Page 21 - Blog

Ensuring an organized workspace and knowing the functions provided by a specific colored cable are critically important in any electrical setting. Putting the effort into planning out cable management ahead of time is always a good idea. A neat, organized structure makes it much easier to find the cable you are looking for whenever something needs to be unplugged or when trying to simplify knowing which cables perform what operations. Color coding your power cords can ease a complex situation and help you keep your peace of mind when trying to figure out a problem.

Color Coding Methodology

Keeping cords untangled is one thing, but color coding can ensure you always know which cables go where. Using different colors can be as simple as telling the new guy, “Do not unplug the grey one, that powers your computer.” A simple color coding system can ensure everyone knows which cable goes where with a simple glance. An ideal system will be simple, intuitive, and easy to manage.  

It is important

In the age of the Internet, it is easier than ever before to be a thrifty shopper and find a bargain. When shopping around for any product, after a while you start to get a sense of what kind of price that particular item usually goes for. But as you dig around the Internet a bit more, you may stumble across an even better price. One that blows those other prices away. Something that seems too good to be true. And as the old saying goes: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

A power cord may seem simple at a glance, but there is a lot that goes into making one. A proper power cable is made of various materials in a specific fashion according to industry and government standards. However, there are many websites online that sell cables cheaply because their products do not meet those regulations. Sub-par cables are likely to burn out (literally as well as figuratively) quickly and can damage any connected equipment. A worst-case scenario could result in an electrical fire,

Power cords, simply put, can be dangerous. Now when you think of the word “dangerous”, a power cord is probably not the first image that jumps into your head. And granted, a regular power cord is not as dangerous as something like a high voltage line at a substation. But while you may not need to be a licensed electrician to plug something into a wall outlet, it is important to remember that accidents do happen.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), roughly 4,000 people treated in emergency rooms are injured each year by power cords. Half of these injuries alone include fractures, contusions, lacerations, and sprains from people tripping over power cords. It is also estimated that roughly 3,300 home fires start each year due to power cords, with an estimated 270 people injured and 50 killed from the fires. Be safe, not a statistic.

Tripping Hazards

The number one cause of injury for power cords is tripping. A power cord should never be stretched across a room

Product certifications are as important for cabling as for any other industry. No one wants to run the risk of winding up with sub-par products that do not work or, worse, cause damage to other devices (or people). With so many different certifications spread across just as many different industries, it can be hard to keep them straight. For cables, there are a few key certifications to keep an eye out for:

• UL-Listed
• ETL-Listed
• RoHS
• WEEE
• REACH
• Prop 65

Each of these certifications has different definitions covered below. Some or even all of them may not apply to an item depending on what kind of item is in question. For example, certifications for an ethernet cable will not be the same as ones for a patch panel. Other certifications will only apply in certain geographical areas, such as stipulations set in Europe versus ones in the North America. Keep in mind that just because a product does not list a specific certification does not make it “bad”.

UL-Listed

UL-Listed is a certification

So, you need a new power cord. Maybe the old cord for your TV got lost when you were moving, or that new computer did not have a power cord in the box when you opened it. For whatever the reason, you need something to make that power button light up when you push it.

There are different types of power cords out there so step one will be determining which kind you will need. But even after you narrow that down, there are still other factors to take into consideration. The first cord you find may be able to do the job, but it is important to make sure the job is done right.

Length

The length of a cord is the first and foremost factor to take into consideration. Naturally, you want to make sure you have a cord that is long enough. Grab your measuring tape and start by finding the power port on your computer, TV, or other device. Measure from that spot to the wall outlet you plan on using. For good measure, add an extra 3 to 6 inches to give the cable a little slack.

