling) along wooden beams crushed with bare steel staples and one of the worst drunken install jobs ever. They started with crap cabling and followed with a matching drunken install job. Moral of the Story..... YOUR NETWORK CABLING IS YOUR SPINAL NERVOUS SYSTEM...If you don't do it right, nothing will work right, especially when you start really exercising it. DO IT RIGHT! (then you will never have to think about it again).

[@ParrotHead1809]

When I started with a small consulting company as the only true “infrastructure guy”, I refused to be associated with the hornets nest of cat-6 that all terminated at the randomly configured switches. Networks change over time, even small ones. When we grew and moved into new office space, I worked with an electrician to terminate every drop at a patch panel in my closet. Small patch cables made easy work of day-1 configurations and beyond. Once the move was completed and we were back online, the rest of the company thought it was a “work of art” compared to the prior office, and it fostered a “do it right the first time” environment. All that said, I have a (mostly) wireless setup at home but a dedicated switch in my home office for my servers and other geek gear.

[@dereklee7151]

I agree completely, patch panels are life savers. I have been installing them for about 10 years now at my current job. I loathe working on my predecessors work as he was a firm believer in just running IoT devices straight to the switch. They only thing I would recommend is also installing LV1 brackets with your wall plates. It's a minor additional expense but it keeps the screws from stripping out the drywall.

[@davidconner-shover51]

Sorry, Fire codes prevent me from using these, I usually use deep 4 square boxes for the purpose

[@danielking7971]

All in all, your video is great...take it from someone that has literally terminated thousands of jacks and panels...all your wall plates are upside down. The wide part where the pins are always goes on top, and the clip points down. It’s so dust and other debris can’t land on the pins and possibly cause issues.

[@jm036]

Daniel King At least the morons who did the wiring in our place knew that. But they left wires hanging out of one and possibly multiple keystones and didn’t cut them off.

[@danielking7971]

Google Is Fucking SJW Scum that’s definitely something that grinds my gears

[@Anaerin]

You can get keystones that are jacks on both sides, so you can start with direct wired, then upgrade to a patch panel without having to snip, strip and punch down your ends.

[@XxTWMLxX]

I use the dual rj45 keystones in my patch panel. Only downside is durability and possibility of coming unplugged. Never had issues in my home

[@AngyPhrawg]

3:00 I know my comment is incredibly late, but I've never heard about stranded category cable. I own a LV distribution company and sell tons of cat6 every month. The default, I can only speak for the west coast, is solid category cable. I actually didn't know they made stranded until I watched this video lol.

[@GorrilaHertz]

Once I've got my own house, a kick ass home network setup like that will for sure be my first DIY project

[@creepernetwork69]

After watching this video I decided to get a patch panel for our new server network. I’m glad I made that decision as I have 18 Ethernet cables running throughout the building. It is defiantly nice to have the cables terminated at a patch panel. Thank you for the video I would defiantly recommend this to others looking to do the same thing and me.

[@boostedmaniac]

I also highly recommend a simple Ethernet tester tool. Yes, cost money but sometimes when punching down, you might miswire or not punch down fully. The Ethernet tester would find this. Once debugged, you'll know your patch panel works perfectly.

[@BudgetNerd]

+boostedmaniac good pointer. I did have to borrow one from work to fix one connection. I should have a semi decent one soon for future projects.. I might do a review on it..

[@myzt1cz3r03]

You can get one for $15. but I recommend a good cable probe. They help more.

[@yopparaiiii]

Wired is the best way to go than wireless period.

[@geogmz8277]

yopparaiiii who's saying the opposite? let's burn their houses for saying that blasphemy.

[@myzt1cz3r03]

There is a place for both.

[@paintfreek1357]

Wired is objectivly better, but wireless allows different form factor. Thus cel phones.

[@toothybj]

Yep. Its so funny listening to non-technical people who question why you would be hardwiring when there’s WiFi. I just try to emphasize Security, Reliability & Speed. I still don’t think they get it though. “Why would anyone want to hack into my network? I don’t have anything of value.” “WiFi works and it’s pretty fast already, right?”

[@AndreasElf]

I really wanna do something like this when I get a house in the future.

[@Julio860JVL]

I am actually doing it in my apartment. 🤓

[@jaydutt9361]

The best Video on this topic. PERIOD. Whether I absolutely need one or not, I'm definitely hooking up a patch panel!!!

[@blakebrown7797]

currently studying for CompTIA a+ and this helped a lot for understanding how i can practice and implement what I learned so far. Thank you for making this clear and concise! I plan on setting up my network at home the same way and using it to show a prospective employer for points in an interview.

[@haonhaon7051]

Thank you so much! I was studying for the CompTIA Network+ exam, and while I understood what it was and what it dose, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why it would be necessary. Now I get it. Thank you!

[@Ishiku__aka_xchoibitschibihil]

Haon Haon even better is a keystone patch panel

[@BeanoJosh]

A great benefit of a patch panel that wasn't emphasized in the video is that it gives you the assurance that the port number you label for each connection throughout your building will permanently be that number forever. Your connections are immune to ever having to be changed, and they can't accidentally become incorrectly labeled or mixed up due any kind of issues, replacements, or changes that you make on the back-end. For example, what if your switch dies and gets replaced with a new one that has its ports labeled in a completely different arrangement? Without a patch panel, you've now opened yourself up to possible mix-ups and mistakes during the switch replacement, and you've now created much more work for yourself - even in the best case scenario. Say, for one reason or another, some of your cables aren't long enough to plug into the same corresponding port on your new switch. You now have to plug connection 1 into a closer port (such as port 24), and do the same for any other connections that aren't long enough. On top of this, you now have to go and re-label every affected connection throughout your building with the correct port number. Your numbering system is now completely messy, much more complicated, or makes completely no sense - just because of this. Even if the cables for each connection *are* long enough to improvise for this change, your cable arrangement will likely look like a complete mess now, and that messiness makes it more likely for you to make things worse or mix things up with any changes that you make in the future. And because you're moving the actual cables that are run throughout the building from one switch to another, instead of what would just be their corresponding patch cable, your connections can become incorrectly labeled if you make a mistake, mix something up, or if you don't good track of everything you do during the change. All of that complexity, work, and opportunities for mistakes to be made was added simply because you swapped out a switch and didn't use a patch panel. With a patch panel, it doesn't matter what port on the switch you use, where things are plugged in, or what equipment changes are made at the back-end. Your connections throughout your building will permanently keep the same port number and are immune to having to be changed for any reason, and are almost 100% unlikely to eventually become mixed up or incorrectly labeled.

[@daanyaalshearwood9839]

Which reminds me of what I need to do...

[@pierce3992]

Thank you for these real-world examples. I think they are essential in explaining a patch panel's purpose.

[@anxiousearth680]

What if the patch panel dies? Isn't that just the same problem if any other hardware replacement jostling your og setup?

[@igfoobar]

The solution shown at 15:58 is a great option for most homes. Just put some jacks on the wall where the switch will go. You can buy wall plates that have up to eight (8) keystone jacks in them. That's way more economical than a patch panel and probably an easier build for most homeowners. (I did this in my home -- and I'm a professional data center guy who uses patch panels in my day job.)

[@TheMoonSeesMe]

I did the same as I only needed 6 ports

[@jbartl87]

This video definitely changed my mind from your original video about a patch panel. The nerdiness and solid core wiring were both good points for me to get one.

[@peterfrisch8373]

Yes, use a patch panel. I did, 32 ports, Cat 6 with Cat 6 cables and keystones. Though I only have 23 ports. I am still glad that I have spares. I also used PVC conduit. I recommend 2" for risers and 1.25" for runs to the wall plates. For even more flexibility don't write on the faceplates, use a labeler like a P-Touch. Using conduit it is easier to pull cable. Cable lube is good too. No, I don't do this every day. Also I recommend putting 3 ports per faceplate. It is much easier to pull all of your cables one after another than have to come back and do it again. Planning is key! Don't underestimate how many ports you will need or want.

