Any server room guys here? We're moving into one of your old buildings. What are these cables?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Any server room guys here? We're moving into one of your old buildings. What are these cables?

b0rg

94 posts

Master Geek

#208622 20-Feb-2017 15:12

Hey Spark,

I'm overseeing the IT side of an office move to one of your old sites. It's decked out in a way I've never seen and I'd like to know what I'm dealing with!

I'm assuming these are for patching office ports to another board of the same ports, which is hard wired to cables that we plug into the switches. Some are big head, which appears to do four ports at once? Is that correct?

Then there are thin ones which I just found and I guess they do a single port each?

https://imgur.com/a/e2hTy

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#1723089 20-Feb-2017 15:35

http://www.commscope.com/Product-Catalog/Enterprise/Brand/SYSTIMAX--Patching-Solutions/VisiPatch-360-/

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chevrolux

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#1723090 20-Feb-2017 15:35

Hahaha oh dear.... Krone 'Patch by-Exception'... or at least a similar product. Gen-i (now Spark Digital) really liked this cabling system... god only knows why!

So you should have a set of columns which are links across to the cabinet with all the switching gear in it (lets called this F-side for feeder), then you should have a set of columns which are the cables going out to the wall outlets (lets call it d-side for distribution). The idea is you then take a piece of cable from the f-side to d-side and actually punch it down on those blocks with a Krone tool. That connector you have there is supposed to be for temporary connections - and are sometimes a little dodgy anyway.

The only good thing is that generally the labelling on these racks are spot on becuase if they werent they become an absolute bastard to work out.

Oblivian

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#1723097 20-Feb-2017 15:40

That's called patch by exception framework.

Saves punching and lots of cables in 1 cabinet. Consider it a split cabling, you join the dots in the middle to get to the infrastructure.

1 half hard wired to the cabinet drops

1 half hard wired to the building outlets (or demarc)

You throw a cable (4pr) onto each end of where you want to complete the link.

And then run a cable from switch to the panel in the cabinet. www.commscope.com/Docs/HighBand-Patch-by-Exception-WP-105865-AE.pdf

/ninja edit Beaten

b0rg

94 posts

Master Geek

#1723100 20-Feb-2017 15:44

Thank you guys! Do you know if the one I'm holding in the close-up picture does 4 ports? That's just a guess I'm making based on the other cable (in the other photo) only appearing to fit one slot, while the big one covers four.

It's different, but I'm looking forward to it because of that. I don't have to change stuff too often, and my records are pretty good, so if I can master this once I'll be sorted!

Wibbleman

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1723109 20-Feb-2017 15:49

b0rg:

Thank you guys! Do you know if the one I'm holding in the close-up picture does 4 ports? That's just a guess I'm making based on the other cable (in the other photo) only appearing to fit one slot, while the big one covers four.

It's different, but I'm looking forward to it because of that. I don't have to change stuff too often, and my records are pretty good, so if I can master this once I'll be sorted!

No, the one in the close up picture does 4 pairs, which is a single port. the thin one you would only use for a phone/fax.

b0rg

94 posts

Master Geek

#1723128 20-Feb-2017 16:09

Wibbleman:

b0rg:

Thank you guys! Do you know if the one I'm holding in the close-up picture does 4 ports? That's just a guess I'm making based on the other cable (in the other photo) only appearing to fit one slot, while the big one covers four.

It's different, but I'm looking forward to it because of that. I don't have to change stuff too often, and my records are pretty good, so if I can master this once I'll be sorted!

No, the one in the close up picture does 4 pairs, which is a single port. the thin one you would only use for a phone/fax.

I just figured this out a few seconds before your reply, thanks for confirming my suspicion. That's a shame, I guess we'll need to order some more, the site came with a box but not enough for all our needs. Maybe half which is better than none!

I wonder if there are local suppliers for these!

Wibbleman

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1723134 20-Feb-2017 16:22

b0rg:

Wibbleman:

b0rg:

Thank you guys! Do you know if the one I'm holding in the close-up picture does 4 ports? That's just a guess I'm making based on the other cable (in the other photo) only appearing to fit one slot, while the big one covers four.

It's different, but I'm looking forward to it because of that. I don't have to change stuff too often, and my records are pretty good, so if I can master this once I'll be sorted!