Ideally, you want a cable

SAINT LOUIS, Missouri, Mar. 4, 2019 – ShowMeCables, an Infinite Electronics brand and leading supplier of connectivity solutions, is proud to announce their new line of power cords. Consisting of over 300 different types of NEMA, IEC, international, hospital grade and angled cords, this new line ensures that ShowMeCables will continue to serve the power demands for IT, Data Center and OEM markets. Readily available power cords include lengths from 1-25 feet, multiple colors, plug orientations, and wire gauges.

ShowMeCables’ manufacturing process emphasizes quality and reliability. Each cable is tested and conforms to the most stringent industry tests and certifications- RoHS, UL, WEEE, REACH and ISO 9001.

This project was made possible thanks to the diligence and dedication of leading Product Manager Andrew Johnston. Spearheading this initiative from the very beginning, Johnston was happy to announce the final result of his endeavors, “Our continuously growing line of readily available

Ethernet cables are used to connect everything with an Internet connection today. Even wireless devices like tablets and smartphones have to connect to other devices like routers that are themselves run off ethernet. While the world wide web did not start booming until the late 90s, ethernet’s origins can be traced back to the 1970s.

Robert Metcalfe, the engineer who laid the groundwork for the Internet by co-inventing ethernet.

1974: Xerox PARC finishes developing the first ethernet cable, pioneered by Robert Metcalfe.

1975: Xerox files a patent for the ethernet cable. Metcalfe is listed as the inventor along with his colleagues David Boggs, Chuck Thacker, and Butler Lampson.

1976: The first ethernet system is privately deployed. Upgrades to the system eventually result in 10 Mbit/s ethernet, the first cable released to the public market later on.

1976: Metcalfe and Boggs publish the paper “Ethernet: Distributed Packet-Switching for Local Computer Networks”.

1979: Metcalfe leaves

Setting up a network sounds easy. Just run some ethernet cable, plug it into your computers and other equipment, and everything is good to go. However, that is a bit of an oversimplification. Under ideal conditions, things really would be that simple. But conditions do not start out ideal and how close they are to the mark largely depends on the prep work.

The best way to prevent any problems is to avoid them entirely. Knowing which mistakes are the most common during the planning phase is the best way to dodge them during implementation.

Poor Cable Management

Most people have probably laid eyes on a jumbled, tangled mess of wires at one point or another. Messes like this can lead to a host of problems down the road. Most obviously, tangled cables are hard to work with and annoying. If anything ever needs to be moved or replaced, the task becomes much more tediously. Additionally, cables twisted together can go past their maximum bend radius, damaging or even outright breaking

The term splitter gets thrown around pretty often when it comes to cables. The average splitter works by taking an input signal and dividing it into multiple output signals. For example, on a two-way splitter each output will have half the normal strength since the signal is divided by two. However, this is not how ethernet signals work.

Simply put, ethernet signals cannot be divided the way audio/video signals can. There are devices called ethernet splitters, but they work differently from other kinds of signal splitters. However, a different device called a network switch can be used with ethernet cables for the same effect.

Ethernet Splitters

Ethernet splitters allow users to run one cable instead of two through walls, floors, and ceilings. But in the rooms your equipment is in, users will still need two cables. To facilitate this, ethernet splitters must be used in pairs.

For example, say you have an Internet router in Room A and need to connect hard lines to a computer plus

The ability to just click a button and connect to WiFi on almost any modern device is hard to pass up. On the other hand, ethernet is still around after years of WiFi so surely it has its advantages. The truth is that both options have ups and downs. Your priorities as a user will be the ultimate deciding factor for determining which is better.

Wired Connections - Ethernet

Ethernet is older and better tested than WiFi, maintaining a number of benefits. Physical connections are faster and provide greater reliability, control, and security.

• A signal with a cable to guide it will always be faster than the wireless equivalent, making tasks like file sharing quicker.
• Ethernet signals are much less prone to becoming unstable and/or dropping.
• It is easier to control who is connected to a network, ensuring a network will not be bogged down by too many users.
• Wired networks cannot be seen by anyone with a wireless device, making hacking much harder.

Being older may make ethernet more of a tamed