[@davidbarham9113]

Yes, I use patch panels and POE switches in residential networks, especially my own. Security cameras and VOIP phones abound. Most folks will make do with Wi-Fi only not realizing they are only receiving one half to two thirds the available speed. Hard wiring all possible connections takes full advantage of the speed and bandwidth you’re paying for.

[@matthiasbaete1932]

I'm definitely adding a 24 port patch panel in my new set up. Building my first home network and I'm adding as much Ethernet ports in my house. It's just easier and cleaner to work with and look at it. Thanks for the usefull information.

[@rationalraven8956]

Makes me want to get a bigger house just so I can justify installing a wired network...

[@harmanaulakh8635]

Rational Raven same

[@Steve.Starks]

Watching in 2021 and sincerely, i've never gotten such perfect and well detailed explanation

[@randum61]

I'm a neat freak and I love the way you emphasized on the nerdiness of having a patch panel! You sold me to the idea of installing one for my house! Thanks much!

[@Soup-Dragon1]

You could shift your cables over to ports 13 - 24 on the patch panel as they sit directly under the switch ports - and then use shorter cables, would kick the bling-worthy factor up a notch ;-)

[@Swiney52]

Good video but as someone who has been installing low voltage cabling for almost 20 years I have to point out that the jacks at the location are upside down. I know this is a home install and personal preference probably matters more than what’s right but I had to point it out. There are two main reason you want to install them the other way. First since the tab on the RJ-45 is facing up something could fall and hit the tab and cause the cable to become unplugged. This is pretty uncommon but I have seen it happen. The other issue is when you have a jack that is not in use the copper pins are at the bottom of the jack and can be a problem because dust and dirt can fall and settle on them causing a poor connection the next time you go to plug something in. Also if a liquid gets splashed or spilled on the wall it is more likely to get the pins wet when they are on the bottom. Again, in a home install these aren’t a huge issue but if you are doing this in a business then it is because if there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that if there is a way for an end user to f*ck something up they will

[@Duckhook12]

This kind of irked me because I have seen some jack with a layer of dust at the bottom of the Jack at work that were saved because the face plates were screwed in correctly. Now this happened over the last 10 years but still in a home I would assume some jacks would sit empty for a while.

[@tylersmith9868]

Alot of patch panels are designed so prong is down. It physically won't allow you to place the keystone in upside down

[@ragmtkltklragm7154]

I will do a small office site, and thanks to your videos I am getting more ideas and looking more for professional looking thanks man, greetings from mexico

[@jonathancunningham9634]

I can’t help you on the home network stuff but man I’m learning a lot from your videos. If you need help with electrical plumbing or hvac I can lend a hand 👍🏻

[@BionMTG]

Great Video! I bought a home that has an older patch panel system, but Ethernet ports in virtually every room in the house, and its all nicely done, and neat, and most importantly, MARKED. The downside is, I've never done a large scale (more than 5 ports) hard-line network, so i had no clue what to do, or where to start. This video made it make a lot of since, and I will watch the other right after this! Thanks a ton for your video!

[@ErNoVa2112]

your very last reason for needing one , is the Best..

[@apristinemadani]

Awesome Video by Ben here. Thank you so much for demystifying so much for a newbie to patch cables like myself. Really appreciate this video 👍👍👍

[@Tinalles]

One benefit I didn't see listed in the video: if you wire up a patch panel and label it properly, then later sell the house, it will be much easier for the new owner to hook up their own network equipment. And if they don't want to use it for some reason, well, it's still nice and tidy.

[@chrisscoleri2341]

Anything I have that stays in place gets a wired connection. Currently, I have 14 runs which run through a set of low voltage boxes in a central closet and into a large switch. It looks good and is clean, but now I am going to do a patch panel because you have geeked me out on this and I have to up my infrastructure game. I love to over-engineer everything, so now I’m going down this rabbit hole. I think I’ll pull my phone box and add that too. For me, I like organized, neat, quality equipment and installations. It’s easier to troubleshoot good installations, and is a serious geek flex. While your wife rolls hers eyes when you show your friends, they know who the boss is. Doing it differently and better is how I like to roll. One thing I’ll mention is a properly installed, high quality, ready to use infrastructure item also increases the value of your home. This seems like a win-win.

