How to organize a messy weak current box? The network cable had no tag, the power supply couldn't fit inside, and I tidied up and hadn't touched it for two years

two years ago, my broadband at home was running out. I opened the weak current box to unplug the optical modem and restart, but was stunned by a mess of cables: more than a dozen network cables were tangled together, and I couldn't tell which connected to the living room and which to the study. When I reached in, I couldn't even touch the power supply to the optical modem. But when I pulled out one wrong cable, the TV went black, and I spent the whole afternoon trying them back one by one. That weekend, I turned the whole suitcase upside down, labeled it, rearranged the equipment, and fixed the cables. From then on, whenever the door opened, it was clean and tidy—I never missed a single one again.

weak current box is messy. To put it bluntly, it's not that there are too many cables, but that no one has registered them for household registration. The organizing process comes in three steps: first identify the cables, then arrange the equipment, and finally, organize and secure the cables. All you need is a roll of label paper (or masking paper), a marker, and a zip tie—less than ten yuan. A line gauge isn't essential, but having a 15-yuan one can help avoid detours. I mentioned this in my previous post about crown pressing.

Before

get started, do one thing: take photos—don't skimp on a single one

the biggest fear of organizing isn't mess, but not being able to put it back after disassembly. Before touching any cable, take photos of the case inside and out with your phone: one panoramic shot, one port for each device, and every socket plugged into the power strip. Don't trust your brain, trust your photos. My neighbor just didn't take any photos. After tidying up the cable, the IPTV just wouldn't get any footage. They kept running back and forth until midnight and finally realized the cable was plugged in the wrong way.

finished taking photos and started identifying the lines. There are three common types of cables for weak current boxes at home: network cable, coaxial cable (the round thick cable from the cable TV era), and fiber optic strip cable. Coaxial cables are mostly useless now, so don't throw them away. Screw them in and stick a 'spare' label on the corner of the box; Fiber optic red cables are the lifeblood of carriers; don't bend or bend them—how delicate they are. I wrote about light degradation: bending radius less than 5 centimeters causes light power to drop directly, and the root cause of fluctuating home internet speeds is often here (see light degradation troubleshooting article).

there's no shortcut to identifying network cables, just test them one by one. Before you start, take a look at the switch: whichever port light is flashing, and that one is the active wire, so you can filter out a batch at once; Unplug one, check each room to see which panel has no net, attach the label, plug it in, and move on. The two of them worked together for half an hour to get it done, and one person could just use their phone to start a video call. If you find it troublesome, you can buy a line finder for a few dozen yuan. The transmitter is clipped onto the cable, and the receiver scans the panel one by one to pair. I recognized thirteen wires that time and found that three were dead wires left during renovation; neither end was connected to any equipment, so I marked them as 'blank wires' and incorporated them directly.

How to arrange

equipment: Place the optical modem low, don't stack the Arhat

most people place their devices with a logic of "do whatever fits as much as possible": the optical modem is stacked on the router, and the switch is pressed on the power strip. There's an invisible pit here: heat. When the weak current box closes, it's like a stuffy tank, with hot air drifting upward—whoever is at the top is the hottest. Huawei has mentioned a counterintuitive explanation: the modem is installed slightly higher inside the case, where hot air accumulates. If the temperature rises, it may experience probabilistic crashes. It's recommended to lower the modem or improve ventilation. In my own tests, in summer, with the door closed, the temperature inside can reach around 45 degrees Celsius, which feels hot to the touch—this temperature is a slow poison to capacitors. High temperatures in weak current boxes are one of the three major killers of shortening router lifespan. I've written about this in detail ( in the article on router lifespan in the ).

two rules for placement: place the heater underneath, leave gaps between equipment, and don't stack Arhats; Try to replace the door with a louver door, or make a few ventilation holes yourself, or just a few yuan electric drill bits. There's another old question: should the router be packed with a weak current box? My answer is to avoid it as much as possible. When the metal box door closes, the signal is cut in half, and the weak current box is the lowest among the settings I've tested ( router placement ). The box only keeps the optical modem, switch, and power strip, which is much cleaner—if you don't have enough network ports and want to add a switch, I've written about how to choose and connect ( the home switch ).

