this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2024
140 points (94.9% liked)
Memes
1145 readers
96 users here now
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Those are network switches, and this is 100% standard practice when decomissioning network equipment. Any time a data center is dismantled you see every single switch like this.
The reason is because every one of those runs was custom cut to length, so they will be useless in any other rack/ facility layout. Also, they all need to be pulled back through the length of the run. If you leave the RJ45 on the end they will not only not fit through a tight restriction, they will grab every single fucking slat on the cable race and cling on for dear life.
I doubt these are custom but I otherwise agree with you, though. I've decommed quite a few racks and the fastest way is to cut everything! Not worth the time to try to save everything because you're most likely not reusing those patch cables
Yeah definitely not custom length, you're not running fire alarm cabling with addressible NAC devices that needs specific resistances.
But the decommission is correct. Pulling the cable out the Jack's need to be cut.
But those green cables have factory molded boots, not a slip on boot on a custom cut cable like the white ones in the photo?
So those green cables seem like they would be standard length patch cables and only the white is a custom cut.
You know what you're right. I missed that. It's still standard practice to cut them for ease of cable pulling (and because fuck unplugging umpteen bajillion of those little fuckers). They may also have just been ordered as custom sizes for the particular install so they still cant be recycled, but the big reasons for doing it are just convenience.
I mean I get it, but it still pains me to think about how many pounds of perfectly good cables get tossed for convenience. How much plastic are we producing and dumping for the sake of reducing billable hours ☹️ wish there was a better way.
Have these people never heard of service loops?
Service loops go at non-switch end of the run, otherwise you wind up with piles and piles of tabgled twisty bullshit in your network room (also it means you can move desktops around in the office floor, etc)