Ask Slashdot: Recommendations For Beautiful Network Cable Trays?

Lucky you by TWiTfan · 2013-12-03 04:11 · Score: 5, Insightful

My company prides itself on an office environment that follows a modern design aesthetic: open floor plan, bold colors on the walls, cool lamps in the corners.

My lame company only prides itself on stupid shit like making good products and pleasing its customers.

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The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."

Re:Lucky you by Havokmon · 2013-12-03 04:22 · Score: 2

My company prides itself on an office environment that follows a modern design aesthetic: open floor plan, bold colors on the walls, cool lamps in the corners.
My lame company only prides itself on stupid shit like making good products and pleasing its customers.
Right. What stock should I be selling?

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"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
Re:Lucky you by BattleApple · 2013-12-03 04:40 · Score: 1

That's great, as long as your company isn't in the business of designing offices
Re:Lucky you by tlhIngan · 2013-12-03 04:46 · Score: 4, Insightful

My lame company only prides itself on stupid shit like making good products and pleasing its customers.

Submitter never said what his company actually does.
Perhaps having a "nice office aesthetic" is a requirement in the field they work in - perhaps it's even ... design! Last thing most customers looking for design work want to do is walk into a butt-ugly office that's full of drab (but functional) office furniture.
And there are many fields where yes, the office aesthetic does matter, especially in creative industries. And customers expect it, nay, demand it - they want to see what sort of creative "product" the company has, and office design is one of them that's visible, beyond existing products on the market.
Apple has shown that form is important - if not as important, as function. Having function is necessary, but so is form, as function without form is a complex mess no user desires. Though of course, sometimes they lean too far towards the "form" part at times.
And sometimes, it's actually GOOD to work in an environment that's not just beige cubes in a beige office with beige tables and beige equipment.
Re:Lucky you by gstoddart · 2013-12-03 05:30 · Score: 2

My lame company only prides itself on stupid shit like making good products and pleasing its customers.
Yeah, but these are Hipster Companies, where the design aesthetic of the network trays is far more important.
I'm betting there's an awful lot of pretentious sense of how awesome they are, equipped with turtle-necks and the ability to win buzzword bingo by 9am every day.
This makes me think of those Herman Miller chairs, which became the symbol of the .com era -- if your company had them, it was likely going out of business soon. :-P
Me, I'm looking at a request for beautiful networking trays to be indicative of a company more focused on style than function.
And, in my experience, most companies are only worried about making a good enough product that meets the deadlines, and only somewhat worried about happy customers as long as it isn't below a certain threshold.

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Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Re:Lucky you by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-03 05:33 · Score: 1

This makes me think of those Herman Miller chairs, which became the symbol of the .com era

I think the standing desk is the modern equivalent.
Re:Lucky you by Shoten · 2013-12-03 05:38 · Score: 2

My lame company only prides itself on stupid shit like making good products and pleasing its customers.
Submitter never said what his company actually does.
Perhaps having a "nice office aesthetic" is a requirement in the field they work in - perhaps it's even ... design! Last thing most customers looking for design work want to do is walk into a butt-ugly office that's full of drab (but functional) office furniture.
And there are many fields where yes, the office aesthetic does matter, especially in creative industries. And customers expect it, nay, demand it - they want to see what sort of creative "product" the company has, and office design is one of them that's visible, beyond existing products on the market.
Apple has shown that form is important - if not as important, as function. Having function is necessary, but so is form, as function without form is a complex mess no user desires. Though of course, sometimes they lean too far towards the "form" part at times.
And sometimes, it's actually GOOD to work in an environment that's not just beige cubes in a beige office with beige tables and beige equipment.
Okay...but then, if something like a "nice office aesthetic" is core to their business, why are they asking for design advice on Slashdot? Either way, something is amiss here.

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Re:Lucky you by mythosaz · 2013-12-03 05:42 · Score: 5, Interesting

I spent the last decade in a job with a nice Herman Miller Aeron chair.
I now work a job with your run of the mill crappy cubicle chair.
While I make the same amount of money in the new job, it's considerably less satisfying spending my 8+ hours a day in this back-breaker.\
Happy employees stay longer, work longer, and refer other good potential employees.
Unhappy employees leave and work where it's nice.
Re:Lucky you by swillden · 2013-12-03 06:35 · Score: 4, Insightful

My company prides itself on an office environment that follows a modern design aesthetic: open floor plan, bold colors on the walls, cool lamps in the corners.
My lame company only prides itself on stupid shit like making good products and pleasing its customers.
The two aren't in opposition to one another.

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Re:Lucky you by BattleApple · 2013-12-03 06:54 · Score: 1

And in the 80's it was the balans chair
Not sure if they were used much in offices, but when I was a kid, it seemed like everyone that could afford a computer at home just had to have one
Re:Lucky you by TWiTfan · 2013-12-03 07:13 · Score: 2

Makes me wonder if someone at MS is over at some designer message board right now asking for advice on software engineering. ;-)

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The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
Re:Lucky you by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-03 07:13 · Score: 1

You come across as the typical asshole engineer that thinks the company would fail without you, reality is the company would excel without you,
LoL, just LoL. Fire all those useless engineers so you can afford more managers and microwave ovens and brightly colored break rooms. Success is guaranteed!
Re:Lucky you by TWiTfan · 2013-12-03 07:17 · Score: 1

Oh man, I saw one of those at a yard sale one time and wondered wtf it was. I thought it was maybe some kind of prayer bench.
How do you sit on it?

--
The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
Re:Lucky you by TWiTfan · 2013-12-03 07:19 · Score: 1

No, even worse...regular old-fashioned offices with four walls, a window, and a door. It's hell.

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The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
Re:Lucky you by gstoddart · 2013-12-03 07:23 · Score: 1

I spent the last decade in a job with a nice Herman Miller Aeron chair.
LOL, honest question ... was your company the original purchasers of them, or did they buy them from one of the many sales of such things after the .com era?
My understanding is that in San Francisco for a while you could buy them in lots of 100 for about 10% of the original price. They literally became the symbol of companies which were spending lavishly but weren't going to last very long, because they were being bought as status symbols. (Not that I'm dissing the chair, which is pretty awesome.)

Happy employees stay longer, work longer, and refer other good potential employees.
Does pretty network trays count towards that?
Yes, ergonomics and usable workstations are good. The fancy network stuff being asked here sounds like window dressing which is being given more priority than functionality.

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Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Re:Lucky you by BattleApple · 2013-12-03 07:50 · Score: 2

like this - http://cisn.metu.edu.tr/2001-1/health.php
Re:Lucky you by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 07:53 · Score: 1

With an attitude like that your company will never be able to hire the cool hipsters.
Re:Lucky you by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 09:46 · Score: 1

Oh ya I wish I had one of those chairs. I had one very briefly at a job and now I miss it. I would get one at home to replace my breaking chair but they're so expensive; plus it costs even more for lumbar support or arms. Probably in the range of $650.
Re:Lucky you by mjwalshe · 2013-12-03 10:21 · Score: 1

Well you could go for the exposed industrial lab - look extra bonus points if you go for full service and have compressed air throughout the building. Or just go for the civil engineering solution and only let your architects chose the paint colors and nothing else.
Re:Lucky you by wilson_c · 2013-12-03 11:51 · Score: 1

Yeah, that's cool. But some companies, once they are successful, like to create pleasant environments for their employees to work in. It helps to retain top staff. In fact, building a great environment is often more effective per dollar spent than giving out raises when it comes to staff retention. This goes beyond just architecture and decor, but it's part of a holistic approach to making a place that people want to work at.
Pixar, for one example, has always placed a lot of emphasis on environment and lifestyle over salary and have a workforce that has been very loyal because of it. They prioritize benefits, workspace conditions, and try hard to respect personal time, but if you want to earn more money there are many better-paying alternatives.
Re:Lucky you by TWiTfan · 2013-12-04 01:57 · Score: 1

We can't even *begin* to build synergy in a dynamically focused, best-practices-oriented creative collaborative environment!!

