GB2587253A - Modular network cabling - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular network cabling system (10) has plurality of modules connectable in series. The series has a start end module (12), one or more outlet modules (18) and a termination end module (14). Optional connector modules (16) can be interposed between any two modules. Each outlet module (18) comprises a managed network switch (24), which runs STP with a spanning tree shared by the other switches (24A, 24B, 24C, 24D) connected to the modular network cabling system (10). Network connections are provided between the switches (24) by complementary A-type and B-type connectors. The switches (24) are daisy-chained in-series, and the end modules (12, 14) provide a redundant loop connecting the first switch (24A) to the last switch (24D) in the series, whilst the STP removes any loops by disabling ports 26 associated with a loop. Further redundant connections (27) may be provided between non-adjacent switches (24A, 24C), again with STP removing any loops. Power distribution for the switches (24) and any optional PoE injectors (50) may be provided. Spare ports of each network switch (24) can be connected to edge devices (260, 262, 264, 266, 268).

Description

MODULAR NETWORK CABLING

This invention relates to modular network cabling and also to components, which can be fitted together to form a network cabling arrangement.

Network cabling is well-known, and most network end points are provided with ubiquitous RJ45 connectors via which devices, such as computers, phones, servers, CCTV cameras, routers, wireless access points, etc. connect using RJ45 patch cables.

Broadly speaking, a computer network is created by interconnecting the RJ45 sockets together to form an interconnected network whereby data can be transferred from one port to another, and hence between the connected devices, via network cabling (e.g. CatSe or Cat6 cabling). It is commonplace to use CatSe cabling or Cat6 cabling to interconnect the 11145 ports and this typically requires each RJ45 socket to have its own cable run terminating at one end in the port to which a device can be connected, and at the other end to a network switch. The network switch or switches provide the interconnections between the various cables, and hence the ports and devices -and this provides a reliable networking arrangement. Specifically, the use of network switches, as opposed to hubs or other similar repeater devices, reduces the amount of "broadcast" traffic on the network since the switches are able to divert data packets directly from one device to another on the network depending on the sender/receiver packet data contained within the data stream.

An ideal wired network therefore comprises a single switch (or a stacked switch array forming a single logical switch) to which all of the outlet sockets are connected via individual network cables.

This requires considerable planning of the cabling to ensure that sufficient quantities of ports are provided in appropriate locations because after, for example, an office environment has been set-up, it can be very difficult to lay new cable drops to new sockets as and when required. Whilst many office environments are configured initially with the best intentions in mind, invariably network connection points need to be moved and/or added over time. Whilst it is generally advisable to run a new cable for each new network port that is required, due to the disruption this often causes, many network ports are simply "split" by adding additional, downstream switches so that a single hard-wired network cable can serve multiple downstream connected devices. This practice can eventually lead to a highly unsatisfactory situation in which large numbers of switches are deployed at various locations throughout the network and not only does this increase network latency (by increasing the number of "hops" required to get data from one node in the network to another) and congestion, but it also introduces a risk of forming a loop in the network whereby there is more than one cable connecting different segments of the network. When a loop is created, it can have catastrophic consequences because unless the network switches have an "anti-storm" or implement Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) or similar, it can lead to an infinite feedback loop situation whereby data packets are simply sent round and around the network between the looped switches.

Furthermore, the cost of installing a hard-wired network system can be very high, which is contraindicated in the case of a temporary or pop-up office space, for example, or where an ad hoc network simply needs to be created for a short period of time. The known solution to this is simply to use loose network cabling strewn all over the place, which is highly undesirable (even if "tidied" using cable ties) for many reasons that will be apparent to the skilled reader.

In today's climate, there is also an increased demand for home working and for setting up temporary, distributed office spaces. This invariably requires setting up bespoke networks. However, it would be vastly preferable to have available an "out of the box" or "plug and play" network arrangement that can be installed with relative ease, without having to worry about network architecture, and which can be adapted or reconfigured on-the-fly (i.e. providing "hot-swap" work stations).

A need therefore exists for an improved type of network cabling deployment, and preferably one which is modular and/or expandable and/or re-commissionable. The present invention aims to provide such a solution and/or to address one or more of the shortcomings of known networking arrangements.

Aspects of the invention are set forth in the appended independent claims. Preferred and/or optional features are set forth in the appended dependent claims.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular network cabling system comprising a plurality of modules connectable, in use, to one another via complementary A-type and B-type connectors, so as to form a series of modules comprising: a start end module; one or more outlet modules; and a termination end module; wherein the start end module comprises an A-type connector connectable, in use, to the B-type connector of an adjacent outlet module; the or each outlet module comprises an B-type connector connectable, in use, to the A-type connector of the start end module or the A-type connector of an adjacent outlet module; and an A-type connector connectable, in use, to the B-type connector of an adjacent outlet module, or the B-type connector of a termination end-module; the A-type connectors and the B-type connectors each having two or more groups of electrical contacts; the or each outlet module comprising a network switch comprising: a first network interface connected, via electrical conductors, to a first group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector; a second network interface connected, via electrical conductors, to a first group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; and a set of electrical conductors connecting the second group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector to the second group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; the network switch further comprising one or more available network interfaces connectable, in use, to network devices; and wherein the start end module comprises a set of electrical conductors connecting the first group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector to the second group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector; and the termination end module comprises a set of electrical conductors connecting the first group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector to the second group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; and wherein the or each network switch implements Spanning Tree Protocol whose Spanning Tree is common to all of the network switches logically or physically connected to the modular network cabling system so as to selectively disable the network interface or interfaces of any network switch where a loop is detected.

It will be appreciated, from the foregoing, that the modular network cabling system of the invention enables a number of outlet modules to be daisy-chained together in such a way that there is a daisy-chain connection between adjacent outlet modules in the series. There is also connection formed between a network interface of the first outlet module in the series and a network interface of the last outlet module in the series -thereby forming an intentional loop.

However, all of the network switches implement STP, and share a common spanning tree. The spanning tree, once discovered, detects the most efficient connection path between each node (outlet module) in the series and disables appropriate network interfaces to as to remove any loops. Suitably, the root network switch of the spanning tree is automatically configured based on the cost of each path within the network topology. As such, the root network switch of the spanning tree may be located at any outlet module of the series. By using auto-configuration of STP based on path cost, when modules are added or removed, the network topology is automatically updated and the optimal root device automatically set to ensure maximum reliability and efficiency.

