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Best Conventions for cable labeling?

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LewisObn

MIS
Jul 29, 2010
13
US
Hi, I'm looking for input on what others find is the best labeling conventions for network wiring closets.
Does something like D001 and up (Do for Data), and T001 and up (T for telecom) work, or do you try to incorporate location and usage in the label? Do you match these naming convention on the wiring and both ends of termination?
Why conventions do you use for equipment/component labeling? Company name, bar codes, phone numbers, asset number, serial number, date purchase, etc?
What all do you label? It seems the ends of power cords, and transformers would be handy to know what they're connected to.... what else?
Looking for something that works and makes sense and is not overly complicated.
Thanks in advance - Lewis
 
We're a 5 story hospital with connected outlying buildings.
What we do is label like this C02A-011, where C is computer, 02 is floor A is the cabinet and 011 is the drop into that cabinet. Voice is similary labeled like this V02A-011. We use the ethernet cabinet as a identifier for the room, with voice, even though it doesn't actually go into that cabinet.
In those voice closets that don't have an ethernet cabinet, I get creative, but do things pretty much the same. For instance, SH2-011 would be the soiled holding closet on 2nd floor and drop 011. On the jacks themselves, sometimes I have to add the color if I'm splitting the cable for any reason.
For instance SH2-011bu for blue or SH2-011br for brown (where it hits the Communications closet).
Other buildings get identified in the first 3 letters like CDLC1A-011 for Dillon's Living Center first floor cabinet A drop 011. Actually since DLC is a one story building and we always use the convention blue cable and jacks for data and white for voice, I would leave some of it out to clean it up and my label would look like this, DLCA-011.
There are probably better ways, but that works for us.
Don't be afraid to improve on this plan, just get consistant so you won't make trouble for yourself later.
 
Labeling depends on the job for us.

If there are two networks (voice and data) then it V,floor,closet,drop for voice and V,floor,closet,drop, Otherwise its all one network floor,closet,drop.

We have also now started labeling patch cords in data racks. Each end will have what it is connected to on the other end.

Marv
 
allworxguy, can you give me some examples... I'm just guessing from you response, that data in the closet would be DC00001 and data drop would be DD0001? is that what you're saying.
Also on the patch cords in data racks... are you labeling with numbers that you look up in a chart, or the actual asset/component name? ie. C for computer, 0001 = C0001, or is at "CEO's Computer"? or S for Server say S0001 or actual name ExchServ0001?
Thanks - Lewis
 
2nd floor data drop would be D2.xxx. If there is more than one closet on the floor then D2.1xxx and D2.2xxx for closet 1 and 2. Same applies to voice V2.1xxx etc

We label patch cords SW2.1.2 for switch 1 on 2nd floor port one. This would be put on the patch panel side.

One the switch side the label would be 1.02 for patch 1 port 2.

If direct to a server then the server name.

Marv
 
The naming scheme we use here is:

Code:
IDF1-R1-A01
^^^^---------Room the jack terminates at
     ^^------Rack number in that room
        ^----Patch panel in that rack
         ^^--Port number in that patch panel

For multi-port drops, you'll see, for example, "IDF1-R1-A01/C01"
 
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