# Board Layout Advice



## RunningSparky (Feb 9, 2013)

I'm getting ready to start building out my patch panels and need some experienced advice for this data rookie going solo on this job. 40 drops, split into 5 office suites. Each suite gets dedicated 4U rack, 24-port patch panel & 1U shelf. Remaining 2U open for tenant to put switches, or other goodies. 

The building owner put up OSB instead of a nice 3/4" ply board for me to put my wall-mount racks on. This space will also have phone co. and cable co. 

1. You can see phone co. has pulled their cable in. How much room typically they need? Can cable co. go above? "Stacked" configuration for these two utilities? What is common? 

2. What order would you put the patch panel & shelf? 

3. I'm not sure I want to bring cable in from the back...drilling through board into the racks. This is in a "loft" area, I brought all home runs behind the board. Can I bring my cable trunk down the side and come into racks that way? What is common practice? 

I've tossed around thoughts of sleeving some EMT to help route things, maybe I'm overthinking things. I just don't want to have to redo anything while still thinking about future room to grow.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Do yourself a favor, lay this all out with masking tape. I think you'll find you need more space. 

Each tenant will have a receptacle, a surge strip, a shelf, a patch panel bracket, and possibly an RJ21X from the telco. They may want a small UPS battery backup as well. The shelf will have to hold a cable or dsl modem, a router, possibly a switch (full size switches don't fit in those brackets) and possibly a cable co telephony device. 

That's going to be about 4' wide by 18" tall per tenant. Nobody wants there stuff up by the ceiling where they have to stand on a bucket to check a connection. Nobody wants to crawl on the floor either. 

I'd do one of two things: 

1. Rip down that OSB and put up 3/4" plywood, mount it so the top is about 6' high and the bottom is about 2' off the floor. Divide it into six 4' x 16" sections. Lower left for the telco terminal and cable co's splitter / amp, the rest one per tenant. 

2. Install two full size racks, send back the patch panel brackets, divide those up between the tenants. You could try and squeeze them into one but it would be a mistake. 

The cable routing - I'd come in from behind the wall into each patch panel bracket if you go with a wall mount. With racks, it's simple.


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## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

splatz said:


> Do yourself a favor, lay this all out with masking tape. I think you'll find you need more space.
> 
> Each tenant will have a receptacle, a surge strip, a shelf, a patch panel bracket, and possibly an RJ21X from the telco. They may want a small UPS battery backup as well. The shelf will have to hold a cable or dsl modem, a router, possibly a switch (full size switches don't fit in those brackets) and possibly a cable co telephony device.
> 
> ...


i agree but also install a sheet-metal backing plate behind the plywood and bolt the rack housing to it with anti vibe washers:thumbsup:
vibration from various sources can do a lot of damage over time.


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## Wired4Life10 (Jul 9, 2011)

Is this in an attic without heating and cooling? If so, what idiot designated this space and why the hell did you agree to do it there?


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## Wpgshocker (Jan 25, 2013)

Panduit chase down the middle with smaller panduit branches. It will keep it neat and easy to work on later. In a perfect world, the metal gutters from middle Atlantic are awesome for running and concealing a mess of wire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lortech (Mar 7, 2012)

splatz said:


> Do yourself a favor, lay this all out with masking tape. I think you'll find you need more space.
> 
> Each tenant will have a receptacle, a surge strip, a shelf, a patch panel bracket, and possibly an RJ21X from the telco. They may want a small UPS battery backup as well. The shelf will have to hold a cable or dsl modem, a router, possibly a switch (full size switches don't fit in those brackets) and possibly a cable co telephony device.
> 
> ...


He needs fire resistant plywood or special paint to paint the backboard. Also need electrical outlets dedicated to the data and not shared with anything else in the apt,business.


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