The provision of an intentional loop provides redundancy in the system whereby if any one of the network switches is in the series fails, then the end-to-end loop can provide an alternative connection pathway for data between the switches on either side of the failed switch. However, under normal operation, with all network switches operational, there will be a network loop, which is detected by the STP and disabled, thereby providing a standby failover connection should the need arise.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are several redundant connections between the outlet modules of the modular network cabling system. It has previously been described how the invention provides a "daisy-chain and loop-back" (i.e. a ring) topology, but if more than one network switch fails, is removed, or is powered-down, then this could result in loss of functionality by leaving "orphaned" outlet modules on one side or other of the failure.

To ameliorate against this, the invention proposes additional "hop" links between the switches of non-adjacent outlet modules in the series.

Accordingly, the A-type and B-type connectors of the outlet modules may each comprise third and fourth groups of electrical contacts and the network switches [in addition, or as an alternative to the aforesaid first network interface connected, via electrical conductors, to the first group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector; the second network interface connected, via electrical conductors, to a the group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; the one or more available network interfaces connectable, in use, to network devices] may further comprise third and fourth network interfaces, wherein the third network interface of the switch is connected to the fourth group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; the fourth network interface of the switch is connected to the third group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector; and electrical conductors connect the third group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector to the fourth group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector.

So, in a series of outlet modules notionally designated 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... there is a "daisy-chain" connection between modules 1 & 2; 2 & 3; 3 & 4; 4 & 5; etc.; a "hop" connection between modules 1 & 3; 3 & 5; 5 & 7; etc; and a "hop" connection between modules 2 & 4; 4 & 6; 6 & 8; etc. This means that various combinations of network switch failures, outages or disconnections can be tolerated without disconnecting or orphaning others.

By using some flavour of STP (e.g. STP, RSTP, MSTP, etc.), the network topology can be constantly monitored and updated, with certain links enabled/disabled as the case may be to avoid loops.

Further, by using STP, it is possible to configure Link Aggregation Groups (LAGs) where two or more connections connect any pair of network switches. This too is preferably auto-configured by the switches themselves such that deliberate or accidental changes in the network topology are automatically recalculated and the LAGs reconfigured, or demoted to standard (single connection) links. The us of LAGs may facilitate higher bandwidth in the network.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing, that the modular network cabling system of the invention provides an easier means to install a working computer network than conventional switch arrangements and hard wiring. Crucially, however, because each outlet module has its own switch, and because the logical network topology is determined by STP, any device can be plugged into any available network interfaces. Also, the outlet modules can be connected in any order. This Any-Device-Any-Port ("ADAP") configuration obviates much of the network planning that is required by a conventional network arrangement where servers and uplinks often need to be physically clustered and located towards the centre of the network. However, as the invention automatically provides distributed switching on a ring architecture with redundant links, the reliance on conventional "star" network configurations is reduced to obtain useable efficiency.

Moreover, as embodiments of the invention are simply plug-and-play, this too obviates a lot of the preparatory work and hardware installation associated with more conventional network installations/arrangements.

Furthermore, due to the STP running on the network switches at each outlet module, if a user were to plug a patch cable between two outlet modules of the arrangement, then this would also be detected and treated as a "loop" and thus ameliorated by STP. However, it may, in certain circumstances, be desirable to create an "intentional loop" by plugging a patch cable into the available data connection ports of outlet modules on either side of one or more given outlets so that the outlet module between the two patched outlet modules can be removed for replacement, servicing, repair, etc. This also permits an outlet module to be removed and replaced, for example, by a connector module, as shall be described hereinbelow.

Suitably, the or each network switch comprises a managed network switch. Suitably, the network switch comprises a PoE network switch. Preferably, the network switch comprises a managed, PoE network switch.

Most preferably, the network switches are managed network switches that run Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). The use of a managed network switches incorporating STP enables the outlet modules to be fabricated using off-the-shelf components relatively inexpensively. Not only is this beneficial from an initial capital outlay perspective, but it also provides the option for network switches to be readily interchanged at a later date, for upgrading, replacement, etc. purposes as the case may be.

Further, managed network switches usually offer the ability to upload settings/configuration files, which means that the same settings, in particular the Spanning Tree ID or name, and/or the IP configuration (gateway, IP address assignment and subnet mask) can be preconfigured and distributed to all switches in a given network. Other useful functions of managed network switches may be of use in enterprise environments, such as port security, MAC address blocking, QoS settings, providing dedicated VOIP ports, setting designated edge ports, DoS attack mitigation, etc. The outlet module suitably comprises a connection interface having a respective data socket connected to each respective available data connection port of the network switch. The connection interface is suitably formed as a standardised backplate, for example a Euro module backplate, which permits the connection interface to be fitted to a range of standardised trunking and/or floor box systems. The number of data sockets will depend on user requirements, but also the number of available user data connection ports of the network switch. For example, an N-port network switch configured with the aforesaid ring topology, then N-2 ports would be available for connection to edge devices. Likewise, an N-port switch configured with a ring and hop-link topology would have N-4 available network interfaces/ports for connection to edge devices.

In one embodiment, the start end module and/or the termination end module further comprises: a mains to DC power converter whose DC power output is connected to a set of DC power output terminals; and wherein each outlet module comprises: a set of DC power input terminals and a set of DC power output terminals, the DC power input terminals of each outlet module being connectable, in use, to the DC power output terminals of the start end module and/or the termination end module or to the DC power output terminals of a connected outlet module; a first set of respective electrical conductors connecting the DC power input terminals to the set of DC power output terminals; and a second set of respective electrical conductors connecting the DC power input terminals to DC power terminals of the network switch.

Because the invention uses network switches, and in a preferred embodiment, managed network switches, there is a requirement to power those switches in order for the system to operate. Conventionally, a network switch has a barrel connector to which a DC power supply is connected via a mains brick transformer. It would be possible, in certain embodiments of the invention, to power each network switch individually using its own dedicated power socket and power supply. However, this would increase the amount of wiring involved, could be error-prone, and increases inventory.

Moreover, because each outlet module would require its own power supply, this could result in an inefficient use of power (because providing many mains transformers is generally less efficient than a larger shared mains transformer) as well as inefficient use of power sockets. However, by incorporating a power module into one of the end modules of the system, this can be ameliorated and also make the system more "plug-and-play". The provision of a mains to DC transformer or power convertor in one of the end modules enables a more efficient configuration to be obtained and also provides a means by which the outlet modules are automatically powered when they are plugged into or connected into the system. This is suitably achieved by placing a transformer or other mains-to-DC convertor in one of the end modules, and providing bus bars or cables within each module which can be tapped into by the network switches and/or any other required device. Power terminals are therefore suitably provided on each module of the arrangement to enable not only data connections to be automatically formed when they are plugged together, but also power interconnections as well. In this particular configuration, DC power would be distributed between the modules of the overall system and each network switch would be individually powered by jumpers off the power bus bars or cables.

