1 1 00:00:00,230 --> 00:00:02,040 Cable distribution. 2 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,570 Now that we've covered all of our copper and fiber cabling 3 3 00:00:04,570 --> 00:00:05,620 and their connectors, 4 4 00:00:05,620 --> 00:00:08,020 it's time for us to discuss how we're going to run them 5 5 00:00:08,020 --> 00:00:09,570 inside of our buildings. 6 6 00:00:09,570 --> 00:00:11,660 And this is where cable distribution systems 7 7 00:00:11,660 --> 00:00:13,370 are going to come into play. 8 8 00:00:13,370 --> 00:00:16,330 Now, a cable distribution system is an organized system 9 9 00:00:16,330 --> 00:00:17,800 to connect the network's backbone 10 10 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:19,500 in the main distribution frame 11 11 00:00:19,500 --> 00:00:21,360 to the intermediate distribution frames, 12 12 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,833 and finally, out to the end user's wall jacks. 13 13 00:00:23,833 --> 00:00:26,500 When we design a cable distribution system, 14 14 00:00:26,500 --> 00:00:28,210 it should be hierarchal in nature 15 15 00:00:28,210 --> 00:00:31,640 so that each cable run is logically placed safely, securely, 16 16 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,140 and functionally inside our buildings. 17 17 00:00:34,140 --> 00:00:35,780 When we have them fully installed, 18 18 00:00:35,780 --> 00:00:37,530 there are going to be a lot of different components 19 19 00:00:37,530 --> 00:00:40,290 that make up our cable distribution system. 20 20 00:00:40,290 --> 00:00:42,300 First, we have the entrance facilities 21 21 00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:43,370 where your WAN connection 22 22 00:00:43,370 --> 00:00:45,200 is going to enter into your building. 23 23 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,710 This is known as your demarcation point. 24 24 00:00:47,710 --> 00:00:49,060 Now, a demarcation point 25 25 00:00:49,060 --> 00:00:50,140 is the location at which 26 26 00:00:50,140 --> 00:00:52,410 your internet service provider's connection ends 27 27 00:00:52,410 --> 00:00:54,740 and your network is going to begin. 28 28 00:00:54,740 --> 00:00:57,650 For example, at your home if you have a cable modem, 29 29 00:00:57,650 --> 00:00:59,010 the wall jack that you connect to 30 30 00:00:59,010 --> 00:01:01,480 is actually not your demarcation point. 31 31 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:02,330 Most of the time, 32 32 00:01:02,330 --> 00:01:04,640 there's going to be a box on the side of your house. 33 33 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:06,760 That's where the cable line comes into your property 34 34 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,390 from the cable company. 35 35 00:01:08,390 --> 00:01:10,430 This is your demarcation point. 36 36 00:01:10,430 --> 00:01:12,610 From here the cable is going to be split 37 37 00:01:12,610 --> 00:01:14,650 and it's going to be run to all the different wall jacks 38 38 00:01:14,650 --> 00:01:15,780 throughout your house. 39 39 00:01:15,780 --> 00:01:18,450 Then you can connect your cable modem and your TVs 40 40 00:01:18,450 --> 00:01:20,070 to each of those different wall jacks 41 41 00:01:20,070 --> 00:01:21,620 to get your connection. 42 42 00:01:21,620 --> 00:01:22,950 In a commercial setting, 43 43 00:01:22,950 --> 00:01:25,390 there's usually going to be a telecommunications closet 44 44 00:01:25,390 --> 00:01:27,280 that contains a box inside of it, 45 45 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,080 and this is going to be your demarcation point. 46 46 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,170 Basically, your internet service provider, 47 47 00:01:32,170 --> 00:01:34,450 whether they're a cable company or a phone company, 48 48 00:01:34,450 --> 00:01:36,850 is going to run a cable into this box. 49 49 00:01:36,850 --> 00:01:39,420 And they're going to be responsible for all the wiring 50 50 00:01:39,420 --> 00:01:42,070 to make the connection work up to this point. 51 51 00:01:42,070 --> 00:01:44,150 Now, once it gets to that box, 52 52 00:01:44,150 --> 00:01:45,650 anything that goes wrong with it 53 53 00:01:45,650 --> 00:01:48,650 after it reaches that box, becomes your responsibility, 54 54 00:01:48,650 --> 00:01:50,870 because it's past the demarcation point 55 55 00:01:50,870 --> 00:01:53,110 as you go and connect it into your network. 