The working principle of a patch panel is essentially to terminate permanent cables (i.e., in-wall cables or backbone cables) on the back of the patch panel, while patch cords are used to connect the ports on the front of the patch panel to network switches, routers, or servers. This design makes network management, troubleshooting, and expansion much easier.
Fiber optic patch panels, equipped with LC, SC, and MTP adapters, are primarily used in data centers and telecom equipment rooms. A wide variety of mainstream commercial models are available on the market:
- Skywardcable Fiber Optic Patch Panels: Capable of holding up to 144 fiber optic cables in 1U space, supporting MPO systems, pre-fabricated modules, and 40G-10G conversion modules, adapting to various networking needs.
- High-Density Fiber Optic Patch Panels: Modular sliding design, supporting up to 96 LC interfaces and 48 SC interfaces, with hinged cable management rods for patch cord protection and easy labeling and management.
- MPO/MTP Distribution Panels: Designed specifically for 40G/100G high-speed networks, accommodating 144 fiber optic cables in 1U space, providing comprehensive protection for equipment room patch cords, and offering excellent scalability.
The Ethernet copper patch panel features a straight-through and crimp design, compatible with Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6e shielded/unshielded copper cables. It typically uses RJ45 ports and offers 12, 24, and 48 port options. Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprise office server rooms and standard networking scenarios.
The Keystone Patch Panel is essentially a standard rack-mount panel (typically 19 inches) with multiple standard Keystone mounting holes.
You can insert different functional Keystone modules, such as:
RJ45 network modules (Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6A)
Fiber optic modules (LC/SC coupler)
HDMI modules
USB modules
Telephone modules (RJ11)
BNC modules (coaxial for surveillance)
Audio/video modules
