This week's photo caption: "It's the old Switcheroo...and I do mean an Old Switch."  Welcome back to Tech Service Today's IT Disaster of the Week series where we showcase the ugliest IT environment our technicians ran into this week.  

This photo blog series talks a lot about the need to manage cables in freestanding & wallmount network racks and server cabinets. But some networks are so small that a rack may seem like overkill - as is the case with this week's featured customer network.

With only one server and a 24-port patch panel, the person who set up this network obviously felt a rack was unnecessary and instead chose to place the switch under a desk. Not only does this placement introduce the possibility of a foot cramp accidentally disabling your network, it also makes this piece of equipment difficult to access while exposing it to potentially hazardous elements (meaning anything from falling dust to a sticky bath if someone spills a soft drink on the desk above it).

Looking closely at this switch, you'll see what I mean about the dust - with several years worth accumulated on it. This filthy relic looks like something Indiana Jones dug out of the Temple of IT Doom. And that's hardly the way an expensive piece of mission-critical IT equipment should be treated.

Remember that not every network rack is 7-feet tall. In fact, you can find some wall brackets in sizes as small as 3U which allow you to rackmount equipment vertically -keeping it close to the wall and out of the way...and safely off the floor. Isn't such a minor investment worth it if it keeps your network equipment protected and operational?

This week's advice:  To all IT Pros, I implore... Please use a rack, not the floor.

Check back every Friday for TST's latest IT Disaster of the Week photo

which represents one of the thousands of customer sites our technicians visit every year as they install and service IT, networking, and telecom equipment & cabling for our clients.

Click here to see last week's IT Disaster photo.

Do you already have an IT disaster that needs to be cleaned up?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to install a network. But to ensure that your equipment, racks and cabling are installed properly in an organized, efficient fashion, it does require the talents of a skilled IT technician. If you need help installing or cleaning up your network, contact Tech Service Today to have a skilled, seasoned Technician dispatched to your site.

At Tech Service Today, We SIMPLIFY IT, SERVICE IT, and SOLVE IT.
Call TST when you need on-site technical services anywhere in North America, even same-day when time is of the essence.

Call (800) 973-2022 (option 1), or Email us at Service@TechServiceToday.com