No, the one in the close up picture does 4 pairs, which is a single port. the thin one you would only use for a phone/fax.

I just figured this out a few seconds before your reply, thanks for confirming my suspicion. That's a shame, I guess we'll need to order some more, the site came with a box but not enough for all our needs. Maybe half which is better than none!

I wonder if there are local suppliers for these!

Why do you need the cables? you can just use a punchdown tool to connect ports up together. The cable with the bladed connections is supposed to only be used for Temp connections. (and quite expensive from memory).

Ie. just take all the doors off, and then do custom cable runs between the panels.

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b0rg

94 posts

Master Geek

#1723141 20-Feb-2017 16:34

I often need to move ports- in the past 2 years I think I've done a total of 50 desk moves across 15 people, requiring a change of ports and patching.

I just saw a video on doing it, and it looks easy, but having never done it before, I have no idea what I need- do I need to punch each pair individually per port? Do I need to get specific wires to connect each side of the cabinet?

I'm going to be patching up about 100 machines, so the simpler and quicker I can make it, the better!

Oblivian

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#1723169 20-Feb-2017 17:53

box of cat5. colour coded cable. punch the switch side. run it over to port side. cut, punch.

thw colours on the panel match the cat5. full colour in the colour, stripe in unmarked beside it.

if I see it right

chevrolux

4962 posts

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Inactive user

#1723225 20-Feb-2017 19:16

As above, those big connectors are quite unreliable - and very expensive.

305m Box of cat5e - $200, proper krone tool (assuming Krone) - $80 (or $20 for a knock off one).

chevrolux

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#1723228 20-Feb-2017 19:20

I'm going to be patching up about 100 machines, so the simpler and quicker I can make it, the better!

Hahahahahaha..... that is something this cabling system is not!!!

Waiting for a comment from @nbroad ...he knows a thing or two about this cabling.

b0rg

94 posts

Master Geek

#1723610 21-Feb-2017 11:52

Thanks for you input! I'm a bit worried about two things:

Do we need to manually punch each cable every time we want to liven a new port?

You mentioned a few times that the grey cables are unreliable. Would you say significantly worse than CAT6? I'm curious because we have 57 of those, left from Spark I believe. If they were that unreliable, why would they buy so many?
Why would the company keep making and selling them if they weren't living up to the sales pitch of being more reliable and saving cost at the same time? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just want to understand since this setup is about to become my responsibility.

nbroad

320 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1723658 21-Feb-2017 12:32

chevrolux:

I'm going to be patching up about 100 machines, so the simpler and quicker I can make it, the better!

Hahahahahaha..... that is something this cabling system is not!!!

Waiting for a comment from @nbroad ...he knows a thing or two about this cabling.

Yeeeeep!!!! Know it well!

A little time consuming to put a patch in... that's why we got @chevrolux old crew do do all our initial patching for us.

Looks very neat and tidy when all done and the covers are on.

The temp patch leads are very unreliable... don't use them!

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1723678 21-Feb-2017 13:00

b0rg:

Thanks for you input! I'm a bit worried about two things:

Do we need to manually punch each cable every time we want to liven a new port?

You mentioned a few times that the grey cables are unreliable. Would you say significantly worse than CAT6? I'm curious because we have 57 of those, left from Spark I believe. If they were that unreliable, why would they buy so many?
Why would the company keep making and selling them if they weren't living up to the sales pitch of being more reliable and saving cost at the same time? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just want to understand since this setup is about to become my responsibility.

The problem I found with those plugs is they just didn't seat very well on the connectors - however we were using the Krone solution and this looks like another brand so may be different. So while they worked fine when plugged in, the smallest bump could knock the connection off - and I say that after having to test 600+ outlets with the dam plug and getting lots of fails without holding the plug in nice and tight.

And yes you need to punch in another cable each time. As Nigel mentioned, does look quite cool when all patched up properly but just very time consuming. Also, in theory, it should be quite reliable as the connection is very permanent compared to say an RJ45 patch panel - however, i just do not see the advantage at all compared to a normal patch panel. The switch racks end up looking very tidy too I suppose so maybe that's a big enough benefit.

nbroad

320 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1723690 21-Feb-2017 13:13

I wonder if this VisiPatch system does indeed have punchdown blocks? I can't really tell from the photos.

Maybe you have to use their patch leads?

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