Cable management is the practice of organizing sorting and making physical network cables neat and easy to manage. Unfortunately not everyone remembers to take care of cable management. Even in small to medium sized companies, cable management can be important for a safe and organized work environment. When managing a network, most administrators are concerned with maintaining servers and managing workstations, and frequently overlook what their physical cable layout looks like.

Keeping an organized network infrastructure is not just for looks. It can save time in the future if any maintenance needs to be done. If an organization needs to move or replace a piece of network equipment, and there is a tangled mess of all kinds of cables going in different directions, it can be very difficult to determine where everything leads. It is much faster and more efficient if all network cables are tied up and labeled properly. With good cable management, network down time can be minimized and simple maintenance tasks will take much less time to complete.

Having a cable management plan in place from the start of building a new network is the best practice. This will allow your organization to maintain consistency and organization as the network grows and equipment is added and replaced.

In some situations, cables and power chords can also obstruct airflow. This is important because computer and telephony equipment generates a lot of heat. If the equipment isnot able to expel that heat in an efficient manner, it may overheat and possibly be damaged. It is especially important to keep airflow with rack-mounted equipment since there is usually more than one device generating heat.

Although cable management can be a tedious and time consuming task, it can save time and prevent damage to equipment in the long run.  Having a consistent cable management protocol in place will save your organization the hassle of trying to sort through cables. This will save time when doing system upgrades or maintenance and possibly save money in the long run.

For help with setting up or managing your cables, reach out to Syndeo Communications. Our expert consultants and technicians provide on-site, remote and desktop IT support San Diego businesses trust, meaning we are always here to help! Call 1-760-650-3300 for more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation.