1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:00,960 In this lesson, 2 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,660 we're going to cover cable distribution systems. 3 00:00:03,660 --> 00:00:06,240 Now, a cable distribution system is an organized system 4 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:07,830 to connect the network's backbone 5 00:00:07,830 --> 00:00:09,480 in the main distribution frame 6 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:11,370 to the intermediate distribution frame, 7 00:00:11,370 --> 00:00:14,220 and then finally to the end user's wall jacks. 8 00:00:14,220 --> 00:00:15,993 When we design a cable distribution system, 9 00:00:15,993 --> 00:00:18,030 it should be hierarchal in nature 10 00:00:18,030 --> 00:00:20,640 so that each cable run is logically placed safely, 11 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,760 securely, and functionally inside of our buildings. 12 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:25,020 When fully installed, 13 00:00:25,020 --> 00:00:26,340 there are a lot of different components 14 00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:28,500 that make up our cable distribution systems, 15 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:30,270 including the demarcation point, 16 00:00:30,270 --> 00:00:31,710 the main distribution frame, 17 00:00:31,710 --> 00:00:33,540 the intermediate distribution frame, 18 00:00:33,540 --> 00:00:35,310 the racks, the patch panels, 19 00:00:35,310 --> 00:00:37,410 and the fiber distribution panels. 20 00:00:37,410 --> 00:00:39,810 First we have the demarcation point. 21 00:00:39,810 --> 00:00:41,640 The demarcation point is the location 22 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,380 at which the internet service provider's connection 23 00:00:43,380 --> 00:00:44,310 is going to end, 24 00:00:44,310 --> 00:00:45,630 and your network infrastructure 25 00:00:45,630 --> 00:00:47,610 and cabling will actually begin. 26 00:00:47,610 --> 00:00:50,070 This demarcation point signifies the entrance 27 00:00:50,070 --> 00:00:51,510 where your wide area network connection 28 00:00:51,510 --> 00:00:53,820 is actually going to enter your facility. 29 00:00:53,820 --> 00:00:54,924 In most office buildings, 30 00:00:54,924 --> 00:00:56,760 there's a telecommunications closet 31 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:58,440 that contains a box inside of it, 32 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,110 and this will serve as your demarcation point. 33 00:01:01,110 --> 00:01:03,005 Basically, your internet service provider, 34 00:01:03,005 --> 00:01:04,769 whether you're using a cable company 35 00:01:04,769 --> 00:01:05,603 or a phone company, 36 00:01:05,603 --> 00:01:06,960 is going to be responsible 37 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:08,340 for making sure the connection works 38 00:01:08,340 --> 00:01:10,680 up until that demarcation point. 39 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:12,713 Anything that goes wrong after it reaches that box, 40 00:01:12,713 --> 00:01:14,314 which is your demarcation point, 41 00:01:14,314 --> 00:01:18,000 is now your organization's responsibility to fix and repair 42 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:19,740 because all of those cables are considered 43 00:01:19,740 --> 00:01:21,870 to be part of your own network infrastructure 44 00:01:21,870 --> 00:01:23,970 and cable distribution system. 45 00:01:23,970 --> 00:01:26,070 Most often, this demarcation point 46 00:01:26,070 --> 00:01:28,740 will be located in your main distribution frame. 47 00:01:28,740 --> 00:01:31,830 Your main distribution frame, also known as the MDF, 48 00:01:31,830 --> 00:01:33,360 will serve as your main starting point 49 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,160 for all of your interior cabling 50 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,470 that is going to be distributed throughout your building. 51 00:01:37,470 --> 00:01:39,210 Every other telecommunications closet 52 00:01:39,210 --> 00:01:40,043 you have in your building 53 00:01:40,043 --> 00:01:43,560 is going to reach back into this main distribution frame too. 54 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:45,780 I like to think about it like a trunk of a tree 55 00:01:45,780 --> 00:01:46,980 where all the smaller branches 56 00:01:46,980 --> 00:01:49,307 are going to go out to form smaller distribution frames 57 00:01:49,307 --> 00:01:53,430 that we call intermediate distribution frames or IDFs. 58 00:01:53,430 --> 00:01:55,109 Inside of your main distribution frame, 59 00:01:55,109 --> 00:01:57,750 you're going to find your main point of presence router 60 00:01:57,750 --> 00:01:59,400 and your backbone switch. 61 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,080 This switch is called the backbone 62 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:02,670 because everything else in the network 63 00:02:02,670 --> 00:02:04,440 will connect back into it. 64 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:05,519 If you have a small network, 65 00:02:05,519 --> 00:02:08,160 you may only have one 24-port switch 66 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,810 that's going to serve all of your users, 67 00:02:09,810 --> 00:02:12,000 and in that case, that single switch 68 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,640 is going to be considered your backbone switch. 69 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:16,519 But if you work for a larger organization 70 00:02:16,519 --> 00:02:18,577 with hundreds or thousands of users, 71 00:02:18,577 --> 00:02:20,760 you're going to need more than one switch. 72 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,010 So you're going to have a backbone switch, 73 00:02:23,010 --> 00:02:25,140 and then you're going to connect smaller edge switches 74 00:02:25,140 --> 00:02:27,150 in each intermediate distribution frame, 75 00:02:27,150 --> 00:02:29,400 and they're going to connect back to your backbone switch 76 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,151 that's located inside of your main distribution frame. 77 00:02:32,151 --> 00:02:34,500 Now to connect the main distribution frame 78 00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:36,157 to the intermediate distribution frames, 79 00:02:36,157 --> 00:02:37,844 we're going to install cable trays 80 00:02:37,844 --> 00:02:40,530 and then we'll run our cables within these trays. 81 00:02:40,530 --> 00:02:43,590 A cable tray is simply a unit or assembly of units 82 00:02:43,590 --> 00:02:45,600 that form a rigid structural system 83 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,850 to securely support the cables and raceways 84 00:02:47,850 --> 00:02:49,290 that are used by your cables 85 00:02:49,290 --> 00:02:51,360 as they're moving across the building. 86 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,250 When we run our cables horizontally, 87 00:02:53,250 --> 00:02:55,282 we're going to do this inside of these cable trays, 88 00:02:55,282 --> 00:02:57,306 and these trays are usually going to be located 89 00:02:57,306 --> 00:03:00,780 up in the drop ceiling or underneath a raised floor 90 00:03:00,780 --> 00:03:03,270 depending on how your building was constructed. 91 00:03:03,270 --> 00:03:04,920 Now, as you move vertically up or down 92 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:06,069 between the floors of your building, 93 00:03:06,069 --> 00:03:07,590 you're going to run your cables 94 00:03:07,590 --> 00:03:09,360 through a vertical cross-connect. 95 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,220 In general, it's a best practice 96 00:03:11,220 --> 00:03:12,451 to minimize the number of cables 97 00:03:12,451 --> 00:03:15,480 that you have crossing between your floors vertically. 98 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,360 For this reason, we're usually only going to run trunk cables 99 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:19,775 to connect your main distribution frame 100 00:03:19,775 --> 00:03:21,020 and its backbone switch 101 00:03:21,020 --> 00:03:23,280 out to the intermediate distribution frames 102 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:24,390 and their edge routers 103 00:03:24,390 --> 00:03:26,670 through those vertical cross-connects. 104 00:03:26,670 --> 00:03:27,994 Inside your distribution frames, 105 00:03:27,994 --> 00:03:29,670 you'll also find one or more racks 106 00:03:29,670 --> 00:03:31,420 that house your network equipment. 