56 56 00:01:53,110 --> 00:01:56,160 Now, from this demarcation point or entrance facility, 57 57 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,510 you're going to run a cable over to your border gateway 58 58 00:01:58,510 --> 00:01:59,480 or your router, 59 59 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,780 and then you're going to connect it to your backbone switch. 60 60 00:02:02,780 --> 00:02:04,870 Now, this switch is called the backbone 61 61 00:02:04,870 --> 00:02:06,530 because everything else in your network 62 62 00:02:06,530 --> 00:02:08,120 is going to connect to it. 63 63 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:09,480 If you have a small network, 64 64 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,880 you might only have one 24-port switch 65 65 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,880 and all of your servers and users are going to connect to it. 66 66 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,340 In this case that 24-port switch 67 67 00:02:17,340 --> 00:02:19,290 would be your backbone switch. 68 68 00:02:19,290 --> 00:02:21,740 But if you work for a large organization 69 69 00:02:21,740 --> 00:02:23,760 with hundreds or thousands of users, 70 70 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,850 you're going to need more than one switch. 71 71 00:02:25,850 --> 00:02:28,030 So you're going to have this backbone switch, 72 72 00:02:28,030 --> 00:02:30,200 and then you're going to connect smaller switches to it 73 73 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,000 that are called edge switches. 74 74 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,340 Now, for example, let's say you have an office building 75 75 00:02:34,340 --> 00:02:36,210 with five different floors on it. 76 76 00:02:36,210 --> 00:02:38,310 Each floor might have 20 people on it. 77 77 00:02:38,310 --> 00:02:40,750 So we could put a 24-port switch 78 78 00:02:40,750 --> 00:02:42,440 on each one of those floors. 79 79 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,920 Those 24-port switches are all called edge switches. 80 80 00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:47,950 They are all going to connect to your users. 81 81 00:02:47,950 --> 00:02:49,480 Now, those edge switches 82 82 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,750 are going to connect back to the backbone switch 83 83 00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:53,850 using what's known as a trunk line. 84 84 00:02:53,850 --> 00:02:55,770 Now, we'll talk more about the technology side, 85 85 00:02:55,770 --> 00:02:57,740 about how all this works later on. 86 86 00:02:57,740 --> 00:02:59,920 Right now we're just focused on the cabling. 87 87 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:01,770 For now, I just want you to realize 88 88 00:03:01,770 --> 00:03:04,230 that an edge switch is closer to our end-users, 89 89 00:03:04,230 --> 00:03:05,800 and it's going to connect upstream 90 90 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:07,850 back to our backbone switch. 91 91 00:03:07,850 --> 00:03:09,390 Now, your backbone switch 92 92 00:03:09,390 --> 00:03:11,570 is going to be located in your MDF, 93 93 00:03:11,570 --> 00:03:13,650 or your main distribution frame. 94 94 00:03:13,650 --> 00:03:16,380 Basically this'll be a telecommunications closet 95 95 00:03:16,380 --> 00:03:18,560 and it will serve as your main starting point 96 96 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:20,740 for all of your interior cabling. 97 97 00:03:20,740 --> 00:03:22,490 Every other telecommunications closet 98 98 00:03:22,490 --> 00:03:23,323 you have in your building 99 99 00:03:23,323 --> 00:03:27,530 will reach back to this main distribution frame, or MDF. 100 100 00:03:27,530 --> 00:03:29,950 I like to think of it as a trunk of a tree. 101 101 00:03:29,950 --> 00:03:31,810 All those branches that come off of it 102 102 00:03:31,810 --> 00:03:33,450 will go to our IDFs, 103 103 00:03:33,450 --> 00:03:35,550 or the intermediate distribution frames. 104 104 00:03:35,550 --> 00:03:37,600 Those are the smaller distribution frames. 105 105 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,890 But this trunk is the main distribution frame. 106 106 00:03:40,890 --> 00:03:43,640 Now, to connect the MDF to the IDF, 107 107 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,340 we're going to use a cable tray 108 108 00:03:45,340 --> 00:03:48,220 and we'll run all of our cables within these trays. 