More than one set of bus bars may be provided, for example, to provide 48VDC power for powering PoE devices, and another set, say 12VDC or 24VDC for powering the network switches. This may be accomplished by providing two types of mains transformer (one for 48VDC and another for 12VDC or 24VDC as the case may be). However, a preferred embodiments of the invention use a single mains to DC transformer providing a 48VDC output, which is distributed to each of the outlet modules via bus bars. The distributed 48VDC power could, in certain embodiments, be used to power a PoE injector, which can be configured to inject power between the available outlet ports of the switch and the connection interface. Moreover, one of the PoE outlets of the PoE injector could be used to power the switch itself, for example, by injecting power to a PoE port of the network switch.

Each outlet module may comprise a DC-DC converter, for example a Buck converter, for stepping-down the 48VDC to an appropriate voltage for powering the network switch.

Additionally or alternatively, the end module may comprise a DC-DC converter, for example a Buck converter, for stepping-down the 48VDC to an appropriate voltage for powering the network switches, and an additional set of DC bus bars or cables may be provided for distributing the stepped-down DC voltage to all of the connected devices.

In various embodiments of the invention, the network switches are non-PoE switches, but PoE functionality is required. In this case, one or more of the outlet modules may be provided with a PoE power injector, which is powered by jump leads to the bus bars or power cables previously described.

By connecting the output of the PoE power injector to a PoE-enabled port of the network switch, the switch could be powered by PoE, or PoE power could be provided to the user data connections.

A PoE power injector may be provided, which could be interposed between each data socket of the connection interface and the respective user data connection port of the network switch.

As previously described, a DC-DC power converter may be provided to step-down (e.g. 48VDC to 12VDC) or step-up (e.g. 12VDC to 48VDC) the voltage at the DC power output of the mains to DC power converter.

It is commonplace for different DC voltages to be required for different elements of a network. For example, managed network switches are often powered at 12 VDC, whereas PoE usually requires 48 VDC. In this case, the mains-to-DC transformer in one of the end modules could be configured to output 48 VDC, which could be fed to the devices for PoE power, whereas the DC-to-DC convertor could be used to step-down the 48 VDC to 12 VDC to power the network switches. The opposite is also true, of course, where the mains power transformer may output 12 VDC, and a DC-to-DC convertor could be used to step-up the 12 VDC to 48 VDC. Other voltages and configurations are easily conceived.

In order to separate the high and low voltages, a plurality of bus bars may be provided. They may have a common ground, a high VDC and a low VDC configuration, but it is preferred to have a separate ground cable/bus bar for the high VDC and the low VDC in case the two ground potentials are floating/different relative to one another. A volt meter is suitably provided, at some point in the arrangement, to monitor/check the voltages in the various bus bars as the case may be.

In any of the data input ports of the plurality of outlet modules, the start end module and the termination end module, the data input ports may comprise female RJ45 sockets and the data output ports may comprise male RJ45 plugs. Additionally or alternatively, in any of the data input ports of the plurality of outlet modules, the start end module and the termination end module, the data input ports may comprise male RJ45 plugs and the data output ports may comprise female RJ45 sockets.

Any combination of male/female plugs/sockets may be used, although adopting a "convention" (e.g. sockets for inputs and plugs for outputs) may be preferred to as to reduce the likelihood of incorrectly configuring the modular network cabling system.

The connection interface, where provided, suitably comprises an RJ45 faceplate comprising a respective number of RJ45 sockets corresponding to each connected user data connection ports of the network switch. The use of an RJ45 faceplate (e.g. standard backbox-compatible, "keystone" or or "Euro Module") may improves the availability of parts and may permits interoperability with other systems.

The network switch of the invention suitably comprises an n-port managed Gb or 10-Gb switch and wherein the connection interface comprises n-4 RJ45 sockets, where n is greater than, or equal to, 5. For example, an 8-port managed switch may have 4 spare ports available to a user; a 16-port managed switch may have 12 spare ports available to a user. The number of ports of the switch or switches may vary from outlet module to outlet module of the overall system, and this suitably permits the "port density" at each outlet module to be end-user-configured. Moreover, by providing more ports per outlet module, fewer "hops" may be required in the overall network architecture for a given total number of user data connection ports.

In certain embodiments, the mains-to-DC power converter comprises a mains power transformer.

As previously described, in certain embodiments, the DC-to-DC power converter comprises Buck converter. The use of a Buck converter is advantageous because it is generally more efficient than using a simple potentiometer or voltage divider, which dissipates excess energy as heat. A Buck converter, on the other hand, effectively exchanges current for power, meaning that a much higher power efficiency is obtained. For this reason, it is therefore preferred to use a step-down Buck converter, for example to step-down 48 VDC to 12 VDC so that the output current remains sufficiently high to power all of the connected devices in the system.

One or more connector modules may be added to the modular network cabling system to enable the outlet modules to be spaced apart. This may be useful, where, for an office configuration, workstations may need to be spaced "desk lengths" apart. For example, for a 300mm length outlet module, adding 1500mm connectors between successive outlet modules may enable the outlet modules to be located 1800mm apart, i.e. corresponding to a 1800mm length desk/cubicle.

The connector module is suitably interposed between any two of: the outlet module, the start end module and the termination end module; the connector module suitably comprises respective Type-A and Type-B connectors with straight-through connections between respective groups of connections between the Type-A and Type-B connectors.

The connector module may have a similar physical configuration to the other modules (e.g. incorporated into a section of dado trunking), or it may simply have suitable interfaces at either end for connection to the respective ports of the connected modules, and a flexible, "umbilical" cabling arrangement between the interfaces. The use of an "umbilical" type connector module may facilitate routing, and/or for changing between different physical types of module (e.g. floor boxes to dado trunking; dado trunking to skirting; through partition walls, etc.) A housing is suitably provided, which may form part of or be designed to resemble or interface with, part of any of: a data trunking system; a skirting trunking system; a dado trunking system; and a floor box system.

By using a housing that is compatible with existing dado, skirting or floor box systems, it is possible to integrate the invention relatively seamlessly into an existing respective configuration. In addition, the barriers to entry for the system could be ameliorated somewhat by having/providing a system which resembles ubiquitous power distribution systems already installed in office spaces and the like.

A one or more of the outlet module, the start end module, the termination end module and the connector module may further comprise any one or more of: a mains power outlet; a fused spur outlet; a mains power protection device; an RCD, an RCBO; a power breaker; mains power cabling; AV cabling; an AV input port connected to AV cabling; an AV output port connected to AV cabling.

