Tips #1 - Patch Panels and Markings

In my network, I have found that the best way to maintain my understanding of how my house is wired with Ethernet is how that I document my Patch Panels.  I have a few rules that maintain a cohesiveness to this:

• Patch Panels serve to be the ends of Ethernet wires.  In general, I will not have a stray Ethernet cable coming out of a wall.
• I use keystones in all patch panels.  This gives me the choice of terminating Ethernet wires either in a punch-down keystone, or a straight through keystone which has an Ethernet female on both sides.  
• The advantage with using keystones is that they are easy to move around in a patch panel, or in the case of the straight through keystone, Ethernet connections behind them.  Normally equipment moves and cables stay put; the keystones are a way of augmenting that "staying put".
• I refer to an individual keystone as a "port" in a patch panel.  Each "port" must be numbered from 1 to the total number of ports on the patch panel.
• All patch panels in my house are numbered.  If the patch panel serves only to connect to another patch panel on the other side of the wall, I may number it with the same number but I have to use the same "port" numbers on each side.  So if I use "port" 1 on one side, then I must use "port" 1 on the other side so there is no confusion. In this case each patch panel gets the same patch panel number.  I must also ensure that the Ethernet cable is straight through.
• The full designated "port" identifier is patch_panel_number-port_number, e.g. PP#3-12 would refer to keystone (or "port") 12 on patch panel number 3.
• I use a labeler to mark each "port" on each patch panel.  When I mark a specific "port" I label it with the "port" that it connects to on the other end of the Ethernet cable.  For instance, if PP#3-12 connects to PP#1-6 then on patch panel number 1, "port" 6 would be labeled PP#3-12, and on patch panel number 3, "port" 12 would be labeled PP#1-6.  That way I always know where the Ethernet cable is connected and to what patch panel.
• If a cable is moved from one keystone to another on a patch panel, the label goes with it and I make up a new label for the port that it connects to so I am consistent.  For instance, if PP#3-12 connects to PP#1-6, and I move the Ethernet cable from port 12 to port 10 on patch panel 3, then I move the PP#1-6 label from port 12 to port 10 on patch panel 3, then I make up a new label of PP#3-10, go to patch panel 1, remove the label on port 6, and replace it with the new label of PP#3-10.  I also make note of it on any note that I have.
• Patch panels can always be used as "patch panels", i.e. I have places on patch panels that have a patch Ethernet cable between "ports" on the same patch panel.  That way, it can form one long Ethernet connection.