3U 48-Port Keystone Patch Panel (Steel)

Description: Frequently asked questions about our keystone panels and jacks... Are any jacks included with the panel? No, any jacks you see pictured with a panel are for illustrative purposes only. Likewise, if you're looking at a listing for jacks, any pic of a panel is just for reference purposes. Why should I use keystone panels and modules? They have several advantages over conventional (monolithic) patch panels. In no particular order: (1) Flexibility. First, you can mix different types of modules on the same panel, so having a couple modules to feed some TV's with coax is not only possible, it is common. And you needn't populate a panel fully. Start with a 24-port panel, for example, and just a few jacks. Add more as the need arises. (2) Serviceability. Bad modules can be easily replaced, a bad port on a monolithic panel can result in a truly bad day. Imagine replacing an entire panel because of a bad jack or two. It happens. (3) Cost. A fully configured CAT6 panel and modules can be half the price of a similar 48-port monolithic unit. True, there are some really low-cost monolithic panels out there these days, but the first time you find a bad jack or break a leg on one of the ports, you'll understand why they were so cheap. Read reviews for cheap panels, people complain about contacts spontaneously breaking after a month or two. Nobody was touching the thing, the contacts just break all by themselves. (4) Easy of wiring. This is the biggest advantage, if you ask me. Wiring a monolithic unit on a relay rack (where you have front/rear access) is easy, but monolithic units are a pain in other circumstances like a wall-mounted rack, where you have limited rear access. With a keystone, cables can be nicely routed through the panel holes, cut to uniform length, and then the cables can be individually pulled back through, terminated with a module, and snapped into the panel. When you're all done you have a beautiful installation that looks like it grew organically. Can I use this panel with Leviton QuickPort jacks? Short answer: On all-steel panels, no. On steel/plastic panels, yes (sort-of). Long answer: True keystone modules (jacks) are supposed to be 14.5mm wide by 16mm high. They're held in place via a flexible tab that, when not compressed, makes the overall mounting height of the keystone module just shy of about 19.5mm. The Leviton QuickPort meets all those measurements except for the uncompressed tab height, which is 19.75mm. You wouldn't think that .25mm would be that big a deal, but you have to remember that the tabs already need to be compressed to insert into the panel or the wall plate. That extra .25mm makes all the difference in the world. The steel patch panels are unforgiving to Leviton QuickPort jacks, they'll break the end off the tab. But our patch panels with plastic sleeves have some give and you can get the Leviton modules into those. Although the truth is, I don't know why people like using the Leviton jacks so much, other than the Leviton name. Can I use this panel with Home Depot CE TECH jacks? Yep, unlike the Leviton QuickPorts (read Q/A above), the CE TECH jacks conform to the 19.5mm height. What about the Legrand On-Q jacks I got at Menards? Yep, they're also conforming to the 19.5mm height for a relaxed tab. Will the keystone modules you sell work in Leviton QuickPort plates? Yep. While it is true that Leviton QuickPort modules won't work in our Steel or Steel/Steel panels (but they will fit in our Steel/Plastic panels), our keystone jacks will work in Leviton QuickPort plates. You'd think that if the Leviton QuickPort jacks are too big to fit into all-steel panels, that our keystone jacks would be too small for the QuickPort plates, but that just isn't the case. They fit fine. Go figure. What about different brands of plates like CE TECH (Home Depot) and Legrand (Menards), will your jacks fit those? Yes. One thing to keep in mind with all these plates is the spacing for two and three-holers can be different. Compare a Leviton QuickPort two-hole plate to a CE TECH or Legrand and you will see the spacing between holes is tighter. As the # of holes increase, the plates start to look much more similar, and that is because putting six jacks in a single-gang box pretty much dictates the spacing on the plate. What do "Steel" and "Steel/Steel" and "Steel/Plastic" mean when it comes to patch panels? Steel is the simplest, it is simply a 19" wide panel, and keystone modules snap into these holes. Each module will protrude from the front of the panel approx. .25". Next, you have Steel/Steel, these are two-piece with a steel front and steel sub-panel about .25" from the back of the front panel. The modules actually snap into the rear panel, and are flush with the front panel. This provides an appearance similar to monolithic patch panels. Finally, you have Steel/Plastic, which are similar to Steel/Steel except that the subframe is plastic. This provides some advantages for people that want to use Leviton QuickPorts which need a little more (.25mm) vertical room (the plastic has some give). What about "Plastic/Plastic" panels, do you have those? No. While they exist, we're not fond of them. They're just a little too flimsy. You'll often find me punching-down using the panel as support (I use a little cushion with a small block of plywood attached). Can't do that on an all-plastic panel, it just isn't sturdy enough. What does high-density mean (slim type jacks)? Our 1U/24-port and 2U/48-port panels have fairly tight spacing, port-to-port. This means modules with large back-ends won't fit. We have a slim CAT6 jack that fits nicely but other brands also often work. What are cable management bars? Some of our patch panels come with a cable management bar. This bar has sprung sides with notches which fit into slots in the panel. When assembled, the cable management bar allows you to hold cables with cable ties. Use of the cable management bar isn't required, as I said they're removable and often they're set aside. Where used, I suggest running a bead of hot melt glue along the seam to keep the two pieces locked together. If you'd like to disassemble them in the future, a few drops of rubbing alcohol is all it takes to release the glue (the glue will pop right off w/o any residue). Is there any reason not to use pre-made patch cables with couplers? None at all. In fact, at least once a year I visit a location where they wired things with a bunch of patch cables and are now adding jack locations and want things cleaned up. Using couplers for existing wires works just fine. Can you supply other sorts of keystone modules? Yes, all kinds, just let us know what you need. Is there a difference in quality from one brand of jack (module) to another? Oh you bet there is. First, let's talk about monolithic panels. There has been a tsunami of cheap panels with junk ports. Either the ports are bad out of the gate, or a contact breaks 1-2 months into use. Replacing an entire panel is a PITA, don't let this happen to you. As to keystone modules, well, as I was putting this FAQ together, I had occasion to grab a bunch of jacks I've accumulated over the years. First, I guess I'll just start with the Leviton QuickPort, I don't like the amount of forced required to snap them, even when using QuickPort plates. And I've had the tabs break using QuickPort jacks on QuickPort plates, quite often! Tabs shouldn't be compressed when snapped in, it doesn't improve the lock and in the long run, leads to broken tabs. Looking at some of the CE Tech jacks I've replaced over the last couple of years (and recently) and comparing to the jacks we sell, they look (IMHO) pretty flimsy. The Legrands are nice but the tabs do have a tendency to break after a few installations and removals. Most of the other name brands I've got are older and I have to get some newer stuff to make comparisons. My installer friends tell me the quality has slipped on several of the brands I've got on my desk but I'm not going to make any comments until I have some of the new stuff in-hand. Our jacks have gold-plated high-quality spring contacts that won't break after repeated insertions/removals, and extended tabs that cause less bending stress and prevent a broken tab (resulting in a jack which falls out of a panel or plate). Still have questions? Send us an E-Mail, we will do our best to help.

Price: 22 USD

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

End Time: 2024-03-01T16:04:47.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD