[MovedGoalPosts]

Patch panels are very much used in current networks. Indeed their benefits are even greater than a few years ago. Run a load of wires to the desk positions, then you can use the patch panel termination to separate out, or integrate the various services. Some stuff like printers might only operate at 10mbit speeds so why waste your expensive gigabit ports on those? For a small office yes that might not be importants but in a large office there could be lopnger term savings on energy and shorter term savings on kit.

Of course if you don't use a patch panel then you just stick the RJ45 plug on the end of each lead and connect those direct to the switch. That's absoluitely fine, but how are the cables marked so you know which came from where in case of troublshooting, or need to change stuff around. In my own office of 20 users, I find I'm often switching some cables so they rout through the server, and other times direct from the modem.