Most Common Network Termination Usage Statistics

By IPVM Team, Published Aug 09, 2017, 01:03pm EDT

How do integrators decide which brand of patch panel or keystone jack to buy? 

140+ integrators told IPVM which manufacturers they trust and what factors affect their choice of network termination equipment. 

Here are the overall statistics:

**** *********** *** *** or *** ****** ** terminating *******, ***** **** tend ** ***** **** unless *** ******* ****** to *******. **** *********** told ** **** **** simply *** *** ******** keystone ***** ** **** connectors **** *** ****, and **** *********** **** expressed * ***** ********** tend ** ***** ***** devices ** ********* *****, with ****** ** ************* one ***** **** *******. As *** ********** **** us:

***** ******, **** ***'* something ** ****** ******* too ****** ******.

Panduit ***** ***

*** ****** ******** ****** endorsements **** ***********. *** example, **** *********** **** us **** **********, *** *** ***** tell ** ***, *******. The **** ************ **** integrators **** ***** ***** was ******* [**** ** longer *********]:

  • "******* ** *** ** the **** ****** ** use & *** ** existing *****. ** **** warranty."
  • "*******, ***** ********, ***** reputations, **********, ********* *** just ***** ********** ** do."
  • "* **** *******. **'* more *********, *** ***** well **** * *** failure ****."
  • "*******, ** ** ** a ****** ********* ******** standard, **** ********** *** generally ******* ****** **********, and *** ** ******* at **** ******."
  • "*******. **** *** ********* on *********, ** ** just *** **** ** standard."
  • "*******- *** ***** *** certified *** ****** **** equipment."
  • "*******. ** ** *** of *** **** *** we ******* *******."
  • "*******. ***** ******** *** very ********."
  • "**** ***** *******. ** indicated *** ******* ** their ***** *** ******** is ***** *****. ** use ***** ****-*** ******, Category ** *** *****. Excellent *******."
  • "*******. ******* ******** **** every ***** ** ***** part."
  • "*******. **'* *** ********."

Buying ********

** *******, *********** **** us **** **** *** the ********* **** ****** *********** hardware:

  • ************
  • *****
  • ***********
  • **** ** ***

** ********, *********** **** ** that **** *** ***** require **** ** *** specific ****** *** *** keystone ***** *** ***** panels. 

************ 

** ***, *** **** common ****** ***** *** using * ******** ***** was **** ** **********

  • "******* ****** ** ***** from *** ** *** suppliers."
  • "** ******* ****** **** them ** *****."
  • "****'* **** ** ***** supplier *******."
  • "** ** ******* ********* locally **** * ****** of *********."
  • "** **** ** **** ADI *** *** *** shelf."
  • "*** ***** ****'* ******** stocked *** ********* **** our ***** *******."
  • "****** ********* ** ***/***-**."
  • "*** *** *** **** anywhere."
  • "** ** ******** ** our ******* **********."
  • "******* ** ** ******** available."

*****

*** **** **** ****** reason ***** *** ***** a ******** *****, ** for ***** ** ***** at ***, ** *****. 

  • "***** * ********* **** allows ** ** **** ancillary ***** ** *****."
  • "**'* * ******* ******* at * ****** *****."
  • "********** *** *********** ** a **** ********** ****."
  • "* **** *** **** pricing."
  • "** ***** ** **********, just ******* (** ******, no ****** ** ****** to * **** *****)."
  • "**** ******* *** **** is ***."
  • "**** ******* *** ********* good *********."
  • "***** *** ********."
  • "** ***'* **** * go ** *****, ** us ******* **** ** on ****."

***********

**** *********** ***** ***** continued ************ **** * particular *****'* ******* ** a ****** ** ********** to *** **** *****'* products. 

  • "**'** *** * *** port *** ** ******** of ******."
  • "***** **** **** * low ******* ****."
  • "***** ******** *** **** reliable."
  • "*** ******* ** ***** cable *** ******** ** first *****."
  • "******* ******** **** ***** order ** ***** ****."
  • "**** **** **** *** are **** *******."
  • "* **** **** **** superior *******."
  • "**** * ******* ***** and ********."
  • "**** ** *** ***** never *** * *******."
  • "*** **** ****** *** me ** ***** ** use...habit."

