For example, at work, a network is made up of 10 workstations all connected to a switch through a patch panel. From my inexperienced opinion, it is extra cost that can be avoided; however, as I do more research it appears to be common sense to use a patch panel.
What is the need for patch panels?
Best Answer
The horizontal cable needs to be solid-core cable. this type of cable gives better performance, but it is much more fragile, and it needs to to terminate in a fixed location, and not be moved after installation.
Patch cords use stranded cable, which have poorer performance, but they are much less fragile.
The ANSI/TIA/EIA Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard specifies the horizontal cable up to 90 meters, and stranded patch cords not totaling more than 10 meters on each end. This gives you up to 100 meters of copper wire.
The combination of good performing horizontal cable, and poor performing stranded patch cords should pass the test suite for the cable category you installed. You could find your cable plant does not work correctly if you use stranded cable for the horizontal cable, as someone on Server Fault did.