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The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
Re:Lucky you by denmarkw00t · 2013-12-04 06:31 · Score: 1

I had one of those for a while, and every time I considered trashing it, I sat in it to remind myself how much I didn't like it, and then I'd use it for a month straight because I forgot about how much I liked it.

use wifi by alen · 2013-12-03 04:11 · Score: 2

the guy in charge of the office will love it, no wires. very pretty

Re:use wifi by PktLoss · 2013-12-03 04:17 · Score: 4, Informative

Wifi is.. nice, but I wouldn't use it in a full office environment for everyday access. It's a big brick room, lots of computers, lots of interference. Not only is WiFi slower, but you end up with less throughput as interference requires random packets to be retransmitted.

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paul reinheimer
Re:use wifi by pete-classic · 2013-12-03 05:58 · Score: 4, Informative

The bigger problem is that having many nodes means having many collisions. The aggregate capacity of the WiFi channel goes down as the number of nodes increases. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSMA/CA
Re:use wifi by gravis777 · 2013-12-03 07:23 · Score: 2

I think the parent was tongue-in-cheek. That said, if they won't let you run wires, wifi may be your only solution.
Actually, this may be more than the company wants to spend, but talk the guy in charge of the building into installing raised floors. Run your cabling underneath. Then you don't have to worry about pretty trays or cabling.
Re:use wifi by gravis777 · 2013-12-03 07:24 · Score: 1

*Pretty cabling. :-) The idea of raised floors is that you can still run cabling. I should learn to proofread before hitting submit.
Re:use wifi by HiThere · 2013-12-03 08:41 · Score: 1

Well, not wifi, and not as cheap, but infra-red transmission might be an option. You need to position repeaters around properly, and figure lines of sight, but ti should be doable. Wifi has the benefit that you don't need to worry (much) about signal path, but this comes at the expense of lots of collisions. With infrared you could use, e.g., overhead wiring behind a false-front ceiling, and have the transmitters come out pointed down from within the light fixtures. So they're invisible. You need a receiver on the top of each connection, perhaps in your setup that means one for every four computers.
This gives you something cheap, reliable, inconspicuous. But note that I didn't say cheap. It's been decades since I looked at this kind of setup, so I don't know current equipment, but I do know that it's not commodity, and that means relatively expensive.

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I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
Re:use wifi by mjwalshe · 2013-12-03 10:23 · Score: 1

well you can tune the power to have more smaller zones to get round that problem
Re:use wifi by HiThere · 2013-12-04 13:08 · Score: 1

Mea culpa. But I shouldn't have, because it probably isn't.

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I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
Re:use wifi by pete-classic · 2013-12-10 06:08 · Score: 1

Interference is a different problem. And you're absolutely right that it can be mitigated with more APs (and smart channel assignments).
With a single AP and a completely (RF) quiet environment the aggregate capacity goes down as the number of nodes increases. More nodes means more time spent in backoff. This problem is unrelated to interference or transmit power.
Re:use wifi by mjwalshe · 2013-12-10 06:33 · Score: 1

you drop the power to reduce the cell size so that not all channels overlap se teh cisco wifi books
Re:use wifi by pete-classic · 2013-12-11 10:58 · Score: 1

Are you fucking with me, or what?
If you have ONE AP using ONE channel and you have ONE user, then the user can use (or at least approach) the full channel capacity. When you add a second node you have to add some back off time to avoid collisions. As you add nodes, there are more times when you have to back off. During back off time, no one is transmitting. Since capacity is a RATE, any TIME when no one is transmitting equals a LOSS of capacity.
So, for the third fucking time, without regard to power or interference, the aggregate capacity of a wireless network decreases as the number of nodes increase.
I'd be very happy to discuss this further. But if you just say the same thing again I will wish horrible, violent death on you.
Re:use wifi by mjwalshe · 2013-12-11 11:55 · Score: 1

I do have a fucking wireless CCNA sub

Only if the channels overlap the idea is you deploy a clusters of non overlapping channels so that ap's on the same Chanel dont overlap and are separated by physical distance so that problem doesn't occur - thats why pro AP's allow you to tune the power output.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/wireless-network-routing-with-multiple-access-poin.html

Sure by Stargoat · 2013-12-03 04:13 · Score: 2

If it's a small office, you can use Ethernet over power lines. I have not used it before, but it seems to be what you are looking for.

That being said, it's difficult to give up the 1000 Mb connections from modern ethernet cables, along with POE for phones, etc. The designer by not putting ethernet cables in place did your business a disservice. A secure business requires secure ethernet.

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Hoist Number One and Number Six.

Re:Sure by bobbied · 2013-12-03 04:38 · Score: 3, Insightful

If it's a small office, you can use Ethernet over power lines. I have not used it before, but it seems to be what you are looking for.
That being said, it's difficult to give up the 1000 Mb connections from modern ethernet cables, along with POE for phones, etc. The designer by not putting ethernet cables in place did your business a disservice. A secure business requires secure ethernet.
Ethernet over power lines? Yikes, that's about as bad as WiFi for security and it will be SLOW, SLOW, SLOW if you use a lot of devices in a small space...
The ONLY solution that is workable here is to plan to wire up everything that doesn't move. Everyplace you put a power plug, plan for a network drop next to it with one or more ports.

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"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Re:Sure by dskoll · 2013-12-03 07:27 · Score: 5, Funny

And after you set up Ethernet over power lines, you can set up Power over Ethernet equipment thereby eliminating all cables without needing to use WiFi!
Re:Sure by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 09:51 · Score: 1

They have HomePNA for networking over phone lines, but it can also be slow. Given the office layout as described they probably don't even have phone cables to each desk.
But it raises a point. If they can get power to each desk they should be able to put ethernet there as well. Unless they laid the power lines and put in outlets and then poured concrete over it all...
Re:Sure by bobbied · 2013-12-03 10:27 · Score: 1

In which case this guy works for idiots who forgot to plan for network cables to go with all the power cables and his goose is cooked anyway.

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"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101

3D Print by hellkyng · 2013-12-03 04:14 · Score: 2

Buy typical cable trays, and 3D print some sort of fancy colorful casings for them. You can use a variety of designs and colors for aesthetic appeal. Plus even if it doesn't look all that great it will still be "cutting edge" technology in use, which will likely appeal to your business folks. Plus you can throw a 3D printer in your budget...

Re:3D Print by H0p313ss · 2013-12-03 04:18 · Score: 4, Interesting

Buy typical cable trays, and 3D print some sort of fancy colorful casings for them. You can use a variety of designs and colors for aesthetic appeal. Plus even if it doesn't look all that great it will still be "cutting edge" technology in use, which will likely appeal to your business folks. Plus you can throw a 3D printer in your budget...
Interesting idea, but given that it takes the average 3D printer hours to create something only a few inches across it's not terribly practical.
It would be more practical to hire a basket weaver... ooh... woven trays...

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Re:3D Print by TWiTfan · 2013-12-03 04:32 · Score: 1

It would be more practical to hire a basket weaver... ooh... woven trays...
Or, even better, a NATIVE AMERICAN basket weaver! Very hip. Very chic.

