Cataloging Patch Panel Connections

So I was busy over the last two days trying to get the patch panel connections documented.  If you have never tried to do this at your house, it is quite an eye opener.  What you originally thought that you had connected, turns out to be incorrect.  I have prided myself on documenting how the home network is wired together.  However, in the heat of battle, sometimes you fail to record the subtle differences, especially if you make a sudden change to the wiring because of a problem you find.  I finally settled on giving each patch panel a number (i.e., PP#1).  I also designate a connection that the port is connected to (i.e., PP#1-5 for patch panel 1 port number 5).  I had designations on the patch panels to record what device I was connected to.  However, this became a problem since I started rearranging the patches to suit different things that I was doing at the moment.

I now have labels on each patch panel port that tell me what patch panel (and associated port) contains the port connection.  I also have labels on the patch panels that tell me what number the patch panel is. What this means is that the label on the patch panel end points back to the opposite patch panel port.  Even though the numbering on the patch panel doesn’t tell me the signal it does tell me the infrastructure (that which doesn’t change) pieces so that I can trace a signal as necessary.  I also record patch cord connections to equipment in my iPhone; generally something like this:

PP#1: (toolroom)

15, 16 empty

1- To Kitchen/Dining Rm Ethernet plug (patch to .115-3)

2- To TIVo Mini downstairs (patch to PP#1-4)

3- To Computer Rm-Hutch wall (n/c)

4- to PP#2-1 (patch to PP#1-2)

5- to cable20 / cable21 .114-1 (patch to PP#1-11)

6- to PP#2-4 (patch to PP#1-9)

7- to black cable2 PP#6-2 (patch to Unmgd sw)

8- to light blue cable6 PP#6-1 (patch to .115-7)

9- to dark blue, PP#5-Y (patch to PP#1-6)

10 - to PP#2-8 (n/c)

11- to PP#3-19 (patch to PP#1-5)

12- to PP#4-X (patch to .115-5)

13- to PP#2-2 (patch to .115-2)

14- to PP#3-20 (patch to .115-4)

Notice that this setup allows me to see at a glance what signal is flowing through that patch panel port.  It also tells me if I have some empty ports (for expansion later).  Notice that I have in parends a patch cord designation that tells me the device or patch panel port connection.  The .xxx-x indicates a device IP number and the device port.

I tried hard to rearrange the port wiring so that patch panel ports for the most part connect to other patch panel ports.  After all, that is what patch panels are for.  Now I can rearrange the patch cords as necessary for different devices that are added or vlan connections that need to be made.