Very quick question about networking.

[Greenie9657]

I'm in the process of wiring up all my rooms for network and I'm using cat6 cable. I was wondering do I use T568A or T568B for the wall plates? All these wall plates will be going into the attic and plugging into a switch.

Kind regards[/b]

 

[AlanE]

If you Google the question you will get answers suggesting to use one or the other. There is an ISO document that says new installs should use 'A' When I installed my network I used 'B'.

What is IMPORTANT however, regardless of which you use, is for a new installation choose one or the other AND STICK WITH IT, for extending an existing network use whatever has already been used.

(Even if you use the two systems side by side it will only create confusion in the future since provided each end of the cable is terminated to the same standard the system will work perfectly)

What is the difference? Electrically nothing it is just a case of the ORANGE and GREEN pairs are transposed.

 

[xr4x4]

Doesn't matter which, just make sure you use the same each end of the cable!

 

[Greenie9657]

Thats great. Thank you to you both. I've gone with B. Just need to remember to use B all the time now!

 

[Greenie9657]

Also I understand that I need a switch in the attic to plug all the wall plates around my house in, and then am I right to think this switch will then just plug into one of my LAN ports on my modem?

 

[AlanE]

Bank of sockets, patch panel, in attic where the cables from various rooms terminate. Short patch cables from there to switch and then from one position on switch back to router/modem.

So allow extra position on switch for the router connection and always use a switch with spare ways to allow for the inevitable expansion.

 

[Greenie9657]

Ha, what's a patch panel?

I've seen one I know is where you can terminate all the cat 6 cables from the rooms, but what does it actually do?

Thanks

 

[AlanE]

Do? Not a lot really just a neat way of terminating the fixed wiring, it's just a row of sockets.

It is as functional as a row of wall sockets but smaller and neater. If you only have a small number of cables running from the loft you may as well use a double sized faceplate which can hold 4 modules.

 

[ekmdgrf]

A patch panel: http://tinyurl.com/pj58kdz

As previously stated, it allows you to neatly terminate the cables and then use a small patch cable to link the patch port to the switch. It keeps things neat as if you want to patch to a different switch port you can change the patch lead rather than having to make the cable to the wall socket shorter (easy) or longer (hard).

If one also wants to be pedantic, the cabling standard says that if you use a plug on one end of the cable, you use the same on the other. Likewise, if you use a punch-down termination on one end, you use the same on the other. Structured cabling is generally solid core and patch leads are stranded. Punch downs are designed for terminating solid core while RJ45 plugs are designed for terminating stranded core. Apparently you can punch downs designed for stranded cable and RJ45 plugs for solid core. I have no experience terminating stranded cable in a punch-down (stranded or otherwise) but RJ45s tend to go on solid cable OK.

 

[xr4x4]

How many sockets?

Easiest way is to terminate ends with rj45 ends straight into 8/16/24 port switch, then single cable to router.

 

[Greenie9657]

A patch panel: http://tinyurl.com

So with the data cable in my attic, do I crimp RJ45s on them and plug it into the sockets or do you terminated the cable on the other side of the panel then use a small patch cable to go from the front of this panel to a switch?

 

[ekmdgrf]

The second option. Wire the back, like you have the wall sockets and then use a patch lead from the panel to the switch.