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Organizing Computer Gear Clutter?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the untangling-the-rat's-nest dept.

slashyslashy asks: "At first I had only a PC and a printer. Now the home network setup has grown to consist of many units: linksys router, ASDL modem, Vonage VOIP terminal, linksys NSLU2 network storage device, and couple of external harddrives. Powering all these units is done with three Belkin 6-Outlet Surge Protectors all connected to 1 wall outlet. Currently all of these units are stacked under the table, causing their wires and cables criss-cross each other. Troubleshooting any single unit is a mess. How do other Slashdot readers organize their home computer gear? Any ideas on cheap solutions ($100) to manage this clutter?"

2 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Network stuff. by saintlupus · · Score: 4, Informative

    When I lived in an apartment, I contained a lot of the network clutter in a milk crate. Get a milk crate and a bunch of cable ties from a hardware store.

    Zip tie one of your surge strips inside of the milk crate, along with your router and your cable modem. All on different sides. Hook them all up together and use more zip ties to bundle up the cables between them.

    Now put the milk crate on the floor, with the open side down, and stack more stuff on top of it. This means you not only get rid of the desk clutter from your cable modem and router, but you now have a printer stand as well. And a couple of headless boxes can get put there, too.

    Here's my old setup.

    http://www.roadflares.org/hardware/images/blueandy ellow.jpg

    Worked well.

    --saint

  2. Re:Two cheap solutions by threephaseboy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Releasable Cable Ties 100 Bag $4.79 I get them from Wierdstuff in San Jose for about $2.50/bag. I use them for organising cables as well as on frequently used cables on the shelf. Long-term cables that come out mabye once a year or less get normal zip ties.

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