Even if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar storefront where people come to shop, chances are, on occasion, you will have visitors to your office. When they arrive, you probably show them around, introduce them to people, and maybe show off something special. But one place you probably don’t share, no matter your workspace, is your IT closet.
Even if you’re a neatnik, persnickety type who likes to keep everything clean in your workplace, that may not apply to your network closet. In fact, a messy cabling closet is such a common trope that dozens of sites and Reddit threads are dedicated to it.
We’re not here to shame you. It’s easy to let things go, especially in a room you don’t frequent and likely don’t understand. But there are good reasons to neaten up your network closet. Here’s why.
A Messy Network Closet Means Not Knowing What You’ve Got
First, when your closet is messy, you don’t know what’s in it. Beyond your network itself, that could mean losing track of more mundane things like a broom or dustpan.
It also means you can’t get to the areas you need to in order to see what’s happening when you need to.
Making Changes Will Be More Difficult
The above means making physical changes will be more difficult. But it’s not just physical.
When your network closet is full of junk, too-long wires, and cable runs that don’t go anywhere, it’s harder to find what is relevant. And when it’s harder to find your active network components, it’s harder to make changes to them.
Has someone switched offices? Updating everything is a breeze when you can see which office is which. But if nothing is labeled, and for every active cable, there are two or three inactive ones, it will take a lot of trial and error.
Your IT Closet Could Be Losing You Money
How much power are you devoting to items you’re not using? In your home, there are several notorious power wasters, like the always-on red light on a TV, which serves no purpose! Similarly, in your office, when you have items plugged in you’re not using, they still use electricity.
While your IT closet likely contains mostly low-voltage cables, the network devices connected to these cables still consume power. If you have devices that aren’t in use but are still plugged in, they’re wasting electricity. How much? It’s probably not a lot per device, but it adds up.
Perhaps more relevant is the time you waste trying to get to something that isn’t neatly labeled as you machete your way through the jungle of disconnected cables. That’s labor hours you’re paying for that could be better allocated elsewhere!
Safety Matters
One of the most important reasons to keep your network closet neat and organized is safety. An overloaded electrical circuit in your network closet is more likely to cause a fire.
Not only may you overload a circuit, but you are less likely to be able to clean around it, meaning it can collect dust or mask issues. If you get rodents in a closet that already looked like a rats’ nest, you might not notice!
In an emergency, you may need to turn something off quickly. With so much unlabeled, you will be less quick to identify the item you need to unplug.
Further, the extra wire can pose tripping hazards.
A Neat Network Closet Feels Better
Finally, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. A messy IT closet is a bad vibe. Neat spaces feel better. Given, a closet is not an area you spend much time in, but neater spaces have been clinically proven to help us think better!
How to Keep a Neat, Well-Organized Network Closet
Keeping your IT closet well-organized is easier if you do it from the beginning. As you add something new, label it correctly. And arrange things in a way that makes sense, such as the order of offices.
Use the same length of cable for each item. When you remove something from your network, remove the corresponding cabling.
Finally, do a regular network audit at least once a year.
Call RCI for a Network Closet and Full Network Tune-Up
Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, your network closet is already a mess, so you’re not starting from nothing. That’s a little harder than starting with an empty room, but it’s still doable, especially with some help. You may be worried about causing yourself a problem you can’t fix!
RCI would be happy to help you organize your IT closet. We’ll inspect everything, remove what isn’t needed, and replace anything in poor condition. Then, consider signing up for a network management plan or maintenance agreement to keep it that way.
Of course, if you don’t, you can always contact us in ten years when you don’t know where everything is again!
