A better LAN
So, as I sit here and stuff patch cables and power cables into zip-lock sandwich bags, I’ve been designing the ideal table for a LAN in my head. Aesthetically, it’d look like a regular table. But underneath and inside, it’s a whole different beast. On the under side of the table, it would have an 8-port 10/100/1000 switch and an 8-plug power strip mounted on the bottom. The surface of the table would have some sort of laminate protection from monitors and cases sitting on top. In the middle of the table would be four ethernet ports and four power outlets. To save from party spills, the “block” that housed the ethernet and power outlets would be able to raise maybe an inch or so up. The block would also be able to go down in the table so that a “plug” could be put in to make the surface flat. The legs of the table would be hollow to run wire down. Each leg would have one ethernet port. Three of the legs would have power outlets under each ethernet port. The fourth leg would have an outlet that powered the power strip in the middle of the table. That fourth leg outlet would probably be a different color to differentiate it from the other outlets. With automatic MDI-X sensing, you don’t have to worry about a dedicated outlet that runs back to the main switch or your internet connection. It’s also possible that if you leave enough slack in the cables, you could put in inserts (or whatever they’re called) to extend the length of the table. This whole idea is, of course, scalable. Just take the same concept and make the table longer or shorter and add legs if need be. All you have to do is put in a bigger power strip and a bigger switch. Of course, if you want any more than four to six people at a table, it may require an additional power source so that the power strip doesn’t get overloaded. I wonder what it would take to build something like that. Unfortunately, I’m not a craftsman, so I have no idea. I’d be willing to spend a few hundred dollars if I could make my own from scratch.
Okay, and back to putting the patch cables in sandwich bags. I’m trying to come up with an easier system to organize these things. I figured sandwich bags would help keep them from getting all tangled up in each other. I’m half-tempted to get those sandwich bags that you can label with a sharpie and measure each cable and write the length on the bag. Then there’s the problem of cables and bags getting mixed up. For that, I could borrow the labeler from work and label the cables as well. To keep all the cables organized, I could buy one of those storage systems with the plastic drawers and label those as well. I may do that in the next month or so. Probably not in time for the next LAN party, though (since that will be in 2-3 weeks instead of the usual 4-week wait).
Those are my thoughts for now. Back to bagging cables! (yay…)
<UPDATE> I bagged and tested 59 ethernet cables and bagged (but did not test) 16 power cables </UPDATE>
