Patch panel vs switch

[Jrip27]

What are the pros/cons and which is ideal for my home network: A patch switch or patch panel? 8 rooms with ether net jacks.

 

[dziugss]

These are two very different things. A patch panel is more of an extension of your ethernet cables. It's used for the purpose of neatness. A switch connects your devices into a network allowing them to communicate and share files with each other.

 

[TJ Hooker]

As said above, they do different things. A patch panel allows you to re-route otherwise static connections. For example, let's say your PC is wired to a patch panel which is wired to Network A and Network B. You could use the patch panel to conveniently go back and forth between having your PC connected to either network simply by moving a single patch cable, rather than potentially re-running a cable all the way from your PC to either router. It doesn't allow multiple devices plugged into the patch panel to talk to each other, unless the patch panel has a switch on the other end.

For your home network you almost certainly want a switch.

 

[jsmithepa]

Beating the moribund horse...

The patch panel is where the wires comes form the different rooms, a switch is where you "patch" cables to, like in this picture, a traditional, very IT way of wiring things. You need/want both.

 

[Jrip27]

AT&T came and removed their devices and cut all my ether net cords.. what do I need to resolve the problem?

Beating the moribund horse...

The patch panel is where the wires comes form the different rooms, a switch is where you "patch" cables to, like in this picture, a traditional, very IT way of wiring things. You need/want both.

 

[jsmithepa]

AT&T came and removed their devices and cut all my ether net cords.. what do I need to resolve the problem?

Well if you had it laid out nicely, everything labeled to being with, the carrier would just had disconnect things (pull cords) and take their equipment away. If you are asking this question, sounds like you don't know where everything goes, that's extremely difficult for anybody here to TELE-guide you. ISP are not responsible for your internal wirings, so you may have to pay somebody to come in an clean up/label things for you.