The ability to integrate the invention into a conventional power distribution system has obvious advantages insofar as network infrastructure is not duplicated. It enables, therefore, the co-location of power services, computer network services and AV distribution in a single type of configuration. This greatly improves the versatility of the system, which has clear advantages in real-use situations.

The connectors of each module are provided so as to facilitate connecting the interfaces (typically RJ45 ports) of the network switches of adjacent modules in a desired manner. This could be accomplished by providing protruding RJ45 plugs of one module that connect into recessed RJ45 sockets of an adjacent module. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a "mixed contact D-Sub" connector is used, which could be of the "36V)/4" configuration, that is to say, having 32 data pins and 4 power pins. The 32 data pins of a 36W4 D-Sub plug/socket arrangement are easily divided into four groups of 8 pins, corresponding to the 8 cables (orange-white, orange, green-white, blue, blue-white, green, white-brown, brown -the TIA/EIA 568B configuration) of four ethernet cables. The remaining 4 pins are usefully used for +/-48VDC (e.g. for powering PoE devices) and +/- 12VDC (e.g. for powering the switches themselves).

Although the precise pinout is ultimately a matter of design choice, in an embodiment of the invention, the following pinouts may be used for type-A and type-B (male/female or vice-versa) 364W D-Sub connectors: Type A Type B Connects to T568B cable designation Pin Pin Connects to T568B cable designation Cross-over Orange-white 1 28 Cross-over Orange-white Cross-over Green-white 2 13 Cross-over Green-white Cross-over Green 3 12 Cross-over Green Interface 2 Brown 4 14 Interface 4 Brown Interface 2 Blue-white 5 15 Interface 4 Blue-white Interface 2 Orange 6 31 Interface 4 Orange Interface 1 Brown-white 7 25 Interface 3 Brown-white Interface 1 Blue 8 24 Interface 3 Blue Cross-over Orange 9 6 Cross-over Orange Cross-over Blue-white 10 5 Cross-over Blue-white Cross-over Brown 11 4 Cross-over Brown Interface 2 Green 12 29 Interface 4 Green Interface 2 Green-white 13 30 Interface 4 Green-white Interface 1 Brown 14 11 Interface 3 Brown Interface 1 Blue-white 15 10 Interface 3 Blue-white Pass-through Orange-white 16 16 Pass-through Orange-white Pass-through Orange 17 17 Pass-through Orange Pass-through Green-white 18 18 Pass-through Green-white Pass-through Blue 19 19 Pass-through Blue Pass-through Blue-white 20 20 Pass-through Blue-white Pass-through Green 21 21 Pass-through Green Pass-through Brown-white 22 22 Pass-through Brown-white Pass-through Brown 23 23 Pass-through Brown Cross-over Blue 24 27 Cross-over Blue Cross-over Brown-white 25 26 Cross-over Brown-white Interface 2 Brown-white 26 7 Interface 4 Brown-white Interface 2 Blue 27 8 Interface 4 Blue Interface 2 Orange-white 28 32 Interface 4 Orange-white Interface 1 Green 29 3 Interface 3 Green Interface 1 Green-white 30 2 Interface 3 Green-white Interface 1 Orange 31 9 Interface 3 Orange Type A Type B Connects to T568B cable designation Pin Pin Connects to T568B cable designation Interface 1 Orange-white 32 1 Interface 3 Orange-white Table 1 -Exemplary 36W4 pinout arranged by input pin number Type A Type B Connects to T568B cable designation Pin Pin Connects to T568B cable designation Interface 1 Orange-white 32 1 Interface 3 Orange-white Interface 1 Green-white 30 2 Interface 3 Green-white Interface 1 Green 29 3 Interface 3 Green Cross-over Brown 11 4 Cross-over Brown Cross-over Blue-white 10 5 Cross-over Blue-white Cross-over Orange 9 6 Cross-over Orange Interface 2 Brown-white 26 7 Interface 4 Brown-white Interface 2 Blue 27 8 Interface 4 Blue Interface 1 Orange 31 9 Interface 3 Orange Interface 1 Blue-white 15 10 Interface 3 Blue-white Interface 1 Brown 14 11 Interface 3 Brown Cross-over Green 3 12 Cross-over Green Cross-over Green-white 2 13 Cross-over Green-white Interface 2 Brown 4 14 Interface 4 Brown Interface 2 Blue-white 5 15 Interface 4 Blue-white Pass-through Orange-white 16 16 Pass-through Orange-white Pass-through Orange 17 17 Pass-through Orange Pass-through Green-white 18 18 Pass-through Green-white Pass-through Blue 19 19 Pass-through Blue Pass-through Blue-white 20 20 Pass-through Blue-white Pass-through Green 21 21 Pass-through Green Pass-through Brown-white 22 22 Pass-through Brown-white Pass-through Brown 23 23 Pass-through Brown Interface 1 Blue 8 24 Interface 3 Blue Interface 1 Brown-white 7 25 Interface 3 Brown-white Cross-over Brown-white 25 26 Cross-over Brown-white Cross-over Blue 24 27 Cross-over Blue Cross-over Orange-white 1 28 Cross-over Orange-white Interface 2 Green 12 29 Interface 4 Green Interface 2 Green-white 13 30 Interface 4 Green-white Interface 2 Orange 6 31 Interface 4 Orange Interface 2 Orange-white 28 32 Interface 4 Orange-white Table 2 -Exemplary 36W4 pinout arranged by output pin number Embodiments of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1-4 are schematic views of the modular components of a first embodiment of a modular network cabling system in accordance with the invention; Figure 5 is a schematic view of the components of Figures 1-4 assembled into a network cabling system in normal operation; Figure 6 is a schematic view of the arrangement shown in Figure 5, albeit in a fail state; Figures 7-10 are schematic views of a second embodiment of the components of a network cabling system in accordance with the invention; Figure 11 is a schematic view of the components of Figures 7-10 assembled, in normal operation; Figures 12-15 are schematic views of the components of a third embodiment of a network cabling system in accordance with the invention; Figure 16 is a schematic view of a network cabling arrangement using the components of Figures 12-15; Figure 17 is a schematic view of the network cabling system of Figure 16 in a first fail state; Figure 18 is a schematic view of the configuration of Figure 16 in a second fail state; Figure 19 is a schematic showing the use of bus bars for powering the network switch of an outlet module; Figure 20 is a schematic showing the use of bus bars for powering the PoE devices of an outlet module; Figures 21-25 are schematic wiring diagrams for the various modules of the invention; Figure 26 and 27 are schematic perspective views showing possible interconnection configurations between adjacent modules; Figure 28 is a partial, exploded view, of an embodiment of the hardware elements required to incorporate the inventio into other systems; Figure 29 is a schematic pinout diagram for 36W4 connectors shown in Figures 27 and 28; Figures 30A to 30E are schematic node diagrams for a network created using embodiments of the invention; Figure 31 is a schematic node diagram of a network created using embodiments of the invention in various fail states; Figure 32 is an illustration of a network created using the components of the invention; and Figure 37 shows a schematic wiring diagram for a modular network in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figures 1-6 of the drawings, a modular network cabling arrangement 10 is made up of various plug-together components, namely a first end component 12, a second end component 14, a connector 16 and an outlet component 18. The components 12, 14, 16, 18 connect together by mutually engageable male 20 and female 22 plugs/sockets, for example RJ45 or D-Sub plugs and sockets, at their opposite ends. The components 12, 14, 16, 18 can be daisy-chained together in any desired configuration of connectors 16 and outlets 18, with an end piece 12, 14 at either end. It will be appreciated that any number of outlets 18 can be incorporated into the "run" 10 to form a bespoke network cabling system as required. Whilst it is envisaged that the outlets 18 and end pieces 12, 14 will have fixed dimensions, the connectors 16 may be provided in various lengths or they could be cut-to-length components, which an installer cuts to the appropriate lengths on-site as required, to obtain the required spacing between outlets 18.

