Server Rack..How would you clean this up?

[Tengu]

Hi, how would you run the cables?

Would you use short cables? say 25cm or less?
OR
Run long cables from the switch out to the right and back to the patch panel?

My understanding is that the benefit of the long cables is that you can pull one device out (like I had to today) and you don't have to disconnect them...

Thanks

 

[catcamstar]

Indeed, longer cables can be helpful for rack works, but you'll "swing" them to the right/left side. We did that at work. At home, I punched 20cm cables which are very neat, and enough for "home-use".

There is no "scientifical" guidance, however google learned me the following quote:

For Category 5e and 6, there is no minimum length requirement. ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1 in Annex K does give a warning about reflected FEXT on shorter links with minimally compliant components. The obvious solution is not to purchase minimally compliant components. In the early days of Cat 6 when vendors were struggling to do better than marginally compliant, short links were an issue. Today, this is not an issue if you stay with a main stream vendor.

Within this same standard, there is also advice on distance when using a consolidation point. It advises a minimum distance of 5 m between the CP and TO. In ISO/IEC they are a little more clearer is specifying 15 m between the DP and CP. This is all for Category 6/Class E.

With regards to Category 6A, there is a minimum length requirement - kind of. In Annex J of ANSI/TIA-568-B.2-10 is describes worst case modeling using a 10 m link. The suggestion therefore is that you should not go less than 10 m. But again, that is with minimally compliant components. As with Category 6 stated above, there are now components available that will give you passing field tests below 10 m. HOWEVER, even vendors with good components may still have a minimum length requirement in their design specifications. The only way to know where you stand is to talk to the vendor AND test it to see.

If you are talking specifically about patch cords, then 0.5 m is the implied minimum length in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1 for a certified patch cord. That's because the math for the limit lines really does not work below this. Infact, getting a certified patch cord of 0.5 is going to be tricky. Many vendors only offer a certified patch cord of 1.0 m or longer. I suspect that this may be the most useful information with regards to your question.

 

[Valiant]

I like to be able to trace where a cable goes to/ comes from. Personally I would use short cables.

 

[copex]

i would remove the cable management, move the top switch up one U, then move up the Cat6 panel between the switches, the replace the cable management below the switch, finally replace the patch cables with shorter ones

 

[Tengu]

catcamstar and Valiant, thank you both for your input. I've still not decided but you have both given me something to think about...

 

[Tengu]

copex, thanks for your input its greatly appreciated.
I'd love to be able to remove the cable management, but unfortunately the monitor is sitting on it. While I do have a bracket for the monitor, I find it impossible to work with unless I remove everything from the rack. At the moment the top switch isn't being used and may never be, and like you I wanted to put the patch panel between the two switches but the top one does't have ears so its just sitting on top of the one below. I could possibly sit the top one the PC below the patch panel .....

 

[catcamstar]

If your monitor is the "blocking" factor, you might opt for an (in my opinion wauw but bit expensive) slidescreen solution:

 

[Tengu]

catcamstar, I've looked at things like that but my cabinet isn't very deep so a lot of things don't fit. Plus its nice to have the screen always "on" so I can view the IP cams.

 

[TonyR]

Cheapest and quickest solution could possibly be shorter patch cables.

Maybe try a piece of Panduit ducting, black with snap-on lid as below. Choose the size for your need, cut with hacksaw to fit, place below the patch panel if possible or (ideally) lower something to fit the Panduit between patch panel and the switch, tuck excess patch cable lengths in the Panduit duct.

 

[TonyR]

Or even better, something like this, found here.

 

[bp2008]

I know I am not the best one to ask, but if you ask me the only thing to do to improve this would be shorter patch cables so they don't stick out as far. I regularly use 1ft cables for short distances like this. I buy them in 5 or 10 packs from Amazon, and I prefer the mixed-color packs so I can color code things if they are close together.

If the monitor is ever decided to be too large, there are 1U keyboard/touchpad/monitor devices that slide in and out like a laptop in a drawer. Or you could get an 11-15 inch portable monitor from Asus or any number of Chinese brands. These are super-compact.

 

[cage771]

As was mentioned, I would put the patch panel between the two switches and use shorter jumpers. I color code so I know at a glance what is a camera (red), what is standard data (yellow), what is a VOIP phone (blue), what is an uplink (black), etc. Anyone with a bit of network experience can look at my racks and figure out what is what. No need for notes or documentation.

I need to finish some cable management on the back of my home rack through......its not as nice as I want it......but still have more to add.

 

[Casagrande]

Use the same (length of) cables.
Wind them in a loop.
Hold the loop together with (one or) two tyraps.
After both connectors are plugged in lay de loops flat to the front by pushing them to the left or right.
You could bind the loop in that position with a tyrap again.

 

[ijdod]

Either shorter cables, or longer cables in combination with some sort of cable management.

 

[J Sigmo]

Often, ironically, making an installation look its best makes it harder to work on later.

And I've been known to tell people: "The electrons don't care."

Ideally, color coding and good labeling at every end is very handy. And the velcro and other removable cable securing devices are nice when tracing runs and then putting things back.

The wire loom is nice, too.

For me, I want the system to be easy to follow and easy to work on more than have it be a work of visual art.

It's different for a product where you do not anticipate frequent modifications. But for a network patch bay, I always imagine needing to access and modify things often.

It doesn't have to be ugly, or untidy. But it also doesn't pay to bundle things super tight so that you end up cutting off hundreds of cable ties every time you add or move something.