PATCH

PANELING
 PATCH PANEL -
Is a piece of networking hardware that
contains multiple ports to connect
different Ethernet cables. Patch panels
allow you to label individual ports and
organize your cables in a central
location, making it easier to manage.
Patch panels simplify the process of
separating your different networks and
 PATCH PANEL -
A patch panel in a local area network
(LAN) is a mounted hardware assembly
that contains ports that are used to
connect and manage incoming and
outgoing LAN cables. A patch panel
provides a way to keep large numbers of
cables organized, enabling flexible
 NOTE:
The wires at each port on the patch panel will
lead to a different location in your home or
office setting, making it easier to connect a
number of devices without worrying about the
wires becoming tangled. If you are an IT
technician, you may want to consider utilizing
a patch panel to organize your company’s
technological equipment and improve the
corporate network. The patch panel will reroute
signals from various devices, making it a
central location you can assess and
troubleshoot if any problems occur.
TYPES OF PATCH PANELS
1. Coaxial patch panels: These are commonly used with audio
or visual (AV) installations like televisions. They can work with
fiber-optic and twisted-pair copper panels to connect computers
to other types of equipment. Coaxial cable is most commonly
used for AV installations. Coax patch panels connect devices
such as television media players and video cameras to
centralized AV switching and mixing systems. AV patch panels
and network patch panels often coexist within the same wiring
closet or data cente
TYPES OF PATCH PANELS
2. Fiber-optic panels: These patch panels focus
on data and image transmission by the passage
of light through thin fibers. A fiber-optic patch
panel is best for supporting different optical fiber
connections.
EXAMPLES OF FIBER-
OPTIC PATCH PANELS
• LC (Lucent Connector or little connector);
• SC (subscriber connector);
• ST (straight tip);
• FC (fiber connector);
• MT-RJ (Mechanical Transfer Registered Jack);
or
• MPO/MTP (multi-fiber push on/Multi-Fiber Pull
Off -- MTP is a trademark of US Conec, a
vendor of optical hardware products).
TYPES OF PATCH PANELS
3. Twisted-pair copper patch
panels:
These accommodate specific Ethernet
specializations and use copper wiring
to enable connections and a larger
bandwidth to hold a greater number of
devices.
For typical office environments, UTP is used. If,
however, the operating environment is in a
manufacturing plant with higher levels of
electromagnetic interference, shielded cabling
helps protect against any external interference
that can adversely affect the operation of the link.
RJ-45 jacks are used to terminate Ethernet-based
connections, while RJ-11, RJ-14 and RJ-25 are
commonly used for legacy voice devices.
 HOW DO PATCH PANELS
WORK?
Patch panel ports are configured to accommodate
twisted-pair copper, fiber optic or coaxial cables in a data
center or wiring closet. In an enterprise network, a patch
panel serves as a sort of static switchboard, using cables
to interconnect network computers within a LAN and to
outside lines, including the internet or other wide area
networks. For twisted-pair Ethernet connections, the
patch panels use RJ-45 interconnects.
 HOW DO PATCH PANELS
WORK?
In facilities that require cable or satellite television
hookups with centralized control, coax patch panels are
used to centrally feed television sets throughout large
portions of a building. For legacy voice communications,
such as analog fax machines, two- or four-wire patch
panels using RJ-11 interconnects are typically used.
 HOW DO PATCH PANELS
WORK?
A patch panel uses a patch cord, a sort of jumper
cable, to create each interconnection between the
terminated patch panel and the network device,
such as an Ethernet switch, router or firewall. The
patch panel makes it easy to rearrange circuits
and devices by moving the patch cables between
network devices. Enterprises and other
organizations often place patch panels in wiring
closets, which are small rooms where networking
 HOW DO PATCH PANELS
WORK?
Patch panels are usually mounted into network racks,
either above or below network switches. They typically
use 1U to 2U of rack space; 1U is equivalent to 1.75
inches of vertical space on the rack. Patch cords connect
the patch panel ports to ports in the network switch,
voice private branch exchange or digital AV mixers,
which creates permanent port connections to the switch.
NETWORK SWITCH
forwards data packets between devices.
Switches send packets directly to
devices, rather than sending them to
networks like a router does.
NETWORK SWITCH
A network switch connects devices
within a network (often a local area
network, or LAN*) and forwards data
packets to and from those devices.
Unlike a router, a switch only sends
data to the single device it is
intended for (which may be another
switch, a router, or a user's
computer), not to networks of
WHAT IS A LAYER 2
SWITCH? WHAT IS A LAYER
3 SWITCH?
Network switches can operate at either
OSI layer 2 (the data link layer) or layer 3
(the network layer). Layer 2 switches
forward data based on the destination
MAC address (see below for definition),
while layer 3 switches forward data
based on the destination IP address.
Some switches can do both.
WHAT IS A LAYER 2
SWITCH? WHAT IS A LAYER
3 SWITCH?
Most switches, however, are layer 2
switches. Layer 2 switches most often
connect to the devices in their networks
using Ethernet cables. Ethernet cables
are physical cables that plug into devices
via Ethernet ports.
 WHAT IS AN UNMANAGED
SWITCH? WHAT IS A
MANAGED SWITCH?
An unmanaged switch simply creates more
Ethernet ports on a LAN, so that more local
devices can access the Internet.
Unmanaged switches pass data back and
forth based on device MAC addresses.
 WHAT IS AN UNMANAGED
SWITCH? WHAT IS A
MANAGED SWITCH?
A managed switch fulfills the same
function for much larger networks, and
offers network administrators much more
control over how traffic is prioritized. They
also enable administrators to set up
Virtual LANs (VLANs) to further subdivide
a local network into smaller chunks.
 PATCH PANELS VS.
SWITCHES
A patch panel's sole function is to
act as a junction point for copper,
fiber or coax cabling.
Patch panels enable the following:
centralized management of the
cable plant;simplified management;
and easy MACs between networking
END....