Quantcast
Channel: Geekzone forums: LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth)
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 4198

Home Network Enclosure & Patch Panels

$
0
0
Doing a deep retrofit of an old house, so all the gib is currently off... Planning on installing a mix of Cat6 and Cat5e cables into all rooms in the next day or so. (have the cable already). However, I only have a few days before I'll be holding the builder up as the first gib is put back... so need to move fast.Trying to work out the best home network enclosure to use to terminate them all. I have the ideal cupboard off the room which will be the home office, which is at the very centre of the house. I am planning on buying a 28" or 30" size enclosure to go in that cupboard recessed between the studs.I've looked at the products from Dynamix, Signet, Maser, HPM & Leviton units. Any other brands I should be considering?The most appealing is potentially the RF Transparent 30" Enclosure from Leviton. Being made of Plastic would allow me to mount WiFi/DECT/etc units in there if desired, compared to the rest which are metal enclosures which would reduce RF signal strength. As a bonus I can get it at an exceptional price too (about 20% cheaper than the metal ones).So my main concern with the Leviton is that the really smart looking Leviton patch panels are ridiculously expensive (at least 5 times the price of other brand's panels), so the won't using them inside the enclosure. That means I'll want to use possibly Dynamix or Signet Panels inside the Leviton... or even just regular 19" rack panels but mounted vertically. However since all the measurements on the Leviton specs are listed in inches, my concern is that the mountings may be laid out in an imperial spacing which might make it harder to use with potentially metric mounting on panels from other brands. Equally, 19" racks are clearly measured in inches too, so maybe it isn't a problem. Looking at the photos the grid looks pretty varied so hopefully there will be some that are useful for different branded panels, but unfortunately I can't see the grid spacings listed anywhere. Equally I could definitely bodge them to fit if needed, but better and neater to just work as designed out of the box!If I decide the Leviton is too risky, another option would be to buy a different brand: So does anyone know of other brands (other than Leviton) that make a similar plastic home network enclosure? Exact size doesn't matter, in fact I probably have 550 wide space, so it could be wider and less high instead. ...Or just get a metal enclosure like everyone else and just find other places to mount my wireless devices!Of course which enclosure I get will determine what size conduit could be fitted and the locations of the entry points hence wanting it before I run the first cables on Friday so I can drill the appropriate holes for the configuration required.At a push, if I can't decide in time, I could leave the bare wires with spare tails coiled near the cupboard and work that out later. However ideally, I'd get a enclosure in the next day or two, and mount it ready, so that I can run my cables straight in, and mount any conduit I might decide to use before running the cables.Other background info shaping my decisions:

Current plans are for up to 30 Cat6 sockets (2, 4 or 6 per location) round the house.

Naked VDSL Broadband terminated in enclosure.

2 Voip lines being routed from an old Billion router in the enclosure out to various sockets round the house via some sort of telephone distribution panel.

No direct plans for Coax install since we don't currently ever watch TV and therefore don't even ehave an aerial. However since the gib is off, I guess I should either put in at least a few runs back to the enclosure, or possibly use conduit and drawcords so I can install them later if I change my mind.

Hope to get Fibre in my neighbourhood in 2017, so want to future proof and leave an enclosure big enough for all the fibre gear.

Thinking of leaving a dedicated empty conduit just for the Chorus connections (even if I don't run conduit elsewhere).

Wanting to install an alarm too, but will probably mount it in its own metal box alongside (although mounting in the network enclosure is an option depending what I buy)

Considering 12v UPS solution for in the box. Either make my own, or possibly a Powerbrick unit.

Anything else I should be thinking of?Any thoughts on the Leviton enclosure mounting grid spacings and whether it should be OK?Any alternative plastic units to consider?Any good arguments why metal would be better?I'm leaning towards taking the risk, and just ordering the Leviton, but thought I'd ask the collective wisdom of the GeekZone experts.So what would you do?Thanks for reading....Mike

Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 4198

Trending Articles