Network wiring - skipping a patch panel, which wiring setup?

0

I'm helping out a friend wire up his new office. He had CAT6 lines dropped in the appropriate locations (PC locations and back to the switch). At each PC location, he'll have a wall jack. We bought CAT6 keystone jacks and plates. At the switch side, he wants to forgo using a patch-panel for now.

He had his electrician terminate each of the lines (jacks at the walls and an RJ45 tip at the switch). Unfortunately, he didn't test as he went, and none of the connections work. To me, that means they were wired incorrectly at one or both ends. Help? I'm not sure he knows what he's doing, so I may take over.

If I want to use the T-568B standard for the office, do I just follow the T-568B process at each jack and for the tips of each at the switch or do I need to do crossover somewhere?

PC <-- patch cable --> []wall jack <--- cat6 in the wall --> {switch}

Thanks for any help!

bcontento

Posted 2016-01-12T17:52:13.490

Reputation: 1

Call the electrician and ask him to fix his work, I assume you paid him for services rendered. – Moab – 2016-01-12T18:06:01.837

yeah, that doesn't help if he doesn't know what he's doing. Hence the question. He has not been paid yet. – bcontento – 2016-01-12T18:10:24.577

Note that most modern Ethernet connectors auto-sense the send and receive lines, so crossed cables are unnecessary. – AFH – 2016-01-12T18:23:59.223

Answers

2

For an "End Device" to a switch you use straight through cables, no cross needed.

First thing you should do is buy a cheap cable tester that will show you if pins are wrong or disconnected, or if there is an earth fault.

Hopefully the electrician knew what he was doing, its not uncommon for ones with no networking experience to try and wire Ethernet like phones, a big mess to fix.

Linef4ult

Posted 2016-01-12T17:52:13.490

Reputation: 3 705

does it matter that it's passing through the wall jack? What I'm thinking is that both ends of the cat6 need to be terminated with the same scheme (T-568B). One as an RJ45 plug for the switch end and the other punched down into the keystone jack. Is that right? – bcontento – 2016-01-12T18:06:41.720

Yes, both ends need to be terminated with the same scheme, but you can crimp the cables with the correct order based on the wire colors - as per http://www.phonegeeks.com/56vs56whshyo.html - That said, I'd suggest dropping a few dollars on jacks (even if you don't get the faceplate/patch panel yet), and terminating on that - then just using a standard through cable.

– davidgo – 2016-01-12T19:13:42.880

2

"do I just follow the T-568B process at each jack and for the tips of each at the switch"

Yes, the jacks/connectors on the ends should be wired to the same scheme. No cross-over.

If the cable in the walls is solid-core (which it should be if done properly), then ensure you're using solid-core RJ-45 connectors, as using ones made for stranded-core will not work very well (if at all).

Also don't wire solid-core directly to a device, convince him to spend the $$$ on a patch panel.

Wire the switch-end cables into a breakout panel and then use stranded-core patch cable from the panel/jack to the device. That is, unless you really like re-crimping ends that intermittently fail to work after moving the wires around a bit (especially after they've been sitting for a year or two). ;)

Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007

Posted 2016-01-12T17:52:13.490

Reputation: 103 763

Yes, solid core wire run in the walls and yes, solid core appropriate connectors (jacks and tips). We will be setting up a patch panel soon, but can't for a month or two. Hence the layout as described for now. – bcontento – 2016-01-12T18:12:18.400

– bcontento – 2016-01-12T18:18:06.740

Asked: 2016-01-12T17:52:13.490

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Active: 2016-01-12T18:04:58.643