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The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
Re:3D Print by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-03 04:52 · Score: 1

3D PRINTING SKEPTICISM DETECTED!!!! Mod parent down immediately and warn 3D printing headquarters!
Re:3D Print by MightyYar · 2013-12-03 05:07 · Score: 1

Interesting idea, but given that it takes the average 3D printer hours to create something only a few inches across it's not terribly practical.
Maybe these hobbyist printers, but the industrial-grade printers can churn out a lot more than that. We rapid prototype critical parts of our product*, and we sell tens of thousands each year.
*Technically, we are just rapid prototyping the shape for the investment casting.
Anyway, the ideas is sound - just make pretty cable trays that fit within the aesthetic of the office. A competent cabinet maker should be able to make nice woodwork, and if the space is more industrial you can make something out of metal or just modify existing trays.

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W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
Re:3D Print by funwithBSD · 2013-12-03 05:21 · Score: 1

WITH BEADING!

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Re:3D Print by Ja'Achan · 2013-12-03 05:37 · Score: 2

Can't you just weave the cables in then?
Re:3D Print by DriveDog · 2013-12-03 05:45 · Score: 1

Or... have a contest. Maybe someone will design long narrow suspension bridges and you can turn on some fans and have a Tacoma Narrows incident right in the office.
Whatever you do for trays or supports, where the cables are visible from below, go with specific colors to match the decor. I still can't figure out why with all the colors available for little-to-no extra cost, people go for... gray.
Any chance of running them underneath the floor surface? Route channels in the floor, cover it with carpet?
Re:3D Print by morgauxo · 2013-12-03 06:26 · Score: 1

Right.
And how many firstborn children would your company charge to print custom cable trays for an entire large office? Would all the babies of Rhode Island suffice?
Same question regarding printing and then using a casting to make the trays.
Re:3D Print by H0p313ss · 2013-12-03 06:46 · Score: 2

Is that a 3D printed gun in your pocket or are you just feeling suicidal and have a weak grasp on the economics of mass production?

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XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
Re:3D Print by H0p313ss · 2013-12-03 07:02 · Score: 1

I am not skeptical about the future of these technologies, I am skeptical about their present.
One day, maybe 10 or 20 or 50 years from now, 3D printing and home fabrication will be playing major roles in our economy and technology development, at the industrial level that has already started for prototyping.
Right now, like script kiddies and regular expressions and the nosql crowd, there are people out there who have a hammer and every problem looks like a nail.

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XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
Re:3D Print by H0p313ss · 2013-12-03 07:06 · Score: 1

I'm not saying that hobbyist 3D printers are useless, but like any tool their use should be selected against the other available tools.

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XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
Re:3D Print by MightyYar · 2013-12-03 08:40 · Score: 1

It depends. What is the material? They can probably use plastic if they are just for decoration. Sure, it will be more expensive than injection molding in quantity, but they aren't doing any real quantity. You could also vacuum form sheet plastic. None of this stuff is stratospherically expensive. If they are willing to have a carpenter come in and do stuff with wood, then they are already spending some coin on this project.

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W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
Re:3D Print by gitano_dbs · 2013-12-03 12:41 · Score: 1

Do not hide the cabling, give them emphasis whit colors. Like on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompidou_Centre where green pipes are plumbing, blue ducts are for climate control, electrical wires are encased in yellow, and circulation elements and devices for safety are red.
Re:3D Print by unitron · 2013-12-03 17:02 · Score: 1

Can't you just weave the cables in then?
That could even save you the extra expense of paying to have the wires twisted into pairs in the first place.
It's genius, genius I tells ya!

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Buy plain, decorate by PktLoss · 2013-12-03 04:15 · Score: 5, Interesting

I might not bother trying to find beautiful trays, but instead find regular ones, then decorate!

Take something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AU3HG6?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=B003AU3HG6&linkCode=shr&tag=preinheimerco-20&qid=1386087250&sr=8-5&keywords=wire+tray

Then put these underneath: http://www.whatisblik.com/shop/explore?theme=77

Turn your office ceiling into a pacman arena!

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paul reinheimer

Re:Buy plain, decorate by PktLoss · 2013-12-03 04:22 · Score: 1

amazon link was for rack cables, something more like this: http://www.metsec.com/cable-management/cable-tray/

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paul reinheimer
Re:Buy plain, decorate by Vanderhoth · 2013-12-03 04:33 · Score: 1

Same idea though, just get some coloured plastic or fancy stickers and decorate the underside of the trays. You're pretty limited in what you do here, WiFi or Cables.
Re:Buy plain, decorate by beschra · 2013-12-03 04:38 · Score: 1

Then you could post your project on pinterest!

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It is unwise to ascribe motive
Re:Buy plain, decorate by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 09:48 · Score: 1

Add some creeping plants on the trays, looks nice and drives the IT guys nuts, so it's win-win.

Form over Function? Really? by ausekilis · 2013-12-03 04:16 · Score: 2

Did this same person complain over the HVAC system? The only way I'm aware of to get away from seeing cable trays is false floor or false ceiling. If you don't have that option, your only choice is to try to make the cable trays "pretty", which is more or less making it look like the HVAC with large metal trays... it's up to you if you want solid or mesh, and you could probably paint them... You could also get creative with panduit for running down support beams or walls, just integrate the colors and make sure the panduit is thick enough to accomodate more than you currently have, running new wire is a pain in the ass.

Re:Form over Function? Really? by bobbied · 2013-12-03 05:17 · Score: 1

I'd also add that beyond the HVAC system there will need to be power outlets everywhere to power all this computing equipment. Power outlets require wiring too. You cannot run power and network in the same conduit by code, but you certainly can use something that looks the same as what they where planning to use for power....
You mean they didn't think of power? It's time to abandon this job if they didn't have a plan for power and the budget to pay for it because you work for idiots.

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"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Re:Form over Function? Really? by Archangel+Michael · 2013-12-03 05:49 · Score: 1

You can have the power and data in the same "conduit" if you get twin raceway.
http://store.cableorganizer.com/p-59711-twin-70-power-rated-multi-channel-raceway-base-8ft-qty-24-ft.aspx?gclid=CK-M-bzOlLsCFYqFfgodKWYAlg

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Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
Re:Form over Function? Really? by bobbied · 2013-12-03 06:28 · Score: 1

The "low voltage" and "power" wires must be kept separate from each other by code. The mufti-channel raceway has separate compartments which could meet code by keeping wiring separated. But, I would strongly suggest you consult somebody who knows exactly what is and isn't allowed in the jurisdiction in question. Where there generally is consistency in the electrical and building codes, there can be exceptions.

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"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Re:Form over Function? Really? by bigfinger76 · 2013-12-03 07:37 · Score: 1

I thought proximity to power cables causes interference in network cabling? Or is that old news?
Re:Form over Function? Really? by X0563511 · 2013-12-03 07:49 · Score: 1

Especially long runs in parallel.

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Re:Form over Function? Really? by Archangel+Michael · 2013-12-04 05:07 · Score: 1

For long runs, in parallel, which are common in some places, you use Shielded Cat6 (or better) cabling.

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Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.

Lower the ceiling by tommten · 2013-12-03 04:18 · Score: 1

use ceiling plates to cover the cabling, also probably might dampen the accoustics in your office

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Contrasting rattle can colors by xtal · 2013-12-03 04:18 · Score: 4, Interesting

Use brightly colored cables, get metal cable tray and rattle can spray paint it a contrasting color. I've seen it done very well, and it does add a near technical feel to a space.

Any interior designer could help you; if you're going for image, then that's probably not a bad idea anyway.

