Are 96-port Patch Panels Too Dense??

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jmroberts70

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Oct 15, 2002
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I'm rebuilding an office network room and have been considering getting 2 96-port patch panels for the patch bay. I'm concerned about cable management and if the panels will be too dense to easily work with in the future. Does anyone here have any experience working with these? Maybe I should just stay with 24-port panels so I can run patch cables in between panels?

Here's an example of what I'm thinking of using:
patchpanel01.jpg
 
Also, how important do you all think "wire management bars" are in a patch panel? I know some people swear by them...

patchpanel02.jpg
 
I wouldn't say too dense but your wiring guys will hate you if you go with CAT6.
 
How's that? BTW, I'm the wiring guy!! I'm going to be migrating the existing patch panels to a new rack. Here's what I'm starting with:
bad-network-02.jpg
 
We do 48 port patch panels and 48 port switches in the rack in alternating order and use 1 foot cables to do interconnects.
Keeps the cabling nice and neat.

SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
and so on.
 
It depends how you like to do the patch leads. Personally I like very short patch cables directly up/down at the front rather than creating bundles of long cables off to the side.

I would use 24 port panels and put a 48 port switch between each two panels - 24 patch cables going up and 24 going down.

And yes, having the cables tidy and secured behind is important, IMO. If you pull the panel out at a later date you don't want the punched down wires to be tugged out.
 
Eickst said:
We do 48 port patch panels and 48 port switches in the rack in alternating order and use 1 foot cables to do interconnects.
Keeps the cabling nice and neat.

SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
and so on.
Click to expand...

This.
 
Wow that's pretty nice. Just wondering though, how would you add stuff after? Or do you have to fill these all in one shot?

Thinking of getting a 48 port one at home but my environment would not really call to fill it in one shot, I just like having lot of expansion. Going to add tons of jacks throughout the basement as once the drywall goes up it will be hard to add some later, it's not like upstairs where I can just drill down.
 
Eickst said:
We do 48 port patch panels and 48 port switches in the rack in alternating order and use 1 foot cables to do interconnects.
Keeps the cabling nice and neat.

SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
and so on.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the cable management between the switch and patch panel
 
Can you guys post some pics of your ideal layouts?

I was actually thinking of a rack of just 2 96-port patch panels and a rack of switches next to it with a gap between for slack management...
 
shade91 said:
It's a bad idea for expandability but just fine for small environments.
Click to expand...

How is it bad for expand ability? Just add another patch panel and switch.

Yes I meant for smaller networks where you wouldn't use a chassis switch. I'd do this in the access closets.
 
/usr/home said:
How is it bad for expand ability? Just add another patch panel and switch.

Yes I meant for smaller networks where you wouldn't use a chassis switch. I'd do this in the access closets.
Click to expand...

In access closets it's perfectly fine, I assumed you used the same idea at distribution, core, or a collapsed setup where this can get messy quickly. In that case it makes sense to keep all patch panels w/ wire management in its own rack and take the switching to an adjacent rack. I'd still at least add 2U horizontal management between the switch and patch panel to keep the wiring clean as well as add vertical management to both sides of the rack. It looks nice and is very easy to keep clean. At that point only someone who is a lazy ass would string cables without the management.

thefordmccord said:
This is how I do it.
Click to expand...

7/10.. needs horizontal and vertical cable management.. you did stay consistent on cable length as well as coloring :)
 
thefordmccord said:
This is how I do it.
*snip*
Click to expand...
Do those poe injectors go pop often? If you don't want to invest in a PoE switch (not worth it for that many ports) a PoE midspan can be useful, especially if its managed to remotely cycle things.
 
All the switches are going to be POE due to the fact that each office will be running a VOIP phone that needs it so I won't be using separate injectors.
 
I personally like to tie each patch panel and port to each switch and port

makes switch changes easy as the help desk guys can tell me the port number and I can easily look and see what switch its on.

Ssr3TrDl.jpg


Larger Image
 
shade91 said:
7/10.. needs horizontal and vertical cable management.. you did stay consistent on cable length as well as coloring :)
Click to expand...
There isn't any room in that cabinet for vertical management. I did what i could without changing the whole cabinet. We are a public school. Not much money.

p3n said:
Do those poe injectors go pop often? If you don't want to invest in a PoE switch (not worth it for that many ports) a PoE midspan can be useful, especially if its managed to remotely cycle things.
Click to expand...

Those POE injectors are for our unifi wireless APs. I have never had one go bad in about two years. Again. no money for new switches, so the injectors will have to do.
 
thefordmccord said:
There isn't any room in that cabinet for vertical management. I did what i could without changing the whole cabinet. We are a public school. Not much money.
Click to expand...

Thats why you're not supposed to use a 4-post rack for network distribution. You should always use a 2-poster where the vertical management bolts to the sides and fits flush to easily support horizontal management. 4-posters are meant for servers, storage arrays, and top-of-rack switching.
 
shade91 said:
Thats why you're not supposed to use a 4-post rack for network distribution. You should always use a 2-poster where the vertical management bolts to the sides and fits flush to easily support horizontal management. 4-posters are meant for servers, storage arrays, and top-of-rack switching.
Click to expand...


This is an enclosed cabinet in the middle of a science lab, the side panels have been removed in this picture. It's not a normal 4 post rack, it's pretty much a perfect square so it's not even deep enough to install servers in it. It was originally installed back in 1991.
 
Last edited:
I like my patch panels 2/3 full: 2U of patch panel or switch paired with 1U of cable guide. The cables go out to and back from the sides via the cable guides and everything is clearly labelled. Everything goes out to the side then back, so nothing gets covered. Different functions use different cable colours, and I try to route voice cables one side of the rack and data the other (or server one side and workstation the other).
 
shade91 said:
In access closets it's perfectly fine, I assumed you used the same idea at distribution, core, or a collapsed setup where this can get messy quickly. In that case it makes sense to keep all patch panels w/ wire management in its own rack and take the switching to an adjacent rack. I'd still at least add 2U horizontal management between the switch and patch panel to keep the wiring clean as well as add vertical management to both sides of the rack. It looks nice and is very easy to keep clean. At that point only someone who is a lazy ass would string cables without the management.



7/10.. needs horizontal and vertical cable management.. you did stay consistent on cable length as well as coloring :)
Click to expand...

Distribution and core switches are all fiber links from other switches. Very few copper ports in the chassis switches for us these days.
 
We use 48 port patch panels and 48 port switches with 6" patch cords. Works great and no need for wire managers.
 
jmroberts70 said:
How's that? BTW, I'm the wiring guy!! I'm going to be migrating the existing patch panels to a new rack. Here's what I'm starting with:
bad-network-02.jpg
Click to expand...

I am SO glad I don't do structured cabling anymore. That kind of setup is my worst nightmare.
 
The only way to make 96 port panels look good is side cable management all the way down the rack. Everything coming out of the panel goes half left and half right then goes into the switches the same way.

The problem you will run into is patch cord length, it'll be odd length unless you move the switches to just the right place in the rack.

24 port panels are the easiest. Panel then switch panel then switch.
 
Eickst said:
We do 48 port patch panels and 48 port switches in the rack in alternating order and use 1 foot cables to do interconnects.
Keeps the cabling nice and neat.

SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
SWITCH
PATCH PANEL
and so on.
Click to expand...

Similar to what I do.

24 port switch
Cable Management
48 port patch panel
Cable Management
48 port switch
Cable Management
48 port patch panel
Cable Management
48 port switch
Cable Management
48 port patch panel
Cable Management
24 port switch
 
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