Organizing Computer Gear Clutter?

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?"

Comments

Two cheap solutions

[COBOL/MVS]

1. Cable ties

2. Masking tape to label the cables in the ties.

You can get cable ties anywhere (Lowe's, Home depot).

Re:Two cheap solutions

[TripMaster Monkey]

I'd recommend against cable ties unless you're making an attachment you know you won't have to move anytime soon...otherwise, you waste too many cable ties cutting things loose. A better solution for more temporary attachments is double-sided velcro...comes on a roll, you can cut pieces to need.

Re:Two cheap solutions

[threephaseboy]

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.

My solution

[TripMaster Monkey]

Here's the solution I've come up with...hope this helps...

I purchased a cheap wire shelfabout 18x36, 2 shelves. I attached pulleys to the top of the shelf, and attached two smooth metal rods to the ceiling for the pulleys to ride on. All my systems are on the bottom shelf, all routers, switches, modems, access points, etc. are on the top shelf. Power strips are zip-tied directly to the shelf, powered by a UPS on the floor. Any unit can be taken off the shelf and placed on the workbench without disconnecting any cables. The entire shelf can be pulled out to allow easy access to the rear of the units, or pushed right up against the wall to to conserve space. And because all components are well off the ground, I don't have to worry about flooding (an occasional hazard in my basement) or excess dust accumulation inside the cases (I have two cats).

Re:My solution

[Shag]

Yeah, wire shelving is pretty cool. Last time my wife was away at college, she had some like this, and it's now been integrated into our bedroom. It's rated for some obscene amount of weight per shelf, and of course since the shelves aren't solid cables can be run anywhere, there's good airflow, etc.

As far as the sheer quantity of stuff... ours is kind of distributed. The DSL modem, switch/wireless router, VOIP box, etc. live by a phone line demarc I've set up in the center of the basement, with one Linux box down there as a "server" of sorts. Then there are a couple laptops that roam around on wireless, and my kid's computer is connected via a 50' cat5 cable.

At the shelf that serves as my "desk" I've got a 7-space plug strip, which typically has three to six spaces open.

Network stuff.

[saintlupus]

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

Easy tips

[delus10n0]

* Label your power cords for what brand, model and possibly power draw.

* Use zip ties or velcro ties to "bundle" cables that can be bundled (power cables, for instance.) Don't bundle cables that could potentially cause crosstalk/noise (ie, no audio cables running next to your power.)

* "Hang" cables and route them with slack, with regards to servicing or pulling out the devices. In general, you should have enough slack to pull out and examine the back of a device without having to unplug it beforehand.

* Another poster said this, but don't overload power sockets; if necessary, route another powerstrip to a second socket. Or look into a UPS/true power solution.

Re:Easy tips

[gregmac]

* Use zip ties or velcro ties to "bundle" cables that can be bundled (power cables, for instance.)

Zip ties are great, but they can also be a pain in the ..

If you zip tie, remember two things: be prepared to cut and retie when you change things, and leave enough space so you WILL re-tie.

I did have our entertainment center all ziptied at one point, and it was great. Then as we moved things around (oh, new satellite receiver... hey, lets hook up the computer.. oh, plug in this ipod to play mp3s) we ended up making quick changes. Coupled with the fact that it was hard to get behind there to get at cables, we ended up with a big mess of cables, except sometimes when you tried to pull one out it was ziptied to another one.

That said, at work a lot of my server room is ziptied but accessable, and it stays very neat.

What I did....

[Atrax]

... was to just get rid of a lot of equipment. Some was sold, some thrown away, some stuff is boxed up in case I ever need it again.

I sold off a couple of desktop machines and consolidated one good one, shifted a file server off into another room, went wireless where I could (though I've since rewired the main desktop box for network) and generally tried to cut down on clutter (like unplugging some rarely-used peripherals such as joystick, drawing tablet etc, getting a wireless keyboard and mouse with a decent battery charger).

I also fixed two powerboards and a network switch to the underside of my main desk, and shortened some cable runs so the cables were up off the floor. The long cables now serve a more useful purpose with my guitar and bass amps.

Turns out I'm a lot better off, though the clutter is inevitably going to build up again.

Oh, and I also rely more on my laptops than I used to, which is a factor in cutting down on the static hardware, I suppose

Get a wife

[Anonymous Coward]

That's bound to ensure that clutter is kept down to a reasonable level.

Re:Get a wife

[NoStrings]

I don't think this falls in the "under $100." category.

what NOT to do

[tverbeek]

Do not - no matter how much your wife/Felix/boyfriend/whatever nags you about the clutter - zip-tie, twist-tie, or otherwise tightly bundle your cables together to make them more tidy and less unsightly.

Yes, they will look better with a "cable management system" of that sort in place... until one of the cables goes bad, or you need to plug one of the devices into a different power outlet, etc. At that point you will curse - using words your grandfather never even heard during his time in the Navy - the day that your wife/Felix/boyfriend/whatever was born, and the day you met said individual, and your stupidity for listening to them.

Seriously, the key to keeping a web of cables "manageable" is to keep the individual strands apart. Put as much daylight between them as you can, and as much slack in them as geometry allows. It may not be as pretty as a bundle of cables wrapped by a tight plastic helix or hidden away in an enclosed track, but neither is a domestic murder-suicide incited by frustration over constrictive cable management. (Or so I've heard.)

Re:Racks....

[itwerx]

75' rolls of velcro cheap! And in colors too!

Re:I am not whoring

[ComputerSlicer23]

I use similar stuff, from Radio Shack. It's black cable wrap. It's like $5 for 10ft. It's easy to use in short strips every 3-4 feet on multiple cables. Everything starting in on place, and ending in the same place will end up acting just like one cable.

I've never been a big fan of the long tubing ones. I use this technique on all of my KVM cables. So the three cables act like one. It's pretty slick.

For cables that are more like to change, I use velcro wraps available at any Office Depot or Office Max. ~$3.00 for a dozen.

Kirby

Tower of Devices

[Schlaegel]

I made an nice looking vertical tower of devices.

I got a reasonably long piece of 1x4 inch board in a wood that matches my desk.

I then mounted my UPS on one side (the "back") of the board and mounted all of my other devices on the other side (the "front") of the board. The devices were stacked vertically and had their power cords immediately routed to the back of the board so that only the devices are visible. I mounted the devices to the board by screwing wood screws just under the device and then using extra-long zip-ties to secure the devices to the wood. The devices only rest on the screw heads leaving the devices unharmed.

I then stood the board on end in a nice decorative pot that was filled with decorative rocks to hold the board up.

Then my wife saw it and said I still had to cover it up, so I got a matching panel screen and used it to cover up my newly constructed tower. :(

The tower still resulted in all my devices off the shelf, off the floor, and neat and tidy.

Another option

[Andy Dodd]

The twisty ties used to seal some plastic bags. Available at any supermarket.

Re:Don't.

[MentalMooMan]

Gee, thanks for modding me down. It's really what I do.
Whenever a new cable requires fitting, it just goes in the pile, and doesn't need to be touched again. It's better than spending hours cable-tieing all the wires and needing to completely undo it every time you go to a LAN party. They don't bother me as they occupy only half a foot of area from the wall, and I can keep off them. Why is a complicated solution needed when a simple one will do?