107 00:03:31,420 --> 00:03:33,150 These racks are going to be designed 108 00:03:33,150 --> 00:03:35,310 to hold various devices like switches, routers, 109 00:03:35,310 --> 00:03:37,200 patch panels, and servers 110 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,420 to help facilitate efficient space management 111 00:03:39,420 --> 00:03:42,330 and easy access for your ongoing network maintenance. 112 00:03:42,330 --> 00:03:44,880 These racks are typically made out of sturdy materials 113 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:46,049 to support the weight of the equipment 114 00:03:46,049 --> 00:03:48,283 and may include features like adjustable shelves, 115 00:03:48,283 --> 00:03:51,960 cable management systems, and lockable doors for security. 116 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:53,982 These racks come in various shapes and sizes, 117 00:03:53,982 --> 00:03:57,210 but the four most common are called 2-post racks, 118 00:03:57,210 --> 00:04:01,110 4-post racks, wall-mounted racks and rack enclosures. 119 00:04:01,110 --> 00:04:04,110 Now, a 2-post rack is designed with two vertical posts, 120 00:04:04,110 --> 00:04:05,790 and it's commonly used for lighter equipment 121 00:04:05,790 --> 00:04:07,600 or for patch panels and network cabling 122 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,170 inside of a telecommunication setup. 123 00:04:10,170 --> 00:04:13,110 A 4-post rack is designed with four vertical posts, 124 00:04:13,110 --> 00:04:14,520 and it offers enhanced stability 125 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,079 and support that makes it ideal 126 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:17,744 for heavier equipment like servers, 127 00:04:17,744 --> 00:04:20,970 UPS systems and large network hardware. 128 00:04:20,970 --> 00:04:23,370 Wall-mounted racks are space saving solutions 129 00:04:23,370 --> 00:04:25,290 that are used for smaller networking equipment 130 00:04:25,290 --> 00:04:27,630 and are ideal for environments with limited floor space 131 00:04:27,630 --> 00:04:29,970 and for housing peripheral network components. 132 00:04:29,970 --> 00:04:31,530 I also use wall-mounted racks 133 00:04:31,530 --> 00:04:33,720 to host edge switches inside of offices 134 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,370 when an intermediate distribution frame 135 00:04:35,370 --> 00:04:38,430 was not built into the original office designs. 136 00:04:38,430 --> 00:04:39,630 A full cabinet rack, 137 00:04:39,630 --> 00:04:41,280 also known as a rack enclosure 138 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:44,580 is a fully enclosed rack with sides, doors, and a top, 139 00:04:44,580 --> 00:04:47,100 and this offers us a secure and protected environment 140 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:50,190 for high-value equipment like servers, networking devices, 141 00:04:50,190 --> 00:04:51,700 and data storage hardware. 142 00:04:51,700 --> 00:04:54,528 If you're using a wall mounted rack or a rack enclosure, 143 00:04:54,528 --> 00:04:56,857 these also have the option to have a lock installed 144 00:04:56,857 --> 00:04:59,168 that can be locked and unlocked using a key 145 00:04:59,168 --> 00:05:01,590 to keep your servers and other equipment safe 146 00:05:01,590 --> 00:05:04,200 and inaccessible to unauthorized people. 147 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,382 Now, inside of our intermediate distribution frames, 148 00:05:06,382 --> 00:05:07,980 we're going to place any equipment 149 00:05:07,980 --> 00:05:10,500 that we need to support the offices and workstations 150 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:12,240 that are located closest to it. 151 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,010 If you're in a smaller office building, 152 00:05:14,010 --> 00:05:15,030 you're likely only going to have 153 00:05:15,030 --> 00:05:18,210 one intermediate distribution frame located on each floor, 154 00:05:18,210 --> 00:05:19,580 but if you're in a larger building, 155 00:05:19,580 --> 00:05:22,350 you may have multiple intermediate distribution frames 156 00:05:22,350 --> 00:05:24,000 on each of those floors. 