UniFi Keystones: Cat6 and Cat6A Keystone Jacks for the Ubiquiti Patch Panel
Ubiquiti now offers toolless Keystone Jacks in Cat6 and Cat6A that color-match the UniFi patch panel. What they can do and whether the premium over third-party alternatives is worth it.
Why Dedicated Keystones?
Anyone running a UniFi network with the 24-Port Blank Keystone Patch Panel knows the issue: most keystone jacks on the market are white or a shade of gray that does not match the silver Ubiquiti rack. Ubiquiti has released its own Cat6 and Cat6A keystone jacks that are color-matched to the patch panels and switches.
The Two Models
Ubiquiti offers two variants:
The UACC-Keystone-Jack-C6 is a Cat6 keystone in a 12-pack for 29 USD. It supports cable gauges from 23 to 26 AWG and is compatible with TIA-568A and TIA-568B wiring standards. Dimensions are 34.8 x 14.5 x 16.1 mm at a weight of 7.3 grams per unit. The housing is polycarbonate.
The UACC-Keystone-Jack-C6A is the Cat6A variant, also in a 12-pack, for 39 USD. It is designed for higher transfer rates and suited for installations running 10 Gigabit Ethernet over copper.
Both models feature toolless installation. No punch-down tool or crimping pliers needed. The wires are pressed into color-coded slots, and the lid snaps shut.
Toolless Installation in Practice
The toolless mounting is the biggest advantage. With conventional keystone jacks, you have to punch each wire individually onto the contacts. That is fiddly and easily takes several minutes per jack.
With the Ubiquiti keystones, you lay the wires into the corresponding channels, then close the lid. The wires are automatically trimmed to the correct length and contacted. The entire process takes less than a minute per keystone once you have some practice.
Important: the cable jacket must be cleanly stripped beforehand. Strip too much, and the wires will not hold. Strip too little, and they will not reach the contacts.
Silver or White?
The color question is ultimately a matter of taste. The Ubiquiti keystones have a silver-gray finish that matches the UniFi switches and Blank Patch Panel nicely. If you want a uniform rack, the Ubiquiti keystones are hard to avoid.
Functionally, the color makes no difference. Cat6 is Cat6 regardless of whether the keystone is silver, white, or blue.
Cat6 or Cat6A?
The choice between Cat6 and Cat6A depends on what you need today and in the coming years. Cat6 handles 1 Gigabit Ethernet without issues and can manage 10 Gigabit over short runs. Cat6A is rated for 10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 100 meters.
If you are installing a new network today, you should use Cat6A cable. The additional cost is modest (10 USD more per 12-pack for the keystones), and the future-proofing is significantly better. For existing Cat6 installations, the Cat6 keystone is perfectly adequate.
Compatibility with the Patch Panel
The keystones are designed for the Ubiquiti 24-Port Blank Keystone Patch Panel (UACC-Rack-Panel-Patch-Blank-24). They snap in with a click mechanism. The panel itself has no built-in switch or PoE — it is purely an organizational element for cable management in the rack.
Keystones from other manufacturers generally fit the Ubiquiti panel as well. The standard keystone form factor is standardized. If you want to save money, you can use third-party jacks. The Ubiquiti keystones offer matching color and toolless installation in return.
Pricing and Availability
The Cat6 Keystone Jack (12-pack) costs 29 USD; the Cat6A Keystone Jack (12-pack) costs 39 USD. That works out to roughly 2.40 USD and 3.25 USD per unit respectively. By comparison, good toolless keystones from third-party vendors cost between 1 and 2 USD per unit. You are paying a premium for the aesthetics and the Ubiquiti name.
Both models are available through the Ubiquiti Store and authorized resellers.
Conclusion
The UniFi Keystone Jacks are solid, toolless keystones that color-match the Ubiquiti ecosystem. If you care about a uniform rack, this is exactly what you get. If your keystones are hidden behind a closed cabinet door, you can opt for cheaper alternatives without missing anything. The toolless installation is practical with both variants and saves time, especially on larger deployments.
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