Dust cover for Ethernet in outdoor or dusty environments
As many of you know, I have recently dove headfirst into the 3D printing world. One of the things I came across was these little “dust covers” for Ethernet.
https://makerworld.com/en/models/2065227-ethernet-dust-cover
The jury is still out on how much dust and the like these will keep out, but thats not the intriguing thing about them. Let’s address a couple of challenges these little inserts can help with.
Color Coding
One of the first uses for these is being able to color-code different ports on a router or switch. Console, management, and straight Ethernet can be confusing to a junior tech or someone who is not familiar with the different ports. I don’t know how many times a junior tech has plugged their console cable into the management port on a new switch. Imagine having a color-coded plug for each different port, even if they are only there until a cable is plugged in. Think green for management, blue for console, and black for everything else. The color choices are customizable as I explain later.
Deliberate plugging in of new cables
Having plugs fill the ports makes plugging in a new cable very deliberate. Sure, there are safeguards you can put in place, such as shutting down unused ports or putting the port into a quarantine-type VLAN. We, as humans, are a visual people.
If you are an ISP and your customer-provided routers have multiple WAN ports, or ports you don’t want customers to use, you can insert a red plug into those ports.
Some protection from the elements
All switches have thin copper wire exposed to the elements. Having something that covers these thin copper wires provides an extra layer of protection against the elements. Sure, modern cabinets are sealed and climate-controlled, but moisture can still creep in. Moisture causes corrosion, especially on bare copper wires. I have a Cisco switch or two to prove that moisture corrodes.
They look cool
One of my quirks is that I like my cabling to match the company colors. You can’t really do this with fiber, except for your labels. You definitely can do this with Ethernet cables and port covers. It adds an extra bit of flair, especially for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), where their work is often seen more than an isp’s work.
If you don’t want to print your own you can just buy them from Amazon in all kinds of colors
https://j2sw.com
https://startawisp.info
https://indycolo.net
#packetsdownrange #routethelight