I've just inherited a cable management disaster while installing five 48-port Cisco switches. I recently set up an RM UPS at the bottom of the rack, and I'm planning to put a vertical cable tray on the left side. Unfortunately, the right side is a mess of service loops from previous installs, and I only have 8 hours of downtime to fix this. Any suggestions or ideas to improve this situation?
5 Answers
If you have 1U 48-port switches and can rearrange the patch panels, go for a short cable setup with patch > switch > patch so you can keep things flexible. A gap between the patch panels and switches with 2-foot cables could work as well, making sure to loop any slack in that gap to keep things tidy. It’ll give you some room to maneuver without tangling everything!
You might want to use a Panduit NetRunner WMPVHC45E. It's perfect for managing cables that enter the rear of the patch panels while keeping the front patch cables organized. This will help you streamline your setup!
Don't stress about the back half of the rack; just focus on the connections from your punch downs to the switches. Creating a mapping for punch down to switch/port can help. If you can, adjust the positioning of the switches to bring them closer together for easier uplinking. But, keep in mind, you might need a few extra maintenance windows to get it all done properly, especially if you're tackling this solo. And for future setups, try to standardize your switches to avoid complications like this!
Not really a solution for your current issue, but if you find yourself doing cable management often, maybe think about fielding this project out to someone experienced. Also, there's a classic line about nuking it from orbit – sometimes starting fresh can be the easiest way to ensure it's done right!
For 48-port switches, a solid approach is to place a patch panel right above the switch and use 1-foot patch cables for a clean layout. This keeps everything neat and makes troubleshooting a breeze. Just a tip for future builds to maintain clarity in your setup!
Great idea! I'll definitely keep that in mind for next time.