[@naomiphilliac]

Ah thanks. I have a lab for school installing a patch panel and felt it was so pointless, this is helpful with the detail.

[@Bezerker1181]

I built a nearly identical setup like yours about 6 years back but i would like to add one possibility that some people might find interesting. You mentioned at one point that you can patch through a port to create a separate mini network. Have you ever thought of using HDMI over ethernet to stream any device HDMI output to any room in the house? Can even add USB functionality to remotely use keyboard, mice, controllers or remote IR input. Its only possible to do if you have a patch panel as the data cannot be routed through a switch or router. Do note though that to do it "cheap" you need 2 ethernet cables to stream the data or go with expensive HDMI over ethernet boxes on 10 Gbit capable wiring(cat6 and up).

[@barnsley1066]

Just added a 24 port patch panel (CAT6) to my home LAN. 16 port gigabit switch (pretty much filled), multiple wireless access points, router and VDSL Modem. Can never beat wireline speeds.

[@gulielmi2002]

Because of your videos on this home network, you inspired me to setup a similar system in my house. In a short amount of time, I have hard wired my house with ethernet, installed an obi200, and a NAS. Why? because once you have access to a tool, you figure out ways to use it in new and expanded ways that you would have never thought about if you didn't have it.

[@BudgetNerd]

Thanks for the comment! Glad to help!

[@emrekaplan5737]

Totally true. Eventually,I only have couple of routers but I really want to do a setup like yours when I have money hahaha

[@sid1010reddy]

Love your style and honesty! The look of the rack wins over the functionality...creates the feel good factor when you’ve finished the job! Great video

[@Connor-xv3ij]

This is super helpful in explaining just what a Patch panel is! I was having such a hard time even getting a definition.

[@666Husky]

Now I finally understand what patch panels are needed for. Thank You! :)

[@sean6077]

the flexibility is the reason i want to do something like what you have. only one of my current tvs is a smart tv. but when the other 2 die, they'll get replaced with smart tvs and i want to utilize them to their full potential. plus, i want to have a nas system setup for file (photos, videos, music) storage and be able to access it from any room in the house or from my shop. as well, i love the neatness aspect of it. i'm a neat geek when it comes to things like that and hate seeing cables everywhere. the fewer the better, in my opinion.

[@patrickbuswell]

Video could have lasted only 6sec and just use the street cred reason. That's the answer we all needed. Good video. Ty sir

[@RickTheGeek]

Looks good. One thing though is that modular jacks are traditionally installed with the pins on top, so that dust doesn't collect on them. (This is old bell-system tradition). I've find it both ways and never had a problem, but if you want to be a stickler for tradition, there you are 😀

[@kakitayuri]

Like for "nerdiness and complete awesomeness." This guy gets it.

[@bryanbatts]

I don’t have a patch panel but understand why it’s needed now. I am switching internet providers next month. May be a good time to re do my set up. If I do, I’ll use your links. Thanks

[@KevinBenecke]

One word of advice. We all know there are various categories of Ethernet cables. I think the highest one right now is a cat. 7 at the time of my post (9/22/2020.) I recommend running the best Ethernet cable through the wall at the time. By doing this you can give yourself a buffer as time progresses and not have to turn around and rerun them again in a year because something new came out. The wires from the jack to your computer or device isn't as crucial because they are easy to replace. Plus by running the best wire of the time will help to prevent crosstalk and interference, especially if the wire run is long because when running the wires in the wall, don't forget they are sharing the same space as the electrical wire and every other wire in the wall. By running the best of the time, you can protect yourself later on down the road.

[@yalidfuentes7985]

Thanks! It's a great piece of advice

[@jeremybarnes1980]

What about Cat 8.1/8.2? Just curious as I am about to connect our new home we bought. Thanks.

[@armaletalia3254]

Cat 8.

[@CrypticConsole]

Cat 8 is the highest i know.

[@pierce3992]

For me, a newbie in IT and in an educational context, this video helped explain that the permanence of the cables running and if they need to be changed in the future determine a need for a better organization with patch panels as a solution, and diagrams really don't explain their purpose, so this video helped fill in that real-world use context. It also makes a lot of sense now that I look at it in large office contexts.