Each outlet 18 comprises a network switch 24, which has a number of ports 26 therein. For ease of reference, in this document, the network switches 24 will be referred to by letters (A, B, C, etc.) from left to right in the drawings, and the ports 26 will be referred to by a number (1, 2, 3, etc.) from left to right also. Therefore, the second port of the first switch would be referred to as a A2, whereas the fifth port of the third switch would be referred to as C5, etc. It will be appreciated that network switches 24 come in various configurations having different numbers of interfaces/ports, and in the illustrated embodiments, each switch 24 has six ports 26. The number of ports will depend on the given application. For example, a workstation outlet may have three usable ports 26, namely for a computer, a VOIP phone and a printer (all not shown for clarity). More or fewer usable ports 26 may be provided at each outlet depending on the requirements of the end user's situation.

As can be seen from Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, there are three switches 24A, 24B, 24C, which are daisy-chained together. Specifically, port A6 is connected to B1, and port B6 is connected to port C1. This is a conventional daisy-chain configuration with ports A2-5, B2-5 and C2-5 all being usable ports at each outlet 18.

The problem with this configuration, as will be understood by persons skilled in the art, is that the failure of any one switch 24 in the daisy-chain causes an outage of all switches 24 downstream of that point. For example, if switch 24A were to be connected to a server and if switch 24B were to suffer an outage, then switch 24C would not receive any data whatsoever. This is shown, schematically, in Figure 6 where switch 24B is indicated in dash lines to signify an outage. Ordinarily, that would lead to a network failure, at least as far as switch 24C is concerned.

However, the modular network cabling system 10 of the invention also includes a fail over loop 28, which is formed by a straight-through cable 30 in the connectors 16 and outlets 18, and by a looping cable 32 in the end components 12, 14. As can be seen from Figure 6 of the drawings, in the event of switch 24B failing, switches 24A and 24 C can nevertheless still communicate by virtue of the failover loop 30, 32. This enables faulty switch 24B to be bypassed as shown by the bold connections in Figure 6.

As will be well understood by the skilled reader, the provision of redundant connections or loops in networking is highly undesirable as it can lead to packets of data circulating infinitely between two nodes of the network. This is avoided in the invention by each network switch implementing STP and by using a common/shares spanning tree ID. The STP thus configured identifies and disables ports where loops are detected.

The switches 24 of the invention are, therefore, preferably managed switches, or at least switches incorporating an STP-type protocol, which can disable ports on each switch 24 where a loop is detected.

As can be seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, in the normal use situation, a loop is created between ports Al and C6, which is detected by switches 24A and 24C such that either, or both, of ports Al and/or C6 can be disabled, as shown by dashed lines 34. This resolves the loop problem and enables the switches 24A, 24B, 24C to communicate in a daisy-chain fashion via ports A6 and B1; and via B6 and Cl.

However, as can be seen in Figure 6, once switch 24B fails, the loop previously between ports Al and C6 is no longer present because there is now no connection at port A6 or Cl. This means that the STP can enable ports Al and C6 to enable switches 24A and 24C to communicate now via ports Al and C6. The provision of the loop circuit 30, 32, as shown in Figures 1-6 is adequate for safeguarding against a single switch 24 failure on the network cabling system 10.

Another topology is shown in Figures 7 to 11 of the drawings, in which daisy-chain connections 21 connect adjacent switches (e.g. A6 to B1, B6 to Cl, etc.). There is also an additional input 23 and an additional output 25 connected to ports 2 and 5 of each switch 24 as well as a cross-over cable 27 and respective connections. It can be seen, by regarding Figure 11 in particular, that this configuration creates "hop" links 27 between non-adjacent outlet modules 18 in the series, in addition to the daisy-chain connections 21 previously described. Now, as can be seen in Figure 11, if one switch fails, a bridge (shown in bold) around that affected switch can be enabled, thus bypassing the affected switch 24.

An yet further, but preferred configuration of the invention is shown in Figures 12-18 of the drawings, which are largely the same as the configuration shown in Figures 1-11, except this time, each module 12, 14, 16, 18 groups of electrical connection at its input and output side.

The male 34 and female 36 connectors of the end components 12, 14 serve no function as they are not connected, but they do ensure interoperability with the connectors 16 and outlets 18. N The could, however, be omitted.

As can be seen from Figure 13 of the drawings, each outlet module 18 has a cross-over cabling configuration between the male and female connectors 34A and 36A, respectively.

When assembled, as can be seen in Figure 16 of the drawings, the cross-over cabling forms a connection between port AS and C2, between port B5 and D2, etc.. This pattern extends indefinitely along the line of interconnected connectors 16 and outlets 18.

Now, as can be seen, there are several possible connections between each switch 24. For example, between switches A and C, there are three paths, namely A6>B1>B6>C1 (via switch B); A5>C2 (directly) and C6>D1>D1>A1 (via the loop, 30, 32). To counteract this, each of the switches 24 implements STP or an STP-like protocol, which disables appropriate ports depending on the path cost, which resolves the loop issue that would otherwise be encountered.

