[badtz]

Greetings,

If you buy a patch panel and you connect CAT6/5e cables to run gigabit ethernet, do you need to buy a patch panel that specifically can handle gigabit ethernet? Or will any patch panel be able to just relay thru the same speed as the cables on each side are?


hope that made sense

[ghporter]

It made sense alright. If you're running Cat 6 cabling, AND putting in a full-blown patch panel you should buy the patch panel when you buy the cable spoolls. And yes, there is a difference between Cat 5 and Cat 6 patch panels. I looked at the web site of local chain that handles bulk cable and serious networking infrastructure products, and they have different patch panels for the two different kinds of cable, but they are the same price. The difference is basically how contacts are finished (providing more secure connections for Cat 6).

In case this is sort of new to you, you're looking for a "110 connecting block" patch panel. The other alternative, a "66 connecting block," is used for telephone lines, and can't handle high speed (even 100Mbps) data.

[tooki]

Well, the actual difference between categories is the number of twists per inch. For a Cat 5 connection (which is all Gigabit needs), the wires must never travel untwisted for longer than 1/2 inch. A Cat 5 or higher patch panel maintains this even internally.

tooki

[ghporter]

The one pair of panels I looked at (emphasis on one pair) had almost no difference in the specs; one was labeled for Cat 5e and the other for Cat 6. Since the price was the same, I can't say anything else about them-except the vendor is reliable, so there isn't anything funny going on.

I think the only real benefit of running Cat 6 (today) is a tiny bit more noise immunity at gigabit speeds than Cat 5e has. Maybe when the "next new thing" comes out, like omygoshthat'sfast ethernet, Cat 6 will have more real advantages. While you can't go wrong with installing the best you can afford, there is no need for Cat 6 (which still costs much more per foot than Cat 5e). I would, however, urge you to buy the slightly more expensive "plenum" cable for safety reasons; this stuff does not produce toxic vapors if involved in a fire, while plain old PVC jacketed cable can.

I can provide one more bit of data on the patch panels I looked at. Since Cat 6 is made with 23 gauge wire, and Cat 5(all) is made with 22 gauge wire, the terminals on a Cat 6 block must have slightly larger openings; depending on the manufacturer, you may not get a good termination on one of these blocks using Cat 5e cable. From long and painful experience I can tell you that ANY problem with a cable terminator block is a royal, super, turbo, NUCULAR pain in the roids, so make sure you get the right block for the cable you will use.