If you're not going for image.. drop tile. :)

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..don't panic

Best Of Both Worlds? by marienf · 2013-12-03 04:19 · Score: 2

They're both right: The network guy about trays being a great solution, and the office designer about trays being butt-ugly.
However, why not work some type of panelling below, rising to the sides of the trays? I'm not a designer by far, but is seems to me that
hiding the trays cannot be exceptionally difficult, and can be done with much freedom of style. And all of that should be open from the top,
and far enough from the ceiling to keep easy access.

Next, the cables coming down. The covering should accomodate cabledrops without these having to "spill over", and in a way that keeps them very accessible. simple holes? Also, the cables themselves could be surrounded by some spiral or other form, lending them style and possibly even some strength. The spiral could even be strung between the casing and the desk, making it an active element of design, rather than a trick to 'hide the ugly cable'.

the panelings could be cut/painted in a themes shape/color, of be kept elegantly simple, depending on the design of the surrounding office.

-f

Re:802.11ac by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-03 04:20 · Score: 1

What's not clear in "high-speed access to the new servers"? Or are you assuming all servers are on the other side of the internet?

How much cabling do you need? by HockeyPuck · 2013-12-03 04:20 · Score: 1

Is this a tray requiring 100s of connections or 10? Is this in an office environment, or the datacenter? How much time and money do you want to waste, I mean spend, on this?

Either way, take a standard metal lattice cable tray and get it in black. More importantly, make sure the cables are laid out neatly, as in if they all fit on the bottom of the tray, keep them on the bottom, not piled up on each other.

Use fiber trays instead. These are typically troughs. CNC some designs in them and install LEDs inside.

White plastic skirting boards by amalcolm · 2013-12-03 04:20 · Score: 1

Design to take power and cat5 in separate bays + sockets for all, available widely.

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Time for bed, said Zebedee - boing

Train the office pets? by hawguy · 2013-12-03 04:21 · Score: 3, Funny

You do have office pets, right? Just give them a collar with clips that hold SD cards, then train them to go to the server room and fill up the cards with data and return them to you.

Latency is a little high, but bandwidth can be pretty good - as they say, never underestimate the bandwidth of a Golden Retriever with a collar full of SD cards.

Re:Train the office pets? by oneiros27 · 2013-12-03 08:50 · Score: 1

Golden Retriever?
No, no ... St. Bernard ...
Latency might suck, but the burst rate is fantaastic if you fill the little barrel full.

--
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
Re:Train the office pets? by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 09:54 · Score: 1

Plus you can get dogs that carry brandy kegs too, which is great for that retro Mad Men style of office.
Re:Train the office pets? by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 09:54 · Score: 1

Dachsunds are good if you want a low profile aesthetic.

Other than just between walls by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-03 04:23 · Score: 1

Most places just waste the space above ceilings (and below floors). You're not using brick ceilings, are you?

If you have fluorescent lights, just lay your cables over that. Just make sure that you are using non-plenum cabling.

* Obligatory serious note: make sure to research these ideas before implementing anything in the second paragraph!

Re:Other than just between walls by datapharmer · 2013-12-03 05:07 · Score: 1

* Obligatory serious note: make sure to research these ideas before implementing anything in the second paragraph!
Yeah, like googling "electrical interference" and "fire code".

--
Get a web developer
Re:Other than just between walls by egcagrac0 · 2013-12-03 05:45 · Score: 1

Just make sure that you are using non-plenum cabling.
You can ALWAYS use plenum rated cabling; you can't always use non-plenum. Plenum is less toxic when it catches fire.
Re:Other than just between walls by X0563511 · 2013-12-03 07:54 · Score: 1

Yea, the knife is a bit less deadly than the sword.
You don't want to breathe the products of either... it still decays into hydrogen chloride, which will readily form hydrochloric acid on contact with moisture (such as the moisture in your lungs).

--
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...

Look at rain gutters... by mspohr · 2013-12-03 04:23 · Score: 5, Interesting

Some years ago when I moved my company into a new office and wanted to keep the cost down, I installed rain gutters (and occasional downspout) on the walls inside to run telephone and ethernet. It was inexpensive compared to official cable trays and hid the wiring nicely.
Gutters are standard architectural details and since they are very visible you can find nice looking designs and colors.

--
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?

Re:Look at rain gutters... by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 09:56 · Score: 1

That's not a bad idea. Functional and the hipsters may like it too.

Easy! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-03 04:26 · Score: 3, Funny

Simple: Ditch the servers and move to cloud. Then fire all your IT staff and replace them with contractors from India.
1. No need to work about the aesthetics of the server room.
2. Your office will now have additional space with the removal of all that ugly looking IT equipment.
3. Your managers will no longer have to listen to petty arguments by the IT workers.
4. You company will save money by hiring cheap IT workers from India.

Its a WIN-WIN situation for everyone!

Re:Easy! by X0563511 · 2013-12-03 07:56 · Score: 1

5. Your workers won't complain about too much work, because they'll be too busy doing nothing while the cloud infrastructure also does nothing.

--
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
Re:Easy! by vux984 · 2013-12-03 11:02 · Score: 1

Its a WIN-WIN situation for everyone!
Well...except for the IT staff (whom you fired)
And maybe the company's customers (who will have to find a new vendor shortly.)
But otherwise, yes. Pure WIN!

a series of tubes by Duncecap · 2013-12-03 04:28 · Score: 1

brightly coloured, thin metal/plastic pipes. Cheap & effective.

Re:a series of tubes by SuricouRaven · 2013-12-03 04:36 · Score: 1

Drainpipe should be ideal.

Get some catalogs by PPH · 2013-12-03 04:28 · Score: 1

And look for existing tray products. In spite of some of the ideas proposed for custom made trays keep this in mind: the electrical/fire code in your jurisdiction probably will insist on the trays being "listed" for the intended purpose. Anything else may require some sort of engineering sign off and UL certification. You don't even want to know what that will cost.

Sure, it seems like a pretty trivial issue. But if your inspector throws a fit, you are screwed.

--
Have gnu, will travel.

Industrial look get industrial looking cable trays by Que_Ball · 2013-12-03 04:28 · Score: 4, Interesting

You can get really nice industrial cable trays. Mount them high enough that they aren't immediately noticeable but they maintain that industrial and exposed look. The good ones are powder coated so you can get a colour of your choice to match the office. Use a tool called a cable comb when you are running the cables to put the cables into very straight and neat bundles. Here is the manufacturer of a good quality system for cable trays: http://wiremaidusa.com/ (they have many resellers. Your cabling contractor likely deals with a supplier who can get this) Here is the cable comb tool for making straightened bundles of cables that look neat in they tray: http://www.acomtools.com/ If you want something more enclosed then you can go to full conduit installation using metal pipes. The pipes can then be painted to match your ceiling colour.

Beautiful to the eyes, but what about the ears? by jeffb+(2.718) · 2013-12-03 04:32 · Score: 3, Informative

"My company prides itself on an office environment that follows a modern design aesthetic: open floor plan, bold colors on the walls, cool lamps in the corners."

I'm happy for you that your office is pretty. But where do you go when you need to stop "collaborating" and get some actual work done? Or when the group at the bench across from yours is "collaborating" so loudly that your group can't hear each other talk?

Open floor plans may be great for some jobs, but they are poison for work that requires concentration, especially when that work also entails remote collaboration. If you find this isn't true, I'd like to hear more -- especially about how you handle conference-call participation when there's a loud discussion nearby.

(Yeah, I know I'll take an "off-topic" hit to my karma for this. Sorry; it's a hot button at the moment.)

Re:Beautiful to the eyes, but what about the ears? by DutchUncle · 2013-12-03 06:07 · Score: 2

++this. Sorry, I don't have mod points at the moment. In my experience, open plan is plain stupid for an office. Home, maybe (except maybe there's a *reason* the kitchen should be hidden, so you can leave it messy while dinner is served :-) ) Even high cube walls don't keep out the noise where I am; our little area has 8' walls in a 12' space, but there's a customer-contact group on one side that doesn't seem to know that one can use a phone without the speaker, and clerical staff on the other that chatter away all day. I have to wear earplugs much of the time.

Off-off-topic back to main, why so much hate on this page, rather than appreciation, for a place that attempts to care for the staff's comfort (even if I think their style is misguided)?

tray problem? by aurizon · 2013-12-03 04:33 · Score: 1

I assume a cable hangs from the tray to the desktop? I suggest adding some climbing vines, with pots, so it looks natural. You can also add a few spider monkeys to go up and down the cables, and their poop will fertilize the vines after you scrape it off everything??

The basic problem with trays is the cable from tray to desk.
If you used a dropped ceiling (aka ceiling plates), you could have a high BW bidirectional infra-red network from overhead to desk. In fact, with a few bidirectional emitters you might cover the office very well with even less intrusion, http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/october/wireless-data-at-top-speed.html

With IR reflectivity on all surfaces, coverage will come easy. The surface could look different at visible wavelengths for aesthetic reasons.

Re:802.11ac by spire3661 · 2013-12-03 04:34 · Score: 4, Informative

NO NO NO NO NO. Wifi is not a direct replacement for wire, its just not. Wifi should be supplemental to the network, not the basis for the network. If you are choosing wifi for aesthetics in a business setting, you are in the wrong line of work.

--
Good-bye

B-line FlexTray System by grilled-cheese · 2013-12-03 04:36 · Score: 1

We've been happy with our B-line FlexTray system running in our datacenter. It was easy to install, looks nice, and wasn't terribly expensive.

Cableporn ? by alexhs · 2013-12-03 04:38 · Score: 5, Interesting

You might want to get some inspiration from reddit / imgur cableporn sections.

--
I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.

Easy. by SuricouRaven · 2013-12-03 04:39 · Score: 1

http://www.screwfix.com/p/square-line-gutter-114mm-white-pack-of-6/16271

It's cheap, durable, hides the cables perfectly, is available in three colors (Black, grey, white), cuts to length and can be easily decorated.

Re:Easy. by SuricouRaven · 2013-12-03 04:45 · Score: 1

Also, it neatly attaches to vertical sections to carry the cables tidily from ceiling height down to the desks.

WiFi Directional Panel Antennas on the Ceiling by Bulldozer2003 · 2013-12-03 04:39 · Score: 1

Using directed antennas attached to decent APs will ensure clients are connecting to the closest AP and reduce interference from omni-directional antennas spewing the signal everywhere. Attach flat-panel antennas to the ceiling pointing down over each cluster of workspaces.

Re:Use conduit. by hawguy · 2013-12-03 04:40 · Score: 1

Using rigid (or PVC) conduit as a raceway for your cables, paint them any color you like. Paint the walls a dark gray charcoal and data conduits bright orange.. everything exposed (ductwork, conduit) and use industrial surface mount boxes for the data jacks (with a black wall-plate).

Looks bad-ass.

Expensive as hell.

PVC is not really that expensive so that's not really such a bad idea (10 feet of 4" PVC is around half or less the cost of a wire cable tray), but it makes adding additional cables or rerouting existing cables much more difficult -- make sure you pull spares and leave pull strings because you'll always need more -- and don't overfill the conduit.

Spray paint by bhlowe · 2013-12-03 04:40 · Score: 1

Use standard cable trays.. but spray paint them some hip color that works with your designer... gold, silver, metallic blue, or whatever.. Lots of great colors to choose from. Will look great.. and be functional. And you won't spend a fortune. Guaranteed its the cheapest, most sensible solution. Don't forget to color coordinate with your CAT6.

Re:Talk to a good carpenter. by mlts · 2013-12-03 04:42 · Score: 2

I'd second the recommendation for a CNC shop. Anodized aluminum, whatever color you want, or if anodizing isn't up to snuff, powder coating, or having it dipped.

Your choice of shapes, fasteners, how things attach. Combine this with pairs of holes for zip ties, and it will be a fairly neat server room.

Another thing I've seen was fiber optic multiplexers that would take a rack of 10gigE signal, run it along one fiber to a de-muxer near the router. That way, there is one, and only one network cable from each rack. If power is done so it comes from underneath (preferably 2+ PDUs), this will make things fairly tidy... well until people start stringing cable for their pet projects again.

Art by Sentax · 2013-12-03 04:43 · Score: 1

Get regular trays, hire the CEOs trendy artsy friend (they can afford this because of how much pride they put into office design) to come in and paint some cool abstract design on them (even get more super cool by asking the people around the office for ideas on what to paint, even custom designs near their desks for that extra pretentious look to match their black rim glasses) and bam, you got what you want.

Re:802.11ac by hawguy · 2013-12-03 04:44 · Score: 1

What's not clear in "high-speed access to the new servers"? Or are you assuming all servers are on the other side of the internet?

What's not clear in "If you want aesthetics" -- without a drop ceiling or hollow walls to hide cable in, it's going to be exposed.

In my office (with substandard wiring that can only support 100mbit for most people - I get better throughput on the 802.11n Wifi network if no one else is watching cat videos on it), no one ever complains that the fileserver is slow, but people complain daily that the "internet is slow".

Q: Any suggestions for beautiful cable trays? by Jeremiah+Cornelius · 2013-12-03 04:45 · Score: 2

A: Live, nude women.

--
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."

Re:Q: Any suggestions for beautiful cable trays? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-03 05:29 · Score: 1

A: Live, nude women.
Two out of three ain't bad...

Re:get your plumb on by mlts · 2013-12-03 04:45 · Score: 1

I've wondered about clear UPVC pipes as well.

False flooring is the way to go. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · 2013-12-03 04:47 · Score: 2

I think almost all places with masses of cables and the need for constant maintenance go for false flooring. Almost all the power grid control stations, space launch control centers all of them have the consoles full of switches standing up in the middle of a remarkably clean floors. Most workers "scoot" on the uncluttered floor on chairs on casters. Given the amount cabling these things need, how do the do it? Mostly by creating a false floor and running the cables under it.

Long back in a aeronautical facility (in India) I was surprised by the presence of toilet plungers in the corners of many rooms. When I asked one of the technicians he said, they are used to create the suction needed to pull up any tile on the floor, to access the crawl space below. Instead of providing trap doors at a few locations to get to the crawl space, these guys pull up any tile anywhere on the floor, reach in and grab the cables!

In USA if some one would make carpets or under-carpet padding that can accommodate cables without making the surface uneven on top, it would make a killing. Quick someone patent this.

--
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact

Re:False flooring is the way to go. by aaarrrgggh · 2013-12-03 14:19 · Score: 1

Under carpet power and data cables exist, less than 1/16" thick IIRC. Not a great idea for a whole office though.
Raised floor is nice, or can be. Best to use it for HVAC as well though as individual users gain inexpensive control.

Re:Talk to a good carpenter. by drakaan · 2013-12-03 04:49 · Score: 1

Good idea, but this is for an entire office, not a server room.

--
"Murphy was an optimist" - O'Toole's commentary on Murphy's Law

Flat cable by Indras · 2013-12-03 05:00 · Score: 1

Depends on how many connections you need, but hiding flat cable under the carpet can be a viable option.

http://www.vpi.us/cable-sf-cat6.html

Then again, the poster doesn't specify whether this office has carpet.

--
The speed of time is one second per second.

