Subscriber Discussion

Who Offers The Most Distinct Colors For Category Patch Cables?

U
Undisclosed #1
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified

Labels get loose, markers get messy, I get lazy.

These three facts have led to an untenable situation in my wiring closet (photo on request).

Instead of addressing my failings directly, I felt a better approach considering my limited number of connections (~24) and panels (3), might be to just buy a distinct color for each of the patches needed.

The panels are on adjacent walls, so 6 ft patch cables should do the trick.

Then it’ll be easy to see where anything goes, right?

Is this a stupid idea?

 

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Brian Rhodes
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified

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Brian Rhodes
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified

(actually your idea isn't that terrible)

Would Green/Yellow/Pink/Purple/Brown not suffice?

You can buy a rainbow pack on eBay and decorate your filthy closet to your heart's content. 

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U
Undisclosed #1
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Brian Rhodes

Would Green/Yellow/Pink/Purple/Brown not suffice?

I suppose it would help, but its still not the utopian panacea that I was undeservedly counting on.

I was hoping not to have to mix and match a pan-manufacturer color palette.

But I may have to.  Who knows maybe somebody does stripes...

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Brian Rhodes
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Undisclosed #1

Some cable manufacturers do custom color jackets, but it isn't cheap and the run batches are measured in miles for each.

There is a rather big D1 college football program near me that wanted a specific crimson-colored cable jacket for the runs they lay in the press areas and over open stadium spaces, and the minimum run was 15,000 feet.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
•May 30, 2018

I can hear it now: "No, I asked for the "Camel" cable.  This is a "Sand" cable.

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Brian Rhodes
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

''IF THE CABLE IS NOT 'CAMEL', I SEND IT BACK.''

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U
Undisclosed #1
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Brian Rhodes

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
•May 31, 2018
In reply to Undisclosed #1

...I can't walk two miles because of my emphysema....

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Ethan Ace
•May 30, 2018

Leviton sells cables in 7 colors.

If you need more than that, I know there are some who do crazier options like pink and maroon instead of just red, but it's pretty rare you'll need colors for more than 7 subsystems...I think.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
•May 30, 2018

Monoprice has 10 color options.

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Ari Erenthal
•May 30, 2018
Chesapeake & Midlantic

I always recommend using different colors for different device types in a mixed-use network. Green for cameras, white for desktops, yellow for telco, and so forth. 

I think that BlackBox has the most color options, with 12. 

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U
Undisclosed #1
•May 30, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Ari Erenthal

Thanks for the link.  I see that they offer either a PVC or plenum jacket, do you think it easy to tell visually a PVC blue cable from a plenum blue one?

2x12=24.

 

UE
Undisclosed End User #4
•May 30, 2018

We use different patch cable colors for each vLAN. Cameras get orange to match your vest.

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Ethan Ace
•May 30, 2018
In reply to Undisclosed End User #4

I actually tried this at my last gig but after 3 months the IT guys just started patching whatever color was in reach. 

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #6
•May 31, 2018
In reply to Ethan Ace

Nothing survives contact with the end user...

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
•May 30, 2018

You could use the phone company wire colors for 25 Pair!

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U
Undisclosed #1
•May 31, 2018
IPVMU Certified

Never mind.

I’ve decided it’s not worth the risk to the global economy.

Because it’s either a good idea or it’s not.  If it’s not, then it’s a just a personal waste of time.

But if it is a good idea, it might go viral, which could have unforeseen consequences consisting of the following*:

1. Cable Manufacturer Impact - Effiency reductions due to smaller and more numerous production runs with associated line setup for each additional color.

2. Distributor Impact - Increased safety stock levels for each additional color ties up capital.  Larger footprint increases flooring expense.

3. Dealer Impact - Increased frustration level maintaining all colors.

4. Environmental Impact - Demand for color variation drives increased use of exotic eco-questionable pigments.

5. Societal Impact - Errors committed by color-blind integrators.

So, not worth it...

-

*ok, maybe they’re not totally unforeseen.

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Brian Rhodes
•May 31, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Undisclosed #1

^^^  A+ post.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
•May 31, 2018
In reply to Undisclosed #1

COTD.

(Comment of the Day)

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U
Undisclosed #7
•May 31, 2018

The question is how you handle move/add/change when someone has to go to the closet and swap a patch cable every time. Changing a port's vlan assignment now goes from a three minute task to something unsustainable.

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Avatar
Brian Rhodes
•Oct 31, 2018
IPVMU Certified

First, I am not joking:

There is a booth in a local flea market offering 'Custom Wire Color Service' for things like TV or HDMI or Ethernet cords that you might have in your house.

No pictures of this, because this service was just one of a number of 'custom color' offerings this seller was promoting. 

I spoke with the owner, and the 'custom color' service involves dipping, brushing, or spray painting cable jackets to match the color of your walls or floors or whatever you want.  $15/foot, same day service.

I just smiled and said 'thanks' after getting the pitch.

So bump for OP; you can just brush some paint on them too.

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U
Undisclosed #1
•Oct 31, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Brian Rhodes

I spoke with the owner, and the 'custom color' service involves dipping, brushing, or spray painting cable jackets to match the color of your walls or floors or whatever you want. $15/foot, same day service.

 Good to know.  Might be a little pricey.

I assume all work is done to ANSI Z535.1-2017 using PANTONE approved color spaces?

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
•Oct 31, 2018
In reply to Brian Rhodes

That might work for patch cables, but in California I watched an inspector require all low voltage open cabling be either removed and replaced or certified in place by an approved test lab after the contractor painted them to match the ceiling.

His point was it changed the integrity of the cables, they chose to rewrite in conduit and paint that black. 

But hey, it’s California

U
Undisclosed #8
•Oct 31, 2018

Full disclosure: I loathe Monoprice.

But I was forced to have to buy something from them for the first time ever when I was introduced to their "SlimRun" CAT6 patch cables. Thin, flexible, multiple colors. I had an enterprise-level client that used them exclusively for all of their patching, and they couldn't tell me the last time they had a bad one. I figured if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for me.

I have literally never bought anything from Monoprice except these things. And now my entire home network is patched using them, and I carry multiple of them with me wherever I go because they are so small and flexible for such long cables.

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