Rackmount Neat-Patch NP-2K6 Manual

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installation of the unit (which is very easy), we need to have a short discussion about the
theory behind the NP2. This really isn't just a device, but a system for good cable
management. The installation guide spells it out in greater depth, but the basis of the
design is that most rack cabling jobs use cables that are too long. Because of the length
of most patch cables used on racks, there is always a ton of extra cable smashed into
cable management trays or controllers. The other problem with rack cabling jobs is that
they depend on vertical cabling in trays, as well as horizontal. Anyone who has a full rack
of switches can tell you that you end up with tons of untraceable cable in the vertical
channel. The NP2 is designed specifically to alleviate those issues.
The theory behind the NP2 is not really a product theory, but a cabling theory. Neat Patch
has very specific designs for laying out racks. The NP2 tray is but one part of the solution.
The 2 foot cable, and the overall design of your racks is what makes the system work. The
installation manual has a few design examples of how to layout your patch panels and
switches to make the system work at it's best. If done correctly, the only thing in the
vertical channel are cable runs to end stations, and cross connects between switches.
The first thing you need to do when installing this system is layout your racks. This
includes where the patch panel with the floor runs goes, how many panels you have, how
many switches, etc. A basic design, and the core design for Neat Patch is to layout your
rack in this order, top to bottom:
24 port patch panel - 1 RU
Neat Patch NP2 - 2 RU
48 port switch - 1 RU
Neat Patch NP2 - 2 RU
48 port patch panel - 2 RU
Neat Patch NP2 - 2 RU
48 port switch - 1 RU
Neat patch NP2 - 2 RU
24 port patch panel - 1 RU
That gives you 96 switched drops in 14 RU, which isn't bad. I'm assuming that you are
using fiber to connect the switches, if not you lose a couple of ports to the floor. As you
can see, you can continue this to fill the rack. The only real change is that you need a 24
port patch panel at the top and bottom of the stack. Here is a picture of a rack wired this
way.
The NP2 used around a 48 port switch
The unique thing is that the neat cable job you see will stay that way forever. The 2 foot
patch cables are installed between ports on the patch panel and switches and looped once
in the Neat Patch NP2. This gives the cable a compliant bend and avoids sharp corners
and strain. The cables are installed from left to right, and should be done with patch panel
ports matching switch ports. In other words, panel port 1 always connects to switch port
1, panel port 2 always connects to switch port 2, etc. This keeps the system neat and
traceable, and makes sure that you maintain compliance.
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Home --> Reviews --> Cable Management
NeatPatch NP2 Kit
Other Considerations:
The Neat Patch NP2K6 Kit offers some unique features that we looked at, and found to be
something to help recommend this system.
The first and foremost benefit is the cable bend management. For those of you who don't
know, ethernet cable has some very specific installation guidelines, some of which specify
the number of bends and tightness of a bend that a cable is allowed to make. Too tight a
bend, or too many bends can cause significant degradation of transmission capabilities.
The NP2 solution, with its 2 foot cables and single loop design for installing them is the
only bend compliant cable management system out there. For high performance networks
with Gig copper to the desktop this is incredibly important. Same with 100Mbps networks
- issues with cabling can be huge, and making sure you have a solid wireplant is a key to
making a solid network.
The bend radius of the 2 foot cable in the NP2 tray
One of the first things that strike you when working with the NP2 is the depth of the unit.
Even if you aren't using the 2 foot cables and rack layouts from the install guide, you can
use these units to help manage long cables around chassis switches or blade servers, or
even for coils of fiber.
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The NP2 system around an opening for blades or chassis switches.
Note the coiled cables in the deep NP2 trays.
One undocumented feature is the ability to move the unit while it is wired up in place.
Simply remove the cover so that you can get a screwdriver to the mounting screws,
remove the screws, put the cover back on, and pull the unit towards yourself. It will move
a couple of inches, which doesn't seem like much, unless you are trying to get to
something on the back of the rack between a couple of NP2 units and switches. It's pretty
easy to put back into place as well - just push the unit back with the cover on, and then
adjust it so that you can line up the mounting screw holes. Total time to try this was 2
minutes.
Another nice thing about the NP2 is the way it fits into wall mounted cabinets. Most swing
away cabinets don't have room for vertical cable management, and using the NP2 doesn't
require verticals.
The last standout feature is the cost of the system. This is by far one of the most cost
efficient methods of cable management I've seen. Take a look at the system, what it
includes, and price it yourself. We looked at quotes that we verified that showed the
system to be up to 50% cheaper than the solutions that we've used in the past. That
should make the bean counters happy.
Summary:
The Neat Patch NP2 kit is a simple but very effective step forward in cable management
for IT departments. We had both very experienced engineers and very new to the IT
world guys try wiring racks with the NP2, and the all found it to be simple and
straightforward to use. Not one of them had an issues with the system, or problems that
they could forsee with using it.
I also think that this is a great way to do rack cable management. I do see that it may or
may not fit in your current environment. Neat Patch is very willing to assist you in
installing this system, up to the point of actually doing engineering drawings of your racks
to show you the best way to install the system. That said, there are some existing
environments out there that wouldn't be a great fit for the NP2. These are mostly closets
that have chassis switches with extensive wiring to the floor that doesn't have enough
slack in it to rearrange the racks. And that's being a bit nit picky about it - almost every
closet I'ver worked with would either benefit now, or have significantly benefitted from the
Neat Patch system.
The only other issue we heard about during the testing involved the difficulty of the
removing cables from switches and patch panels around the installed NP2. This is
attributable to a combination of the cable boots being very stiff, and the fingers on the
NP2 being equally stiff. Neat Patch is aware of this, and is preparing to switch to a
different cable head configuration to alleviate this problem. On the other hand, once the
cables are installed with the NP2 system, the number of times that you'll have to move
cables will be very small.
Overall we found the Neat Patch NP2 kit to be a keeper. The concept is great. The
execution is great. The support is exemplary. The price is definetely right. And add to all
that closets that are the envy of your peers, and you've got a winning product.
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