Panduit CBX1IW-A Mini-Com 1-Port Elongated Surface Mount Box, Off-White
Overview
The Panduit CBX1IW-A is a single-port elongated surface mount box from the Pan-Net™ copper cabling system, designed for structured cabling installations where a flush wall-plate isn't practical — think surface-run conduit drops, above-ceiling cable tails brought down to a desk, or retrofit wiring in finished spaces where cutting into drywall isn't an option. It accepts a single Mini-Com module and, because it's UL 2043 plenum-rated, it can be deployed in air-handling spaces without requiring a separate enclosure upgrade. At roughly 1.9 inches long and just under 1 inch wide, the CBX1IW-A (often searched as CBX1IW A) is compact enough to mount on furniture, partition panels, or column faces without dominating the aesthetics of the space.
Fabricated from ABS plastic in an off-white finish, this box ships individually (Package Quantity: 1) and is available in carton quantities of 10 for larger structured cabling deployments. It complies with UL 1863, UL 2043, and RoHS directives, covering both the safety and environmental requirements most commercial project specifications require.
Key Features
- UL 2043 Plenum Rating: Air-handling plenums require components to meet strict flame-spread and smoke-density limits — a non-rated box in a plenum could fail an inspection or force a costly remediation. The CBX1IW-A's UL 2043 rating means you can install it in plenum ceiling spaces as-is, no additional housing required.
- UL 1863 Certification: UL 1863 covers communications-circuit accessories for premises wiring. This certification confirms the box meets safety requirements for the structured cabling context it's designed for, satisfying most commercial and institutional project specs without additional documentation chasing.
- Single Mini-Com Module Capacity: Accepts exactly one Mini-Com module — jacks, couplers, blanks, or specialty inserts from the Panduit Mini-Com line. One port keeps the footprint minimal at workstations or single-outlet furniture drops where a two- or four-port plate would be oversized and wasteful.
- Flexible Mounting — Adhesive or Screw: The box supports both adhesive tape and screw-down mounting. Adhesive is the right call for partition panels, glass, or finished furniture where drilling isn't permitted; screw mounting is appropriate for permanent installations on concrete block, wood studs, or metal framing. Having both options on the same part reduces the number of SKUs a contractor has to stock for mixed-surface jobs.
- Integrated Label Area: An adhesive label area on the box allows port identification without a separate label holder or printed overlay. In dense patch environments or multi-tenant floors, labeled outlet boxes reduce troubleshooting time and help technicians confirm they're disconnecting the correct circuit.
- Compact Elongated Form Factor (1.89 in × 1.03 in × 0.92 in): The elongated profile — 1.89 in long, 1.03 in wide, 0.92 in tall — keeps the footprint narrow on column faces and furniture panels. At under an inch tall, it presents a low-profile installation that doesn't interfere with adjacent cable management or furniture hardware.
- ABS Construction: ABS is impact-resistant and dimensionally stable across typical indoor temperature ranges, which matters in high-traffic zones like corridors and open-plan offices where a surface mount box is more exposed than a flush-mounted plate. It also holds fastener threads well if you're screw-mounting into the box body rather than the surface behind it.
- RoHS Compliant: RoHS compliance is a baseline requirement for EU projects and is increasingly called out in North American government and institutional specs. The CBX1IW-A meets this without requiring a substitution or a compliance waiver.
Integration & Compatibility
The CBX1IW-A is built to accept a single Panduit Mini-Com module — jacks (Cat 5e, Cat 6, Cat 6A, fiber), couplers, or blanks. It does not accommodate standard keystone jacks from other manufacturers that use a different locking tab geometry. For installations mixing cabling categories within the same infrastructure, the Mini-Com ecosystem covers copper and fiber in the same box form factor, which simplifies procurement and spare-parts stocking.