Ease ** ***

**** ** *** ********** into ****** ************ *****, which ***** ** ***** overall ************ *****, ******* integrators ** ****** ******** based ** *** ****** they **** ***** *********** can ******* ****. 

*******, ***** *** ** consensus ** ***** ***** actually ** *** ******** to ***, ********** **** ease ** *** *** be * ****** ** personal **********. 

  • "**** ****** *** * new ******** **** **** is ********* **** ** terminate *** *** ********* colors *** *** **** on ** **** ********* on *** ***."
  • "******* **** ********* ******* using ***** ****** **** term ****."
  • "**** ** ********* **** the ***** *** ** always ********* **** ***** panels ** *****."
  • "***** *** **** ** use."
  • "***** *** ******** **** termination *** **** **** through ******* ********* ******** inside *********."
  • "****** *** ******** *******. Tools ** ***** ** terminations."
  • "******** ***** ****** - easy ** ********* ****."
  • "* **** ** ************ because ****'** ***********, **** to *******, *** ****."
  • "******* - *********** *** ease ** ***."
  • "***. ******* ****** *** easily ************ ********."

Customer **********

**** *********** **** ** that **** **** ******* *** exact ****** ** ** used.

  • "*** ******* ** *** project ** **** **** standards **** **** ** to ***."
  • "******** ********* ******."
  • "*******. **** *** ********* on *********, ** ** just *** **** ** standard."
  • "******** ************."
  • "******* *** **** ****. More ********* *** **** robust *** ******* **** specs."
  • "********* ** *** ********."
  • "********* *** ** ***** what ******** ******* *** onsite."
  • "** ***** ** ******* the "*** ** ***" connectivity ******** ** *** enterprise ***** *****, *** patch ***** **** ** certified ** *** ******* solution. **, *** *** most ****, ** *** going ** ***** ********, unless *** ******** *** a ******** ******* ** change **********." 

Comments (7)

Avatar

Luis Carmona

IPVMU Certified | 08/09/17 06:33pm

I've seen plenty name brands used and plenty cheapest-off-the-shelf used. The cheap keystone jacks always seemed to take longer because of how flimsy they are. I once had to re-punch almost a 1/3 of about 30 jacks installed in a call center room over a couple months time.

Undisclosed Integrator #1

08/09/17 07:44pm

Interesting that Ortronics isn't even mentioned. In the commercial IT industry they are almost considered the gold standard, use them for patch panels and keystone jacks exclusively.

Problem with going cheep all the way is you get the cheep CAT5 (copper clad aluminum) and then you get the cheep jacks and all of a sudden you get >50% failure on certification testing:-( Had this on a commercial office complex job with over 500 wall plates, luckily you could re-punch and get things "working" but no way would it pass a gigabit certification.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 08/09/17 07:48pm

Interesting that Ortronics isn't even mentioned. In the commercial IT industry they are almost considered the gold standard,

Good feedback. As a point of fact, Otronics was cited by 4 out of 145 respondents in the survey so they were not completely shut out but at <3%, there was not enough selections to include them.

Undisclosed #2

08/09/17 09:54pm

Curious how many of these people certify or do any testing at all on their cabling? Especially the ones reaching for flavor of the week.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 08/09/17 10:10pm

Good suggestion!

In that survey, we included a question on that, specifically:

What level of testing do you typically do on standard cable installs (none, basic wiremap/continuity test, full certification, etc.)? Why?

Expect to see those results next week.

Michael Miller

In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 08/09/17 10:25pm

We had the Fluke Reps in and we certified some of the skinny cheap Cat6 patch cables we had lying around and they would not even pass Cat5 standards.  We stopped using them to prevent any issues but at the same time, we have had no issues when using the patch cables in the field. 

Undisclosed Integrator #1

In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 08/09/17 11:43pm

I think its pretty easy to guess how many people "reaching for the flavor of the week" do testing... Passing a wire map is doable with cheepy-cheep but that's about it.

I have to admit we will bend the rules when installing cameras. Going somewhat over the 100 meter limit on CAT5e runs, using inferior components for cameras is almost always not an issue because in real life the camera boots up and you can get a video stream out of it, trying to certify that same cable for 1000Mbps is another question entirely.

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