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Ask Slashdot: Extreme Cable Management?
An anonymous reader writes "I am not a fan of wireless except for Wi-Fi to a notebook, but have gotten frustrated by the vast amounts of tangled cables around my computers: I have two machines, four monitors, multiple external hard drives, cable modem, network switch, router, USB hubs — everything requires power and connection to the other devices. The tangles and tangles make it almost impossible to move anything without spending twenty or thirty minutes under the desk. I'd rather untie balled-up fishing line than try to snake a monitor cable out from some thirty or so other wires. Anyone have good ways to prevent this?"
I have also been caught using colored CAT-5 cables.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Buy wire ties, or flex-tubing, or some other sub $20 cable management and stop leaving your loose wires to get tangled?
I cannot ask you to view cableporn as it is very addictive.
When the foot seeks the place of the head, the line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe.
I stole a bunch of large-ish binder clips from work. I binder clip stuff together. Binder clips have loops, so I stuck some screws in the underside of my desk and hung the binder clips with excess cable on them.
It's not super-pretty but it works just fine.
-- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
Set up your desk so that you can easily go behind. Get several layers of trays running along the back - along with a few larger trays to hold things like power bricks. Get some coloured tape, and match opposite ends with colour, or some other useful scheme.
I've screwed big old rectangular plastic food containers to my desk at home, underneath the main surface, and it works great and keeps my cat from strangling herself. At work, I have three layers of long metal trays as well as power-strips. I also have a pile of colour-coded velcro cable ties.
It wasn't always this way... I just got sick of taking 30 minutes to change simple connections. Now it is much better.
Unplug it and use a new one wherever you're moving to.
If the location you're moving to has an unused spare cable, use it.
Print out "DO NOT TOUCH ANY OF THESE WIRES" on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper, tape to something in highly visible area.
Done.
google image search with above phrase for implementation examples.
-Lod
Get a nice/tastefully done wireframe desk with a glass top and zipties. Youre welcome.
>> vast amounts of tangled cables
Really? How many?
>> I have two machines, four monitors, multiple external hard drives, cable modem, network switch, router, USB hubs — everything requires power and connection
Hmmm...something tells me you don't work in IT.
Have you considered a rack cabinet? Something like that should be able to address some of these problems.
Look @ NewEgg for reusable velcro ties. Better than zip ties since you can re-run as necessary. Also look at Tie-D-Wires for affixing cable bundles to your desk. I like ones with adhesive backing so they don't destroy the surface. Or, go all out and get some plastic channels to run cables through.
Become semi nomadic, simply abandon the mess of kit when it gets too unwieldy and start another one. With careful planning you may be able to make a single small room last for four or five systems, which is more than enough IMHO. When you run out of rooms simple move.
-Lod
Why are you moving things around so often? I have an eight port KVM that's filled up, and cabling is a disaster behind the computers. But that's where they live, and once they're there, I have no reason to move them until I move to a new home.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Walmart has some velcro strap in the sewing section. It's about 1" thick, and is spooled around itself. Whenever I need to tie a cable, I just wrap it around the bunch of cables and cut. It works a lot better than things like plastic ties or twist ties, because it can easily be undone.
If I have a bunch of cables tied together and you can't identify them(like networking cable), I will wrap a piece of paper masking tape around each end of each cable(like a flag made of tape rather than like a band going around the wire), and then write a description of the cable on both sides of the tape and on both sides of each flag.
I bought a cable tray that mounts under the desk for about $10 at Ikea. That and some cable ties & shorteners was all it took for me.
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
Move your desk away from the wall.
Split cable tubing is what you seek. Seriously, gather all your device related wires into the tube and you'll be much happier. Everything else, use velcro tape (e.g. network and display cables).
Also, consider getting shorter cables that are the correct length. You don't need a 15m ethernet cable that only goes 1m!! You can get decent cables on eBay usually, or just about anywhere these days. Make sure you use shielded network and display cables - you might have some signal issues running next to AC power otherwise.
I said no... but I missed and it came out yes.
Specifically, the network switch, modem, router, etc. should be moved to the basement if you have one, or a dedicated area. You should almost never touch them, so get them off your desk.
Ditto for all the removable hard drives. Buy a little server with a crapload of storage (or a NAS) and put it in the basement with the network boxes. Access it remotely.