[@Timothy-NH]

Patch panels are life; I’ve been through about a dozen this year. Of course, cabling is my full time and income along with fiber optics and commercial audio.

[@leeames9063]

Patch panels also help in troubleshooting your different circuits, and, dependent upon the type of circuit, PPs enable you use local, remote, and bi-directional loopbacks. Maybe not so much for the average homeowner, but it is good to know. Ubuntu my friend.

[@Karma0jun]

Ben - informative, redundant, nerdy. In other words, a very good video and thank you for your thoughts. I agree with most, and I have three comments: First all upgrades to your dwelling are subject to future modifications or obsolescence so I'm wondering why you just run cables freely through the walls instead of through conduits where you can (when rehabbing as I'll do, in the crawl space or basement and up in the attic). I like conduits for three reasons, neatness to the nth degree, a large enough conduit can hold all your main run plus spares, and it is another layer of shielding if you choose metal conduit. It will be a minor pain to drop the terminal points down through a plate or up through a sill, but it takes neatness (and limits insect/rodent access points) to a nice level. Oh - I'm rehabbing a 60 year old house that the mice treat like a seasonal hotel - I'm still looking for the last entry portal.... Secondly, while I like the punch down RJ45 patch panel, 2dfx chimed in with perceived "misconceptions' you placed in this video. Some people are equally as self-important as I am, but I do try to further a topic along instead of listen to myself and how right I am. But back to the point - You picked the pre-populated panel, did you know there are keystone ready patch panels? I might use a punch down RJ45 panel along with a keystone panel for the reason you mentioned - your com cabinet can terminate (or feed) many different signals - phone (RJ11), HDMI, COAX, and even future as yet unquantified feeds. I like the idea of somewhat future-proofing by having extra lines and end-points available, and I think keystones will be around for the rest of my lifetime. Thirdly - while I noticed the keytar and your fender axes - why two? One a bass and the other a six string stratocaster? You mediating your nerdiness with music? Great idea!

[@BudgetNerd]

Thanks for the comments. I play a bit of guitar and love the game Rockband. It helps to make sure the nerdiness doesn't get too out of control.

[@robsonnvula9285]

You made me overstand patch panels in 17 minutes than ever. My greatest thanks!

[@Ezinma88]

What a journey I've been on to discover the nature and purpose of a patch panel. All of that to realise that I already have a patch panel built into my new apartment. They are quite common here in British new-builds. Not as many ports as yours, mind. But, quite common.

[@lawmanlawreaper]

Hi Guys I am an open registered cabler in Australia. Patch panels are used for large networks and can be used for home use for multiple termination points also called media termination point in todays tech or TOs (termination outlet) I use them for multi room setups where you would have three TOs on one wall plate first from left of the plate for telecommunication second for ethernet protocol and the third for media eg HDMI or audio. They are still spliced as per the regulation for wiring rules so you could setup three networked devices in one room and then use the patch panel to route the port to the needed device eg a switch or a multi room audio setup or telecom. It is very important to never twist or pull on the cable more that 4 KG force or bend a TP cable more than 10 degrees because it will change the impedance of the cable and will create errors in the data packets sent over the network. Never run it longer than 90m in total point to point unless there is a powered switch or hub after the 90m to boost the data. Never use cable ties on TP cable as it will crush the twisted pairs giving data packets errors. Never make your patch cable buy the factory made as they are made to the minimum patch cords, 0.5 m is the implied minimum length in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1 for a certified patch cord. That's because the math for the limit lines really does not work below this. Many vendors only offer a certified patch cord of 1.0 m any more or any less could end with network issues. Hope some of this helps you all in your setups

[@Akbar_Friendly_in_Cherno]

I watch way too much KZbin. Best vid I've seen all week.

[@urofseron]

It’s good, but that hot lesbo porn I watched yesterday was probably the best.

[@Sbubby2]

this is goated, explained for beginners, easily refreshing for intermediate users!

