OnQ structured wiring product

[markthomas]

I use the Leviton Media Versatile panel. Best of both worlds: a metal enclosure with knockouts and a plywood back to mount whatever, whereever.

And it's deeper than most panels--plenty deep enough for routers, cable/dsl modems, modulators, etc.

 

[Steve]

I also feel that people are unrealistic in the amount of space they are willing to dedicate to cabling and equipment. I have a server room, a telephone/automation room, and 4 subclosets for wiring hubs and video distribution points. Maybe a little much but I don't think I could get the same functionality to fit into a rack plus a couple of cans at the back of a coat closet.

But Mike, I think your place is much larger than average based on the pic I saw. What do you have, like 7 or 8000 square feet? With no basement and a ranch house a 2x3 closet is all I got and probably a lot for many of us. Now maybe during a new home build you can certainly plan for more dedicated space but at > $200 sq ft a room gets expensive quick.

 

[RandyKnight]

With no basement and a ranch house a 2x3 closet is all I got and probably a lot for many of us.

IMO, this is the point of the structured wiring cans. In my new house, I will have a 7'4" x 10' server room / wiring closet to put everything in. So trying to cram everything into cans seems like it may be more of a pain than I want it to be.

In fact, I'm even considering just having the framers put plywood on the interior walls of that room and not sheetrock it so I can put anything, anywhere. :lol:

Though since it's an interior space (air conditioned ... not "garage") and is where the electrical service comes in so there may be some code issues with that. Anybody know what NEC says about that? Does it require sheetrock or other fire resistant material where the panels are?

 

[Steve]

Well in your case a combination of wall space, cans and racks is probably the best of all worlds. You will have the freedom to lay it out how it makes the most sense like wiring blocks/patch panels on the walls (or rack), maybe some sensitive stuff or power in cans and equipment in racks. I prefer patch panels over 66 or 110 blocks and cross connects. Its much easier for MACs (moves, add, change). It does include 1 extra point of failure but it is much easier plugging in a patch cord then running a cross connect with a punch down tool. And if you wind up punching down too much on a 66 block, the contacts get spread and you have to squeeze them back.

 

[RandyKnight]

I agree wholeheartedlyon the patch panels. What I'll likely do is run everything into 66/110 blocks and then from there to patch panels.

 

[Steve]

That will work but introduces yet another point of failure. What we have done in all our facilities is run all the data (like your hub/switch/phone, etc) into 1 set of panels then wire all your endpoints (like the jacks) into another set of panels. The panels have 110 blocks on the back and RJ45's on the front. You can get swing brackets for the wall or put them in a rack. Add some Panduit for cable management an you are in business. To use you simply use an RJ45 patch cord to patch from source to destination. You never need to mess with the blocks on the back unless you are adding new sources or end points. Clean, simple, flexible and very easy to maintain. You can put is all in 1 panel or even better to use separate panels for each of your sources - like 1 panel for LAN, 1 for phone, etc. and you can separate panels for destinations like first floor/second, etc.

 

[upstatemike]

I guess I agree on the simplicity of the add/move/change aspect of patch panels except that it is harder to rassign individual pairs in the cable. I have lot of cable runs (hundreds?) and only a small percentage are dedicated cables where the entire cable is dedicated to one purpose. i.e. if a cable is feeding a phone on pairs 1 and 2, chances are that pairs 3 and 4 are being used for a second extension or a serial line or a set of contacts. This is all trivial with blocks and cross connect but a real pain to duplicate with patch panels.