Beta 3 service manual · Network
1U 8-Port Patch Panel
A patch panel is a pass-through. Port 1 on this panel comes out of port 1 on the panel it is trunked to. It carries a wire to another rack or another room.
| Category | Patch panel |
|---|---|
| Rack height | 1U |
| Price | $40 |
| Ports | P1 to P8 |
| Power | none. It is passive copper |
Two panels, one trunk
One panel does nothing on its own. You always need two, trunked to each other:
- A panel in each rack, or a Wall Patch Panel ($60, decor shop) on a wall.
- TRUNK the two: pick the other panel in the inspector, or
patch link <a> <b>. - Plug a device in this rack into a port here.
- Plug a device in the other rack into the same port number there.
The panel's TRUNK tab ticks each step off and shows every port: what is on this side, what is on the other, and whether the wire is complete. A panel trunks to exactly one other panel.
Rooms
A cable never passes through a wall. The rooms' networks connect only through trunked panels, one in each room.
Set it up right
A trunk merges the two racks into one network. Two DHCP servers on the merged network is a rogue DHCP conflict. Run one server for the merged network, or keep the racks apart. posture and dhcp audit the result.
Control cables too
A jack is passive copper, so an automation channel patched into a panel reaches a grow bed or a device in the next room.
See also: 1U Automation Server · Racks and rooms · 1U 8 Port Switch.