New Media Press Setup - Advice Needed

Johnboy1951

I am preparing to use a small press for all media related gear .... modem, router, switches, patch panel, server etc etc. including the backend PC for the LiveTV distribution over the LAN.

I have purchased this 24 port patch panel
http://www.freetv.ie/24-port-patch-panel/
which I expect to fulfil my connection needs.

The press has (barely) 19" usable depth and a width of 43". It would be nice if I can figure out a way to put the patch panel on the side wall, for neatness and ease of access.

Is there some recommended fairly shallow depth case or other/better means of mounting the patch panel and keeping everything tidy?

Any advice appreciated, as this is my first time attempting to arrange a media press or use a patch panel.

Cuddlesworth

Buy some rack rails, install them into the press. Rack what you want or can rack, put the rest onto shelves.

Johnboy1951

Thanks for the suggestion .... still considering my options.
Budget is tight.

While getting things in order and attempting to lay out the press, I have discovered there is one Cat5e cable that is short.
This cable is buried in multiple ceilings so there is no way or replacing it.

My question is :-

Is there a recommended way of extending the cable?
I need to add about 3 feet to it.

I could crimp an RJ45 end to it and the same to the extension and join them with a 'joiner' ........ but I expect there should be a better option.
I also considered stripping and soldering to extend.

Thanks.

The high horse brigade

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Is there a recommended way of extending the cable?
I need to add about 3 feet to it.

Terminate it in an ethernet socket and use a patch lead is the only sane way of extending a cat5 cable. Rj45 couplers or joiners are trouble IMO

Johnboy1951

The high horse brigade wrote: »

Terminate it in an ethernet socket and use a patch lead is the only sane way of extending a cat5 cable. Rj45 couplers or joiners are trouble IMO

Thanks, thought of that but was going to be the last resort

This joiner I had not found previously, and would seem to be ideal as both cables would be terminated with IDC
https://www.firefold.com/RJ45-Junction-Box-CAT5E

Thoughts?

The high horse brigade

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Thanks, thought of that but was going to be the last resort

This joiner I had not found previously, and would seem to be ideal as both cables would be terminated with IDC
https://www.firefold.com/RJ45-Junction-Box-CAT5E

Thoughts?

That looks decent. Be sure you buy a proper Ethernet tester and get 8 lights as losing a core is something that could drive you mad later

Johnboy1951

The high horse brigade wrote: »

That looks decent. Be sure you buy a proper Ethernet tester and get 8 lights as losing a core is something that could drive you mad later

Thanks ..... already have a tester

Now that I knew what to look for I found the joiner available on ebay

ED E

I've used cheap inline Female to Female RJ45 joiners before. They aren't ideal but if your run isnt massive (>30m) you should get away with it no problem.

Johnboy1951

ED E wrote: »

I've used cheap inline Female to Female RJ45 joiners before. They aren't ideal but if your run isnt massive (>30m) you should get away with it no problem.

Thanks, yes I have used them previously for temporary extension, but this is likely to be hidden behind a panel so I think I will splurge on the one IDC joiner I need. I would feel better about it.
This one should do the job
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Cat5e-UTP-Junction-Box-RJ45-Ethernet-LAN-Network-/301675884810?hash=item463d48b10a:g:bhUAAOSw8w1X8jDf

I have bigger problems to deal with so won't worry too much about it.

Tenshot

CPC/Farnell also do those CAT5 joiners, at about half the price:

http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/bt-855blk/coupler-wired-cat5e-blk/dp/CS15243

They're really useful - I usually order five or 10 at a time.

To mount the 24-port panel on the side of your media press, a quick & easy solution is a length of 2" x 3" lumber. Chop two pieces off, about 6-9" long, and fix them to the side wall of your cabinet, edge-on. Then screw the patch panel to them with normal wall screws, something like this:



(You can probably do a neater job with the cables than shown there, and use more practically sized washers.)

If you cut some plywood to fit as a backpanel or sidepanel inside the press, it gives you somewhere convenient to hang routers, fix cables to, etc without destroying your cabinet - it's also much easier to screw into than most finished surfaces, and you can attach the 3x2 studs by screwing in from the rear of the panel before you mount it.

(Since you've only 19" of depth to play with, you might be better mounting the patchstrip vertically rather than horizontally.)