However, in the case of a single switch failure, as shown in Figure 17 of the drawings, in which switch 24B has failed, switches 24A and 24C can nevertheless still communicate, albeit via the crossover cabling 27. The STP of switches 24A and 24C activate ports AS and C2 so as to form a connection 38 between those two switches 24A, 24C. Meanwhile, there is still a loop between ports Al and C6, which the SW handles by disabling one, or both, of those ports. In an alternative fail-over state, as shown in Figure 19 of the drawings, two switches 24B, 24C have failed, but switches 24A and 24D are still able to communicate with one another, albeit this time, via the fail-over loop cabling 30, 32. In this case, ports Al and C6 are activated so as to enable switches 24A and 24C to communicate via ports Al and C6.

It will be appreciated that the configuration shown in Figures 12-18 has the advantage of tolerating multiple switch failures on an installation to be accommodated, by using various combinations of loop and hop/cross-over bypassing.

It will be appreciated that many devices nowadays, including network switches, require power and this is often provided via a PoE protocol. In the embodiment shown in Figures 19 and 20 of the drawings, a power bus bar 42 has been provided, which connects to an external power source 44 via a jack-like connector 46. The power bus 42 connects all of the components together and thus distributes power from the power source 44 to all of the connected connectors 16 and outlets 18.

Each outlet 18 that requires power takes it by tap-off circuitry 48 as shown in Figure 29. For example, the switch 24 could be powered by the power source 44. Alternatively, it could be powered via a PoE supply fed into, for example, port A. The problem with relying on PoE only is that in the event of one of the switches 24 failing, the power will cease to be transmitted to downstream switches in the daisy-chain. However, by providing a bus bar with a distributed power supply, it is possible to power each switch 24 independently of PoE on the network cabling itself.

In many circumstances, it may be desirable to use non-PoE switches 24 as shown in Figure 20, although, to provide useful PoE outlets 50 to the user of the outlet 18. In this case, the switch 24 is powered by the bus bars 42 distributing power from the power source 44 and a PoE power injector 52 is also provided, through which power is injected into the usable ports 50. This means that the switch 24 can be a conventional/non-PoE switch 24, although it can be powered centrally, it has a power supply regardless of the PoE status of the overall network, but each usable port 50 of the device that an end user can interact with is provided with power via its network connections.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one of the modules, for example, the start end module 12 comprises a mains-to-DC transformer 60, as shown in Figure 21. Here, the mains-to-DC transformer 60 is powered by mains power, for example via an IEC "kettle plug" connector or similar, and has 48V DC outputs 26, which are connected to positive 64 and negative 66 cables, which in-turn connect to +48VDC 68 and ground or -48VDC 70 pins of a Type-A connector 72.

The 48V DC outputs 26 are also connected to the 48VDC input terminals 74 of a Buck converter which steps-down the 48VDc to 12VDC. A set of 12VDC outputs 78 are connected to positive 80 and negative 82 cables, which in-turn connect to +12VDC 84 and ground or -48VDC 86 pins of the output connector 72.

The output connector 70 also has four groups of data connections 90, 92, 94, 96 and cabling 30 connecting the first 90 and second 90 groups together. The cabling 32 is the aforementioned loop cabling, which in practice could be a short length of 8-strand (4 twisted pair) data cable, such as CatSe cable. The remaining groups of electrical contacts 94, 96 are unconnected.

Referring now to Figure 22 of the drawings, a schematic wiring diagram for an outlet module 18 is shown, which has a Type-B connector 73 at one side and a Type-A connector 72 at the other. An 8-port network switch 24 is connected via port 1 to the first group 90 of electrical contacts of the Type-B connector 73 and via port 2 to the third group 94 of electrical contacts of the Type-B connector 73. Likewise, port 4 is connected to the first group 90 of electrical contacts of the Type-A connector 72 and via port 3 to the fourth group 96 of electrical contacts of the Type-B connector 73. A cross-over ethernet cable 27 connects the fourth group 96 of electrical contacts of the Type-A connector 72 to the third group 94 of electrical contacts of the Type-B connector 73.

Both the A-type and B-type connectors 72, 73 have power pins connected by bus bars or power cables 64, 66, 80, 80 distributing 48VDC and 12VDC to all of the modules in the arrangement 10. 12V tap cables 48 power the switch 24 off the 12VDC supply 80, 82, whereas a PoE injector 50 is powered by 48V tap cables 481 off the 48VDC power cables 64, 66. A four-port RJ45 outlet interface 51 has for RJ45 edge ports, which are connected, via ethernet patch cables, to ports 5 to 8 of the switch 24, via the PoE injector 50. It will be appreciated that outlet modules 18 can be connected to one another to distribute power and data around the network 10 so formed.

A variation of the outlet module 18 of Figure 21 is depicted in Figure 23. In this case, the network switch 24 can be powered by PoE to port 1. A port of the PoE injector 50 thus supplies 48VDC to port 1 of the switch 24, thereby powering it. The 12VDC power tap can be omitted, or provided as a backup power supply for the switch. Alternatively, the PoE at port 1 could provide the backup power of the switch, depending on the switch's configuration.

Similar wiring diagrams are shown in Figures 24 and 25 of the drawings for the sake of completeness for the connector module 16 and the termination end module 14, respectively.

Figure 26 is a schematic end view of a pair of separated outlet modules 18 in which the type-A and type-B connections are formed by protruding RJ45 plugs 104 of one that engage with 11154 sockets 106 of the other (or vice-versa). A 4-pin power plug and socket 108 is used for distributing power between the modules 18.

Figure 27 is also a schematic end view of a pair of separated outlet modules 18 similar to that shown above in relation to Figure 26, albeit in this embodiment, the electrical and data connections are formed by a pair of 36W4 D-Sub connectors 720, 730. Mechanical connection between the modules 18 is provided by way of complementary clip-fitting tangs 732 and recesses 734.

