Advances in wireless technology have been remarkable so far, but even the most advanced and independent systems still require a physical connection. This repeats across multiple devices, so it's very easy to find yourself in a real cable chaos even without intending to. With the help of these recommendations and a good dose of patience, you can tip this titanic battle of wills in your favor, achieving proper cable organization.
Connecting a device is relatively easy. Hiding all the excess cables behind a piece of furniture and forgetting about it, also is. But when moving a computer or changing the direction of a cable, what seems simple in our heads can become a nightmare. Having an efficient cable organization allows two things.
First, it helps reduce potential heat build-up and interference centers that could affect the correct functioning of a device. And second, it allows you to quickly identify and disassemble any cable you need to remove or replace. It's useless to apply cable management methods if it takes whole hours to free a specific cable.
Cable Organization
Beyond what some users may believe, cable organization is useful both inside the computer case and outside it. Old cable optimization techniques involved cutting IDE cables and grouping them in such a way that they were narrower, a concept partly applied in current SATA cables. The way cables should be tied only requires a bit of care. Strangling a cable or tying it against a sharp metal edge is never a good idea.
Use of Cable Ties
Cables should be firm in the tie, but not prisoners of it. A popular method is plastic cable ties. The length and width of the ties vary according to the user's need, but their operation is the same: Once closed, the tie cannot be opened unless it is cut, or you have extreme patience when forcing its safety tab. They are easy to use, and allow an excellent finish.
Waxed Threads
Another perfectly valid method to secure cables is tying them with waxed thread. It may sound a bit makeshift, but in reality it is a method used in professional electrical work, in the navy, and even guides from declassified documents from NASA have been found. Some of these guides indicate that tying cables with waxed thread allows changes in a cable installation to be easier to carry out, for example, when altering the direction of a cable and/or making a bifurcation.
It requires some practice to secure cables in the correct way, but there are cost and later modification benefits that should not be taken lightly, not to mention that waxed thread minimizes the risk of cable strangulation.
Combinations to Avoid
Another detail to consider is that organizing cables does not mean gathering them all and placing them under a single tie. Some cable combinations should be avoided, such as power cables with audio cables. One of the goals of cable management is to minimize possible interference. The arrangement of connections on some devices forces the power cable to cross other cables.
Such crossings should be as infrequent as possible, and at a ninety-degree angle. On the other hand, if a power cable must run parallel to another cable carrying an unrelated signal, there should be a prudent distance between them. Cable shielding does part of the work, but a little also depends on us.
Beware of Transformers!
Another important point of cable management is finding a good location for the transformers. They generate heat, are heavy, and almost impossible to plug into some power outlets, so they are a very important factor contributing to cable chaos. Don't hesitate to create small extensions so that transformers can be placed in more stable and ventilated positions.
Any excess cable can be tied with a tie or a thread, but efficiently managing a transformer's cable does not mean we can place it in a closed drawer. Many notebook users can confirm that some transformers have a high temperature when in operation. Something similar happens with transformers of some modems, routers, printers, and even chargers of some mobile phones.
No to "Excess of Concealment"
Probably the greatest advantage of cable organization is that it allows us to be original. While cable ties and waxed thread are two common methods to secure cables, that doesn't mean they are the only ones. It is also feasible to take advantage of the shape of the furniture that holds our computer, television, or device in question. Usually users resort to an "excess of concealment" of cables, which later becomes a nightmare when you have to retrieve a cable or move a device elsewhere.
Permanent fasteners (such as the staples that go over wood) should only be used on cables that are known to be permanent, such as a telephone line. Instead of using a staple to secure a cable, it is a good idea to use it as a tie-down or grip point for whatever is going to secure the cable. This way you only have to cut the fastener, instead of struggling to remove the whole staple.
Use of Thermal Sleeves
To finish, I would like to mention two more things. One is what I personally know as "cable duct", plastic structures that can be glued to a wall or to the back of a piece of furniture. They come in multiple sizes, and are especially useful for permanent or semi-permanent installations. They are not excessively expensive, and are easy to install. A more costly solution is heat-shrink tubing.
Once you have grouped the cables, you insert a piece of this sleeve and apply heat (the manufacturer specifies how much) to shrink it and secure the cables. These thermal sleeves are used by many enthusiasts when organizing cables inside a case, but it is just one option, and everything depends on the level of complexity you prefer to apply to your cable management project.
Conclusion
We don't want to sound ironic, but perhaps the most difficult part of a cable organization project is starting. It is almost impossible to work from a tangle of cables. First you must remove them all, then determine the position of each device, and then begin with the wiring. Don't deny the possibility of using a shorter or longer cable, depending on the occasion. Cables should adapt to your need, and not the other way around.
Saving cables and making them shorter (if you have extreme excess) is a good plan, but there are occasions when it is preferable to have twenty centimeters more cable, and relocate a device to a better position. You can take multiple references from the network, but each case is unique. Furniture, devices, places, and even the cables themselves are different. Everything starts with a good plan, and of course, with patience. Doing something like this in a hurry is, no matter how you look at it, a terrible idea. And you, do you have any tricks for organizing cable chaos?
