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A patch panel is a group of RJ45 receptacles on a single metal plate, usually attached to a 19-inch equipment rack. Patch panels are used to bring cables run from individual computer locations to a single location where they can then be patched to other equipment using patch cables. A patch cable is simply a short length of twisted-pair cable with an RJ45 plug on both ends. Patch cables are usually 3 to 10 feet in length, but longer lengths are occasionally used.

Patch panels typically have either 24 or 48 ports. Depending on the size of your network, you may have more than one patch panel at a single location. For example, a large network may have four 48-port patch panels to support a total of 192 computers.

A patch panel by itself doesn’t actually do anything. Its job is simply to provide a central collecting point for all your network cables so that you can easily use patch cables to connect the cables to other devices, such as switches or servers.