Test Center Tracker: Layer One Networking and a New Guide

We keep trying to figure out how do networking without a physical layer, but so far we haven’t figured that out, yet. Until then, we’ll need to worry about things like cables. Brian Chee has looked at the craft and art of cable lacing, as part of the general focus on cables at InfoWorld. We also introduce a new kind of product article here in the Test Center — one that should make reviews even more useful to you.

Network Beauty: When you have to network more than two or three systems together, cable management becomes a significant issue. Over in the Geeks in Paradise blog, Brian Chee takes on the nearly-lost art of cable lacing, and discusses why it’s so important to current network maintenance and performance. In particular, he asks why more network centers aren’t using cable harnesses — a tool that auto and aircraft manufacturers have used for years — to maintain order and regularity in their infrastructure. When you pair Brian’s post with an object lesson in structured cabling in Off the Record, you have the basis for a serious discussion on just how important good cabling installation and management are to your network’s continued performance.

A New Buyer’s Guide: One of the constant issues we face here in the Test Center is how to make all our reviews useful to our readers. We’ve decided that one answer is a new kind of article, the Buyer’s Guide. These articles will bring together information on the products, technologies,and companies within a product category, and provide a convenient place for us to link to all the reviews and analysis we’ve done on the products. Each of these guides will evolve as the market and products evolve, and will be updated to reflect new reviews and analysis. The first buyer’s guide, our Buyer’s Guide to SIMS, is up now. Take a look, and let us know how we can make it better — there’s much more to come.