Just looking for some outside thoughts and opinions

Should I get a wind up cord or just put up with tediously re-looping it everytime I’m done using it, or is there some other solution y’all use?

Hi!

This is my current setup: imgur

Any suggestions for a surge protector that makes cables / power blocks poking out less ugly?

I have something like this shape plugged into the wall, and it bugs me how it just protrudes.

Would prefer something that is mounted onto the wall (not like a power strip type).

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https://preview.redd.it/gx4cdtjr33xc1.png?width=292&format=png&auto=webp&s=500309284dba5f3b038389ce64e949dc55533811

Something like this looks better, https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-6-Outlet-Wall-Tap-Surge-Protection-900-Joules-Outlets-On-the-Side-One-Side-Swivel-White-Utilitech/1002908456

or even this one! https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-GE-6-Outlet-Surge-Tap-1500J-Side-Access-White/5000251391?user=shopping&feed=yes&srsltid=AfmBOorDn1jyGpeLC7HFRYEVyoUuvDjmLAnCWiBBnt-VSS4QGx0s9dwFrbI

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Wondering what other choices are out there, thanks in advance!

Hi all,

I hope you can help a cable-management noob tidy up his home working environment.

I'm looking to share hardware accessories between my personal desktop PC and my work laptop, as well as power my work laptop, ideally.

My desktop motherboard is pretty old at this point. It has a single 3.1 Gen2 USB C port to plug the hub into, and I'm not sure it supports things like Power Delivery. My work laptop is a Dell Latitude 7440 which came with a 65W power brick.

My first question is whether getting a hub with Power Delivery and plugging it into my desktop PC will cause any issues. The desktop obviously has its own power supply, so will the desktop just ignore the power available from the hub?

In terms of accessories I want to connect to the hub, there's not so much. I have:

2x USB-A devices

1x USB-C device

1x ultrawide monitor, 2560x1080 res, HDMI input

It's ok with me if my old desktop has its own cable to the monitor instead of going via the hub. It's not so hard to switch inputs on the monitor, and I suspect my motherboard isn't capable of outputting video via USB-C anyway.

Would something like an Anker 563 work out for me? Or is the older motherboard going to cause compatibility issues?

Hello!

I’m trying to find a good way to manage the metric ton of cables in my game room.

I have 4 wall mounted pegboards that each have two led strips in them, as well as a couple of usb powered items on the shelves. Right now, they’re all roughly guided to a usb hub that is mounted under my desk. It’s tough to see, but the cables run underneath each panel using little adhesive clips, down the wall, and under the desk. The desk itself has excellent cable management so that isn’t an issue. The issue is the wall and the 12+ random usb cords. Not to mention the cables for the upper TV.

So, I have quite a few wires of varying colors randomly snaking across pegboards and down walls to my desk and it doesn’t look very good. Not only that, but the led strips don’t have very long power cords, so I had to buy USB extension cables to get the reach I needed. That means random thick junctions half way down the wall. I need to find a good way to not only mount them all, but find a way to make the cables all the same color. I’ve seen the cable sleeves, but I’d need multiple sizes (individual and 3-4 wire width). With the sleeves, it’d also be more difficult to mount the wires. I’d prefer to just paint the cables, but I’ve heard that the paint will chip off pretty quickly. Is there an alternative way to dye the cords? I’d just dye them all black.

Adhesive raceways aren’t an option as the wall has that incredibly annoying thick drywall mud popcorn splatter design. No flat surfaces whatsoever.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, especially with the wiring color and the junctions.

Hello everyone! I've been struggling with cable management at my DIY MDF desk, which is quite large at 165*80 cm (64*31 inches). My setup includes a gaming laptop and an MSI monitor. I attempted basic cable management last week by using double-faced tape to secure a USB hub and the AC adapters for my monitor and lamp to the desk, but they fell off within days.

https://preview.redd.it/yz233xzxh9wc1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5adc6a0d6161041126f2ff5384a195f02dda1323

https://preview.redd.it/eahdbqc2i9wc1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=983af9b6c16440413669bf176e3f4a489f34c709

I'm looking into getting an IKEA shelf for better cable management, but I'm undecided on whether to mount it vertically behind the desk or horizontally underneath. Mounting it underneath isn't feasible due to the presence of a sturdy wood sheet. Most setups I've seen typically have shelves placed underneath the desk for organization and storage.

