Our guide delivers actionable, step-by-step best practices for rack layout, cable management, and patch panel installation. A patch panel is a centralized hardware component used to manage network cables in data centers, enterprise server rooms, and smart buildings. According to Grand View Research, the global structured cabling market is projected to reach $15. Unlike active devices that process data, a patch panel simply provides structured termination points for each Ethernet cable run, creating a clean, scalable. Patch Panels are a standard rack panel punched with ports for network connectors featuring ID strips/labels to help with identification. The benefits of using patch panels.