What is the use in a patch panel?

[huggies15]

Hoping this is the correct place to post this, seen as its to do with networking i guess so.

Basically I'm in the process of networking (cabling) my house up and don't understand the point of a patch panel.
What is the advantage of using this over say a large switch (24 ports or so) and having the router plug into the switch and all the house out ports connected to the different plugs/ports?

As i see it, its just another layer of problems...

The plan is to run wires to various parts of the house, some in duplex, some quad, others single, and they all run back to the one place. where the switch and router are (or patch panel and router). Why would i use a patch panel over switch?

Any advice welcome,
Steve

[cortman]

Sorry, I don't know myself, but you can probably find some answers here.

[huggies15]

Thanks for the informative reply.
I did google, but found most answers were from early 2000s to 2009ish, nothing recent.
Thought maybe with the advent of gigabit ethernet being pretty cheap things might have changed.
As it is I have found somewhere that basically say for the home, there is no difference, its more an office thing.
But thanks once again for your most useful of responses...

[haqking]

Hoping this is the correct place to post this, seen as its to do with networking i guess so.

Basically I'm in the process of networking (cabling) my house up and don't understand the point of a patch panel.
What is the advantage of using this over say a large switch (24 ports or so) and having the router plug into the switch and all the house out ports connected to the different plugs/ports?

As i see it, its just another layer of problems...

The plan is to run wires to various parts of the house, some in duplex, some quad, others single, and they all run back to the one place. where the switch and router are (or patch panel and router). Why would i use a patch panel over switch?

Any advice welcome,
Steve

For convenience and flexibility.

In a house you wouldnt typically need or want one, in a large network it adds great functionaly rather than terminating each cable in a crimped connector, you terminate at a punched down plug which you can plug a cable into. At the patch panel things can also be easily changed over if needed, fixed cables dont allow that.

[tgalati4]

You don't need a patch panel for a residential install. Just a bunch of wires coming out of the ceiling that plug into a router would be sufficient.

[huggies15]

Hi,
Thanks for the info and confirmation of my inital thinking. Getting a 24 port switch now.
Cheers,
Steve

[cortman]

Thanks for the informative reply.
I did google, but found most answers were from early 2000s to 2009ish, nothing recent.
Thought maybe with the advent of gigabit ethernet being pretty cheap things might have changed.
As it is I have found somewhere that basically say for the home, there is no difference, its more an office thing.
But thanks once again for your most useful of responses...

No problem; always happy to point someone to sources of information. For your non-Ubuntu related hardware questions, may I recommend a venue such as Tom's Hardware? You'll likely get a faster and better informed response.
Good luck!