|  | 9.6 | Basics of Wiring Closets and Patch Panels
| 9.6.5 | Laying wires in a patch panel
In any LAN system, connectors are the weakest links. If not properly installed, connectors can create electrical noise, and can cause intermittent electrical contact between wires and pins. When this occurs, transmission of data on the network can be disrupted, or will occur at a reduced throughput; therefore, it pays to do it right. To ensure that cable is installed correctly, you should follow the TIA/EIA standards: When attaching several CAT5 cable runs to the patch panel, you should lay down cable wires in ascending order, by cable number. Use the cut sheet that you prepared earlier to lay down the cable wires. Later, you can add the labels. Use the cable numbers that were assigned when it was run from the work area to the wiring closet. The cable numbers should correspond to the room numbers, where the workstations are located. By laying the wires in ascending order, at the patch panel, it becomes much easier to locate and diagnose any future problems. As you work, it is important that you keep the ends of the cable centered above the pin locations. If you are not careful, the wires can become skewed, which will result in reduced data throughput, when your LAN is fully connected. Be sure to keep the jacket within 6.4 mm of the pin locations you are working on, in order to avoid exposing too much wire. A good way to do this is to measure before you strip off the jacket - 38-50 mm should be sufficient. If you expose too much wire, the consequence will be reduced data throughput on the network. You must not untwist the wire pairs any more than necessary. Untwisted wires reduce data throughput, and can lead to crosstalk.
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