1

Telecom Cabling

Patch panels, cabinets and raised floors

2

Telecom Cabling

We’ve talked about telecom rooms and relay racks now we’re going to look at the patch panels that are installed in the relay racks.

The patch panel is the final connection of the basic link from the work area outlet (WAO).

Patch panels are used to support the data network and today that includes telephony in the form of VoIP.

3

Telecom Cabling

Patch panels utilize a 110 style punch down which is an IDC (insulation displacement contact) connection.

Patch panels are rack mountable and are listed by category, i.e. CAT 5e or CAT 6.

4

Telecom Cabling

Most large networks use 48 port patch panels which is a 2U (RU) panel with either a 1U or 2U wire manager.

For every patch panel we install, we also install a wire manager with it.

Wire managers are used to manage the patch cords.

5

Telecom Cabling

Ideally we would like to see a wire manager above and below each patch panel that is installed.

There is a specific method to how UTP is terminated on a patch panel per ANSI-TIA/EIA standards.

When terminating a patch panel half of the cables dress in from the left and the other half dress in from the right.

6

Telecom Cabling

This is the back view of a 48 port patch panel, the side you will be looking at when you terminate the cables.

We split the panel in half when dressing in the cables, this can get tricky.

7

Telecom Cabling

Looking at the back of the relay rack you can see how we split the cable bundles from left to right.

In order to do this effectively we make a cut sheet.

8

Telecom Cabling

This can be done on piece of cardboard with a sharpie, it is to help you separate and route all of the cables to their designate side of the rack, patch panel and port.

9

Telecom Cabling

Normally we separate and route all cables for the whole relay rack before we start terminating patch panels.

During this process you will find miss marked cables, either double or triple numbers, some without numbers and others unable to identify.

This is the stage of toning out cables and verifying the cable IDs before termination.

10

Telecom Cabling

When terminating patch panels you may have to work backwards on one side of the panel, this is because all of the cables overlap each other in a channel between the 110 terminals.

11

Telecom Cabling

Most patch panels come with a cable manager that installs on the back of the panel to relieve the stress off of the terminations. It also serves as a support so that you can route the cables straight into the 110 termination block rather than channeling and overlapping the cables.

12

Telecom Cabling

Notice that the cables come straight back from the termination and rest on a cable manager, the insulation is kept on to the point of termination, the bundle is split in half and Velcro is used to secure the cables. This is how its done! Installed in a neat and

workman like manner.

This is what the customer sees……Hopefully.

13

Telecom Cabling

A completed rack, notice the large cable bundles, we dress the cable from the ladder rack down to the termination point, never dress your bundles from the

termination point back up to the ladder rack

you’ll end up with a “rats nest” (that is a

technical term in telephony).

14

Telecom Cabling

On smaller jobs you may be required to install a surface mount, hinged brackets for patch panels, these can be specified up to 4U.

They are used as small network IDFs or in narrow closets and can be stacked.

15

Telecom Cabling

These can be challenging to terminate because the technician has to make sure that the panel opens and closes without stressing the cable.

Per NEC all hinged panels and equipment doors shall open 90 degrees.

16

Telecom Cabling

We also install patch panels in cabinets, enclosures or surface mount relay racks too.

These surface mount enclosures will require you to leave a slack loop so that the front can easily be opened.

17

Telecom Cabling

Here we have surface mount relay racks, you can see similar installations in places like home depot or warehouses.

18

Telecom Cabling

In some instances a whole network can be housed in a single enclosure, they provide security and have fan assemblies to keep the network switches cool.

19

Telecom Cabling

These enclosures are hinged in the front and back, the back opens so that you can terminate the panels and service the network.

The challenge here again is leaving enough cable slack to be able to open the enclosure and access the equipment.

20

Telecom Cabling

The keys to the enclosures go to the customer when the job is done, sometimes we tape a spare key to the bottom so that when we come back for service we will have access to equipment, the customer gets the other key.

These enclosures will normally have a rack mount power strip installed in the cabinet for the network equipment, this power strip is installed at the very bottom of the rack.

21

Telecom Cabling

That brings us to the larger network cabinets that are typically found in IT (information technology) rooms and data centers.

These rooms use raised floor systems and the majority of the network cabling is installed under the floor, then fed up to the relay racks.

22

Telecom Cabling

Network cabinets used in data centers are also 7’ high and they are usually 24” wide and approximately 42” deep, they can hold up to 2000 lbs.

23

Telecom Cabling

They can be stationary or have heavy duty casters on them.

The rails for mounting equipment are adjustable, they can support 19” rack mount panels and equipment or 23” rack mount equipment (the not so common standard).

We rarely ever terminate patch panels in these cabinets, they are used mostly for servers.

24

Telecom Cabling

All four sides, the top and bottoms of these cabinets can be removed and they also accommodate fans for cooling equipment.

Adjustable rails

Cooling fans

25

Telecom Cabling

The Vonage server banks:

26

Telecom Cabling

The large network cabinets will normally have no bottom to them and will be placed over a floor tile that has a hole cut in it for easy routing of cables.

27

Telecom Cabling

To access the floor you need a tile puller, it has two suction cups to grab the tile and a release handle to let go of the tile, notice the cut out, these are wrapped with a plastic grommet for cable protection.

28

Telecom Cabling

The data network cabling in these rooms is still done on relay racks as opposed to the large network cabinets, the cabling comes up from the floor.

29

Telecom Cabling

Raised floor solutions typically utilize basket tray for cable pathways, the tray attaches to the floor pedestals.

30

Telecom Cabling

IT rooms are plenum spaces, the walls, floors and ceiling tiles are all fire rated for a minimum of two hours.

This means if your penetrating the wall below the raised floor then the approved method of fire stopping will have to be used.

31

Telecom Cabling

If you have the good fortune to work in an old data center when you lift a floor tile you’ll see the evolution of network cabling from the 1980s up to present day. This cabling a can be two feet thick and extreme caution must be taken when working in this type of environment.