Dos & Don’ts of Cable Management

Just imagine how would you feel when you face cable spaghetti? You must say, “oh, it’s very annoying.” Yes, that’s right. Improper cabling can bring disadvantages like heat retention, untimely hardware failure and maintenance headaches. So how to avoid cable spaghetti and keep network cabling in a good organization?

Since cable management is one of the most important factors of data center design, it’s necessary to master some cabling skills. The following content will give you some suggestions for cabling installation.

When installing cables, pulling issue can’t be avoided. Pulling cables too hard can damage them by stressing the core. Stressing the core will affect the signal performance. In extreme cases, it will cause unwinding of the twists in the sheath. Under this situation, you should better buy high quality patch cords from reliable manufacturers or vendors. Good patch cords are able to withstand the stress. Because cheap cables have sub-standard sheathing and narrow diameter cores which can cause signal loss. A smaller core is also more fragile and weak, more likely to bend, leading to an increased rate of cable failure.

Cable labels are very likely to be ignored by engineers. After finishing cable installation, they always think they can remember every cable type, including the network cables, power cables, patch cables, etc. Things doesn’t happen like you wish. Your memory will disappear as time goes on. Thus, you should not overlook labeling which can help you identify cables in a short time and leave messages to other installers to easily decipher what goes back.

Cable ties are cheap and useful to get a clean look of your data center. Today there are many categories in different sizes with many colors. Nylon and Velcro ties are the most two common kinds. Velcro ties are better than plastic ties because they are easy and quick to add, remove and reusable. Nylon cable ties can put mush stress on cable bundles and cause pressure points on the cable jacket, changing the cable geometry and thus decreasing performance. What’s more, Velcro ties can be cut easily to any length you need.

Usually it says the longer, the better. But it’s another case for network cabling. Improper cable length often causes cable mess. Suppose you have bought 50m patch cable. However, you just use 20m. Then how to deal with the spare 30m cable? Just leave it alone? Of course not. So you’re advised to measure the exact cable length you need. Custom cable is the best solution for you to get the right length.

What if very long cables are left in your network system? You may consider to put the cables into the cable trays. But it’s not a good idea. Cable trays should not be overloaded. Suspended cable trays are mounted to a rack or something. If it’s too heavy, the cable trays may fall off and break other expensive things. Too many cables is not only safety problem, but also leads to poor operational practices because it’s too hard or fear of disturbing cables. What’s worse, the cables at the bottom of cable try may be crushed and degrade signal propagation.

Cable manager is an economical and efficient solution to manage high density structured cabling in data centers and telecommunication rooms, which allows the maximum amount of cables to be organized in a minimum amount of space. Choose the best cable manager which suits the most for your application. Simple or complex cable manager, vertical or horizontal, plastic or metal, one must meet your requirements for network cable management improvement.

Cable management is not an easy work. Some engineers may not take cable management seriously or they don’t care much if there is a little mess. But the improper operation can cause lots of problems. To achieve neat cabling, too many things must be taken into consideration. And some useful tools and equipment are also required. Come and find a perfect cabling solution.

Originally published at www.fiber-optic-equipment.com