Figure 28 is a schematic, exploded perspective view of an outlet module 18 in accordance with the invention. The outlook module 18 is integrated into a length of dado trunking 200, which forms a housing for the outlet module 18. The dado trunking 20 has a backplate 202, which has a generally flat rear surface 204 and upwardly projecting side ribs 206 and central ribs 208 dividing it into three compartments. A section of the central ribs 208 has been cut away to provide space for a cradle 210, which connects to the rear surface 204 using screws or some other suitable connection method. Stand-offs 212 are provided on the back of the cradle 210 to space the cradle 210 from the wall 204, thereby providing space to accommodate a wiring loom 214. The cradle 210 has catches 216 for retaining a network switch 24, which is powered by a fly lead 48 off the wiring loom 214. The wiring loom 214 comprises a pass-through ribbon cable 92, a cross-over ribbon cable 27 and further ribbon cables 90, 94 connecting to respective RJ45 plugs 104. The RJ45 plugs 104 plug into respective RJ45 sockets of the network switch. Each end of the wiring loom 214 terminates in a 36W4D-sub connector 730, 720, which protrudes through an aperture 220 in an end piece 224, which fits onto the end of the baseplate 202. Capping pieces (not shown for clarity) cover each of the three compartments of the dado rail 200 and clip between the side upstands 202 and the central webs 208 or between the central webs 208, as the case may be. Power for the network switch (and optionally any PoE devices [not shown]) is provided by the power cables 64, 66, 80, 82, which connect to the four power pins of the 36W4D-sub connectors 730, 720. It will be appreciated that the outlet modules 18 can simply be plugged together end-to-end to form electrical and power connections between them. Additionally or alternatively, an umbilical connector 16, 730 may be provided to interconnect the outlet modules 18.

In order to gain access to the available network ports 241 of the network switch 24, a clip-in backbox 226 is provided, which clips between the two webs 208 of the dado rail 200. A face plate 50 is provided, which has four RJ45 sockets (not shown for clarity) therein, which are connected to fly leads 228 also having RJ45 plugs 104 at the ends thereof, which connect to the available network ports 241 of the switch 24 as shown.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the end pieces 224 are omitted and the cradle 210, network switch 24 and wiring loom 214 simply inserted into a pre-existing length of dado trunking 200. The backbox 226, outlet face plate 50 and fly leads 228 can be connected thereby permitting a networking system in accordance with the invention to be incorporated into a conventional/existing power dado trunking system. The outlet modules 18 thus formed can be interconnected by using connectors 16 simply by plugging the D-sub connectors 720, 730 together as required. The pre-existing dad trunking system would likely have mains power in it, it would be relatively straightforward to tap into that power supply in order to power the switches.

As mentioned previously, the connections between the components could be accomplished using 36W4 type D-sub connectors 730, 720 and an exemplary wiring loom 214 is shown in Figure 29 of the drawings.

Here, it can be seen that each D-sub connector 720, 730 has 32 data pins and 4 additional pins, which are much larger and which are typically capable of carrying 10 amps each. The pinout for this configuration has been previously provided in tables 1 and 2 above. However, it can be seen that pass-through cabling 92 and cross-over cabling 27 is provided between the D-sub connectors 730, 720, and that further data pins of each D-sub connector are used to connect to respective RJ45 plugs, or at least to the interfaces of a network switch 24. A PoE injector 50 could be provided and the ultimate connections to the RJ45 interfaces of the outlet 51 are shown also.

Referring now to Figures 30A-30E of the drawings, a set of node diagrams are shown for a network system in accordance with the invention.

In Figure 30A, there are two network switches 24 interconnected by daisy-chain wiring as shown in bold. There is also a feedback loop 32 providing redundancy. The primary connection is between the daisy-chain link, but in the event of that failing, the loopback, 30, 32 provides a redundant link for failover purposes.

In Figure 308, an additional outlet has been added where it can be seen that there are (bold) daisy-chain links between the switches 24. The loopback 30, 32 provides a failsafe in case the link between switches 24A and 248, or between 24B and 24C fails.

In Figure 30C of the drawings, four switches 24A -24D are interconnected in a daisy-chain fashion, but also the hop links 72 are now formed between them, as well as the loopback 30, 32 between switches 24A and 24D. This provides multiple redundant pathways in the network topology, and this topology can be expanded ad infinitum, as shown by Figures 30D and 30E.

Crucially, in Figure 31 it can be seen how the various failures can be tolerated by the system comprising multiple outlet modules 24A-24N. In this example, switches 24E, 24F and 24J have been disabled, removed or disconnected, and this would ordinarily lead to a complete failure of the 15 network.

The single failed/disconnected switch 24J is easily by-passed by the hop link 72 between switches 241 and 24K. The two successive failed switches 24E and 24F are accommodated by the loopback 30, 32 link between switches 24A and 24N. It will be appreciated from this that the invention provides a resilient and adaptable network system, which auto-configures and works without much configuration.

Figure 32 of the drawings shows a possible installation of a modular networking system in accordance with the invention, which is formed as part of a dado trunking system 200 as well as a floor box system 300. Umbilical connectors 16 provide a connection between the dado system 200 and the floor box system 300, as well as between the floor box outlets 181. The dado system 200 is collocated with power outlets 250, and is powered either by the outlets 250 or internal wiring, or by a plug-in transformer 252, which connects to the power bus bars by a fly lead 254. Due to the afore-described configuration of the modular network system 10, any device can be plugged into any port, for example PoE VOIP phones 260, PCs 262, MAS devices 264, servers 266, PoE CCTV cameras 268, etc. Due to the distributed nature of the switching in the modular networking system 10, the APAD configuration is easily managed and any of the aforesaid devices can be removed and plugged into any other port as and when required. Furthermore, it is possible to remove and add additional outlets as and when required.

Finally, Figure 33 shows an exemplary wiring diagram for a modular network system 10 in accordance with the invention, which comprises tart 12 and end 14 termination modules, four outlet module 18 and a connector module 16 all interconnected by 37-pin D-Sub connectors. The wiring for the connector module 16 is straightforward: being simply straight-through wiring between respective pins. The straight-through wiring could be accomplished using, for example, a 37-pin D-Sub male to female cable, or RJ45 break-outs may be connected to groups of pins to enable ethernet cables to be used (e.g. over longer distances) to connect the A-type and B-type connectors to one another.

Each of the outlet modules 18 has a male 37-pin D-Sub connector 720 at one side, and a complementary female 37-pin D-Sub connector 730 at another side, such that they can interconnect in-series.

A first group of electrical contacts 30 of both the A-type 730 and B-type 730 connectors to form the loop-back cabling 30 previously described.

A second group of electrical contacts 27 form the cross-over cabling between connectors 720, 730 previously described.

A third group of electrical contacts 181 of the B-type connector 730 connect to a first RJ45 plug 183, which plugs into a first port (not shown) of the network switch (also not shown for clarity).

A fourth group of electrical contacts 185 of the A-type connector 720 connect to a second RJ45 plug 187, which plugs into a second port (not shown) of the network switch (also not shown for clarity). The first RJ45 plug 183 is thus connected to the second 11145 plug 187 of an adjacent module 18. A fifth group of electrical contacts 189 of the B-type connector 730 connect to a third RJ45 plug 191, which plugs into a third port (not shown) of the network switch (also not shown for clarity).

