Cable management - small scale

[Tim Streater]

In a room with dot/dabbed plasterboard walls, I want to install some cheap and cheerful cable management. There are two, perhaps three computers, a pair of routers, an airport extreme - that sort of scale of thing. At the minute the cabling is a spaghetti mess with trip hazards.

One end wall of the room will have a row of desks with the computers on, and perhaps the routers/phones at one end.

I'd like the cabling to run along that wall mebbe a foot above desk height. Can anyone recommend a simple-to-install cable management system not using trunking? The cabling doesn't need to be hidden, just tidy, off the floor, and accessible. I did wonder about velcro loops every foot or so.

[Adrian Caspersz]

I routed a 1"x.5" slot into a long strip of wood, and set a length of square section trucking inside that. Looks a lot less naff than the trunking alone. This could be extended with multiple trunking stripes and the application of paint for the wood.

Can't you put up shelves on the wall and hide the cables under?

Or knock holes and thread behind the PB?

[Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp]

It's hard to imagine why trunking would be impractical in that situation. Self adhesive trunking is quite readily available and can be removed without too much mess. The lid is readily removable for modifications incidentally.

If the above isn't practical Cable ties are nearly as versatile as Velcro and Screwfix do flat self adhesive bases also.

It's going to look horrible and if any of the cables are carrying power then I personally would never use such an exposed means of fixing.

AB

[Huge]

In our last house, I screwed some plastic things that had what I can only describe as "claws" to the wall. They had about 4 or 6 "fingers" that interlinked and allowed cables to be added or removed easily. I've tried to google some pictures for you, but I can't find any, but they look like if you place your wrists together, palms facing, with your fingers cupped. Think of a row of these, side by side, mounted on a base plate that can be screwed to the wall;

Perhaps screw some of these to the wall;

[spuorgelgoog]

Slotted trunking is even easier to make modifications to as the lid can remain continuous and 'fingers' can be snapped off to allow cables to exit.

With the lid on it's probably rigid enough to only need 1 screw fixing per metre, so not a lot of making good required when removed.

Owain

[Tim Streater]

Thanks for the suggestions. Either of those could also be goers - more rigid than cable ties, too. But, longer to install.

I think I need to do a cable audit next and plan the layout, cable lengths etc. That means getting down and dirty with the existing cabling mumble mumble.

[Tim Streater]

The two computers need four sockets between them. I'm wondering what the other 11 are for (I did get as far as counting them).

[newshound]

I have 22 occupied sockets on the spreaders around my desk. That's two PCs and a laptop, three printers, router, bridge, four external hard drives, 8 port USB spreader. I'm pretty sure they all do something!

[Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp]

Wots a spreader? AB

[Andy Burns]

And over the next fortnight they'll rip the pockets and belt-loops off every pair of trousers you own ...

[Tim Streater]

Only if I clamber on the desks and start gibbering like a monkey.

Errr ...

[Mike Barnes]

+1

Assuming a modest number of cables, I'd use self-adhesive cable clips within the trunking to keep things neat. It's no more work than clipping directly to the wall, and leaves less mess.

[Tricky Dicky]

If all the computers and other linked equipment are to be sited on a number of desks next to each other, why not just use cable trays under the desk tops, routers and switches could also be attached out of the way.

Richard