Get a wireless keyboard and mouse, hook it to a 2-port KVM. Move the computers under or behind the desk.
That way the only thing on the desk is the (wireless) keyboard & mouse, a USB hub and the monitors. Those cables should go right down behind the desk to the monitor and power strip.
If, for some reason, you use optical media frequently, plug a USB-based drive into the hub and leave it on the desk. You should almost never have to touch the computers at that point, so why have them in the way?
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
You could get the cable modem and router (and their cables and AC adapters) off your desk by attaching them to pegboard mounted to a wall or under your desk. Be sure to mount a power strip, too.
If you want something a little more professional looking, you could go all rackmount.
Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
Have you looked into using cable tubes or wraps (this sort of thing)? They can help a lot when you have multiple cables converging on the same point over space. There are also ties, mounts, and any number of cable management accessories for "under the desk" cables.
All in all, I've found the most useful practice to be labelling each cable or cord on both ends using masking tape and a marker. The tape provides a 'tab' I can write on, so if I need to unplug device X, I can just look for the cable with the X label and then pull it free from the other end.
I've also found the biggest culprit when my cables get messy is always my laziness, especially not removing devices, cables, and power cords that I am not currently using and packing them up until I need them again.
& Lifehacker have got you more than covered: http://lifehacker.com/364054/top-10-ways-to-get-cables-under-control
velcro cable ties
Whoa, dude, are you made of money?!!
You can get 45 feet of Velcro ties for like $3 over in the garden center.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
TV, Pioneer receiver, Comcast HDDVR, Blu-ray player, HD DVD player, DVD recorder, 7 speakers and a subwoofer. Most components connected via HDMI and Ethernet, plus the power cables. 8 speaker cables. A MESS! Haven't been able to design a nice flow for all that.
VASIMR to Mars!
Closet. Ventilation is important. One shelf per machine / setup. Long USB cables and video/VGA/DVI/whatever floats your boat from the closet to the KVM on the desk. All monitors and trackballs/mice are wired direct not thru the KVM (so I guess its just a K switch). Audio in/out run thru a mixer (long story) The K we're discussing is an IBM model M with a USB converter (adapters don't work w/ something this old). The wiring on the desk doesn't look so icky when its basically just KVMA, a keyboard, some pointer devices, and a nice pair of speakers. Inside the closet, use some discipline and it'll be OK.
I built a small wood shelf the monitors live on, and shove the keyboard and pointing devices under the shelf when not in use. Looks clean. This also raises the monitors to the perfect ergonomic height... at least perfect for me, and my desk.
In the old days analog VGA required some pretty careful routing and quality cables not to ruin signal quality, and some cards had weaker outputs than others WRT extensions. Also had to fight CRT magnetic interaction which was pretty annoying. In the digital era its boring simple, childs play really.
Everything with a fan lives in the closet. Not silent, but very quite.
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
First off you have a trivial cable set up. You're orders of magnitude from "extreme."
With the setup you mention there's almost an infinite amount of solutions. Tape, twist ties, tubes, velcro, hooks, labels, etc.
Almost anything will work. Basically you have a laziness problem. When you ran the cable you didn't label it, or loop and tie, or use a cable hook, or do anything.
I use hooks for mouse and keyboard. Long net cables are wound and tied. Power cables are velcroed together near the PDU.
Honestly all you have to do is anything but what you're doing is adding cables with no organization.
When you're up to thousands of cables come back and we can talk about extreme solutions.
I find being offended by me offensive.
cover all your cables with this stuff.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Cable modem, router and eventually the network switch can go together into a lonely corner
Not necessarily. Signal coverage concerns dictate the placement of wireless access points, and this in turn tends to dictate the router's placement because home networking equipment tends to bundle the AP into the router or even bundle the AP and router into the modem.
The real problem with cable management is not organizing it, it's what happens to the organization when you have to change something. Zip ties and velcro certainly make everything look pretty when you first set it up, but it gets frustrating really quickly when you need to make a change.. bundling all your cables in a big wad is the quick route to a disaster.
The best way to keep things tolerable is to get cables sized properly for the run so they aren't pulled taut or have too much slack, and lay them flat.. either on the floor or on a ladder if you're in a server room. Cables will still get tangled over time but if everything is straight it shouldn't be too hard to extract one.
One idea I've had for a few years but never got around to implementing is a sheet of pegboard.. use screw-in hooks to provide wire routes, and affix a power strip to it to run peripherals. Probably requires easy access to the rear of your desk though. If it's up against a wall the value declines.
http://www.reddit.com/r/CableManagement is specifically for PC cable management. You can also look at http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc and ask for advice there. Many subreddits have FAQs and stuff on the right side. Use those links.
Something better than Hairy Milf Porn!!
The tangle of cables is like hair and the female connectors ....
Disclaimer - I run installations in a datacentre so I do this for a living.
Nail velcro to the back of your desk, instant cable guides and tidy. Velcro excess in to loops. Use a lot of velcro. Plan and execute a labelling scheme - either paper that you sellotape over the top of, or a proper brady label for every cable. Use dymo labels for every plug and AC-adapter so you know what each of them hooks up to.
Yes it's a pain. Plan on taking half a day to do it properly. Document it as you go if you can. Remember all you need is to do it properly once.
If it's stuff that you plan on taking with you for travel / work - get a second adapter / set of cables. Keep those in the bag so you only need to move the device. The cost of your time messing around trying to untangle behind your desk is worth a spare usb lead or several.
Expand the work space, and it's a non factor. Maybe it's just that you are trying to pack everything in to a 3x3 foot area, in which case I'll say move out of what ever shoebox you are trying to work in, or wait till your prison term is done before going dual monitors and 2 PCs.
Honestly, I have more gear than this sitting on a work table and a few shelves. Just space things out, use re-usable banding (Velcro) to keep things ordered.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Which would require replacing the laptop with one that has a proper dock port. Right now, I have a self-powered USB hub and power brick set up at each location where I use my laptop for more than an hour at a time, but it's still four connections to set up power, video, audio, and USB.
A
Cable
Snake
The tangles and tangles make it almost impossible to move anything without spending twenty or thirty minutes under the desk.
So don't move stuff. Feng Shui and all that jazz.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Labeling helps you if you need to unplug or move one cable, but it's still a mess if you need to remove a cable from the snarl, as when replacing components or swapping out a bad cable. The answer to that is to eliminate all the extra wire that causes the snarl by taking up the slack. There are a bunch of gadgets that can be used for that. My personal preference are the velcro cable ties. I wrap the excess cord around my fingers and then wrap it with the velcro tie to keep it out of the way. I like them because they're reusable, cheap and can be used when storing cables as well.
===== Murphy's Law is recursive. =====
A) Get a grid of garden mesh. This gives you a 2D substrate you can clip cables (and USB hubs, outlet strips, etc) to. You can mount this on the underside of your desk, hanging from the back of your desk, or in a cabinet if you want. (You can see my implementation at the right side of my desk, here http://www.flickr.com/photos/capybararancher/6705805105/ ). My approach was: simple cable runs to that one cabinet, which becomes the patch panel between devices. All slack for cables is taken up there, and cuffed (see below) to the grid of mesh. Only downside: I had to buy a 40-foot roll of garden mesh, and only used 21" x 21". B) Get some cable cuffs: www.cablecuff.com/ I find them handier than velcro ties; they're cheap and durable. You can get them by the handful at Home Depot.
Ever seen a garage workshop with tools hanging on hooks on pegboard? Get that, rest your cabling on the hooks, attach said cabling to hooks with twist ties or velcro loops. Problem solved.
Vaseline ...
You are proposing a $1,300 solution. The average solution so far seems to be hovering around $20, with some as low as $3. There are some cost efficiency problems with your solution.
If you have pet rabbits -- or any other critters that chew cables out of instinct -- you need to cover your cables with this stuff. We had one chew through a lamp cord and it dang near cooked the little beast.
===== Murphy's Law is recursive. =====
I also recommend Velcro ties, but they can be expensive. Especially computer room grade. What I have discovered is "Velcro Plant Ties" It comes in a 75 foot X 1/2 inch roll for about 4 bucks. It can be found at Home Depot or Lowe's, but maybe not year round. It can also be found at nurseries.
