Wiring closet network setup

Joe Silver · ‎08-21-2012

Hello,

I wanted to reach out to the community and see what you guys thought were in regards to the build out plan for a user IT wiring closet. Today our closets are made up of 48 port patch panels at the top half of the 2 post rack and bottom is where the 48 port switches are located. In between each patch panel is a 2u horizontal cable manager. Interconnect patch cables from the patch panel to the switchports run along the sides of the rack. Since we aren't using custom length cables the vertical cable managers are just over-flowing with excess cables ... we can barely close the cable manager door.

Going forward I thought about changing the order in which the patch panels and switches are installed. Basically start from the top with a 24port switch, then 48port patch panel, then a 48port switch, 48 port patch panel and so on. Patch cables connected to the switch on the upper row of ports would go up and then into the patch panel and the bottom row of ports would go down and into the lower patch panel.

24 port switch

48 port patch panel

48 port switch

48 port patch panel

etc

Pros:

More effiecient use of space on the rack since there would be no horizontal cable managers

Shorter patch cables could be used since the distance from patch panel to switchport is shorter

Prettier closet

Cons:

1ft , 3ft cables too short? and recommended for ethernet

Let me know your thoughts. And if you've got a fantasicly proud wiring closet by all means please share!

Robert Rowland III · ‎08-23-2012

yep,

switch-24

patch panel

switch-48

patch panel

switch-48

patch pane

switch-24

_I_ have done it with 2 different cable colours as well. ...

6 inch cross connects which may align just a tad off at the end of the switch if it has "extra" connections ( what do you use for up/down links ? )

there is almost no way to make any other solution "attractive" or easy to work on as you have found ... especially if you have .. say 16 * 48 port switches in a closet and you have to start putting stuff in a rack to the side.

And if you decide that you want to go to 4500 or 6500 chassis ,,, the 4500 is about 12 inches less deep but it can only do 384 ports max.

Joe Silver · ‎08-23-2012

Robert,

Care to share any pics? I too thought about using 6" custom cables (my vendor can make them) but was concerned that the length was too short (not enough twists) especially for any crosstalk on the wire.

As far as uplink to the core these are stacked 3750 switches so they share fiber uplinks so no biggie there.

Joe

Robert Rowland III · ‎08-24-2012

Joe Silver · ‎08-25-2012

Looks fantasic Robert. You should be proud!

One question though ...is there a reason on your 48port switches why you didn't interlink the upper row of 24 ports to the patch panel above and the bottom row of switch ports to the patch panel below? Not that it really matters.

That brings to mind a basic idea as to why switches have the odd numbered ports on top and evens on bottom row. Suppose the difference it you either build your network left to right versus top row first and then start on the next row at port 25, but then again not all switches just sit in a rack.

Once again looks very clean...very easy to trace cables.

Joe

Robert Rowland III · ‎08-25-2012

This was a closet that I had a series of photos from - not perhaps the "best" example.

_I_ like 6 in cables as they create almost a little wave of blue hoops from left to right.

We currently wire every patch port, it used to be that we would only light up a voice and a data and have a spare - this led to almost immediate cable chaos especially if the phone gear was off to the left or another rack. Surely you need no examples of those closets.

Over time we have migrated from 2924Xls to 3550/3560s to 6513s or 4510s .... so newer closets with greater people count have more ports .... so ..

A personal preference and one that is hard to get some folks to agree to is to bring the cables from the patch panels down both the left AND the right side of the rack. A loaded 6513 with 11 blades is 524 cables and there is zero way to easily work a cable in or out of a 6 in bundle on the left hand side of the 6K. Yes, U know about the fan tray ...just pull the bundle out a little and you are good to go, especially if you have a left side and a right side bundle.

Leo Laohoo · ‎08-25-2012

Be very careful of them "custom" cables. I've been burnt several times. "We test them before leaving the factory," they kept assuring me. RIIIIIIIIGHT.

Anyway, check out the catalogue for ADC/Krone or Panduit.

An example is Panduit's "Pre-Terminated Cable Assemblies" called QuickNet. It's a bunch of cables (if I recall they're 4, 6 and 8) in a "block". It's easy to connect to a switch and it's easy to connect in a patch panel. The link to Panduit's catalogue is here. Just look for "Pre-Terminated Cable Assemblies".

I don't know where the ADC/Krone is but I know they have one too.

Joe Silver · ‎08-25-2012

Thanks leolaohoo for the link. Too bad the shortest pre-terminated cables are 3m (over 9 ft) would be "stick out" too much when the patch panels and switches are adjacent to one another.

Joe

Leo Laohoo · ‎08-25-2012

Check out ADC/Krone. They have those cables too.

If you are in US/Canada, ADC/Krone was bought out by Tyco, hence they now have very long name: TE/ADC/Krone.

hobbe · ‎08-23-2012

Hi

I would absolutely avoid what you are trying to do IF it is what I am thinking it is.

Are you thinking of pulling cables directly vertical from the switchports to the adjacent switches ?

If so I would advice aginst doing so.

You are right in using "correct length" ie custom made cabeling lengths.

but never ever pull cables directly down or up from a switch.

It becomes realy bad when you need to change a switch in the middle when it breaks down and you can not remove the switch since there are cables passing the front of it and they need to be removed first.

So I choose minimum 50 cm cable length and longer.

I pull the cable towards the side and down/up and then towards the assigned port.

I personally try to stay away from all cableguards, I use velcro instead. and I try to separate the cables in half 12 or 24 on each side dependant if it is a 24 or 48 port switch.

A good tip would to mark each end of the cables with its coresponding number and that number is inserted in a database (or excel) and lets you know where the endpoints for that cable are.

I try to use a letter or two for each installationsite followed by the number.

I do not follow this is when I need to chase nanoseconds for highspeed networks.

Good luck

Hope This Helps

Robert Rowland III · ‎08-24-2012

Hobbe, you are wrong, here is why.

I have a 48 port switch. It has 2 rows of 24 ports. Directly above it and directly below it are 24 port patch panels

easy, easy, easy to figure out what goes where .... its the port RIGHT ABOVE THE HOLE - or RIGHT BELOW IT

the cable do not pass in front, you need to relook at what we suggested, and even if you had a 48 port patch panel with a 48 port switch ... you are going to remove all 48 ports from the switch anyway.

look carefully at the top of my 2nd photo.

hobbe · ‎08-25-2012

I agree it looks nice.

However I do not belive that I am "wrong" in stating that it is normally not a good idea to pull cables directly up and down.

due to the fact that it will soon look like picture 1 and that will lock in switches behind wires.

it is seldom I have the opportunity to setup the switches the way you have in the pictures due to the already installed basis.

I think it is better then to pull the cables to the sides then down/up and around using velcro to fasten the cables.

Good luck

HTH