power supplies are the real problem: adapters crowd each other, and power strips can't fit through

after organizing the cables, you'll find that the most space-taking part in the weak current box isn't the network cable, but several large power adapters, each occupying two holes. A few simple methods: First, replace with a smaller adapter. Check the power supply specifications of the optical modem and switch carefully before buying. The voltage must be exact, and the current should be only high or small. You can buy narrow cables online for just over ten yuan. Just stick the device name on the adapter, otherwise two identical black plugs will be hard to tell after half a year. Second, use offset design power strips with wide hole spacing, so adapters do not clash; Third, if it's too crowded, use zip ties to hang the adapter on the box wall, leaving only the plug for the power strip, leaving a large area inside the box empty.

don't be tempted by the cheap power strip itself; the box is full of 24-hour powered devices. I wouldn't dare use the 9.9 yuan 1-to-3 option. If you have a NAS at home, the optical modem switch in the weak current box is worth connecting to a small UPS. During those few minutes of power outage, the device can hold up and reshake hands. I've calculated this (NAS the article on UPS pairing). If you don't have a NAS, you can skip the hassle—swap the power strip for one with a master switch, cut off power when traveling far—but then I remember whether to watch IPTV on the day I got home, and the box would take a while to power off and restart.

three rules for cable management: wire coil and loop, leave extra space for network cables, and divide strength and weakness on both sides

cables are recognized, equipment is set up, and the ends are secured. Three rules, all of which I have fallen into before:

First, the fiber optic reel has a large ring. Radius should be at least 5 cm, align along the box wall, loosely secure with cable ties, and avoid tightening the edges. If the fiber bends and light degradation occurs, even if the speed drops by half, it's considered mild.

second, leave extra space at both ends of the cable. Leave 15 to 20 centimeters at each end, coil into small rings to secure the edges. Both the crystal head and the panel module are easily worn. If you ever put a head on it (I've written a tutorial on how to do it, this about the connector), use it whenever you have extra space; if not, you'll have to re-thread the wall and pull the cable—it's hard to cry. The one in my study was cut too bare, and later the panel broke, so I had to patch it with exposed wiring. It looked terrible.

third, don't bundle the network cable and power cord together. It's not that the interference is terrifying—the 100 Mbps and gigabit interference is basically imperceptible. The main issue is that the power supply is thick and hot, and when bundled with the network cable, it's a pain, and you won't be able to disassemble it for future maintenance. Zoning by zone: place the power supply on one side and the network cable on the other, clearly distinguishing between them. Don't tighten the cable tie; leave a finger's gap for easier switching later.

Finish: Dual-end standard, wiring diagram saved to phone

labels are the only part worth spending money on and seriously about this sorting. The rules are the same on both ends: one end inside the box is labeled "Study-2," and the other end of the study panel is labeled "Study-2," with unified numbering. If you only put it on one head, it's as good as not sticking it at all. Half a year later, you won't even remember which "No. 2" is from. Use waterproof label paper, or masking paper with a marker. Don't use your mouth to pick up the paper, as the weak current box gets damp, and the edges curl and fade quickly.

Before finishing work,

take another photo of the packed box, along with the whereabouts of each cable, and save it in your phone's photo album to create a 'weak current box' collection. This map is the home network map. In the future, if a malfunction, a new device is added, or a technician is called, just pull out your phone and you'll see it—the technician saves you trouble.

the entire process in a certain order: take photos for archiving, identify and label the cables, rearrange the device, organize the power supply, secure the cables, and then take a final photo to store on your phone. An afternoon is enough, and in return, every unboxing will be worry-free. Organizing the weak current box can last many years; this task is worth seriously doing on a weekend.