I love the stuff. It is so cheap that I use enough to go around the cable bundle twice or more. Good for adding additional cables later. It is thinner so it is easier to cut and work with. It is cheap enough that I throw it away without a second thought. Well maybe a thought that I should recycle it and not add it to our landfill.
Two other suggestions. Short Cables. No cable should be over 6 feet long. I find 4 foot works well for me. For multiple computers and a KVM switch bundle the cables for each host together, keyboard/mouse, audio, VGA and Ethernet.
You are proposing a $1,300 solution. The average solution so far seems to be hovering around $20, with some as low as $3. There are some cost efficiency problems with your solution.
Wrong. iMac G3 was the all-in-one manufactured in 1998, and you can buy a used one on Amazon right now for $169: http://www.amazon.com/Certified-Pre-Owned-internal-keyboard-installed/dp/B000PQJPPU
Move router, switch, and modem somewhere else, then you will just have a single network cable from the switch to your computer. That will eliminate several network cables and 3 power cables.
Put the desktop under the desk or beside it in clear view. Don't try to hide it in some little niche.
Have all monitor cables going around the back of the desk. Have all headphone, mic, mouse, and keyboard cables coming out the front. Don't try to run these around the back. Maybe once a week, switching between my keyboard and joystick over and over gets them to the point they are twisted. Takes all of 30 seconds to lean over, unplug them and untwist the cables and plug them back in(even if they are plugged into the back of the computer, because I've not tried to hide my computer it's easy to reach around and unplug/plug). This is why you want these particular cables to be easily accessible and not run around the back of your desk.
I have USB extension cables and a PS/2 extension cable(cheap from monoprice) to allow me a little more freedom of movement and because I keep alot of things in my lap(keyboard/mouse).
Heck I've got 2 I'll sell for $25 each ... local pick up only or you pay my time to pack and drive to a shipping place as well as actual shipping cost.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
Ah, love your delicate wording there. But anyway, it's funny how at the advent of the "post PC era" crap I actually moved from a laptop to a full desktop at home...
Every person is different, but I bought a 12 port 4' power strip (15 bucks a frys) that mounted behind the desk. I have one small 4 port one that comes off and is mounted on the corner of my desk for "when I need to quickly plug something in". Everything else plugs in the big one in the back. I have one 8 port USB 3.0 hub with a 4 foot connection mounted on my desk plugged into a USB port in the back of the PC. Everything goes into there. I have a 4 port KVM, which has extra KVM for extra PCs (but I only use 3) so only one mouse and keyboard (and 3 monitors). I have all of my networking and printing on a separate desk so the only stuff on my work space desk is my monitor stand, keyboard and mouse, and the USB hub and small power strip in one corner (and my speakers, forgot about them). The office is in a 90 degree angle, so the PCs and stuff are in the area between the two desks.
Cable management is like any engineering problem - you solve it by organizing things into a coherent design. Yes, it will take time, but it's worth it.
Personally, I have one tower and two monitors on a free standing desk. There's a large box/trunk near the desk with basket-weave top and sides to allow air flow, and I put the UPS and port connectors all in there. Cables flow in separately wrapped bundles to the box. There are a couple of walk-over cable carriers from the trunk that snake under rugs to reach power/phone/net plugins.
I don't tend to rewire very often (once or twice a year) so I make things neat and leave them that way. The few portable plug-in devices I use tend to be USB, and I have nearby connectors on the desktop and on the front of the tower. I can easily hook up a USB to SATA adapter when I need to play with a hard drive, for example.
Okay, I'm not sure if I can describe this very well but whenever I set up anything that uses cables and I have extra length, I loop up and knot off the extra length. Kind of like when you store an extension cord. Loop, loop, loop, then the last few loops I fold back in on the loop so it stays together, minding the length I need afterward. I hope that's clear enough, I don't have a picture to refer you to unfortunately. I leave just enough length for what's necessary, and I do this for power cables, cat5, everything that's longer than I need. It's extra work to undo but most of those don't need to be moved about very much.
Also, for desk setups, you can find some trays that hang below the back of a desktop and you can store your spare cable length out of the way in there. Stash your power strip in there and all your power cords for your computer, monitor, external hard drives, etc.
