Patch Panels: What they do and when they are needed
This will describe what patch panels are and when they are most appropriate to use in a working environments.
To start, patch panels are not always going to be used in sites unless they are multi station/multi printer establishments. For these small use cases, I will elaborate on how these patch panels are installed then provide a video on how patch panels are used in the infrastructure.
A patch panel works like a series of keystone jacks on a single panel. To begin installation of a patch panel, you will need lines ran to their respective locations, and then you will need to terminate the lines with a keystone jack at one end. This will be the end where a station or a printer will be located. Once all line runs have been made, you will need to terminate the other ends of those lines on the patch panel. This can be done the same way as a keystone to which I will insert an image of the keystone layout below.
It is important to note, we always punch down using T568B which will be labeled as "B" on the patch panel/kystones themselves.
I have also provided a video at the top of this posting for your viewing that describes how patch panels are used in a working environment. This video will mostly highlight how they are used in a server rack, but this can be replicated without the use of a rack.