If you are a cable or fiber optic technician, you probably come across many unusual splices and connections in your line of work. In fact, some of them may stagger the imagination and defy all the laws of electronics. However, patch panels are an important part of many types of networks, and it is best to know as much as possible about them, to be a better technician. Here is important information on Ethernet patch panels, which you may find useful and enlightening. What are Patch Panels? The main purpose of patch panels (sometimes called jackfields or patch bays) is to manage a series of connections. In some cases, they may splice a coax from one source to another. However, it is also possible for them to perform other duties, such as.  * Switching  * Monitoring  * Testing A jackfield is a usually organized with short run cables on one side and longer ones on the opposite. These boxes are designed to make it easy and convenient for the technician to access. In fact, some of the panels can be mounted directly on racks, or if necessary can be placed on wall mounts. They usually contain several circuits, depending on the purpose of the panel. Patch Panel Uses If your panel is serving a network it can become a useful switchboard. It may connect computers within a local area network, and also connect them to a wide area network. In places like recording studios, a jackfield can be a useful alternative to plugging and unplugging equipment. This saves time and wear and tear. Patch bays are also seeing more use in residential settings for things like home cinema systems. Patch Bays or Switches In some cases, a special switch may be more useful than a jackfield. For example, dedicated switches can serve many purposes, like connecting several computers or sources to one connection simultaneously. Some switches can also assume the duty of a patch panel, but this is not always a cost effective solution. Buying Your Patch Bay Equipment There are many excellent places to purchase this kind of equipment for your needs. However, instead of going with an “out of the box” selection, you may wish to think about a provider for custom made panels. In fact, this will offer a number of benefits, such as:  * Custom...