157 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:24,833 If that's the case, 158 00:05:24,833 --> 00:05:26,070 then you're usually going to go 159 00:05:26,070 --> 00:05:27,206 from the main distribution frame 160 00:05:27,206 --> 00:05:29,490 to one of the intermediate distribution frames 161 00:05:29,490 --> 00:05:30,600 on a given floor, 162 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,250 and then that intermediate distribution frame 163 00:05:32,250 --> 00:05:33,960 you just connected to will now serve 164 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:35,820 as a mini main distribution frame 165 00:05:35,820 --> 00:05:37,980 for the rest of the intermediate distribution frames 166 00:05:37,980 --> 00:05:39,660 on that particular floor. 167 00:05:39,660 --> 00:05:41,327 From each intermediate distribution frame, 168 00:05:41,327 --> 00:05:42,690 you're going to have the cabling 169 00:05:42,690 --> 00:05:44,938 that runs through the cable trays to the individual offices 170 00:05:44,938 --> 00:05:46,410 and down the walls 171 00:05:46,410 --> 00:05:48,390 where they're going to connect to a wall jack. 172 00:05:48,390 --> 00:05:50,430 These wall jacks are normally going to be configured 173 00:05:50,430 --> 00:05:53,212 to accept an RJ-45 jack in most organizations, 174 00:05:53,212 --> 00:05:55,740 but you can also use fiber wall jacks too 175 00:05:55,740 --> 00:05:57,840 if you require them for additional security 176 00:05:57,840 --> 00:06:00,090 or for higher speed applications. 177 00:06:00,090 --> 00:06:01,804 Now in the intermediate distribution frame, 178 00:06:01,804 --> 00:06:03,300 we also have patch panels 179 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:05,580 that are going to be installed inside of our racks. 180 00:06:05,580 --> 00:06:07,440 The patch panel is a device or unit 181 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,510 featuring a number of jacks for the use of connecting 182 00:06:09,510 --> 00:06:11,550 and routing circuits for monitoring, 183 00:06:11,550 --> 00:06:13,230 interconnecting and testing circuits 184 00:06:13,230 --> 00:06:15,238 in a more convenient and flexible manner. 185 00:06:15,238 --> 00:06:17,970 Basically, a patch panel is really going to be used 186 00:06:17,970 --> 00:06:20,760 to keep your data center or server room better organized 187 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,710 and as well as making it easier for you to move, 188 00:06:22,710 --> 00:06:25,410 add, or change your cable distribution infrastructure 189 00:06:25,410 --> 00:06:26,730 in the future. 190 00:06:26,730 --> 00:06:29,820 In general, a patch panel is going to have two sides. 191 00:06:29,820 --> 00:06:30,653 On the front side, 192 00:06:30,653 --> 00:06:32,730 you're going to find all of your network jacks, 193 00:06:32,730 --> 00:06:35,460 which includes a series of RJ-45 network ports 194 00:06:35,460 --> 00:06:37,950 if you're using a copper cabling based network 195 00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:39,720 for your distribution system. 196 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:40,600 On the backside, 197 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,860 you're going to find what looks like a 110 punchdown block 198 00:06:43,860 --> 00:06:45,600 so you can punchdown the copper cables 199 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,490 onto that integrated block. 200 00:06:47,490 --> 00:06:50,070 Now, a 110 block is a type of punchdown block 201 00:06:50,070 --> 00:06:52,650 that we use for both voice and data application, 202 00:06:52,650 --> 00:06:54,210 and anytime we're relying on CAT 5 203 00:06:54,210 --> 00:06:55,710 or newer copper-based networks, 204 00:06:55,710 --> 00:06:57,900 we're going to use a 110 block. 205 00:06:57,900 --> 00:06:59,160 Now, the 110 block 206 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,110 includes the use of insulation displacement 207 00:07:01,110 --> 00:07:03,870 contact connectors to terminate the twisted pair of cables 208 00:07:03,870 --> 00:07:05,430 onto the punchdown blocks 209 00:07:05,430 --> 00:07:07,770 and provide adequate spacing between each cable pair 210 00:07:07,770 --> 00:07:11,070 to help prevent crosstalk and electromagnetic interference 211 00:07:11,070 --> 00:07:12,630 when you're using copper cabling 212 00:07:12,630 --> 00:07:14,385 for your high-speed data networks. 