Duck Tape by Mister+Liberty · 2013-12-03 05:03 · Score: 1

Paste to floor and you get StumbleUpon, Sticky Notes and Pastebin for free!

Re:You must be the most gay network tech ever by jones_supa · 2013-12-03 05:06 · Score: 1

Having some aesthetic taste does not mean that someone is gay.

You simply have to pull the wire.. by bobbied · 2013-12-03 05:08 · Score: 1

How are they going to power all this equipment? Obviously they are going to have to put in power drops everywhere to power up all those handy devices, cell phone chargers, computers, laptops and printers, so just do the same thing for your network they are planning to do for the power.

You want to plan for at least one network drop for *every* power outlet they put in, plus put in two everyplace you currently plan to put desks. The two (network and power) do not go in the same conduit or cable ways by code, but I'd suggest you simply use the SAME thing you use for power, for network wires. Just dump all the network wires into a closet (hopefully separate from the breaker box) and terminate them into patch bays there.

DON'T: Try the WiFi thing for more than a small handful of devices. If you have to start using your toes to count the devices only an access point, it's going to start struggling with keeping up and I'm counting smart phones and laptops here. If you start doing any serious data transfers you can swamp a WiFi connection with ONE device.

DON'T: Put in network wiring that is not easily replaced. Where it is not likely you will outgrow Cat-5, technology may advance in ways where you would like to have other kinds of wiring in the future. Make sure to leave space in conduit to allow pulling more drops, or changing cabling types (I suggest not more than half full).

Personally, I'd go with the "steam punk" look in your case. This uses very industrial looking stuff, iron sheets, rivets and such. I'm guessing you could find some wrought iron company to make some cool looking cable ways or trays that would be the steam punk style. Then you can choose to go with wiring colors that are either bold or muted for your network infrastructure. If you want to emphasize your "We are technology!" image, go with bold colored Cat-5 and make sure it shows using open cable trays. Or if you want to look established, go with totally covered wire-ways and muted colors.

Of course, this isn't cheap... But if the primary factor is "cheap", buy a couple of rolls of Velcro and duct tape...

--
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101

Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by operagost · 2013-12-03 05:34 · Score: 1

CAT-5 has already been outgrown. It cannot handle gigabit. No one should be using this stuff for new installations.

--

Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by NJRoadfan · 2013-12-03 06:02 · Score: 1

Gigabit works fine with CAT-5. The IEEE 802.3ab standard specifically says its suitable cabling. Of course if its a new run, install the latest cable spec.
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by bobbied · 2013-12-03 06:20 · Score: 1

CAT-5 works just fine for 1000BASE-T (Gigabit over copper) for runs under 100 Meters. I suppose you could spec out CAT-6 if you wanted, but I don't see where there is any benefit in the short term. Most desktop computers only run at gigabit which runs over CAT-5 and few places can afford the switching infrastructure to carry more than that to all their drops. CAT-6 punch down blocks, outlets, patch cables and wire is much more expensive than CAT-5. It's just not worth it to go with anything better than CAT-5 in an office situation. Server rooms are a different story.
Remember that I specified that you make sure not to fill up your wiring paths but leave it half empty. This way, if you really needed 10 Gig someplace, you can pull a CAT-6 or optical run to where you need it, but not incur the added expense of putting in stuff you don't need.

--
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by jabuzz · 2013-12-03 09:23 · Score: 1

That's utter tosh. I can name at least two U.K. universities where all new cabling is done with LSZH Cat6, though to be fair the contractors seem to be using Cat6a cable for the last couple of years. However Cat5e has been a no no for best part of a decade.
I would also add for good measure I did my house in Cat6a a couple of years ago. Sure I did not do full testing so it might not take 10GbT on all links unless it is all re-terminated by a professional, but there is plenty of slack on the cables and I have been careful about adhering to bend radius when running the cable.
Just because you have installed a million miles of Cat5e does not mean people don't install something better.
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by jabuzz · 2013-12-03 09:25 · Score: 1

I think you will find that 802.3ab makes it quite clear that Cat5 is no good for GbE. You need at least Cat5e and real world large bundles it might not work.
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 10:06 · Score: 1

Few people need gigabit speeds, especially in offices. It's handy for connecting servers though. But your desktop plus IP phone won't need it. Sure save one big fat cable for the executives because they like to have shiny things that they never use.
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by mjwalshe · 2013-12-03 10:26 · Score: 1

its 90M for horizontal wire runs 10 is spare for interconnects
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by bobbied · 2013-12-03 10:38 · Score: 1

Sure, if you want to be *sure* you can make sure to have 30 feet for interconnects. Might be overkill, but hey. Most offices should not have a problem with staying well under ~300 feet if you plan for it and put your wiring closets 150 feet apart. But hey...

--
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Re:You simply have to pull the wire.. by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-12-03 12:48 · Score: 1

He's just an idiot troll - nobody can pull a million miles a year without a helicopter. :) I did a building in Cat 6 almost a decade ago and the cost difference over Cat5e was 20%.
Cheap 10GE to the desktop will come with some of the new signalling stuff that's in the lab now, and it will replace having to put drives in desktop computers. My clients aren't going to have to rewire.

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)

Re:Find a new job, fast by ancientt · 2013-12-03 05:11 · Score: 1

I've seen this type of comment several times. I wholeheartedly believe that producing valuable services or products is more important than aesthetics, but.... why do people assume they aren't? If you've got a company that is doing what it needs to be doing on the production side, why wouldn't you want to make the environment as comfortable and inviting as you can? Staff that feels comfortable is probably going to be easier to retain and if you have clients who see your workspace, then aesthetics are actually important to the bottom line.

--
B) Eliminate all the stupid users. This is frowned upon by society.

Re:Be a man by jones_supa · 2013-12-03 05:16 · Score: 1

And /r/cablefail. ;)

Model railroads by stillnotelf · 2013-12-03 05:17 · Score: 2

My office has exposed cable trays. Some of the length has a toy model train running through it. Perhaps you can leave the exposed cable runs but spice it up with toy trains and hamster tubes?

Electricity for computers by Kohath · 2013-12-03 05:19 · Score: 2

Do you have electricity for the computers to use? If so, someone was once able to install wiring. Call that guy to install network wiring.

Re:Electricity for computers by gl4ss · 2013-12-03 05:59 · Score: 2

it's an open office. the designer just figured they'll use laptops and ipads. that's what is on all the design brochure adverts anyways on the tables.
(you _do_ make an exceedingly good point though. what the fuck are you going to do with datalines without power? it's the friggin designers problem. the day he starts designing coffee houses he can forget about cabling...)

--
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Re:Electricity for computers by Lumpy · 2013-12-03 06:39 · Score: 1

And gut the office while he does it. Poured concrete requires coreing and jackhammers to run the conduit and repatch.
The fault lies at the feet of the contractor that did the job, why data conduit was not installed first is his fault and he should be docked money for missing it.

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Re:Electricity for computers by Darinbob · 2013-12-03 10:08 · Score: 1

How do you charge the laptops and ipads though? There's gotta be power somewhere.

Raised floors... by killfixx · 2013-12-03 05:21 · Score: 1

It was good enough in my day... :)

--
"Helping to keep you two steps ahead of the Thought Police!"

Re:802.11ac by neokushan · 2013-12-03 05:33 · Score: 1

I suppose your use case is identical to everyone else. No, wireless just isn't an option for any reasonably sized office for anything other than mobile access.

Aesthetics be damned, productivity comes first.

--
+1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill

Re:802.11ac by neokushan · 2013-12-03 05:36 · Score: 1

300Mbit wifi, if it is not saturated with things like constant peak speed file transfers

I think you may have hit the reason why it's not feasible right there.

