# Egads this mass of wires. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004 "2001-06-24T21:39:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/1 "2001-06-24T21:39:44Z")
One computer so many wires! Power cable, monitor power cable, monitor video cable, printer cable, printer power cable, speaker wire, keyboard wire, mouse wire, webcam wire, microphone wire. Eventually I’ll get a scanner and powered usb hub also so count in 4 more wires/cables. Right now its ALL a tangled mess and the computer is sitting on half of it (i know i know). Anybody have a good solution to straighten out this mess?!?! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/2 "2001-06-24T22:04:29Z")
You can use twist ties to group them together. Other than that, though, you’re pretty much fighting a losing battle. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/3 "2001-06-24T23:10:29Z")
[sup] [Wireless?](http://www.computerpreference.com/otherperipherals/wirelesskeyboards.html)[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/4 "2001-06-24T23:24:20Z")
That would be nice smug, IF they didn’t really have wires. A receiver still has to plug in the same ol’ way. ---
**Author:** ![virtee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/dbc845/32.png) [@virtee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtee)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/5 "2001-06-25T00:56:19Z")
I like using Rip-Ties or Case Logic Velcro strips. Both use Velcro, are easy to put on and take off, and are re-usable. I even use them for non-LAN/cable things, too. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/6 "2001-06-25T01:02:43Z")
I have this cool rubber bendy thingy that a friend got at a Linux conference; it’s supposed to be used to hold wires together, but I wear it as a bracelet. And you really don’t want to know what else **virtee** uses them for… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/7 "2001-06-25T01:32:53Z")
I have the same problem with my audio/video setup: satellite receiver (10 wires) 2 distribution amps (14 wires each) 4 stereo VCR’s (7 wires each) 2 mono VCR’s (5 wires each) 2 input selectors (1 w/15 wires; 1 w/19 wires) DVD/LD/CD players (4 wires each) Cassette deck (5 wires) Turntable (4 wires) pre-amp for turntable (4 wires) Receiver (17 wires) All this is wired to my computer. It takes 4 power strips to control it all. I use those plastic zipper-type things to hold them all together. It recently took about 4 hours to re-wire it and I got it right the first time! ---
**Author:** ![Traveler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@Traveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Traveler)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/8 "2001-06-25T01:42:36Z")
My computer desk is pretty nice looking at it from the front plus it faces a wall so…out of sight, out of mind. The back of the computer area looks like a war zone with usb cables, power cables, phone lines, firewire, printer cables, switch box, UPS, etc. I know they do have some nice wire stations that fit on the back of your desk along with wire tubes to keep them all looking neat and orderly for desks that are out in the open from behind. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/9 "2001-06-25T07:36:49Z")
Dude - whatever you do, don’t look _inside_ the box. It’ll blow your mind. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egads-this-mass-of-wires/70004/10 "2001-06-25T14:15:30Z")
You think **you** have it bad? two monitors, power and signal cables power cord gamepad joystick mouse trackball (yes, all at the same time) keyboard microphone speaker outputs printer, data and power modem video out to entertainment center sound out to entertainment center 17 cables. I’m probably forgetting something, too. I’ve partially solved the problem by shoving it all behind my desk where it only partially shows, but it’s still a freaking jungle.