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I have a problem. It is a problem I try to hide out of sight and out of mind, one I try to pretend doesn't exist. But it does, and every so often it raises its ugly head to bite me. Most recently, I needed to replace an Ethernet switch as I needed more ports. As I unplugged the old switch, my monitor turned off. Why? Because under my desk I have a cable catastrophe. The mere act of unplugging the old switch had so disturbed and enraged the rat's nest of cables under my desk that in retaliation it decided to turn off my monitor.
So intertwined and confused is the mess beneath my desk that even the most mundane of acts—plugging in a new gadget, removing an old one, sometimes just even moving my feet—threatens to destroy everything.
TFA addresses the perennial problem of cable jungles. I use zip ties. What are the best solutions Soylentils have come up with, and what are their pros and cons?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 09 2015, @02:14PM
I don't do it religiously, but I like to label the plugs (eg: server, router, monitor).
I always feel a little silly doing it, but tend to thank myself a few months down the road when I forgot which cable is which.
The biggest danger is lazily re-using the cables without changing the label. Masking tape gets gummy, and stickers meant for envelopes sometimes fall off.
(Score: 2) by joshuajon on Wednesday September 09 2015, @06:35PM
They do make labels designed for this purpose [amazon.com]. There's also label maker tape designed for labelling cables.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 09 2015, @07:40PM
90 cents per tag is pricey though, You can get a whole roll of tape for that price.