--
+1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill

Re:802.11ac by hawguy · 2013-12-03 05:37 · Score: 1

+1

1) It's a security risk.

It's debatable whether or not a WPA-Enterprise Wifi network is less secure than the typical small office ethernet deployment where I can plug a computer into any conference room ethernet jack and have full access to the entire network. Very few small businesses use 802.1x port authentication on their hard wired networks or even force ports to guest VLANS in shared spaces like conference rooms and break rooms.

2) It'll be slower. The quoted network speeds are when there's no congestion, which won't be the case when an office has 100 PCs all on the network.

If you put 100 clients on a single Wifi node, then you get what you deserve.

Do it like Google by MasaMuneCyrus · 2013-12-03 05:37 · Score: 1

Either color-code the cables and bind them very nicely together, or color-code some pipes/conduit and run the cables through those.

Make it look like Google's data centers. Wires or pipes.

Cable Ladders, colored runs, paint and lacing by cdl · 2013-12-03 05:48 · Score: 1

Get Cable Ladders rather than the wire trays. They are larger, but actually that would make them easier to paint. Paint them to match (or contrast) with the walls and ceilings they are mounted to. Get Cat6 that is colored, again to contrast or match the color. Neatly cable lace the cables to the ladder (to avoid the rats nest look). They don't disappear, but they will look better than the standard rats nest in metal wire look of most trays.

Re:Cable Ladders, colored runs, paint and lacing by Fjandr · 2013-12-03 19:56 · Score: 1

Hand-lacing is definitely the way to go if you want good-looking cable runs. A proper fully-laced cable ladder can be awe-inspiring.

Re:802.11ac by hawguy · 2013-12-03 05:55 · Score: 1

I suppose your use case is identical to everyone else. No, wireless just isn't an option for any reasonably sized office for anything other than mobile access.

Well no, in my office we run ethernet above the drop ceiling and bring it down to the cube walls in risers. Except for the newly leased portion of the office, we have 10 people back there on 2 Wifi nodes (one is meant for the large conference room but covers the cubes too) and they seem quite content with the situation. Running ethernet back there is somewhat difficult since it has to traverse a firewall (a physical firewall) and we don't plan on staying in this office for long so we've tacked a couple cables along the floor for the Wifi nodes.

They are even running VoIP phones over the same Wifi network (different SSID, same radios) and call quality is good -- we do some traffic shaping to make sure the phones aren't starved for bandwidth.

Aesthetics be damned, productivity comes first.

But I'm not the one asking about aesthetics.

Re:Light it up by MerlynEmrys67 · 2013-12-03 06:09 · Score: 1

Please god no.
I am very visually distracted. Something like this would make me (and anyone else like me) unable to productively work as I would always be trying to see what the motion was.

--
I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them

Be aware of fire code! by DutchUncle · 2013-12-03 06:11 · Score: 1

Multiple people already mentioned as an aside, but since I work to NFPA specs I'll put it right in the title. You do *not* want to spend a lot of money and then have your insurance guy or the fire marshal wander through for inspection and tell you to rip it all down.

Re:You must be the most gay network tech ever by real+gumby · 2013-12-03 06:26 · Score: 1

... and being gay does not mean someone has some aesthetic taste.

(sorry, just wanted both the inverse and converse represented). The trolling A/C is a loser. I really like the submitter's question, not because I particularly care about cable trays but because it shows that she or he is the opposite of the BOFH: asking how to fit the various users' needs rather than forcing people to just put up with what IT wants to give 'em.

Re:You must be the most gay network tech ever by Garridan · 2013-12-03 06:28 · Score: 1

Yup. My wife ain't gay, and she's got great aesthetic taste. Or so I'm told.

Cable trays.... by Lumpy · 2013-12-03 06:32 · Score: 1

Just have the contractor put a visual barrier around them to satisfy the "that looks icky" people. thin wood box painted the color of the wall it is near or the ceiling color.

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.

Who is the customer here?? by kamakazi · 2013-12-03 07:02 · Score: 1

I guess I may have misunderstood, but I thought this was an office. Don't architects and designers design to a functional spec? If I hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design a garage for me, it darn well better hold cars. I don't care what your designer thinks, if he is designing an office, it has to be a functional office first, and a showcase for his skills second. If he has to jump through hoops to make it both, those are his hoops, not yours. Anytime a designer expects a functional change to make his design easier it demonstrates two things:
1- He misunderstands his position in the scheme of things
2- He is not a good imaginative designer, who would make a way to either hide the cabling or make the cabling aesthetically pleasing and harmonize with the rest of his design.

If the Bobs at your place of employment actually weigh design and function equally they are equally wrong. You can have functioning ugliness or your can have functioning attractiveness, or you have dysfunction, one of those does damage to the future outlook of your company.

Bah! I feel scrooginess coming on.

--
"Proximity to wonder has blunted our perception and appreciation of it" --Tim Hartnell in 'Exploring ARTIFICIAL INTELLI

Copy Squarespace by jon3k · 2013-12-03 07:10 · Score: 1

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/19/5122290/small-empires-010-squarespace-video

They used a raised platform and even put some rope lighting underneath around the edges. Looks great and would give you a way to run cables underneath to the workstations.

Have you looked at cable lacing? by Ikkyu · 2013-12-03 07:55 · Score: 1

Have you looked at cable lacing? You could skip the trays and just suspend the laced bundle from the celing.

Re:Industrial look get industrial looking cable tr by Bo'Bob'O · 2013-12-03 08:19 · Score: 1

Yes, this exactly.

Keep the tray as small and unobtrusive as possible, you actually want to see as much of the cable as possible. Don't try to hide the but find a professional installer that will make the cables neat, tidy as possible. Belden and cables and others have a wide range of colors that you could offer and you could probably find a nice bold one to go with what the designer might like. It could actually be something of a feature if this is a design/tech kind of company.

Single wires ane regional switches. by darkonc · 2013-12-03 08:45 · Score: 1

Run a set of single wires, and remote switches. Put a switch/router in the middle (or a side) of the ceiling, and run a small number of wires along the walls to switches on the floor near where you have clusters of people.Running from the cieling to the floor, you can follow the brick mortar lines (you'll get half on the mortar, half on the brick.. you can spray paint the half running over brick the same colour as the brick -- this will break the lines, and camouflage what you're doing.

Put the switches inside of pretty, wood cases... with or without locks, depending on how much you trust the staff to play nice.

Unless you've got dozens of people running video, gigabit backbone runs should be enough... run multiple ggabit lines to the central switches if you have to, single gigabit to the floor switches.
Generally, bandwidth use tends to be sporadic, so network congestion shouldn't be that bad .. There's rarely any real need to run single gigibit lines from the server room to every client. For most services, 100Meg should be enough to the clients (helps to moderate burst loads), and gigabit for trunking.

--
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.

Those Pesky Wires! by sexconker · 2013-12-03 09:21 · Score: 1

Do your workstations have access to power outlets? I bet they do!
You can run Ethernet along the electrical wiring.
You can use a buttload of those power line Ethernet adapters.
You can replace all electrical wiring with Ethernet and then run your whole business off of Power Over Ethernet because let's face it - if you guys are for open floor plans and bright walls to the extent that you're having a fight with your only competent employee about not wanting to running Ethernet because of the aesthetics, you're not really doing anything worth while anyway.

plants by Tristfardd · 2013-12-03 09:30 · Score: 1

You put small clips on the bottom of the cable trays. In a corner of the room you have a pot with a plant such as a philodendron. It grows up to the cable trays and along.

I've seen this done just using bent paper clips hanging from the frames holding ceiling tiles. It made for a great office with all that green overhead. Light-weight office plants won't bother the cables if they curl a bit into the trays. If someone is working in the tray, she can just cut off anything in the way.

The office I saw used philodendron, but there may be better plants; it depends on the green thumbs available.

Low Profile Raised Floor by joffems · 2013-12-03 11:08 · Score: 1

Low profile raised floor is an alternative. they are designed for workspaces. They are expensive, but very flexible and easy to work with.

Form Follows Function; or use Raised Floors by billstewart · 2013-12-03 12:23 · Score: 1

If you get the core of the wiring done in a way that supports the actual work that needs to be done, the additional wiring that evolves over time is going to be relatively simple, neat, and save time and money.

If you build the core of the wiring in a way that doesn't fit with the actual communication patterns, you'll quickly end up with a jerry-rigged mess that'll look worse and waste time doing the wiring, plus you'll waste more time arguing with the idiot who forced you to do it wrong.

If neither of those options appeals to you, spend the money on a raised floor, which will not only handle your cooling needs but let you hide the wires.

--

Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks

Alternatives: by RedLeg · 2013-12-03 12:25 · Score: 1

OK, IF you have suspended acoustic ceilings, keep reading, otherwise forget the first suggestion and skip to the other option....

We started out with twist on attachments that mounted to the ceiling framework and provided a 1/4 inch stud, added a barrel nut and a bridle ring. All came from the local electrical contracting supply house, and were inexpensive, plus it all goes together with no tools other than a step ladder to reach the ceiling.

We we moving into a very large open space with a LOT of equipment to be interconnected. I managed the effort, and the one thing I was sure of was that the floorplan would not be what we imagined once we got used to the new space, and that it would be fluid over time. The bridle rings let us get the cables overhead and out of the way, but it's very easy to change things up, either by adding/removing cables, or rerouting them. If you need to go off in a different direction, it's a simple matter to add more rings. If a particular ring is no longer needed, simply remove it and the barrel nut, leaving the (unobtrusive) stud fixture in place for potential later use. They're cheap.

The intent was that as things stabilized over time, a "backbone" would emerge, and we would replace the bridle rings on the stable portions of the network with product from these guys: http://www.snaketray.com/ , with the idea that we could unscrew the bridle ring and barrel nut, and then hang the snake tray from the same attachment hanging from the suspended ceiling framework.

As it turned out, we never got around to that upgrade, as the bridle ring lashup worked very well for us. I no longer work there, but the approach I describe above worked for ~10 years.

The other option to explore is some variation of raised flooring. It does not have to be in the mode of the old machine room, 12 inches or so above the base flooring...... there are companies that sell what are basically interlocking floor mats with cable channels and removable carpeting tops. Looks like regular office flooring, but houses your cabling.

Hope this helps.....

-Red

Under the floor by MojoSF · 2013-12-03 12:44 · Score: 1

Here at Disney Interactive's Grand Central Creative Campus they built the new building with all of the HVAC and cabling running under the floors. It makes for a very clean look; no downposts carrying cables from above a false ceiling. The floor has several junction boxes with power and network that blend into the carpet scheme nicely. It's a little strange having forced air coming up from the floor rather than down from the ceiling. :)

Giant Flying Spaghetti Monster by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-12-03 12:54 · Score: 1

Some of his arms can touch the walls, where you can feed your data in, then in his mealballs you can put some patch panels, suspend the whole thing from the ceiling, and then have a noodly appendage reach out to touch each of the cubicles, and run cable through them.

Seriously, we have no idea what your decorating motif is. Somebody else can do the steampunk version of above, it can be a fantastic idea and completely inappropriate for your office decor. Talk to your designer.

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)

You DO have space in the walls by hobarrera · 2013-12-03 14:44 · Score: 1

In Argentina, all our buildings are concrete and brick. We use tubes through the walls were all our electric, telephone and ethernet installation goes through. Get some power tools, cement, and paint, and do it the old-fashioned way.

A few ideas for you! by eyenot · 2013-12-03 15:24 · Score: 1

You can get some PVC pipe of a nice, wide gauge. Then slice it in thirds, 120 degrees each section. There are PVC paints you can use to make these whichever color is available. You might need to rough the surface of the PVC, first. If you want them plain white, there are ways of removing the colorful print. Use the round, ooh-ah PVC sections instead of the flat, painted-aluminum (or plastic) trays. The round surfaces should reflect the light below in a more eye-pleasing way. Still suspended from the ceiling, though.

You could buy a lot of smaller gauge PVC and run the cables through that. Do yourself a favor and cut the sections in half, and hinge them on the side away from the wall so you could still open them up section by section if you had to. Attach the PVC to the walls with washers and bolts at stud points. Close up the hinges and latch with whatever. You could paint it bronze and it's be kooky, steampunk style stuff yeah.

You could do real steampunk style, and buy metal pipe instead of PVC. You could have this cockamamie maze of pipes running up and down the walls, over the chairs and desks, and arriving at lamp posts (actually lit by flickering LEDs, not actual gas! Hah! Haha!) which the office workers discreetly plug their computers and other devices into.

You could get simple tin foil (food grade) and wrap the cables up in that. I have no idea how this will affect their performance in terms of temperature. But they'll be shiny.

You could get some plastic mesh and spray paint it silvery, double the edges and run your support wires through the doubled up holes. The mesh should theoretically be able to support a bunch of wires (maybe triple fold those edges). The cables would show but hey, they're colorful.

You could just support the bundled up cables themselves "naked" to the eye. It would be a bitch to get at the cables and take any down without taking them all down, but there they'd be. A person looking up could see how the network is "shaped". It would be like a magic trick.

You could support all of the cables on a bunch of really, really tall hat racks with allll kinds of crazy hats hanging from them, along with all of these network cables. People would wonder if they could have a hat, purchase a hat, or add their own hat to an empty prong. You could just deny them the satisfaction all day, and come across as WAAAAY more smugly superior than they.

Get a bunch of fake Christmas trees and throw out all the stupid false needles, just leaving behind the weird wire skeletons. Put a bunch of them together in a giant matrix of wiry voodoo. Thread your cables through this, along with strands of blinking LED "holiday lights". Put the giant borg in a really obtrusive location so everybody will question THAT, and nobody will care about how unappealing or inconvenient it is to have the cables snaking to and from this thing to various other locations.

You could build a glass ceiling and snake the wires around like crazy and make it all topsy turvy, artsy fartsy with your artistic talent glass ceiling existing purely for art's sake. Clients and other visitors could be invited to throw little peastones at it, to give it character.

--
"Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee

Conduit? by Demonantis · 2013-12-03 19:33 · Score: 1

How was the electrical runs installed. You could fish it through the same pipes. It depends on the aesthetic of the space. The designer and IT lead need to sit down and hammer some sort of list of exclusions and weighted scorecard and then look for the optimum solution.

Re:802.11ac by afidel · 2013-12-04 06:33 · Score: 1

I'm thinking it's a company in the media realm and I can tell you our marketing department is the only place other than the datacenter or the network core where we've considered 10Gb due to the size of files they deal with. 802.11ac will end up below 100Mbps for a crowded office which is just going to suck when dealing with multi-hundred MB PSD files of worse video.

--
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.

Re:Panduit FiberRunner by PantherX · 2013-12-04 15:13 · Score: 1

I came here to say this. It's a great solution, works well and doesn't look too bad. I hope you like yellow, however. Also don't bother to buy covers for your downspouts... you will always end up never putting them back when you're working... and then they get lost, etc.

--
Sig missing. Reward.

Two Words by Programming_Wut · 2013-12-06 05:17 · Score: 1

"Glue" and "Glitter".

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