[@cossiepowerbdt]

Currently running 48 cat7 cables throughout my house. Patch panels are a must especially if you are staying there a long time and looking at future proofing. With the amount of home devices using ethernet done properly can definitely add value to a house. Well in the UK anyway. Good video

[@NetworkAdvisor]

I get this question often, too. Seems a lot of home networkers want to just put RJ-45 plugs on the ends of their Ethernet Runs. And, while you and I both know that will work, it leads to problems later down the road. But technically, I do agree with you that a Patch Panel is not a MUST. Thanks for sharing!

[@DeputatKaktus]

I cannot stress enough how important it is to label everything correctly and consistently, always. This might not be a super huge issue in a small home environment - but small environments tend to become big environments over time...and it sneaks up on you. And trust me, you do not want to have to rummage around in a patch cabinet and tear out your hair because some Bozo labeled the outlet incorrectly (or not at all) - or gets things mixed up because of unclear labelling or whatever. Happened at work a few days ago. Outlet in a floor tank of a meeting cubicle was labelled "1-3-15" User complained he was unable to access the web. According to naming scheme, this was supposed to sit in cabinet 1 on panel 3, outlet 15. Took some digging to figure out that the cable was wired up to panel 15, outlet 3 - which went to a completely different network that had no web access. Genuine facepalm moment. It was unclear who had done the wiring and left that little nugget behind. (We also had to double check all the other wiring to make sure no other landmines of that type had happened. We found two more. And we all got a good workout that day.)

[@JJFlores197]

Yep. I work in school IT tech support. Whoever did the labeling of a wing of classrooms at one school did a terrible job. Its a wing of 4 rooms. All of the drops are labeled classroom #. Room 1's data drops are all labeled as "Room 1"; Room 2 as "Room 2" and so forth. I had to troubleshoot some connectivity problems in a room a few years ago and it was miserable. I had a tone generator which greatly helped, but it still sucked.

[@Janotes]

I'm the ethernet wire hanging out of the wall kinda guy.. I'm an old time telecom guy and wasn't sure if i should bother with keystone jacks. I ran cat6 from my 4 port FIOS router to a couple rooms. I followed cat 3 and coax cables through my attic to the rooms.. I didnt want to invest in A RJ45 crimping/terminating tool so I just bought 50ft patch cables with plugs attached and ran them that way. Seems to work okay...

[@devanshkhare3532]

As Always, Awesome Video, Ben :) I love how your videos are super informative while not being boring at the same time (considering the duration of your videos)

[@kashifrizwan8044]

The best description video i have ever seen. Very simple and fully informative....

[@datboyblu3]

Perfectly explained, perfectly splendid. You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

[@SriramSV]

The last "nerd bling" comment is what sold me to get one in the first place

[@ericeddy02]

Patch panels mainly make things neater. Even small business server rooms can forego the patch panel. It's all about the looks.

[@stevewest5397]

We're moving into a new (to us) house in the next few months. If the crawlspace is accessible as I'm told it is, I'll definitely be putting in one of these. I work in IT and it's time I showed it. :)

[@SE45CX]

Good luck! Beware to buy the right products as there are a lot of details. For example most cables shouldn't be bend more tightly than 4 times the cable diameter. So the radius of the bend should be equal or more than 4 times the cable diameter.

[@lauraz2896]

Will you be putting your switch in a hot attic? 😬

[@Daniel00927]

I'm in the middle of installing a Ubiquiti security camera system in my home and was originally planning on just connecting all the solid core Cat6 riser cables directly to my switch, but after watching this video I'm definitely going to purchase a patch panel for the reasons mentioned in your video. Thank you very much! Like and subscribed.

[@josebrivera1716]

Thanks for your video. I was wondering about the need for a patch panel. Now I am convinced that they are unnecessary. It’s just one more layer of work. It’s mostly bling to me.

[@gladysrosario3050]

Love this guys commentary

[@bobbyd8785]

Yes finished mine years ago. Although my wife always says how is she to handel it if something happens to me. The IT guy... haha You just have to HAVE ONE!! Great Video

[@atlantic_love]

At least if something happens to her you won't be lonely, and you won't miss anything. Just patch out her out, and patch in an updated version. :-;

[@MVersusP]

How is the wall wiring? I used to buy tons of this equipment at my old job so even though I'm not in IT, I learned a lot about switches, APs, PoE, patch panels, power supplies, etc. However, I never learned about the cable running. It seems impossible to shove a cable through the wall or floor and have go where you want it to go. That's the most intimidating thing about setting up a home network.

