Homeowner Forum / Home Automation / December 2004

Depending on the tools you have available, you may want to go with a
110-type blocks for both voice and data, 110 for voice and modular patch
panel for data or patch panel for both voice and data.

The considerations are: 110 block has all four pairs of the cable
available for individual patching/cross-connecting. That is, if you want
to split a cable between two devices that use up to four pairs combined,
you can accommodate for that on a 110 block. This is not a
standard-recommended setup, but can possibly be done. The drawback: you
need to use a punch-down tool or rather expensive 110-to-RJ45 cords every
time you change the connections. You may also need a crimping tool if you
want to make your own RJ45-to-110

OTOH a patch panel does not require any tooling to change a cord from one
port to another, and RJ45-RJ45 cords are dirt cheap these days (quality
aside for the argument's sake). The drawback: you have to connect all
pairs at once (as recommended by the standard, anyways). If your
application uses only one pair (analog phone line is a classical example),
then the other three will be wasted. The patch panels also tend to be
(much) more expensive than 110 block for a similar amount of cables
connected.

on a side note: you may want to bring this question to attention of folks
in comp.dcom.cabling where this kind of cabling-related question would get
more focused attention. We keep this newsgroup archived here:

http://www.cabling-design.com/forums/newsgroup21-.htm

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110 block does not lend itself to repeated use.  You generally want to punch
down the wires ONCE and leave them that way.  If you forsee need to change
the wiring configuration then 110 may not be the right choice.  66 block is
a bit more durable and offers more flexible bridging options.  As in, bring
the pairs to a set of binding posts and then use the three adjacent posts to
feed to other connections (briding the middle with a clip).  66 block can be
punched and repunched a lot more times than 110.  Fixing a 66 block post is
usually a simple matter of just pinching the clip back together with
needlenose pliers.  110 doesn't usually let you get at the clip itself.
This is important in that if you screw up a post on a 66 block you can fix
it.  On 110 you end up having to replace the whole assembly (and then run
the risk of damaging the other wires!)

Also consider that connections can be 'wired through' a punch down post.
This is a handy way to put analog POTS signals to more than one set of
binding posts but it generally WILL NOT work for data connection (certainly
NOT with ethernet).  Remember, NONE of the punch-down style posts are
desiged to allow more than one wire to be punched into the clip.  Laying the
line into clip and onward to other clips is a way to work around this.

Using patch panels is a way to allow for changing setups without running the
risk of damaging the punch down posts or the connecting wires.  When you've
got wire coming out the wall you really don't want to EVER be moving it
around manually lest it break or cause others in the bundle to break.  The
expense of replacing wires is almost ALWAYS far greater than some sort of
punch down and/or patch panel arrangement.

I go with 66 block whenever possible.  The cost of the punchdown tool and
the time to use it properly is usually a lot less than the cost of patch
panels for stuff like telephones.

Network connections are generally always RJ45 these days.  There are *some*
vendors than support running a connection directly from a 66 block to the
network hardware.  But these are generally backplane sort of setups and are
often MUCH to expensive for residential use.  I mean, you could put a Cisco
Catalyst rack in your house but the money might be better spent elsewhere!

So what you could do is a hybrid sort of setup.  Pull the CAT5 from the
rooms to 66 blocks.  Make sure the block is CAT5 or CAT6 rated.  Then punch
down wires from the data posts over to an RJ45 patch panel.  Then plug an
RJ45 cable from the patch panel to the networking hardware.  This way you
wire is securely and permanently attached to a durable and reusable fixture
(the 66 block).  It allows easy rearranging, looping, bridging or whatever
needs might arise in the future without putting the in-wall wire and it's
ends at risk.  Running shared POTS lines is as simple as looping a single
pair through the various binding posts and punching them down without
cutting.  And if you need to tie in more later you can bridge to the other
side of the block and run more from there (if that side's not being used of
course).  But even then you can just loop some line out from there to
another set of unused posts.  Sometimes it's handy to just mount a 66 block
that does nothing but act as a distribution point.

I generally find any cost savings that might have come from 110 block are
lost pretty quickly when changes to the setup are needed.  I go with 66
block from the start.

-Bill Kearney