TWX: Mikey1969: OK, so subby here... I don't do this kind of network stuff but once every 2-3 years, and I'd love personal tips and tricks on the punchdown and testing.

#1. How do I actually get these cables and wires into the sockets on the patch panel. Yes, I have big hands, but not Andre the Giant hands. It's an exiting run, so I'm working with stuff in the way, but it can't be THIS hard, or we'd only have dainty little 16 year old Asian girls do it. So anyone have tips on where to start? (One end or the other, start in the middle, start on each end and work to the middle, etc), and how I keep the wires in the little socket while I am reaching down to get the punchdown tool. So yeah, tips on how to keep them in place, how I could possibly set it up so I reach everything (It would be great if I could just take the whole thing apart like up top, but that won't work.). Like I said, I can't be the only one with these issues, so I have to be doing somethign wrong.

#2. I have a tester, a Fluke MicroMapper. It's nice, but I have no idea what the lights actually mean. The ones that identify the wire pairs, that is. At the moment, if there's a fault, I rewire everything all over again because my wires are colored, not numbered. :-) I just don't know what it actually means when it says, for example, that I have a problem with wires 1-2 or 3-6, and so on. I know different tools are different, but I'm not finding a good summary of the basics of these. Once again, any help here would be greatly appreciated. I already threw my punchdown tool across the server room in frustration. :-)
Fluke Networks MT-8200-49A, MicroMapper Unknown-Volt Lcd Circuit Analyzer (Battery Included) in the Test Meters department at Lowes.com

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Thanks guys, and if I was unclear, please let me know. It's been a long week today, so I may have glossed over something.


I did this kind of work as a telecom infrastructure specialist for a few years before moving on to networking (ie switches and routers).  On the patch panel, if it's a preassembled one like this, cut yourself plenty of slack on the exposed wires under the outer jacket.  If there's a dividing + inside the cable, cut it as close to the jacket-end as possible, and cut the peel string at this point too.

Start with the two pairs in the center of the line of four pairs, do a sort of rotation/wiggle thing to make a gap to shove around the protruding blade (each pair has a point that sticks out in the divider) and push on far enough to just lightly hold, as close to where the jacket is trimmed as you can, as little exposed wire as possible.  Once the inner two pairs are done, (2nd pair WH-GR and 3rd pair WH-OR on a T568-B color pattern) do the outer two pairs (1st par WH-BL and 4th pair WH-BR) in the same fashion, but don't untwist closer to the jacket-end than you need.  If there's two or three twists before the 110-block that's fine on these outer two.

When you lay the wires into the block, lay the jacketed part towards the center.  So port 1 would be from below, port 2 would be from above, etc.  Pin 1 on a four-pair cable that's a white binder group is white-blue, then solid blue is twisted with it, etc.

Once they're all laid in, make sure your cutting bit is oriented properly (ie don't cut the cable off and leave just the trimmings on the panel!  Ask me how I know!) and punch them down, angling so that you're sure that the cut-side contacts the block to ensure a good trim.

Some really skilled techs can lay-out many data drops and then punch them all in succession, but I never really did that myself.

If you're going to put on jacket labels (highly recommended) do it at least 6" from the jacket-end so that if you later have to repunch after trimming the cable down, you're not screwed.  Also if you can, leave yourself a service-loop/drip-loop so that if water ever wicks in on the cables it drips off to the floor, rather than into the patch panel to corrode it.  (again ask me how I know!)

For what it's worth, both ends should match.  If you punch T568B at the patch panel, punch T568B on the work area outlet (ie the jack).  Don't flip A/B unless you like making crossover cables.

As for punch tools, I like Klein for a non-impact tool (they have screwdriver/punch combo that's great) and Harris/Fluke 814 or 914 for an impact tool.

Good luck, we're all counting on you.

2wolves: BMFPitt: I was thinking of these Cable Matters ones that come with the matching holder.

Looks like every day, real world, RJ45 gear.

I was surprised by Black / Blue / White / Orange / Green / Purple / Red / Graywith Brown going away which is a very reasonable step as most wire jockeys are guys and guys often have less than optimal color vision.

Mikey1969: BMFPitt: As long as we're on the topic, I am going to be ordering some CAT6 keystone jacks in the next week or so to wire my soon-to be finished basement, and I was thinking of these Cable Matters ones that come with the matching holder.  I was planning to just get a cheap tool to go with it.

If anyone has any alternate suggestions, I'm all ears.  Never done punch-down before.

Already installed the 16 port patch panel and a 16 port unmanaged switch in a 6U rackmount and ran all my existing wires to keystone couplers because it didn't seem worth the trouble of reterminating them.  It's a nice looking setup mounted under my stairs where my WFH desk currently is.

I taught my 9 year old to terminate cables in the process, which was fun.

This is nice... A little pricey and needs specific keystone jacks, but nice. You just barely stick the cable in each opening, put the jack in, and squeeze. Everything is nice and tight, and it cuts the wires nice and clean. It's like the one thing that I knew how to do correctly when I made this thread... 🤣 It takes all of the thinking out of it, really...

bluorangefyre: I'm not as fluent in Geek as I once was.  Can someone translate this to English?