[@jacknasty6940]

Use fish sticks

[@JJFlores197]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGa7loOtdrRno5I This is a pretty good video explaining that.

[@joeharney135]

Very good video for beginners i like it. After you setup ONE up. You're not a beginner anymore. It's the same setup going forward. Also, Small office do not need a patch panels. Going thru a wall is painfull if you don't have conduits. Or you can run the conduits on the outside of the wall if you have plaster walls from older building. If you must us patch panels go ahead. I'm just saying it is a case by case basis. Some offices won't let you drill holes in the walls if you own the building. Don't forget - if you're going patch panels you got ALOT of wiring work to do. So get your MP3s ( music ) ready and have fun, it's gonna take longer. Get a rack that moves so you can back there behind the rack. Attached to a wall means you have to squeeze behind there.

[@blayx]

Ive learned from this video way better than an IT certification course on physical networking

[@tjmarx]

Patch panels are designed to connect servers in server racks to a switch. They can be used for the purpose you described, but their intended use is cable management of cat cable on a rack. In the rack the cables go to the patch panel, then you use patch cables to go from the panel to the switch which reduces strain on the cables and the port in the switch. When a proper switch in a data centre can cost $50k-100K it's reasonable to have the $80 patch panel take all the strain because that can be easily replaced.

[@Tarets]

This. Comments claiming you need it in home scenario just so you don't break the WAN port when replacing your switch or router once in few years sound completely mental for me.

[@tjmarx]

@@Tarets Patch panels in a home setting really depend on the equipment being used and the use case. If you're studying to be a network architect for example, using a patch panel in your home setting for practice might make sense. Similarly if you're running a complicated home lab that you're active in with many physical rack mounted servers and relatively expensive enterprise grade managed switches (plural) patch panel might make sense because you're actively moving servers around and need front facing cable management. But if you've got a consumer switch with maybe one or two physical servers that just sit there and you're just trying to wire your home, you're right it doesn't make much sense. Those people should be normal, turn the switch around and do back of rack cable management because their switch ports are never going to be under enough load to put the ports in danger. If one does happen to die, just populate an empty port. Or basically if you're the kind of person who needs to watch a video on what a patch panel is, from someone who doesn't really know themselves, you probably don't need one.

[@James_Knott]

@@Tarets If you have enough cables, you want a patch panel. If you have a small network, with a few cables, you can get boxes that hold a few keystone connectors to serve the same purpose.

[@TechSway]

When looking to add network cables inside your walls, ceilings etc, please use fire resistant data cables. Last thing you want in a house fire is toxic fumes from cheap data cables.

[@rljmofokeng]

Nah you've sold me man. I want one for all of the reasons you have listed here

[@britz4393]

You can also run video/power, sensors and switches, even the control head extension from a radio room for a 2-way radio although at a lessor distance. LED lighting runs can also be accomplished in this way using CAT3 or above bulk cable. Panels usually are 110 punch, however, they can also be found on a 66 block configuration with RJ jack blocks although not CAT5 rated. There are also 110 4/6/12-port patch panels that fit the 66 block 89B bracket. And now popular with HAM radio folk like me, there are also the new Anderson type power poles for 12VDC circuits that also have panels that can be rack mounted for red/blk power distribution. Have fun!

[@clemensphomane2337]

Not only do you have good content, you deliver it exceptionally as well. Nice work bro!

[@crt33]

The numbering on that wall plate is pure savage. Good video though 😁

[@rosstaylor932]

printed numbers are more professional... just saying

[@TD_JR]

You can't manage a data center without them. We've got patch panels for fiber LC/LC, MTP/LC, RJ45, and some RJ11 still for vendor access into their side of the network. With as many connections and cross-connects we have, everything must be mapped and labeled end to end and that's where patch panels come in to play.

