Design Install

Dirty rotten cable fails: Photos

Feb. 20, 2020

Like the old song says, "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage." And therein lies a metaphor for ICT cabling technicians and installers...

Matt Vincent

Welcome to our periodic round-up of the most offputting structured cabling fiascos, as found on job sites and posted in photos to social media via Reddit's 'Cablefail' and 'Cablegore' sub-communities. To quote the great American songwriter Billy Corgan, "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage."

Owing to the ubiquity of abject cable fail in the field, there's a metaphor therein for ICT cabling technicians and installers, as the following images amply illustrate...

"The rats got to it." -- Reddit/Cablefail OP [orig. poster]: u/a50ftJesus

"This wasn't on the punch list...new building. That orange cat though -- I think it's trying to get away."-- Reddit/Cablegore OP: u/HexavalentChromium

“Just organize these wires real quick, should only take 20 minutes.”-- Reddit/Cablegore OP: u/sameBATusername

"They serve spaghetti at my local Costco. My guess is the bottom of the cabinet is about 15 - 20 feet high." -- Reddit/Cablefail OP: u/K-L-G

"Fail for Señor mouse there, anyways..." -- Reddit/Cablefail: Crossposted by u/350Points

Send your must-see cabling photos to [email protected].

About the Author

Matt Vincent | Senior Editor

Matt Vincent is a B2B technology journalist, editor and content producer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in the full range of media content production and management, as well as SEO and social media engagement best practices, for both Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine and its website CablingInstall.com. He currently provides trade show, company, executive and field technology trend coverage for the ICT structured cabling, telecommunications networking, data center, IP physical security, and professional AV vertical market segments. Email: [email protected]