109 109 00:03:48,220 --> 00:03:51,130 A cable tray is simply a unit or assembly of units 110 110 00:03:51,130 --> 00:03:53,300 that form a rigid structural system 111 111 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:55,940 to securely support the cables and raceways 112 112 00:03:55,940 --> 00:03:58,450 as our cables go across our building. 113 113 00:03:58,450 --> 00:04:00,820 Just like people that need to move around the building 114 114 00:04:00,820 --> 00:04:03,680 by walking the halls or taking the elevator up and down, 115 115 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,410 our cables have to move horizontally and vertically as well. 116 116 00:04:07,410 --> 00:04:09,410 When we move horizontally with our cable, 117 117 00:04:09,410 --> 00:04:11,680 we do this inside of the cable trays. 118 118 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,150 Now, these are usually located inside of a drop ceiling 119 119 00:04:14,150 --> 00:04:15,600 or under a raised floor, 120 120 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:17,710 depending on the construction of your building. 121 121 00:04:17,710 --> 00:04:21,000 But as you move vertically up and down between the floors, 122 122 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,380 you're going to pass your cables 123 123 00:04:22,380 --> 00:04:24,310 through a vertical cross-connect. 124 124 00:04:24,310 --> 00:04:26,340 In general, it is the best practice 125 125 00:04:26,340 --> 00:04:27,980 to minimize the number of cables 126 126 00:04:27,980 --> 00:04:30,870 that have to cross vertically across floors. 127 127 00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:32,000 For this reason, 128 128 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,820 we usually only run trunk cables 129 129 00:04:33,820 --> 00:04:35,540 to connect the main distribution frame 130 130 00:04:35,540 --> 00:04:37,460 and its backbone router and switch 131 131 00:04:37,460 --> 00:04:39,570 up to the intermediate distribution frames 132 132 00:04:39,570 --> 00:04:41,300 and their edge routers and switches 133 133 00:04:41,300 --> 00:04:43,760 by using these vertical cross-connects. 134 134 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,200 Once you reach an IDF, 135 135 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,140 or an intermediate distribution frame, 136 136 00:04:47,140 --> 00:04:49,260 you're going to find it's going to contain your edge router 137 137 00:04:49,260 --> 00:04:51,480 or edge switches, a patch panel, 138 138 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:53,870 and other associated networking equipment. 139 139 00:04:53,870 --> 00:04:56,350 Each IDF is going to be designed to support the floor 140 140 00:04:56,350 --> 00:04:58,300 and the offices closest to it. 141 141 00:04:58,300 --> 00:05:00,120 If you're in a smaller office building, 142 142 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,560 you may only have one IDF per floor, 143 143 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,920 but if you're in a really large office building, 144 144 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,750 you may have to have multiple IDFs per floor. 145 145 00:05:07,750 --> 00:05:08,583 If this is the case, 146 146 00:05:08,583 --> 00:05:10,950 you'll usually want to go from an MDF 147 147 00:05:10,950 --> 00:05:13,500 to one of the other IDFs on a given floor. 148 148 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:15,300 And then from that IDF, 149 149 00:05:15,300 --> 00:05:17,360 which will serve as basically a mini backbone 150 150 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,590 for all the other IDFs on that particular floor. 151 151 00:05:20,590 --> 00:05:21,900 For each IDF, 152 152 00:05:21,900 --> 00:05:24,270 you're going to run the cabling through the cable trays 153 153 00:05:24,270 --> 00:05:26,930 to the individual offices and down the walls 154 154 00:05:26,930 --> 00:05:28,930 where they connect to a wall jack. 155 155 00:05:28,930 --> 00:05:32,090 These wall jacks are normally going to have RJ45 jacks 156 156 00:05:32,090 --> 00:05:33,570 in most organizations, 157 157 00:05:33,570 --> 00:05:35,960 but you can also use fiber wall jacks 158 158 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,300 if you require them for additional security, 159 159 00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:40,870 additional distance, or additional speed. 160 160 00:05:40,870 --> 00:05:43,420 All right, let's take a quick look at what it looks like 161 161 00:05:43,420 --> 00:05:45,280 when we go from the switch in an IDF 162 162 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:47,730 to the desktop of one of our end-users. 