Patch Panel for Detached Shop (RG6/Cat 5e)?

[Will Rowland]

When I built my detached shop, I ran two lines of RG-6 and two of Cat 5e from the house out to the shop, mainly for a TV but also to handle any future communication or home automation needs.

I'm about to insulate and then close up the walls in the shop (and get the TV hooked up). I'd like to use some sort of in-wall "patch" panel to connect the TV RG-6 line (which runs through the wall from the other side of the shop) as well as provide an "easy" place to hook up any future shop comm lines.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a panel that would fill this need? Also, should should the RG-6 from the house be grounded to the shop in some fashion?

[Dan Hintz]

Plenty of multi-bay patch panels out there that fit into a standard single-socket electrical box. I have 6-panel covers on mine, and I can pick and choose what inserts to put in them. I typically have two phone, two Cat6, and two RG-6 at each panel.

[Matt Meiser]

In wall? No. But this type is what I have in my house. In the basement they are in a closet under the stairs out in the open. In the garage and shop they are in a small metal enclosure with a door (think alarm panel) that I got surplus.

http://www.amazon.com/Intellinet-12-Port-Wall-mount-Patch-560269/dp/B000BSJJ1M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377283706&sr=8-3&keywords=patch+panels

Or do like Dan said and terminate them on Keystone jacks.

If that cable is running outdoor, even underground, I'd get some good surge protection on there.

[paul cottingham]

You can buy the strips for Leviton's structured wiring system and mount them on a wall directly. I suspect that is what I would do, if I wasn't using a full blown panel. You may wish to wire the rest of your house someday, and so leaving the flexibility for that is handy. I did and am very glad I went to the trouble.

[Warren Johnson]

I install voice/data systems to pay the mortgage. Either put in a single gang receptacle box or a low voltage plaster ring (Caddy MP-1) and then use an unloaded 6 port face plate. Fill in the openings as needed. 2 -RG 6, 1- Data, and use second Cat 5e for voice.

[paul cottingham]

Oh, and the panel that Matt pointed to is a great choice as well. We installed a lot of them for commercial clients (the Hubbel version, but the point is the same.)