Johnboy1951

Thanks Tenshot for info and pic.

What I 'hope' to do is to mount the patch panel on the side wall (it will almost hit the press door) in the following manner ...

using a hinge on the back wall so the patch panel can swing away from the side wall thus giving me easy access to the IDC connections, and a bracket or piece of timber on the wall to fasten the door side of the panel. I might need to bend the end of the patch panel vertical to the side wall and use a metal bracket if the size is a bit tight.

I would then hope to bring all the cat5e cables down the corner of the press and across the back of the panel.
Somewhat similar to your pic except for the hinged side of the panel.

Because I will be putting in shelving, and as yet am not certain of the heights, I decided against a vertical mounting.
Each shelve will have three semi-circular cutouts in the shelves to facilitate ethernet and power cables etc.

I expect to bring in the broadband connection to the opposite back corner of the press and mount the connection/s on that side wall.

Hopefully the shelving will then take care of my server, modem, router, switches and any other devices I might want to add in the future.

Thankfully I have only one short Cat5e so one IDC joiner will suffice.
BTW, when ordering one the ebay link is cheaper than CPC

I have the majority of the wiring in place but am awaiting some work to be done in the press before I start wiring the panel.


Thanks again for the post which allows me believe I am taking the correct approach.

Tenshot

Not to muddy the waters further, but if you're definitely going with a horizontal mount and are depth-limited, you could go with half-width patch strips instead:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKORD-Patch-Panel-Cabinet-Network/dp/B01BMT57DW/ref=sr_1_2

2x or 3x of these might fit more neatly into your cabinet and be easier to access when side-mounted than a full 19" deep unit. Fit them all to a single stud, and hinge that, and you're away.

Johnboy1951

Tenshot wrote: »

Not to muddy the waters further, but if you're definitely going with a horizontal mount and are depth-limited, you could go with half-width patch strips instead:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKORD-Patch-Panel-Cabinet-Network/dp/B01BMT57DW/ref=sr_1_2

2x or 3x of these might fit more neatly into your cabinet and be easier to access when side-mounted than a full 19" deep unit. Fit them all to a single stud, and hinge that, and you're away.

Seems like a very good idea.
I will consider it ..... I have already bought the 19" 24 port, but might cut my losses on that and get two shorter 12 port panels.

Thanks

Cuddlesworth

You don't want to be moving the structured cabling too much, you will start to damage the solid core cabling.

Johnboy1951

I have been giving all this some further thought while waiting for work to be done on the press. (after Xmas now)

Is there such a thing as a 1U case that would be either designed, or suitable, to take the 24 port patch panel and all the wiring involved, keeping it all neat and tidy within the case? Something about 7" deep would be suitable I think.

I was thinking of a short depth 1U case that could be placed on, or even screwed to, a shelf, hiding all the IDC connections and keeping them clean & stable.

While I have the time I have been 'second-guessing' everything!

Cuddlesworth

If you have the space, use a vertical wall mount for the patch panel and just wall mount a switch above it using screws. Once its in, you will never really be touching it.

https://www.startech.com/eu/Server-Management/Racks/1U-19in-Steel-Vertical-Wall-Mount-Equipment-Rack-Bracket~RK119WALLV

Tenshot

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

If you have the space, use a vertical wall mount for the patch panel and just wall mount a switch above it using screws. Once its in, you will never really be touching it.

https://www.startech.com/eu/Server-Management/Racks/1U-19in-Steel-Vertical-Wall-Mount-Equipment-Rack-Bracket~RK119WALLV

You could also mount that rack horizontally underneath one of the shelves - drill holes through from above and use nuts & bolts to mount it, countersunk into the shelf surface.

Or, you could attach two 7" strips of 2" x 2" or 2" x 1.5" wood underneath the shelf, running front to back, about 19" apart and just fix the patch panel to that.

Tenshot

CableMonkey also have some shallow enclosures that might be suitable, especially if you have a 19" switch to mount underneath the patch panel. The 2U version of this would only be about 3.5" high and approx. 8" deep:



(Make sure your network switch is no more than 6" deep if mounting in one of these - TP-Link models are usually pretty slim.)

Johnboy1951

Gosh they know how to charge for a simple bracket!