For larger surface-mount applications, Panduit offers two- and four-port variants in the same Mini-Com surface mount box family. If you're running a multi-port drop to a workstation cluster or AV rack position, consider the appropriate multi-port surface mount box from the structured cabling line to keep the installation in a single enclosure rather than ganging multiple single-port boxes. For network switch connections or PoE endpoint terminations where cable management matters, pairing this box with a complementary cable management solution keeps the surface run organized from the outlet back to the pathway.
When specifying for new commercial construction, reference the structured cabling planning guide to confirm module category selection aligns with the channel performance tier required by the project specification — the box itself is category-agnostic, but the Mini-Com module you populate it with determines the channel rating.
What's in the Box
- 1x Panduit CBX1IW-A Mini-Com elongated surface mount box, off-white (module not included)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Panduit CBX1IW-A plenum-rated?
A: Yes. The CBX1IW-A carries a UL 2043 rating, which means it is approved for installation in air-handling plenums without requiring an additional enclosure. It also meets UL 1863 for communications-circuit accessories.
Q: What module does the CBX1IW-A accept?
A: The CBX1IW-A accepts a single Panduit Mini-Com module — including copper jacks (Cat 5e through Cat 6A), fiber couplers, blank inserts, or other Mini-Com-format specialty inserts. It is not designed for standard keystone modules from other manufacturers.
Q: Does the CBX1IW-A come with a jack or module installed?
A: No. The CBX1IW-A is sold as the box only (Package Quantity: 1). The Mini-Com module must be ordered and populated separately. Carton quantity is 10 units.
Q: How is the CBX1IW-A mounted?
A: The box supports both adhesive tape and screw mounting, giving you options for surfaces where drilling isn't permitted (partition panels, finished furniture) as well as permanent screw-down installations on walls or structural surfaces.
Q: Is the CBX1IW-A RoHS compliant?
A: Yes. The CBX1IW-A meets RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) requirements, satisfying environmental compliance requirements for EU projects and North American institutional specifications that call out RoHS conformity.
Q: What are the physical dimensions of the CBX1IW-A?
A: The CBX1IW-A measures 1.89 inches (overall length) × 1.03 inches (width) × 0.92 inches (height). The compact elongated profile is designed for low-profile surface installations on furniture panels, columns, or finished walls.
The detail I always point integrators to on the CBX1IW-A is the dual UL 2043/UL 1863 certification stack — that combination matters on commercial projects where the spec sheet calls out both plenum compliance and communications-circuit safety in the same line item, and it means you're not making a substitution request or sourcing a separate plenum-rated enclosure for above-ceiling drops.
Technical Highlights:
- UL 2043 Plenum Rating: Approved for air-handling spaces as installed — no add-on housing required. Critical for above-ceiling cable tails in commercial HVAC-plenum ceilings where inspectors are actively checking enclosure ratings.
- Compact Elongated Profile (1.89 × 1.03 × 0.92 in): At under an inch tall, this box fits flush against partition panel edges and column faces without catching on furniture hardware or adjacent cable runs — a real constraint in open-plan office retrofits.
- Dual-Mode Mounting (Adhesive + Screw): A single SKU covers both temporary adhesive installs on glass and partition panels and permanent screw-down work on structural surfaces. Stocking one part number for mixed-surface jobs is a meaningful procurement simplification on multi-floor rollouts.
Deployment Considerations:
- The CBX1IW-A ships as box only — no Mini-Com module included. Order the appropriate jack (Cat 6A, fiber coupler, etc.) separately and confirm the module's locking tab geometry matches the Mini-Com standard before specifying on a bill of materials with a generic keystone reference.
- The off-white (blanc cassé) color is a close but not exact match to standard white wall plates — in installations mixing flush wall plates and surface mount boxes on the same run, inspect against your existing plate color before committing to a full-floor deployment to avoid a visible color mismatch at patch points.
The CBX1IW-A is the right call for above-ceiling furniture-drop terminations in Class A commercial office retrofits, hospitality guest-room AV outlets on finished millwork, and any installation where UL 2043 plenum compliance is a hard requirement and cutting into the finished surface isn't an option.