163 163 00:05:47,730 --> 00:05:48,760 When you go to your office 164 164 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,140 and you plug in your new computer into a wall jack, 165 165 00:05:51,140 --> 00:05:53,490 there is a lot that's going on behind the scenes 166 166 00:05:53,490 --> 00:05:55,920 that as an end-user, you're just not seeing. 167 167 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,650 So your computer is going to be connected to the wall jack 168 168 00:05:58,650 --> 00:06:00,230 using a patch cable. 169 169 00:06:00,230 --> 00:06:02,120 This can be a copper patch cable 170 170 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:03,670 known as a straight-through cable 171 171 00:06:03,670 --> 00:06:07,220 if you're using CAT 5, CAT 6, or CAT 7 cable. 172 172 00:06:07,220 --> 00:06:09,610 Or, you can use a fiber patch cable 173 173 00:06:09,610 --> 00:06:12,830 if you're using a fiber-based cable distribution plan. 174 174 00:06:12,830 --> 00:06:14,560 Now, if you're using a copper plant, 175 175 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:16,910 which is what we're going to talk about the rest of this part, 176 176 00:06:16,910 --> 00:06:19,810 this wall jack or wall outlet is going to have a connector, 177 177 00:06:19,810 --> 00:06:22,350 like an RJ45 connector on the front 178 178 00:06:22,350 --> 00:06:24,760 that you plug into with your copper cable. 179 179 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,580 Now, the back of this jack is going to have a punch down block 180 180 00:06:27,580 --> 00:06:29,350 that terminates a copper cable 181 181 00:06:29,350 --> 00:06:30,930 that's going to run through the walls, 182 182 00:06:30,930 --> 00:06:33,880 either up into the ceiling or down into a raised floor, 183 183 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:35,560 and then across the cable trays, 184 184 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,000 until it reaches back into your IDF, 185 185 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,340 your intermediate distribution frame. 186 186 00:06:40,340 --> 00:06:42,420 From here, the cable is going to be terminated 187 187 00:06:42,420 --> 00:06:44,790 into a larger punch down block. 188 188 00:06:44,790 --> 00:06:45,920 This punch down block 189 189 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:47,940 may be attached to the wall separately, 190 190 00:06:47,940 --> 00:06:50,930 or it may be on the backside of a patch panel. 191 191 00:06:50,930 --> 00:06:53,470 Then we're going to connect another patch cable 192 192 00:06:53,470 --> 00:06:54,880 to connect the patch panel 193 193 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:56,780 to the open port on the edge switch 194 194 00:06:56,780 --> 00:06:59,990 that's located within this intermediate distribution frame. 195 195 00:06:59,990 --> 00:07:01,640 All right, I know I just introduced 196 196 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,510 a bunch of new things and terms 197 197 00:07:03,510 --> 00:07:05,320 in that quick cabling walkthrough 198 198 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,070 that you may not be too familiar with. 199 199 00:07:07,070 --> 00:07:09,430 So let's take a moment to dig into those 200 200 00:07:09,430 --> 00:07:11,510 and then we're going to return to the distribution 201 201 00:07:11,510 --> 00:07:14,180 from the IDF to the end-user again. 202 202 00:07:14,180 --> 00:07:16,380 First, I mentioned a punch down block. 203 203 00:07:16,380 --> 00:07:19,310 Now, punch down blocks are going to be located in your MDF, 204 204 00:07:19,310 --> 00:07:20,690 your main distribution frame, 205 205 00:07:20,690 --> 00:07:23,990 and your IDF, your intermediate distribution frames. 206 206 00:07:23,990 --> 00:07:26,190 Now, there are four types of punch down blocks 207 207 00:07:26,190 --> 00:07:27,850 that you may come across in the field 208 208 00:07:27,850 --> 00:07:29,360 as a network technician. 209 209 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:34,050 A 66 block, a 110 block, a Krone block, and a BIX block. 210 210 00:07:34,050 --> 00:07:36,210 First, we have a 66 block. 211 211 00:07:36,210 --> 00:07:38,910 Now, a 66 block, also known as an M block, 212 212 00:07:38,910 --> 00:07:41,650 is used in older analog telephone systems. 