Additionally, I'm thinking of purchasing or DIYing a monitor lift to incorporate speakers into my setup.

What are your thoughts on how I can better organize my cables? And what other adjustments could enhance the overall look and functionality of my setup?

Hi, wondering what interest for something like this would be.

https://preview.redd.it/sinxxbtamkvc1.jpg?width=1585&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2bbb2de25067e495905da839f9c5af21e941a715

I made this Micro USB Hub - Detachable USC-C input and 4x USB-A (2.0) outputs. Wondering what people think? Wondering what the interest would be for something like this if I made it and sold it on Tindie.com or Ebay or something. Final version will need to be slightly bigger to allow for a bit more spacing around the USB-A ports and to actually mount the USB-A shrouds.

Let me know what you guys think.

I'm considering my cable management options for my desk and had my eye on this metal cable raceway which I believe is designed for server racks. https://cplonline.com.au/serveredge-cmr-2ru-24-2ru-horizontal-24-slots-cable-management-rail-metal-body-metal-fingers-metal-cover-rear-entry-holes.html

I know that some of the shortcomings with this kind of raceway for under-desk cable management is that the attachment can be awkward, but this looks like the screw slots are flush with the back, so I see no issue there. But I wonder if anyone can see any cons with this kind of raceway for cable management? My intent is to get two, one left one right, to mostly contain the slack of all my cables, and I particularly like how the cables can be fed out at any point. Would this raceway likely be able to feed in cables on the thicker side, like power cables and XLR cables, or are they purely for thinner, USB and ethernet types since they're for server racks?

The alternative would be installing a couple of these instead https://cplonline.com.au/brateck-cc11-1-b-under-desk-cable-tray-organizer-black.html - something purpose-built for cable management under a desk. What I don't like is that the cables just sit freely in the slot and don't have specific holes to feed out the cables at the points you want them to.

I was even thinking about perhaps putting two raceways, one left one right, and one of those cable trays in the middle for maybe a USB hub or even the powerboard.

Hi everyone,

I am having some issues figuring out my setup.

I have two laptops, one work one personal. My personal one is AMD and had no USB C or thunderbolt connection.

I am upgrading my monitor to an HP OMEN 33C, have 4 usb A devices, and occasionally need an extra two Usb A or C.

I am trying to figure out a system to avoid having to pull out a million cables every time I swap between work and personal. Right now I have all the USB A on a cheap USB dock which works fine as it's just low bandwidth things, and move the HDMI over.

The problem really starts when I move my work laptop, as I then also have to unplug the charger and take it with me, from under the desk, unplug the USB A dock, and the HDMI.

Ideally, I would like a setup where the only thing I need to plug in is a thunderbolt on the work laptop, but can also use my personal laptop easily (e.g a dock with "output 1" and "output 2" switch option, I was also thinking of having the HDMI and USB C in the monitor each lead to the different laptops so as to not have to switch this over.

Any suggestions?

I'm honestly considering upgrading the laptop just to have them both be thunderbolt and then I can easily buy a USB C dock, but budget is tight and this feels wasteful.

Thank you ahead of time for any advice!

I'm not the best at managing cables, but I have a standing desk that I want to fully utilize and be able to stand at when necessary. The model I have is the ErGear Electric Standing Desk - EGESD5B. Currently, all my cables are on top of a second desk, and every time I try to raise my desk, the cables get pulled because some are stretched. Does anyone have any recommendations for under-desk management brackets or braces, or just general advice to better organize everything?

For small things I just use command strips, but I've got a UPS and a small form-factor PC I'd like to get off the floor, neither of which would be supported by command strips or adhesive. What would y'all use for them?