Any significant premises cabling installation runs the risk of chaos, with wiring closets becoming a rats nest or tangled cables. Patch panels, enclosures, and distribution hardware bring order by providing a method of organized fibers. A wiring closet represents the organizational center of the premises cabling system. In the closet the patch panels and organizers are consolidated, along with network equipment such as hubs. All the building wiring runs into and out of the wiring closet, so it is here that neatness is most important.
Patch panels are rather straightforward.
They simply are a panel that contains coupling adapters to allow cables to be plugged or unplugged. Most patch panels permit plugging on both sides to achieve maximum flexibility in arranging and rearranging the cables. Others provide cable management to keep the routing and placement of cables orderly. Distribution units and enclosures are similar to patch panels, except they provide additional space to organize fiber. The distribution units provide an area to store the extra fiber in a large loop.