Finally, I was willing to invest in some new devices that served this purpose. It helped to think minimalistic, if you're also in to that. I dumped my desktop and netbook for a MacBook Pro, (you could also get an iMac), got one large Maxtor 3GB single drive NAS that's stored out of the way next to my router, and my old external drives are boxed up somewhere. My whole network setup is literally just a cable modem, Airport Express, and the NAS, all hidden behind the couch. You'll probably need more, but that might be a good guide for you.
I found that when I bought a bunch of 3-foot power cords, the power part of the cable tangle became much less of an issue. Using a long power strip (like the ones used in the sides of racks) also helps the snarl. For the rest, judicious use of velcro cable ties helps. Espeically when you have a chewing cat, like I do!
There must be something better then velcro ties. I use them but it's a pain running something new and having to undo each tie one by one so everything doesn't fall apart.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
I use the shortest cables I can get away with while leaving a little slack for things that move.
If the cables have a lot of extra length wrap them up and zip tie them.
Run your cable along the poles and stuff you have using zip ties, use the cable management your hardware comes with. A lot of monitor stands have places to run the wires through.
Adjust the position of your equipment to optimize wiring if you can. I put my power strip and tower on my desk and it drastically improved the wire management. That is 8 power cords that aren't tangled up beneath the desk anymore.
The Official Site of 1337 Pwnage
My desk has an under desk rack for all the wires to run through. I think it was $12 at Ikea. That, combined with some cheap velcro cable ties, will do the trick. (The biggest velcro cable ties I've seen are in a server closet, with a bundle of about 250 CAT5 cables all neatly bundled up like a really fat ponytail. It came out of the ceiling, taking up an entire ceiling tile square. It was a thing of beauty, especially how it gracefully descended to connect each jack in a perfect arc to the switch.)
Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
It's likely not worth your time to untangle cables when cables are cheap and your time is not. Just keep a couple spare cables around and add new ones as needed and let the old ones lie. When you do a major computer swap, throw out/recycle the old cable bundle.
I mark both ends with Brady wire markers, these come with the job when you do wiring.
http://www.platt.com/platt-electric-supply/Markers-Marking-Tape-Wire-Marker-Books/Brady/PWM-PK3/product.aspx?zpid=4581
I also map it out, Each wire/cable with it's number at each end and keep the paper handy
so if I'm really lost I can go back to it. (sound system)
Wind up the surplus wire and wire tie it, each bundle (7.1 sound system) a different length
so you don't have a ball of bundles.
Wire ties loosely around objects so you can use it as a wire run, that can support weight.
If wires are going to run across the floor (sound system) I use a cord concealer and protector
just like these http://www.cableorganizer.com/neoprene-cord-cover/
If you do use the clear mat that lets you move your chair around on, get the dull nubs on the bottom
not sharp ones as they will sever wires in a cables you've run under it.
All this with concealment in mind (keep it pretty), every cord goes down a hole behind my monitor then comes up
a few feet away from two different holes. The wire markers are below the hole for this end so I just pull on the cable
and the marker that moves is the one I'm after. Of course any setup would depend upon your environment.
Just pretend that your cable mess is life critical and/or supporting something that you'd need to leave the gravity well to fix. Then do it the correct way.
The suffering will make you a better person.
Ah. I did a google search for iMac G3, and accidentally clicked on a sponsored link from Apple.com, which touted its shiny new $1300 base price iMac. I don't follow the Apple products very closely, but I probably should have looked closer before making my post.
I use a nylon wireloom and a roll of bulk velcro that I cut off. Keeps all the cables straight and tangle free.
Start by labeling both ends of every cable. You can use heat shrink tubing around the cable and then write on the heat shrink with a sharpie. Use different color heat shrink to distinguish cables. Use snagless cables when available. Use cables of the appropriate length when possible. If you have more than one of a particular type of cable, get them in different colors if possible. Always use velcro and never use zip ties to bundle cables.