[@JJFlores197]

Yep. I work in school IT support. Our network cabinets are horribly managed with cables all over the place. I've spent many hours almost 3 years ago trying to clean and organize the cabinets at 2 sites. I got probably half of them done. I have had little time to dedicate to them since I have far more pressing things to work on. At one of our sites, whoever did the wiring of a wing of classrooms did a terrible job. That wing has 4 classrooms. All of the data drops and ports on the panel are labeled Room #. Room 1 says "Room 1" across all ports. That was very frustrating trying to figure out which port goes where.

[@stargazer7644]

We dumped all our patch panels. We now place switches in each row and direct cable each rack to them.

[@scrollyoli23]

You explain they why behind everything which is perfect for beginners like myself 👌

[@bikerchrisukk]

Thank you for this, I stripped an office and found a 24 port network switch and what I now know is called a patch panel! I'm going to see if I can use it at home...some how! 👍

[@craiggilham4659]

Hey man thanks for the speedy reply!! I thought that was the answer but since I didn't see a cable coming from around the side of the router and plugged into the switch I got confused. Your vids are extremely helpful!! And I'm glad I watched your vids BEFORE my house was roughed in for wiring cuz that made it convenient to tell the electrician to run my cat5 to a location of my choice. THANKS!!

[@theonecommenter]

I just want to add for people that don't know how this stuff works, when terminating ethernet and punching it into the keystone and patch, there's 2 types of wiring, type A and type B. I usually use type B but it does not matter which you use, but it Does matter that you wire both the keystone and the patch in the same type whether that be A, or B edit: B is a lot more commonly used

[@robertcoeymanjr.2550]

There are also different types of jacks. If you use a stranded connector on the end of solid core wire, the 'teeth' ion the connector will bend rather than bite in the way that it would bit into a stranded cable. We have had that problem. We have some solid cables that were terminated and they sometime lose connection when they are moved.

[@chrisdoutre101]

The correct term is "plug". The word "jack" is another word for "socket". Please understand, I'm not picking on you; lots of people use the word "jack" the same way, including the Budget Nerd in this very video. This video is excellent, but I just wanted to jump into the conversation with my two cents. I think the distinction between "plug" and "jack" is useful. Also, BN uses the term "normal Ethernet cable" when the correct term is "jumper cable". A jumper cable is made with stranded wire conductors and has a flexible jacket that is designed to be handled. The bulk cable used "in-wall" has solid core conductors and is made with a jacket that meets the fire codes for that building. There are different jackets for different fire codes. Solid-core cable is designed to be installed once, and never touched again. And certainly, never handled or re-used. Again, I am not criticizing the content of this video; it's very helpful. I am just trying to add to his excellent information.

[@robertcoeymanjr.2550]

@@chrisdoutre101 you are correct. My thinking was off when I wrote that.

[@James_Knott]

Patch cords were supposed to use stranded wire and the plugs were designed for it. Then people started using solid wire for patch cables (bad idea) and had connection problems. Then plugs were made for solid, to keep those idiots happy and later ones that could be used with either. Anything other than stranded wire plugs on stranded wire is a bastardization.

[@Braddeman]

Patch panels are unnecessary unless you want it terminated properly to make it easier for documentation of the network. It’s why we use them in the work place. No fumbling through bundles of cables looking at labels.

[@raymondfletcher6202]

OK Patch Panels. I am using 2 Suttle boxes for my network. I had a patch panel (8 ports) from suttle and an 8 port cisco switch. I ran out of room and had to run extra runs out to the router to use that as a switch. I finally did away with the patch panel and went to a 16 port netgear switch. I now have 5 free ports on my new switch after terminating all the old patch panel cables. Very happy with the outcome and it ALL fits inside the suttle box.

[@96donov]

A comms closet is the most genius thing i have ever seen !! props to wiring the whole yard !

[@asphixmx]

Thanks for your video. I always asked..."why? Is it really needed?".

[@Odim65]

yaa me too

[@MCJeffsy]

I guess the alternative is to terminate your solid core cables to an ethernet socket on the wall at both ends. But you would then have a wall full of sockets in your Comms cupboard.