The physical cabling infrastructure of an IT network system is designed to be installed and left maintenance-free for many years. But is this truly the case? What can go wrong? Let’s discuss a few things that can be done to keep these IT Rooms neat and organized and running as efficiently as possible with our strategies to optimize your IT closet.

IT closets range from a simple wall-mount rack to large floor-mount multi-rack/cabinet spaces that manage hundreds or more physical connections for the building's LAN systems no matter the size of your closet, organization of the cables and patch cords is one of the best practices to keep these rooms the way you would like. If you have been in the industry long enough, you have seen IT closets that make you wonder “How do they even know what’s what?” or question how the system is running.

Periodic closet “refreshes” are typically done when the electronics are at their “end of life” but can really be done anytime there is adequate time for the system to be fully or partially shut down. Planning is the most crucial step to a quality closet refresh. That plan begins with a question - Is the refresh something we can manage ourselves or should we bring in a company with experience? Once that decision is made, an audit of the existing port assignments should be completed. This is especially important in systems with assigned switch ports. After the audit is complete, you will continue your planning by determining what upgrades you may want to make with racks/cabinets, wire management, patch cords or even replacing patch panels. Some customers may take the opportunity to address any electrical concerns.

There are new products available to help maintain an organized IT closet, such as angled patch panels and slim-line patch cords to save space. You do not need the latest and greatest products to have an efficient IT closet. Have your patch cords audited and neatly installed so that you can walk into that room and efficiently perform adds, make patching changes, and troubleshoot with minimal effort.

Optimize your IT closet today and schedule a quote with the expert team at MTS Services.