I usually group all the cables from one computer together. I use velcro so i can take it apart when needed. I have used wire ties. I even have some wire ties that I can open as well. Problem is with the wire ties is they get brittle over time. Even the ones with the release break. I also use KVMs. I have had 7 computers on the same KVM switch at home. This was a PS2 KVM not a USB one. I had to have a separate keyboard and mouse cables. Grouping the cables (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) together helped a lot. I did find KVM cables that were already one piece but I needed to use a gender changer on the monitor cable. The KVM switch had a male monitor connection instead of female. The monitor cable was an monitor extension cable rather then a just a monitor cable. As for the mouse and keyboard cables which were the same cable with PS2. I just labeled the ends. Put a 'K' on the keyboard one and a 'M' on the mouse one. If something happened to the cables I would take out that one set. Fix or replace the one cable. Put the group back together and snake it back to where it goes.
1) Take excess power cords and shorten them to length. I have a bar power strip at the back of my desk and I shorten my power cords to length with plugs.
2) Use velcro straps and cable ties to keep cables neat, coiled and short. Bundle cables together that are going the same place. Use expandable braided sleeving where possible and be sure to melt the edges where you cut it so it doesn't fray.
3) Make your own ethernet cables and cut them to length. Color code and/or label them if you have more than a few.
4) Use a universal docking station if you have to something like a laptop that needs to be unplugged regularly.
5) Cordless mouse and/or keyboards are nice but if you have corded versions coil the cables and use the shortest path you can manage.
6) Use raceways and conduit if running cable any distance.
7) Use devices with short cables and extend them rather than using a longer cable than necessary.
8) Use patch panels and wiring closets or buy a small server rack on caster wheels if you have a lot of computers and limited space.
I did not say the (current (no longer to be mistaken with the G3)) iMac was expensive. I said it was not cost effective in the context of other solutions, where it's a 32,500% cost increase compared to $4 worth of velcro.
Velcor straps, as used for RC planes & cable management are the way to go. They are awesome in so many ways. For instance, If you want to add a new cable, you can either velcro it to the existing strand for cabeling speed, or simply undo each strap, add the cable and re-close it which isn't much slower. Cabeling is SO easy now! Just don't use too many of them or you may find them obnoxious, I used about 1 strap every 2ft.
My gaming PC has 7.1 surround sound (an old logitech 5.1 plus a stereo kit for the sides...) so I have a 8 individual cables right there...Tons of cables, pluse USB gear (HDD docks, Cell and Mouse charger, etc..)
Velcro / velcro like cabling straps are the simplest most amazing thing I've ever used, really tidy's things up, keeps it looking "Wife approved"
I also second using the shortest cord necessary, but keeping it long enough that you're running w/ the lines of your desk, etc. (nothing worse than a diagnal round of multiple cords shooting across space in a \ line to the power strip). Also, when bundled together, the cords can become quite stiff.
This reminds me, I need to get more of this stuff, I'm down to just a couple unused straps left :)
I think labeling the power cords is a good idea if you have the time, but it's a little overkill in my opinion. I' don't think I've messed w/ power in a LONG time, and I work w/ a popular LAN gaming community so I'm constantly moving my machine. I just have spares, in my kit, so I don't unplug them.
How much is your data worth? Back it up now.
This is horrible advice. You should use velcro, never zipties. Zipties require tools and are "once and done". Velcro allows flexibility to adjust as your needs change. Also your advice about a bigger box is only useful if all the storage is sitting in one place. Also, one of the primary selling points of USB storage is portability.
There are things that make it look nicer, but nothing beats a rats' nest of cables for pure speed. Any time you start running cables in a trough or in hooks or through tubing, it's tougher to find/replace cables than you may have thought. Unless you're removing a tripping hazard or have some appearance requirements, skip it and let the cables lie where they may. Just make sure you don't do any loops or tie cables in a knot (and whatever you do, don't use zip ties, even if you're sure you won't have to replace a cable in five years. Best case scenario: in five years you'll regret it).
In my experience, most "cable management" systems end up making it harder (not easier) to identify both ends of a cable, or to pull and replace one cable out of what was previously a tangle. That's because they're focused on making everything look tidy, not on managing the simple reality that Things Change. There's nothing wrong with a few loops of velcro here and there to keep cables out of the way, but the more you tie them down... the more you tie yourself down later.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
centuries from now ,
our time will not be known as the Information Age ,
but as the Cable or Copper Age ,
(this is just what I was thinking this morning when cleaning my former IT office )
Avoid your fears , or wonder at the past
Best thing I ever did was for desk against a wall. I used large hooks, think like bike hooks or shelf brackets with a turn up at the end. Placed several along the back of a desk, ran cables in there so I wasn't kicking them. Allows an EZ crawl under the desk looking up to see all the cables. Hard to describe but worked really well.
