How to Untangle Cord and Cable Clutter
When I toured DirecTV's uplink facility, others were in awe of the multiple monitors displaying myriad channels. I was most impressed by the cables, all neat and tamed unlike my own. You can live with the mess until you have to bring one of your components into the shop for repair. Then it can take hours simply to restore functionality. Between computers, phones, monitors, televisions and stereos we now have cables going everywhere. The situation will only get worse, unless you take charge. Here are some tips to turn your spaghetti tangle into something more manageable.
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Instructions
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Set aside enough time, then turn off your equipment. Put on some of your favorite calming music then proceed. If you need reading glasses, have them handy. A flashlight is useful too. Get some labels and a Sharpie or an even thinner tipped marker.
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Before disconnecting, label the end of the cable, such as USB computer back input back, with a white label that stands out in the shadows that linger under your desk, then disconnect, gently. You don't want to bend a multi-pin connector. Do the same at the other end of the cable, labeling it as well. Then lay it aside.
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Be sure to use power strips with surge protectors for all your power cables. Surge protectors don't always stay put. Some of my equipment is in a rack. All the equipment is screwed in. Velcro can hold a surge protector to a carpet.
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Start binding like cables with like, USBs, power, RCAs. Tie them together with cable ties, either Velcro or the cheap snip off ones. Remember that USB cables not only carry power but pulse with data. They can interfere with audio such as speakers. Cross anything that carries audio and power at a right angle. Three pin power and microphone cables are the worst offenders if you run them parallel in the same bunch you an introduce a 60 Hz hum to anything that you record on a mic. Cable ties are cheap. Use a lot of them along the way. If you mess up, snip the tie, being careful not to nick the cable.
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Use cable sleeves. These are particularly useful when cables are exposed to view like those running to a high definition television set. You can bunch several together, creating a tube instead of a tangle. Some swear by the inexpensive Montera cable reel sold at Ikea stores.
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Another solution is to go wireless as much as possible. If you take this approach, be aware of the fact that you need to protect Internet access with a password or nearby neighbors can piggyback on your router.
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