213 213 00:07:41,650 --> 00:07:45,010 These older 66 blocks were designed for telephone systems 214 214 00:07:45,010 --> 00:07:47,310 initially back in 1962, 215 215 00:07:47,310 --> 00:07:50,040 and they were designed to support a 25-pair cable 216 216 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:51,800 that came in from your phone company 217 217 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,550 and they would run it to your MDF or IDF. 218 218 00:07:54,550 --> 00:07:57,270 Then you would punch down those 25-pairs 219 219 00:07:57,270 --> 00:08:00,070 into the block to connect those outside phone lines 220 220 00:08:00,070 --> 00:08:02,410 to your internal cabling for your phone lines 221 221 00:08:02,410 --> 00:08:03,760 within your building. 222 222 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:04,880 For this reason, 223 223 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,040 you're usually only going to see 66 blocks 224 224 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:08,900 in your MDF or IDFs 225 225 00:08:08,900 --> 00:08:10,210 when they're being used to terminate 226 226 00:08:10,210 --> 00:08:12,220 traditional analog phone lines. 227 227 00:08:12,220 --> 00:08:14,480 If you're going to be working with a 66 block, 228 228 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:15,900 make sure you have the right blade 229 229 00:08:15,900 --> 00:08:17,810 on your punch down tool to support it, 230 230 00:08:17,810 --> 00:08:19,240 because it is a different shape 231 231 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:20,120 than the ones that we use 232 232 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,100 in our modern network punch down blocks, 233 233 00:08:22,100 --> 00:08:24,290 which are known as 110 blocks. 234 234 00:08:24,290 --> 00:08:26,520 Now, this is the second type of block we have. 235 235 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:28,200 It's known as a 110 block, 236 236 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:29,820 and it's used almost exclusively 237 237 00:08:29,820 --> 00:08:32,310 in American-style networks and patch panels, 238 238 00:08:32,310 --> 00:08:35,470 both for voice and data applications. 239 239 00:08:35,470 --> 00:08:37,880 110 blocks support high-speed data networks 240 240 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,390 for CAT 5 and above copper cabling. 241 241 00:08:40,390 --> 00:08:43,810 The 110 block is an improved version of the 66 block, 242 242 00:08:43,810 --> 00:08:45,890 and includes the use of insulation displacement 243 243 00:08:45,890 --> 00:08:49,110 contact connectors to terminate those twisted pair cables 244 244 00:08:49,110 --> 00:08:51,000 onto those punch down blocks. 245 245 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,490 The 110 blocks use a similar punch down tool 246 246 00:08:53,490 --> 00:08:54,870 to the 66 block, 247 247 00:08:54,870 --> 00:08:56,800 except it's going to have a different blade 248 248 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:58,830 that's designed for the 110 block. 249 249 00:08:58,830 --> 00:09:02,490 Now, when you install cables on a 66 or a 110 block, 250 250 00:09:02,490 --> 00:09:05,550 you're going to use a tool known as a punch down tool. 251 251 00:09:05,550 --> 00:09:07,440 This tool comes with a small blade 252 252 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,970 that's going to be used to push the twisted pair cable 253 253 00:09:09,970 --> 00:09:12,120 down onto the teeth of the block, 254 254 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,240 and then cut off the excess cabling. 255 255 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,740 This punch down will allow the connectors on the block 256 256 00:09:16,740 --> 00:09:19,400 to bite into the cable and make the network connection 257 257 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,110 and hold the individual copper wires in place. 258 258 00:09:22,110 --> 00:09:23,330 I'm going to show you how this works 259 259 00:09:23,330 --> 00:09:25,830 in a demonstration later on in the course. 260 260 00:09:25,830 --> 00:09:27,530 The third type of block you have 261 261 00:09:27,530 --> 00:09:29,540 is going to be called a Krone block. 262 262 00:09:29,540 --> 00:09:30,530 Now, a Krone block 263 263 00:09:30,530 --> 00:09:34,190 is a proprietary European alternative to a 110 block. 264 264 00:09:34,190 --> 00:09:35,310 The Krone block was developed 265 265 00:09:35,310 --> 00:09:38,800 by a German telecommunications company back in the 1970s, 266 266 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,200 and it looks a lot like a 110 block. 