Labeling Modular Wall Plates

Just like fixed-design wall plates, modular wall plates use labels to differentiate the different jacks by their purpose. In fact, modular wall plates have the widest variety of labels—every modular wall plate manufacturer seems to pride itself on its varied colors and styles of labeling. However, as with fixed-design plates, the labels are either text (e.g., LAN,Phone) or pictures of their intended use, perhaps permanently molded in the plate or on the jack.

Cabling @Work: We Don't Know What Tomorrow Will Bring, but Adding Some Flexibility Today May Make You More Prepared

A few years ago during a hotel's remodeling project, the hotel wired its rooms with only the minimum network connection points using fixed wall plates for its new local area network. Later that year the hotel had to rewire each room to accommodate an IP phone system upgrade, and to offer in-room fax machines and additional telephones on additional lines. Each room had to have additional cabling installed as well as new wall plates.

Though no precise figures have been calculated to see exactly how much would have been saved by installing modular wall plates initially instead of fixed wall plates, it was determined that the fixed wall plate design would not enable the hotel to keep up with the ever-growing number of additional network points and media types that its guests require.