Between each J hook, i placed a power strip that has the large spacing for wall warts. So it alternated J hook, power. All the power strips went to another power strip on the end of the desk. So only one cable to connect to the wall. (most items were small draw so no issue overloading the 15 amp circuit.
Those who can, do.
It's a great passtime.
Not to mention you keep up to date with your tetnus shots if you leave the hooks attached.
--Joe
I originally found them at Office Max. Later Home Depot started carrying them. Other stores may carry them now. They're $5-$6 for fifty 8" long strips. That's 10-12 cents apiece, and being velcro they're much more versatile than traditional plastic cable ties. You just tear one off, wrap it around the cable bundle, and the velcro sticks to itself - takes just a couple seconds. If you mess up, it's velcro so you just lift it up and try again. No need to cut them or fiddle with a knife to release them like you do with plastic cable ties. They come with a little hole at one end if you want to affix it around a single cable for a more permanent (but reusable) installation.
I use em for network cables, video cables, audio cables, wrapping cables around ducting, hanging a picture frame on a fence, everything. I've used one to hold down a broken switch on a kitchen faucet. Heck, I've used them to create a hanging cradle to isolate HDD vibrations and noise from a computer case. They're very handy.
I use color coordination or codes for cords, since putting "monitor cable" is far too large to tape on I found using short words to work much better, like "screen" or drawing a picture. When dealing with lots of USB cables I tend to always plug them in the same places, Keyboard/mouse right under the Ethernet connection cameras and other connections after that. I first started using twist ties at first making shapes to show what they go to. for my switch and router, I try to color code them so I can tell my wife what needs to be switched off from the phone if something happens and I’m not home to do it myself. Otherwise I try to keep cables sorted by type, then length, and lastly by color.
This is a Mac, what you have there is an embarrassment to your fellow computer users.
Worst X-games event ever.
Rather than evaluating it as a cabling problem, evaluate it as too much equipment for the task. Why do you have all this stuff?
What are all your external drives for? Why are they external? Do they all need to be connected all the time? Could they be replaced with fewer, larger drives? Could they be mounted internally? Would a new case help?
Are all those monitors actually helpful, or are they just cool? Would fewer, larger monitors be more useful? Could remote desktop be used to eliminate some of them?
What;s the second machine for? Is it doing something useful or is it a "file server" or some other excuse to keep obsolete equipment around?
Do you really need a network switch in addition to a router?
USB hubs? Plural? What for?
Take this opportunity to reorganize and clean up your desk, you're going to start fresh!
1) Disconnect everything and clean up on/around your desk. Dust your monitors, wipe down the surface, move any papers that are piled up. When I dealt with rat nests of wires, I never was able to vacuum/dust. Do it now when it is easiest.
2) Put your desk on sliders. Even the heaviest hardwood desk on carpet becomes easy to move alone when you do this. If you're on hardwood or some other surface, clean around the desk before moving it, or you'll scratch it up.
3) Leave the desk away from the wall so you can get behind it. Set up everything exactly how you want it, but leave the loose cables wherever you put them before and leave the other cables (mouse, keyboard) bundled up next to their owners.
Now you're ready for the fun part!
Think about how you want to route the cables; that means don't let them touch the floor! I love routing them under the desk surface in the back because they're pretty much invisible and the cats don't chew on them. If you have a cheap fiberboard desk like I do, consider using screw-in hooks (use a small nail to make a pilot hole). If you have a metal/glass or an otherwise nice desk, use sticky hooks (3M Command hooks are usually too big - I like cable tie mounts with zip/twist ties set into a loose loop).
Start with the cables for the devices you'll move the least; this probably means your power strip, modem & router, and other network cables (I like to mount these to the side/back of my desk so they're out of the way but close to everything - this is especially important with the power strip). Move on to the monitors & speakers, then the external hard drives & USB hubs. The last things you want to hook up are probably your keyboard & mouse.
1) Once you've connected the device, stop and take a look at the cables; anything that you can group together, wrap it in spiral cable wrap, starting at the device and going back. Two network cables from the router to your towers? Wrap them together. Your monitor's DVI & power cables? Wrap them. Be sure to give yourself enough length of wrapped cable so you can move your devices around as far as you think you'll want to.