213 00:07:14,385 --> 00:07:16,609 When installing cables on the punchdown block, 214 00:07:16,609 --> 00:07:19,506 you're going to use a tool known as a punchdown tool. 215 00:07:19,506 --> 00:07:21,420 This tool comes with a small blade 216 00:07:21,420 --> 00:07:22,253 that's used to push 217 00:07:22,253 --> 00:07:24,620 the twisted pair cable down into the teeth of the block 218 00:07:24,620 --> 00:07:26,550 and then cut off any excess cabling 219 00:07:26,550 --> 00:07:28,170 from that twisted pair. 220 00:07:28,170 --> 00:07:30,450 This punchdown block is going to allow the connectors 221 00:07:30,450 --> 00:07:32,220 on the block to bite into the cable 222 00:07:32,220 --> 00:07:33,690 in order to make the network connection 223 00:07:33,690 --> 00:07:36,810 and then hold that individual copper wire in place. 224 00:07:36,810 --> 00:07:39,030 So why would I want to go through all this trouble 225 00:07:39,030 --> 00:07:40,170 to use a patch panel 226 00:07:40,170 --> 00:07:42,030 instead of just putting an RJ-45 connector 227 00:07:42,030 --> 00:07:43,440 on the end of one of these copper cables 228 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,309 that are coming into our intermediate distribution frame 229 00:07:45,309 --> 00:07:46,740 and plugging that directly 230 00:07:46,740 --> 00:07:48,990 into a switch port on a router or switch? 231 00:07:48,990 --> 00:07:51,270 Well, you could connect the cable directly, 232 00:07:51,270 --> 00:07:52,620 but we don't consider that 233 00:07:52,620 --> 00:07:55,020 to be a best practice in our industry. 234 00:07:55,020 --> 00:07:56,427 Instead, you should always connect 235 00:07:56,427 --> 00:07:58,486 the wall jacks cable to a patch panel. 236 00:07:58,486 --> 00:08:00,510 This allows the patch panel to provide you 237 00:08:00,510 --> 00:08:03,180 with an easy to use network jack on the front side of it. 238 00:08:03,180 --> 00:08:04,440 Then that way you can connect it 239 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,870 to a switch using a patch cable. 240 00:08:06,870 --> 00:08:09,930 You see, patch panels are really cheap and inexpensive, 241 00:08:09,930 --> 00:08:12,000 and so they protect our expensive network components 242 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,730 from damage when we're moving people and cables around 243 00:08:14,730 --> 00:08:16,432 inside of our enterprise networks. 244 00:08:16,432 --> 00:08:19,259 Every time you plug or unplug a cable into a port, 245 00:08:19,259 --> 00:08:22,200 the more wear and tear is going to occur on that port 246 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,750 and eventually that port will fail. 247 00:08:24,750 --> 00:08:27,450 For this reason, I would rather the patch panel fail 248 00:08:27,450 --> 00:08:29,880 than a port on my expensive switch or router. 249 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:31,590 So I'm going to punchdown the cable 250 00:08:31,590 --> 00:08:32,970 to the back of the patch panel 251 00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:34,169 and then connect a patch cable 252 00:08:34,169 --> 00:08:36,179 to the front jack on that patch panel 253 00:08:36,179 --> 00:08:37,620 and go from port number one 254 00:08:37,620 --> 00:08:39,360 to port number one on the switch. 255 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,371 Now, if I need to move that port to somewhere else, 256 00:08:41,371 --> 00:08:44,000 I just unplug it from port number one on the patch panel 257 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,750 and plug it into the right port 258 00:08:45,750 --> 00:08:47,940 to go to the other office like port number two 259 00:08:47,940 --> 00:08:50,400 or port number three or whatever, and that way, 260 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,500 instead of moving the connection on the switch itself, 261 00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:54,605 I'm only moving it on the patch panel. 262 00:08:54,605 --> 00:08:57,090 Now if I break a patch panel switchboard, 263 00:08:57,090 --> 00:08:59,040 I'll just replace the entire patch panel 264 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,980 because that entire thing is only 50 or $100 265 00:09:01,980 --> 00:09:03,209 instead of having to replace a switch 266 00:09:03,209 --> 00:09:07,140 that might be 5,000 or 10,000 or $20,000 267 00:09:07,140 --> 00:09:09,995 depending on the size and scale of my networking equipment. 268 00:09:09,995 --> 00:09:12,030 Now, in addition to copper patch panels, 269 00:09:12,030 --> 00:09:13,740 which rely on these punchdown blocks, 270 00:09:13,740 --> 00:09:16,239 there's another type of patch panel that we use for fiber, 271 00:09:16,239 --> 00:09:18,891 and these are known as fiber distribution panels. 272 00:09:18,891 --> 00:09:20,940 Now, unlike a copper patch panel, 273 00:09:20,940 --> 00:09:23,157 there's no punchdown on the backside of them. 274 00:09:23,157 --> 00:09:25,403 Instead, these fiber distribution panels 275 00:09:25,403 --> 00:09:30,403 use fiber connectors like SC, LC, ST, and MTRJ 276 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,130 to make their connections. 277 00:09:32,130 --> 00:09:33,210 Both the front and back 278 00:09:33,210 --> 00:09:34,418 of the fiber distribution panel 279 00:09:34,418 --> 00:09:36,601 will usually have the same type of fiber connections 280 00:09:36,601 --> 00:09:38,520 so that the fiber distribution panel 281 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,160 is essentially just a coupler from one fiber cable 282 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,559 being connected on the backside of the panel 283 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:44,640 to the other fiber cable that's attached 284 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,260 to the front side of the panel. 285 00:09:46,260 --> 00:09:48,397 Then the front side of the fiber distribution panel 286 00:09:48,397 --> 00:09:51,240 has that fiber patch cable that will connect directly 287 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,398 to the switch port on your router or switch. 288 00:09:53,398 --> 00:09:54,954 These fiber distribution panels 289 00:09:54,954 --> 00:09:56,910 can also act as a converter for you 290 00:09:56,910 --> 00:09:58,410 if you need to convert one type 291 00:09:58,410 --> 00:10:00,240 of fiber connection to another. 292 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,053 For example, you might have an SC connector on the backside 293 00:10:03,053 --> 00:10:05,520 and an ST or MTRJ located 294 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,340 on the front side of that fiber distribution panel, 295 00:10:08,340 --> 00:10:09,846 and it will do the conversion for you. 296 00:10:09,846 --> 00:10:11,820 All right, now that we've defined 297 00:10:11,820 --> 00:10:12,791 all the different components, 298 00:10:12,791 --> 00:10:15,630 let's take a quick look at how all this works together 299 00:10:15,630 --> 00:10:17,310 by considering what the cable distribution 300 00:10:17,310 --> 00:10:19,500 from a switch in an intermediate distribution frame 301 00:10:19,500 --> 00:10:21,630 will look like as it moves out to the desktop 302 00:10:21,630 --> 00:10:23,430 of one of our end users. 303 00:10:23,430 --> 00:10:24,617 Now this is important to understand 304 00:10:24,617 --> 00:10:26,610 because when you go to your office tomorrow 305 00:10:26,610 --> 00:10:27,780 and you plug in a new computer 306 00:10:27,780 --> 00:10:29,574 into the wall jack of that network connection, 307 00:10:29,574 --> 00:10:32,046 there's actually a lot that's happening behind the scenes 308 00:10:32,046 --> 00:10:35,850 that the end user is simply never going to see or understand. 309 00:10:35,850 --> 00:10:38,040 So the computer is first going to be connected 310 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,070 to the wall jack using a straight-through patch cable. 311 00:10:41,070 --> 00:10:42,480 This can be a copper patch cable 312 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,400 if you're using something like Cat6A, 313 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,020 or it can be a fiber patch cable 314 00:10:46,020 --> 00:10:48,601 if you're using a fiber-based cable distribution plant. 