Moving a patch panel

DogsBody

DogsBody

DogsBody

Permabanned
Joined
6 Aug 2010
Posts
941
Location
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Hello,

I have recently moved into a new house which I had wired with ethernet throughout.
I didn't think the location of the patch panel through very well though and am now seriously considering moving it.

The current scenario is all walls are dot n dab plasterboarding.
Their are currently 20 runs of cat 6 going into one of the bedrooms (converted to office) they exit the wall through a standard double backbox and are covered with a brush plate, location approx 18inches from the floor.

I cannot just pull new wires as they are not run in conduit.

If I can get wire behind the dot n dab straight up into the attic I can relocate the patch panel very easily. I was going to have a go at fishing behind the plasterboard from the atticspace.

what I would like to do is connect the existing wires to the proposed new wires somehow AND hide that in the wall and plaster over it (or at worst hide the wires beind a blanking plate)


Making a single neat channel up the wall just to feed the wires through is a consideration, the new location is easy to sort out once I have wiring into the attic.

How would be best to tackle this ?
 
It's worth trying to fish behind the plasterboard, but you'd have to be very lucky to pull 20 cables in that way.

If you do have to cut the wall don't create a single channel all the way up. Try to get away with a few holes in a line which you can pass the cables between. Once the cables are in you should be able to glue pieces of plasterboard back into the holes you've created and skim it over.

If you have to join the cables leave the joints accessible behind a blank faceplate.
 
bremen1874 said:
It's worth trying to fish behind the plasterboard, but you'd have to be very lucky to pull 20 cables in that way.

If you do have to cut the wall don't create a single channel all the way up. Try to get away with a few holes in a line which you can pass the cables between. Once the cables are in you should be able to glue pieces of plasterboard back into the holes you've created and skim it over.

If you have to join the cables leave the joints accessible behind a blank faceplate.
Click to expand...

What do I use to join the cables ?
Google results in mainly US sites that reccomend a 110 block but I can't seem to find one over here in the uk.
 
In the UK Krone is more common than 110. Just Google 'cat6 junction box' and you should find something.

You'll probably find that they take up too much space, especially with 20 cables to extend. I'd just use butt joints and leave them accessible.
 
bremen1874 said:
In the UK Krone is more common than 110. Just Google 'cat6 junction box' and you should find something.

You'll probably find that they take up too much space, especially with 20 cables to extend. I'd just use butt joints and leave them accessible.
Click to expand...
what are butt joints ?
 
Would that mean your thinking of putting the switch in the attic too then? I'm currently planning a home cabling project and whilst researching the satellite aerial options it seemed frowned upon to be putting electrical equipment in the loft. Lack of air circulation, heat, risk of overheating and causing fire. However, the developer of my fairly new build home saw fit to terminate all the aerial cables to the loft with an amplifier up there. I would think the greater cooling challenge could reduce the life expectancy of the equipment though. Fortunately I've got a cupboard in the loft room to use for network gear but will be looking towards fanless design switches to keep the noise level to a minimum. As it's a bedroom the ventilation will naturally be regulated to within comfortable levels opposed to a loft.

OP you don't mention the motivation for wanting to relocate the patch panel? If the room is still to remain an office could you not just put a cupboard around it and cut a whole in the back of it?
 
Don't want to install it in the loft no, for the reasons you have stated.
reasons to want to move it is the space it is taking up in current position, if I moved it, it would be moved to a location that is currently not being used for anything (and can't really be used for anything either.)
 
bremen1874 said:
I should have said coupler. Google 'cat6 coupler' and you'll find them. Your cables will need plugs on the ends, but that isn't difficult.
Click to expand...

I have had a look for butt joints and they just seem to do what an inline couple does but with a connecter on teh end of both cables instead of into a junction box.

As for junction boxes, I have only manage to find ones that do single cables, that would be ok if I only had 3 or 4 but trying to hide 20 of those behind a wall would be pretty difficult. Do you know where I might fine one that does 8/16/24 connections ?

Cheers
James
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom