Comments on: Network cable management done wrong

By: EI Tech

EI Tech — Sun, 22 May 2011 13:05:00 +0000

I work for the phone company as an internal installer. We have everything neat and tagged at both ends and it works just fine. I am talking giant rooms of this stuff with co ax, fiber, power, twisted copper all mixed together. It works if you do it right.

By: Josh 'Stormin&#

Josh 'Stormin&# — Sun, 22 May 2011 11:57:00 +0000

I like the sign in the third picture: "DO NOT TOUCH ANY OF THESE WIRES"

By: Sean Killeen

Sean Killeen — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:16:00 +0000

Regarding #3, "re-plug them in an orderly manner":

I think this is the most difficult part for most folks. Is there a standard or recognized "best orderly way" or tips for keeping some sort of best practice while organizing cables? Ours was decently organized at first but has recently got a little mucked up. I plan to re-organize, but would like to do it absolutely right this time.

By: Ed Stoneberger

Ed Stoneberger — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:55:00 +0000

You don't have to have a messy network with Neat-Patch. The right cables and the right manager in one kit. Organization is everything.

By: Ed Stoneberger

Ed Stoneberger — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:55:00 +0000

You don’t have to have a messy network with Neat-Patch. The right cables and the right manager in one kit. Organization is everything.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:43:00 +0000

I have installed 2376 HP servers in 2 data centers over a 33 month period. There a total of 4500 servers between these 2 data centers

Models that I have installed include: DL360, DL380, DL385, DL580, DL585, and C7000

I have been told that my cabling is a work of art. I am asked why I install the patch cables so neatly. I give them 3 reasons.

1) It facilitates better air flow. I insist on right-size cables. This keeps the amount of cable in the cable management arm to a minimum which allows hot air from the back of the server to escape better.

2) Better operation of the cable management arm when extending the server out of the rack for service. One should be able to pull the server out 1000 times and the cabling remains neat and enacted.

3) It looks good. There is a sense of pride when your multi-million dollar data center looks like a multi-million dollar data center.

Currently, I am working as an Analyst teaching others how to properly cable servers and teaching them about the vision of having the neatest data center on the planet.

Dave

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:43:00 +0000

I have installed 2376 HP servers in 2 data centers over a 33 month period. There a total of 4500 servers between these 2 data centers
Models that I have installed include: DL360, DL380, DL385, DL580, DL585, and C7000

I have been told that my cabling is a work of art. I am asked why I install the patch cables so neatly. I give them 3 reasons.
1) It facilitates better air flow. I insist on right-size cables. This keeps the amount of cable in the cable management arm to a minimum which allows hot air from the back of the server to escape better.
2) Better operation of the cable management arm when extending the server out of the rack for service. One should be able to pull the server out 1000 times and the cabling remains neat and enacted.
3) It looks good. There is a sense of pride when your multi-million dollar data center looks like a multi-million dollar data center.

Currently, I am working as an Analyst teaching others how to properly cable servers and teaching them about the vision of having the neatest data center on the planet.

Dave

By: Tim Kendall

Tim Kendall — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:40:00 +0000

This is kinda like what my company's server room looked like when I came here 130 users going from the patch to the switch. Horrible mess, unfortunately it's still not perfect but it's getting there. Extremely hard to get everyone in the department to follow this new neat scheme especially when they're used to dealing with the mess.

By: Tim Kendall

Tim Kendall — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:40:00 +0000

This is kinda like what my company’s server room looked like when I came here 130 users going from the patch to the switch. Horrible mess, unfortunately it’s still not perfect but it’s getting there. Extremely hard to get everyone in the department to follow this new neat scheme especially when they’re used to dealing with the mess.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:30:00 +0000

What's the point of tracing cables, if you have them labeled or at least listed in a matrix table (Sw port VS Patch panel port). Properly management and change record is what matters. The way your network cables look, reflect the kind of person you are.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:30:00 +0000

What’s the point of tracing cables, if you have them labeled or at least listed in a matrix table (Sw port VS Patch panel port). Properly management and change record is what matters. The way your network cables look, reflect the kind of person you are.

By: Bryan Price

Bryan Price — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:58:00 +0000

My last job had 5 wiring closets and a server room. The server room was decent, but the wiring closets were out of hand. It didn't help that the closets were shared by two different divisions, one using Ethernet and the other TokenRing. My division was switching everything over to Ethernet when I left. I talked with my boss about getting the overtime approved to fix the wiring closets, preferably at the same time as the other division would have their techs available with overtime (this was a state operation, union job, nothing like being a network admin with a 7am-4pm job!) and getting the cable situation straightened out.

I would have gone the custom clip-to-length route if we had actually done it with either velcro cable ties or wire ties too. Never got the OK, and then I got married and off to another state.