315 00:10:48,601 --> 00:10:51,630 The wall jack or wall outlet will have a connector on it 316 00:10:51,630 --> 00:10:53,370 like an RJ-45 connector 317 00:10:53,370 --> 00:10:55,260 if you're using copper network cabling. 318 00:10:55,260 --> 00:10:56,550 And on the back of this jack, 319 00:10:56,550 --> 00:10:58,890 there's a punchdown block that terminates the copper cable 320 00:10:58,890 --> 00:11:00,928 and then runs that cable through the walls 321 00:11:00,928 --> 00:11:03,900 up into the ceiling or down into the raised floor, 322 00:11:03,900 --> 00:11:05,370 and then across the cable trays 323 00:11:05,370 --> 00:11:08,340 until it reaches the intermediate distribution frame. 324 00:11:08,340 --> 00:11:10,470 From here, that cable is going to be terminated 325 00:11:10,470 --> 00:11:13,470 into a punchdown block on the back of a patch panel, 326 00:11:13,470 --> 00:11:15,900 and then we're going to use another patch cable 327 00:11:15,900 --> 00:11:17,430 to connect it from the patch panel 328 00:11:17,430 --> 00:11:19,320 to an open port on the edge switch 329 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,126 located inside this intermediate distribution frame. 330 00:11:22,126 --> 00:11:24,750 Now, if I wanted to use fiber instead of copper here, 331 00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:25,920 I certainly could. 332 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,110 We would just replace the switch with a fiber switch, 333 00:11:28,110 --> 00:11:30,240 the patch panel with a fiber distribution panel 334 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,670 and the wall jack with a fiber wall jack. 335 00:11:32,670 --> 00:11:33,990 In either of these cases though, 336 00:11:33,990 --> 00:11:36,200 what we're really doing is taking one long cable 337 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:37,650 that would otherwise have to go 338 00:11:37,650 --> 00:11:39,935 from the end user's desktop all the way to the switch, 339 00:11:39,935 --> 00:11:42,649 and instead we're breaking it up into multiple pieces 340 00:11:42,649 --> 00:11:44,460 so we have additional flexibility 341 00:11:44,460 --> 00:11:46,575 if we need to move it or repair it later on. 342 00:11:46,575 --> 00:11:48,987 For example, if the cable between the switch 343 00:11:48,987 --> 00:11:50,520 and the patch panel breaks, 344 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:51,780 I could simply unplug it 345 00:11:51,780 --> 00:11:53,970 and replace it with another patch cable. 346 00:11:53,970 --> 00:11:55,251 If a cable between the wall jack 347 00:11:55,251 --> 00:11:56,874 and the patch panel gets broken, 348 00:11:56,874 --> 00:12:00,270 I can just replace that and then re-punch it down again. 349 00:12:00,270 --> 00:12:02,100 By having lots of places to troubleshoot 350 00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:03,062 or fix the cable at, 351 00:12:03,062 --> 00:12:04,359 it's going to give us more options 352 00:12:04,359 --> 00:12:06,606 to get that network up and running much faster 353 00:12:06,606 --> 00:12:07,650 and much more quickly 354 00:12:07,650 --> 00:12:09,633 than if we had to do an entire new cable run 355 00:12:09,633 --> 00:12:12,200 every time somebody had to move a machine to a new office 356 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,172 where every time a cable got broken somewhere 357 00:12:14,172 --> 00:12:16,920 between the edge switch and the end user. 358 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,230 So remember, your cable distribution system 359 00:12:19,230 --> 00:12:21,120 is made up of several different components, 360 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:22,369 including the demarcation point, 361 00:12:22,369 --> 00:12:24,120 the main distribution frame, 362 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:25,770 the intermediate distribution frame, 363 00:12:25,770 --> 00:12:27,252 the racks, the patch panel, 364 00:12:27,252 --> 00:12:29,255 and the fiber distribution panel. 365 00:12:29,255 --> 00:12:31,890 These different components are going to make it easier for us 366 00:12:31,890 --> 00:12:32,880 to support and maintain 367 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:34,710 our network's cable distribution system 368 00:12:34,710 --> 00:12:37,893 in a more hierarchal and organized manner for the long term.