267 267 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:42,280 The only real difference 268 268 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,270 is that the contacts of the punch down block 269 269 00:09:44,270 --> 00:09:47,760 are at a 45 degree angle when you're using a Krone block. 270 270 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,610 This is as opposed to the 90 degree straight-on angle 271 271 00:09:50,610 --> 00:09:52,480 used by a 110 block. 272 272 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,180 If you're going to work on a Krone block, 273 273 00:09:54,180 --> 00:09:56,920 you need to have a specific Krone-style punch down tool 274 274 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,150 due to the angling of these contacts. 275 275 00:09:59,150 --> 00:10:01,020 The fourth type of block you might encounter 276 276 00:10:01,020 --> 00:10:04,000 is known as a BIX, or B-I-X block. 277 277 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,420 Now, the BIX block is another proprietary punch down block. 278 278 00:10:07,420 --> 00:10:10,850 The BIX block was created in the 1970s by Nortel Networks, 279 279 00:10:10,850 --> 00:10:12,610 and they come in various sizes. 280 280 00:10:12,610 --> 00:10:14,620 Again, if you work on a BIX block, 281 281 00:10:14,620 --> 00:10:17,840 you're going to need a BIX-specific punch down tool. 282 282 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:19,230 Now, all that said, 283 283 00:10:19,230 --> 00:10:20,660 the most common punch down block 284 284 00:10:20,660 --> 00:10:23,700 that you're going to run across in the field is a 110 block. 285 285 00:10:23,700 --> 00:10:25,370 Personally, I've been working on networks 286 286 00:10:25,370 --> 00:10:26,620 for over two decades, 287 287 00:10:26,620 --> 00:10:28,650 and I've only worked on 110 blocks 288 288 00:10:28,650 --> 00:10:30,250 for the last 15 years or so. 289 289 00:10:30,250 --> 00:10:34,320 And before that it was a mixture of 66 and 110 blocks. 290 290 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,020 I am only mentioning the Krone and BIX blocks here 291 291 00:10:37,020 --> 00:10:39,050 in case you happen to be working overseas, 292 292 00:10:39,050 --> 00:10:40,830 or you see it on some legacy network, 293 293 00:10:40,830 --> 00:10:42,440 and you run across them. 294 294 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,010 The next thing we need to discuss is patch panels. 295 295 00:10:45,010 --> 00:10:47,190 Now, a patch panel is used to keep your data center 296 296 00:10:47,190 --> 00:10:49,060 or server room more organized, 297 297 00:10:49,060 --> 00:10:51,900 as well as making it easier to move, add, or change 298 298 00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:55,160 your cable distribution infrastructure into the future. 299 299 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:57,890 In general, a patch panel will have two sides. 300 300 00:10:57,890 --> 00:11:00,110 One side you'll find all the network jacks, 301 301 00:11:00,110 --> 00:11:02,410 such as a series of RJ45 connectors 302 302 00:11:02,410 --> 00:11:04,360 if you're using copper cabling on your network. 303 303 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:05,830 And then on the other side, 304 304 00:11:05,830 --> 00:11:08,820 you're going to find what looks like a 110 block punch down, 305 305 00:11:08,820 --> 00:11:11,300 where you're going to punch down those copper cables to. 306 306 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:13,710 So why would I want to use a patch panel? 307 307 00:11:13,710 --> 00:11:16,440 After all, can't I just put an RJ45 connector 308 308 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,330 onto the end of one of the copper cables 309 309 00:11:18,330 --> 00:11:21,790 coming into the IDF, and plug that directly into my switch? 310 310 00:11:21,790 --> 00:11:25,230 Well, you could, but it's not considered a best practice. 311 311 00:11:25,230 --> 00:11:27,960 Instead, you should always connect the wall jack's cable 312 312 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,180 to a 110 block or to the back of a patch panel. 313 313 00:11:31,180 --> 00:11:32,500 This allows the patch panel 314 314 00:11:32,500 --> 00:11:34,520 to provide you with an easy-to-use network jack 315 315 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:35,770 on the front side of it, 316 316 00:11:35,770 --> 00:11:37,440 and this can then be connected to the switch 317 317 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,060 using a patch cable. 318 318 00:11:39,060 --> 00:11:42,420 You see, patch panels are really cheap and inexpensive. 319 319 00:11:42,420 --> 00:11:44,480 And so they protect me from causing damage 320 320 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:46,380 to the more expensive network components 321 321 00:11:46,380 --> 00:11:49,510 when I'm moving people and cables around inside my networks. 322 322 00:11:49,510 --> 00:11:52,230 You see, if I was directly plugging and unplugging jacks 323 323 00:11:52,230 --> 00:11:53,210 into the switch port 324 324 00:11:53,210 --> 00:11:55,230 every single time I wanted to make a change, 325 325 00:11:55,230 --> 00:11:57,910 eventually I'm going to damage that switch port. 326 326 00:11:57,910 --> 00:12:02,190 That switch is going to cost two, three, or $4,000 to replace. 327 327 00:12:02,190 --> 00:12:03,750 Whereas if I broke the patch panel, 328 328 00:12:03,750 --> 00:12:06,580 it's only going to cost me 10 to $20 to replace. 329 329 00:12:06,580 --> 00:12:09,090 The more you plug and unplug a cable into a port, 330 330 00:12:09,090 --> 00:12:10,790 the more wear and tear occurs. 331 331 00:12:10,790 --> 00:12:13,200 And eventually that port will fail. 332 332 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,850 For this reason, I would rather the patch panel fail 333 333 00:12:15,850 --> 00:12:18,100 than a port on my expensive switch. 334 334 00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:19,820 So I'm going to punch down the cable 335 335 00:12:19,820 --> 00:12:21,370 to the back of the patch panel 336 336 00:12:21,370 --> 00:12:22,870 and connect a patch cable 337 337 00:12:22,870 --> 00:12:24,690 from the front jack of the patch panel 338 338 00:12:24,690 --> 00:12:27,580 into the port number of port number one on the switch, 339 339 00:12:27,580 --> 00:12:30,020 going from port number one of the patch panel. 340 340 00:12:30,020 --> 00:12:31,950 If I need to move that port to something else, 341 341 00:12:31,950 --> 00:12:34,690 I'll unplug it from port number one on the patch panel 342 342 00:12:34,690 --> 00:12:36,540 and plug it into the other port 343 343 00:12:36,540 --> 00:12:38,310 on the patch panel that I want. 344 344 00:12:38,310 --> 00:12:41,030 This way, I can make the switch connections directly 345 345 00:12:41,030 --> 00:12:43,870 from the patch panel instead of on the switch. 346 346 00:12:43,870 --> 00:12:45,560 This is great for network management, 347 347 00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:47,270 and it saves you a lot of troubleshooting, 348 348 00:12:47,270 --> 00:12:49,480 and prevents causing damage to the switch ports 349 349 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:50,810 on your switches. 350 350 00:12:50,810 --> 00:12:52,460 In addition to copper patch panels 351 351 00:12:52,460 --> 00:12:54,260 which rely on these punch down blocks, 352 352 00:12:54,260 --> 00:12:56,740 you may also run across fiber patch panels, 353 353 00:12:56,740 --> 00:12:59,140 which are known as fiber distribution panels. 354 354 00:12:59,140 --> 00:13:00,960 Now, unlike copper patch panels, 355 355 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,880 there is no punch down on the backside 356 356 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:04,290 of these fiber panels. 357 357 00:13:04,290 --> 00:13:06,710 Instead, these fiber distribution panels 358 358 00:13:06,710 --> 00:13:11,710 use fiber connectors like LC, ST, SC, and MTRJ. 359 359 00:13:11,820 --> 00:13:13,050 Now, both on the front 360 360 00:13:13,050 --> 00:13:15,220 and back of these fiber distribution panels, 361 361 00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:16,720 you're going to have a jack. 362 362 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,060 And essentially it's just going to be a coupler 363 363 00:13:19,060 --> 00:13:20,020 from the fiber cable 364 364 00:13:20,020 --> 00:13:22,040 connected to the backside of the patch panel, 365 365 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:23,370 to the fiber patch cable 366 366 00:13:23,370 --> 00:13:25,280 that's going to attach on the front side. 367 367 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:26,710 Then you go from the front side 368 368 00:13:26,710 --> 00:13:29,190 of the fiber distribution panel using a patch cable, 369 369 00:13:29,190 --> 00:13:31,670 up to the switch port on the switch. 370 370 00:13:31,670 --> 00:13:34,350 Another thing the fiber distribution panels can do for you, 371 371 00:13:34,350 --> 00:13:37,170 is actually connect fibers from different types. 