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anyone know how I can share a patch panel (we maybe sharing a floor with another company) and still have a secure local area network?

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...thanx for putting up the devstudio.

any pointers to general patch panel info on the net?

Two issues: 1) Physical Security - i.e. your neighbours fucking with your gear. Not much you can do about this one except to glue your cables in place or install a cctv in the cabinet with the patch panel. 2) Topological Security - i.e. how do you setup your network to be secure whilst using the patch panel. You need to buy a SOHO gateway/firewall/router like the ones I was recommending to Dex. Get the D-Link 804V to act as gateway, firewall and VPN server together with a switch big enough for everyone in the office and a few besides. Your shared internet will be coming through the patch panel or from a shared gateway in the cabinet. Connect it to the WAN port on your 804; uplink the switch(also positioned in the cabinet) to one of the LAN sockets on the 804. Each of your computers will be connected to a socket in the wall. The wires come out at the patch panel and you need to connect where they come out at the patch panel to the switch or any spare LAN sockets on your 804. The shared gateway will be setup as a DHCP server - this will provide the IP and gateway addresses to your 804. The 804 also acts as a DHCP server. Both the shared gateway and the 804 will perform NAT and you'll setup and configure your 804 same as always. Sorry for the excessive detail but I'm ripped ;-') P.S. we need a ripped emoticon

...so all I have to worry about is physical access to the patch panel, broadband router and switch. I always thought of as ripped