2) Now you take up any slack in the cable by bundling it - just be sure to leave a little bit of slack in the cable - just enough so it has a nice bend radius at the computer/router/wall. Hang the bundles together from a hook/anchor in an inconspicuous place. Use N+1 ties so you can get at it later - one for the hook/anchor, and one for each bundle (I especially love using twist ties for this part):
- For small DC cables, wrap the extra length neatly around 4 fingers, flatten the bundle. Secure with a twist / zip / velcro tie.
- For bigger cables, hold it in your palm and keep reversing direction across your palm - leave a reasonable bend radius. Secure it as above.
- For network cables; buy a crimping tool and learn to use it.
Push your desk back into place and you're done! Use weighted cable managers or adhesive to hold USB hubs from falling off your desk and enjoy!
- "Nobody came out that night, not one was ever seen. But Old Man Stauf is waiting there, crazy sick and mean!"
I have a similarly confusing sounding setup. Many external drives, lots of network gear, oodles of power cables. My monitor cables are bundled together (1 signal+1 power) from one end to the other, as are the external drive cables. The power blocks are all together. The cables are all laid and tied down in such a way that I can lift any one device and have instant end-to-end access to all associated cables. The USB gear feeds into a pair of 8-port hubs, giving me two cables into the computer. There are probably five cables visible above desk level.
Operation Guillotine is in effect.
to shorten their length to what's needed. There's been a few mentions of velcro ties, but just coil it up in the middle, then wrap around the coil (think bow tie) and then just pull the loose end through the end loop... erm not explaining that well, but nothing required but the cable.
Undoubtedly people'll whine I'm destroying my cables - but, well frankly I'll just buy a replacement if one ever goes. OK, maybe just for USB stuff..not ethernet etc.
Not to advocate a particular site, but http://www.wirecare.com/ has PLENTY of solutions for cable management. They tend to carry a lot of Techflex stuff, such as braided sleeving, etc. that really help out with cable management.
Network everything. Not everything has to live on or under your desk. My desk has the computer, Monitor, and local peripherals such as keyboard, mouse, speakers. Everything else is networked and out of the way. This includes NAS, Printer, VOIP SIP adaptor, router, modem, etc. Most of the rest of the stuff is on a shelf in the closet.
The truth shall set you free!
I've started to lay out and lace together wiring harnesses for my machines. This is actually pretty easy for monitors, so I start with them: one standard power plug, one data cord (either DVI or DisplayPort for my stuff) and typically one USB cable for the in-monitor hub. Once you've arranged your other hardware on the desk, you can then start grouping together other bundles and tying them off to your main trunk. You end up with a nice, sturdy, self-contained structure, rather than a tangled mess. Later additions can be threaded into the harness as needed, or if you use twist or velcro ties you can rebuild the harness on the fly.
It takes some upfront work, but the end result is satisfying and keeps the whole mess out of the way.
I read a great post on a website once about this very same topic. Check it out!
First, buy cables that are the appropriate length.
Second, buy a roll of velcro.
That alone will take you from "Dude, that's awful" to "Wow, that's terrific!"
Hit an electrical supply place and the rolls are cheap. Nearly every place that says "trade accounts only" is still happy to sell to the general public for cash, so long as it doesn't happen a lot.
Use Monster Cables. Not only do they outperform other cables in all implausible tests, they are tangle-proof too.
Sell it and buy a laptop.
Don't be apathetic. Procrastinate!
Get an iMac. Done.
Almost every electronics/computer catalog will have many different types of cable organizing solutions. I've had good luck tying cables into bundles using ordinary twist ties or plastic zip ties every 12" - 18". Specific cables can exit the bundle almost anywhere, but it keeps things organized fairly well. If your bundles get too big you might also need to color code. Twist ties are easier to maintain (plastic zip ties need to be cut-off and replaced when something gets added or deleted from the bundle), but they have a metal wire core which some purists don't like near cables. There are velcro ones in the catalogs but they tend to be spendy.
Use empty toilet paper rolls to take up the slack, that makes most cable messes a lot neater. Either for individual cables or for storage