372 372 00:13:37,170 --> 00:13:38,020 For example, 373 373 00:13:38,020 --> 00:13:41,310 you might have an SC on the back and an ST on the front, 374 374 00:13:41,310 --> 00:13:43,340 or MTRJ on the front. 375 375 00:13:43,340 --> 00:13:45,650 All right, now that we covered all the different pieces, 376 376 00:13:45,650 --> 00:13:47,790 let's put it all back together. 377 377 00:13:47,790 --> 00:13:51,000 First, I have a workstation sitting in someone's office. 378 378 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:52,320 I'm going to take a patch cable 379 379 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,140 and connect it to the wall jack. 380 380 00:13:54,140 --> 00:13:56,250 Then I'm going to take that copper cable 381 381 00:13:56,250 --> 00:13:58,750 that's being punched down on the backside of that wall jack 382 382 00:13:58,750 --> 00:14:01,560 and connect it to the IDF through the cable trays. 383 383 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:02,940 And then I'm going to punch it down 384 384 00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:05,070 to the 110 punch down block. 385 385 00:14:05,070 --> 00:14:07,350 Next, we're going to connect a copper cable 386 386 00:14:07,350 --> 00:14:09,050 from the 110 punch down block 387 387 00:14:09,050 --> 00:14:11,640 to the punch downs on the back of a patch panel. 388 388 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:13,940 Finally, we're going to connect a patch cable 389 389 00:14:13,940 --> 00:14:15,410 to the front of the patch panel, 390 390 00:14:15,410 --> 00:14:17,310 and connect that directly to the switch port 391 391 00:14:17,310 --> 00:14:18,580 on my switch. 392 392 00:14:18,580 --> 00:14:21,470 If I wanted to use fiber instead of copper here, I could. 393 393 00:14:21,470 --> 00:14:24,010 We would just replace the switch with a fiber switch, 394 394 00:14:24,010 --> 00:14:26,290 the patch panel with a fiber distribution panel, 395 395 00:14:26,290 --> 00:14:28,740 and the wall jack with a fiber wall jack. 396 396 00:14:28,740 --> 00:14:31,550 In either case we're allowing this one long run 397 397 00:14:31,550 --> 00:14:34,430 from the end-user's desktop, all the way to the switch 398 398 00:14:34,430 --> 00:14:36,800 to be broken down into multiple pieces. 399 399 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:38,700 This gives us additional flexibility 400 400 00:14:38,700 --> 00:14:41,410 if we need to move it or repair it later on. 401 401 00:14:41,410 --> 00:14:43,320 By connecting everything in this manner, 402 402 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:44,950 our cable distribution system 403 403 00:14:44,950 --> 00:14:46,110 is going to be working together 404 404 00:14:46,110 --> 00:14:48,170 in a typical copper cable installation, 405 405 00:14:48,170 --> 00:14:50,750 and give us lots of places where we can troubleshoot 406 406 00:14:50,750 --> 00:14:53,110 or fix things if something breaks. 407 407 00:14:53,110 --> 00:14:54,510 I don't have to run a single cable 408 408 00:14:54,510 --> 00:14:56,460 from the switch all the way through the wall 409 409 00:14:56,460 --> 00:14:59,460 and back to the end-user every time I have a problem. 410 410 00:14:59,460 --> 00:15:01,380 Instead, let's pretend that I have a cable 411 411 00:15:01,380 --> 00:15:03,570 that breaks between the switch and the patch panel. 412 412 00:15:03,570 --> 00:15:06,920 Well, I can just unplug it and replace that patch cable. 413 413 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:08,770 If one between the punch down block 414 414 00:15:08,770 --> 00:15:10,310 and the patch panel gets broken, 415 415 00:15:10,310 --> 00:15:12,680 I could just replace that and re punch it down. 416 416 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,680 It would just take me a couple of seconds. 417 417 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:16,940 By having a lot of different places to troubleshoot 418 418 00:15:16,940 --> 00:15:18,260 or fix this cable at, 419 419 00:15:18,260 --> 00:15:19,750 it's going to give me more options 420 420 00:15:19,750 --> 00:15:22,380 to get the network up and running that much quicker 421 421 00:15:22,380 --> 00:15:23,710 if I have to do something 422 422 00:15:23,710 --> 00:15:26,090 to troubleshoot an issue for a customer. 423 423 00:15:26,090 --> 00:15:28,620 This way I don't have to run an entirely new cable 424 424 00:15:28,620 --> 00:15:30,620 every time somebody wants to move a machine 425 425 00:15:30,620 --> 00:15:33,020 or every time a machine has a cable that gets broken 426 426 00:15:33,020 --> 00:15:35,523 somewhere between the switch and that end-user.