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Posted By: ffej010 terminating cables on IPO - 01/27/10 08:48 PM
I'm curious how everyone connects their IPO systems to the structured cabling at customer locations. We install all digital phones (no IP phones yet) and simply terminate the phone wiring into a patch panel and then cross connect that to the IPO. Is that how everyone else does it as well, or do you use a 66 block w/ a custom cable or something completely different? Just curious what everyone else does.
Posted By: hbiss Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/27/10 09:33 PM
Like any other KSU- custom cable to a 66 block which is part of a cross connect. Using a patch panel for voice is just plain wrong. I never want to see CAT5 patch cords from a KSU. That kind of stuff screams geek and amateur.

-Hal
Posted By: Touch Tone Tommy Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/27/10 10:48 PM
And if the existing station wiring is a structured installation, landed on patch panels? Patch Panels and Wire Management all the way!!

If the existing cabling is on 66 blocks, since the IPO is going to be racked anyway, patch panel with the IPO, 1' factory patch cords from the IPO to the patch panel, and 25-pair from the patch panel to 66 blocks on the wiring field, single pair jumpers from there.
Posted By: CSS_ETS04 Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 03:20 AM
Nowadays, most of the client locations have CAT5 cable terminated to the telephone infrastructure..

It makes it easy to patch the connections using the patch cables from the IPO to the field panel...
Posted By: mongo5150 Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 04:09 AM
Quote
Originally posted by hbiss:
That kind of stuff screams geek and amateur.

-Hal
That answer seems geek and amateur.
Posted By: hitechcomm Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 05:26 AM
Patch panel to IP Office.
Posted By: hbiss Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 08:12 AM
That answer seems geek and amateur.

Not really. I think we hashed it out enough in probably 100 other threads as to why using patch panels and "structured wiring" is a poor idea for voice. If you had been paying attention this wouldn't be coming up every few months. Problem is the IPO caters to the IT crowd from making it look like IT hardware and rack mounting to having individual jacks for the extensions. That's all IT people know so you wouldn't expect from them anything as incomprehensible as a cross connect with 66 blocks. If Avaya had put Amphenols on the thing and made it so that you have to screw it to the wall, those guys wouldn't touch it and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

-Hal
Posted By: ffej010 Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 10:51 AM
I must state, that I am not found of "modular" connections on a phones system. Makes for a real mess when people go in and start moving extensions around and just doesn't look neat and professional. I'm with Hal, would much prefer an Amphenol and 66 Blocks, like the Norstar ICS units use. But when IP phones start getting installed (not sure why you'd need them anyways....as a digital phone will do everything an IP phone will in the office w/o as much hassle), I am guessing a patch panel is the only way to go for those.

I was just curious as to how others were implementing their connections.
Posted By: hbiss Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 01:29 PM
For IP phones you only have one patch cord from the KSU to the network switch no?

Makes for a real mess when people go in and start moving extensions around and just doesn't look neat and professional.

One of my main tenets is that with KSUs like the Partner and IPO that utilize jacks, those plugs should never be touched to do moves. Rather the jumper on the cross connect field should be moved. The reason for this is as you point out but it's mainly to maintain the order at the KSU. If something needs to be changed it is a simple matter to pull the plugs without regard and reconnect because they are in numerical order. We all know what a nightmare it is to replace modules in a system that has all the drops directly connected with plugs pressed onto the ends. You usually have to break out the label maker and label each cable before you touch anything, and that wastes valuable time especially when the system is down. Then come back six months later and many of your labels are useless because the customer moved cables around again.

This is just one aspect of telecom that the IT world has no understanding of because it doesn't work that way with their stuff.

-Hal
Posted By: mdaniel Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 01:49 PM
Here are some pics of the way we do the IPO.
I agree with using 66 blocks with Partner, but for the IPO I like a patch panel. As you can make changes within the manager program to do moves where you can't on the Partner.

The voice is coming off the top 24 port patch panel and back into the IPO.
And the data network is coming off the bottom 24 port patch panel and down into the switch.

<img src="https://i85.photo...;0" alt="Photobucket">

<img src="https://i85.photo...;0" alt="Photobucket">
Posted By: ffej010 Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 04:10 PM
That is a very nice looking setup, I must admit. 2 questions though: 1. Where do your lines terminate? I see a black modular cord plugged into the ports for incoming lines (appears to be 8 of them), 2. Your other cords that you are using for stations....are you just storing the slack inside the vertical raceway, or are those custom length cords you are using?
Posted By: ffej010 Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 04:11 PM
I would greatly love to see other pictures of IPO installations to see how everyone else is going them. If anyone has any, I'd like to take a peek.
Posted By: mdaniel Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/28/10 04:22 PM
1) Lines are terminated on the backboard on a 66.
2) Custom made.

I also have some pics where we wall mount the IPO and use 66 blocks, I'll see if I can find them.

Thanks for the compliment.
Posted By: WireSysPlus Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/29/10 04:43 PM
How do I include pictures?
Posted By: mongo5150 Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/29/10 05:00 PM
Mike, nice pics.

Quote
Originally posted by hbiss:
... That's all IT people know so you wouldn't expect from them anything as incomprehensible as a cross connect with 66 blocks. If Avaya had put Amphenols on the thing and made it so that you have to screw it to the wall, those guys wouldn't touch it and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

-Hal
While I hate IT guys just as much as the next guy.....If you are cabling a new suite for a customer, and still installing cat3 on 66 blocks, then you are no better than those IT guys you hate.
Maybe you should get out of this business
Posted By: hitechcomm Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/30/10 10:32 AM
Nice install. We do the same type install.
Posted By: hbiss Re: terminating cables on IPO - 01/30/10 11:09 AM
If you are cabling a new suite for a customer, and still installing cat3 on 66 blocks, then you are no better than those IT guys you hate... Maybe you should get out of this business.

Until I do that's what they are going to get. That's because the systems we sell (and what the customer wants and can pay for) don't need anything else. I don't know how many times I have to say it- I wire for what I am installing, NOT so the wiring can be used for something else in the future by somebody else.

-Hal
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