A sixth group of electrical contacts 193 of the A-type connector 720 connect to a fourth RJ45 plug 195, which plugs into a fourth port (not shown) of the network switch (also not shown for clarity). The third RJ45 plug 191 is thus connected to the fourth RJ45 plug 195 of a non-adjacent module 18 via cross-over cabling 27.

On a 37-pin D-Sub connector, only 32 of the pins are used by the aforesaid cabling, leaving a further 5 pins available for transmission of power. In this case, two groups of two pins 64, 66 can be used for distributing power throughout the system 10.

In this example, the start end module 12 also has an auxiliary 11145 port 197 connected to electrical connectors 199 connecting to the cross-over cabling 27 and hence to the third RJ45 plug 191 of a non-adjacent module 18. Likewise, the termination end module 14 also has an auxiliary RJ45 port 201 connected to electrical connectors 203 connecting to the fourth RJ45 plug 195 of an adjacent module 18.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments which are merely exemplary of the invention, whereas the scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (25)

1. CLAIMS1. A modular network cabling system comprising a plurality of modules connectable, in use, to one another so as to form a series of modules; the modules being connectable to one another by complementary A-type and B-type connectors each having two or more groups of electrical contacts, the series of modules comprising: a start end module comprising an A-type connector connectable, in use, to a B-type connector of an adjacent outlet module; a termination end module comprising a B-type connector connectable, in use, to an A-type connector of an adjacent outlet module; and one or more outlet modules each comprising: a B-type connector connectable, in use, to the A-type connector of the start end module or the A-type connector of an adjacent outlet module; an A-type connector connectable, in use, to the B-type connector of an adjacent outlet module, or the B-type connector of a termination end-module; a network switch comprising: a first network interface connected, via electrical conductors, to a first group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector; a second network interface connected, via electrical conductors, to a first group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; and a set of electrical conductors connecting the second group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector to the second group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; and one or more available network interfaces connectable, in use, to network devices; the start end module comprising a set of electrical conductors connecting the first group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector to the second group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector; the termination end module comprising a set of electrical conductors connecting the first group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector to the second group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; and wherein the or each network switch implements Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) whose spanning tree is common to all of the network switches logically or physically connected to the modular network cabling system so as to selectively disable the network interface or interfaces of any network switch where a loop is detected.
2. 2. The modular network cabling system of claim 1, wherein the STP detects and activates the most efficient connection path between each interface of each network switch based on path cost.
3. 3. The modular network cabling system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the root network switch of the spanning tree is automatically configured by the STP based on the cost of each path within the network topology to the root network switch.
4. 4. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein: the A-type and B-type connectors further comprise third and fourth groups of electrical contacts; and the network switches further comprise third and fourth network interfaces, wherein the third network interface of the switch is connected to the fourth group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector; the fourth network interface of the switch is connected to the third group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector; and electrical conductors connect the third group of electrical contacts of the B-type connector to the fourth group of electrical contacts of the A-type connector.
5. 5. The modular network cabling system of claim 4, wherein the network switches are configured to create Link Aggregation Groups (LAGs) where two or more connections connect any pair of network switches.
6. 6. The modular network cabling system of claim 5, wherein the network switches are configured to create LAGs where two or more connections are present that connect any pair of network switches; or demote a LAG to a standard connection when a connection forming a LAG is removed or disabled.
7. 7. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein the or each network switch comprises a managed network switch.
8. 8. The modular network cabling system of claim 7, wherein the or each managed network switch comprises an I/O interface via which setting and configuration files or parameters are uploadable or downloadable to the switch.
9. 9. The modular network cabling system of claim 8, wherein the setting and configuration files or parameters comprise: an ID or name of the common spanning tree; and IP configuration settings.
10. 10. The modular network cabling system of claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the or each managed network switch comprises any one or more of the group comprising: port security; MAC address blocking; QoS configuration; dedicated VOIP port configuration; designated edge port settings; and DoS attack mitigation.
11. 11. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein the or each network switch comprises a PoE network switch.
12. 12. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein the or each outlet module comprises a connection interface having a respective data socket connected to each respective available data connection port of the network switch.
13. 13. The modular network cabling system of claim 12, wherein the connection interface comprises one or more R145 sockets.
14. 14. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein any one or more of the modules comprises a mains-to-DC power converter whose DC power output is connected to a set of power distribution cables extending between any two or more modules.
15. 15. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein any one or more of the modules comprises a DC-to-DC power converter whose DC power output is connected to a set of power distribution cables extending between any two or more modules.
16. 16. The modular network cabling system of claim 15, wherein the DC output of the mains-to-DC power converter is a different voltage and/or polarity to the DC output of the DC-to-DC converter.
17. 17. The modular network cabling system of claim 15 or claim 16, wherein DC-to-DC power converter comprises a step-down Buck converter.
18. 18. The modular network cabling system of any of claims 14 to 17, wherein any one or more of the outlet modules comprises any one or more of the group comprising: electrical connections connecting the power distribution cables to a power input of a network switch; electrical connections connecting the power distribution cables to a power input of a PoE injector; electrical connections connecting the power distribution cables to a power input of a PoE injector and electrical connections connecting a power output of the PoE injector to a PoEcompatible interface of the network switch; and electrical connections connecting the power distribution cables to a power input of a PoE injector and electrical connections connecting a power output of the PoE injector to port of the available network interfaces.
19. 19. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein the groups of electrical contacts of the A-type and B-type connectors comprise R145 plugs and 12145 sockets, respectively, or vice-versa.
20. 20. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein the A-type and B-type connectors comprise power connection plugs and sockets, or vice-versa.
21. 21. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, wherein the groups of electrical contacts of the A-type and B-type connectors comprise groups of pins of a male or female D-sub plug and socket, or vice-versa.
22. 22. The modular network cabling system of claim 21, wherein the D-sub plugs and sockets comprise 36W4-type D-sub plugs and sockets, each having 8 data pins assigned to each group of electrical connections and two or more of the special connections assigned to power distribution.
23. 23. The modular network cabling system of claim 22, wherein four sets of 8 data pins are assigned to four groups of electrical connections, wherein two of the special connections are assigned to high VDC power distribution, and wherein two of the special connections are assigned to low VDC power distribution.
24. 24. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, further comprising a housing, the housing forming part of, or be designed to resemble or interface with, part of any of: a data trunking system; a skirting trunking system; a dado trunking system; and a floor box system.
25. 25. The modular network cabling system of any preceding claim, further comprising a connector module comprising an A-type connector and a B-type connector, the electrical contacts of the A-type connector and the B-type connector being electrically interconnected in a straight-through configuration.