Most Messy Bodges

[LondonRascal]

So, here is something a little different – how messy is your router installation at home or work? 

This is mine in our offices – and this is a lot more tidy than it was about an hour ago.

Yes this is what you get when you work for Solicitors who are perfectly happy to spent out thousands of pounds on duplicated and old software and its related support – but the actual network it will run on in the building and how the outside Internet comes in – nah leave that to be a right pigs ear.

The wall that this is all attached to is not even a wall, it’s not a plasterboard partition – its just hardboard.  This means that things which are wall mounted fall off – often – and people think of all sorts of ways to keep it up, recently someone thought it was perfectly acceptable to grab the nearest sticky tape to hand (caution tape) to hold the WiFi booster access point to the wall – it looks great doesn’t it and this in full view of anyone who walks into the offices.

We have Fibre coming in through Virgin and then a backup ADSL connection, but because over time things have come and gone (some held up with just Bluetac) this wall has become the ‘hub’ of where the stuff comes to and spreads from to various switches and then on to peoples computers and printers. Some of the network cables are they simply sellotaped along and over door frames having been 'professional installed' by a local 'I.T. specialist'  who knows more about billing than computers.

Recently our Virgin box went wrong and today a new one arrived – it was down to me to put up having now had enough of spending out for 'professionals' but wait, it can’t attach to a wall as it is intended to sit on a shelf or table – no problem I am told,  just tape it to the wall like the other box is and I was handed some red and white caution tape this time!

I’ve found it balances just fine on the old boxes wall mount bracket. I then have tried to make the cables a bit more tidy but the damn cable clips just bury themselves into the hardboard but its better than sellotape I guess.

So can you better this fudge and muddle of cables?

[imtamping2]

Can't beat that but I think you should install a paper-clip chain on a diagonal across the router  from black cable to white cable to secure it.............

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Robin,

That doesn't look much like an installation to me, but glad you gaffered it

Regards

Alan

[ZimbiIV]

Seems awfully complicated to me, just to power a door bell.

paul

[LondonRascal]

John you are quite right there - but it is not as massive of a security risk as was about 6 months back, when one of the ladies here said that the Barbers downstairs were having problems connecting to the WiFi.

I said 'what has their internet got to do with me?' to which she said, well because last year I gave them our WiFi password to borrow!!

Yes for months they and their customers had been merrily getting on our network because they had simply asked her and she had given it over.  It might explain how one day one of the printers sprung into life and randomly printed our someones photo.

Still we have a new website in the making, logo to full works and I am told a proper server will be coming soon too but I bet you it will just plug in to the mess. 

[LondonRascal]

All that to power the door bell haha...

So, how do we alert people in the event of a fire..?

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Still, for legal matters we do alright its everything else that's Heath Robinson

[Vaughan]

I would be tempted to take all that off the wall, sand it down smooth and then fit a piece of half inch ply in the space by glueing it in with "no more nails" or similar product. You will then have a solid surface to screw into or nail into, as you wish.

You might go a bit further and make it into a shallow cupboard, with a door to hide it all up.

[ExUserGone]

21 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

I would be tempted to take all that off the wall, sand it down smooth and then fit a piece of half inch ply in the space by glueing it in with "no more nails" or similar product. You will then have a solid surface to screw into or nail into, as you wish.

You might go a bit further and make it into a shallow cupboard, with a door to hide it all up.

Sod that, tape a piece of cardboard over it and emulsion the cardboard so it looks to be boxed in.

I'll show you how to bodge......

[grendel]

I would say our setup at work is nothing like that - we have proper server racks and all in a lovely cupboard under the stairs, all fitted out with inlet and exhaust fans in the wall - oh and almost since the day it was  installed, the door has to be left open or the whole lot overheats. not too much of a problem today though as since 10.30 this morning the internet has been down, this means email is down, the servers are unaccessible and the phones cant connect to the server that manages the extensions, so only incoming calls are working. how am I getting online to browse this forum I hear you ask, well perversely although our main internet is down, our guest wifi is on a separate connection to the BT box, and that is working fine.

[LondonRascal]

I had, a couple months ago moved two peoples desks, set up a new PC, cabled two offices and got a dinky switch to tie everything in over a cabled network rather than use WiFi as before. I then installed a new multi-function copier which had just been left as a single function device - suddenly people can print and scan and even send those old things called fax's.

I ran all the cables neatly and took a weekend doing it. For this I was told I would be paid - this now will be included with a 'taxed Christmas bonus' well golly thanks. You can see why I've given up and leave things stuck up with caution tape and why a cardboard and emulsion bodge is one job too far.

[Timbo]

Messiest router installation? Probably the one I'm working on right now...wiped excess titebond down my trousers and then routed another set of box joints. I look like a bloody hedgehog!

[Jonathan]

1 hour ago, LondonRascal said:

You can see why I've given up and leave things stuck up with caution tape ....

I think Robin is trying to get out of doing any more work on B.A..  Someone might find a new use for a tile cutter if he tried that on the boat!      

[Viking23]

2 hours ago, Timbo said:

Messiest router installation? Probably the one I'm working on right now...wiped excess titebond down my trousers and then routed another set of box joints. I look like a bloody hedgehog!

i must admit, when I saw the word router, my thoughts turned to my old Black and Decker router, I used it for the first time in 3 years last week, you forget how versatile these tools are especially with nice new sharp bits lol.

 

[ranworthbreeze]

If you want to keep the new cutting blades sharper for longer you can spray with a Teflon spray.

Regards

Alan 

[Viking23]

5 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

If you want to keep the new cutting blades sharper for longer you can spray with a Teflon spray.

Regards

Alan 

Sounds like a very good "tip" lol 

Some of my older ones have turned blue, and brown so have probably lost their edge long ago. In fact I still have all the tips I have ever bought lol 

The most recent, were a set of 1/4" ones from Aldi, so far so good.

[JanetAnne]

17 hours ago, LeoMagill said:

Sod that, tape a piece of cardboard over it and emulsion the cardboard so it looks to be boxed in.

I'll show you how to bodge......

Am interested in your 'tip' ref the recycling and use of cardboard. We have an underwater planked area in need of attention and would appreciate your input. Obviously, once fitted we would need to protect the repair and wondered whether you would recommend antifouling straight onto the bare surface or using an etch primer to prevent flaking?

With the escalating costs of timber (you would think it grows on trees the amount they get through) it is quite possible you have come up with a solution that makes boating, once again, affordable to the masses 

[ExUserGone]

Every wooden saily boat should have at least one cardboard patch on the underside, bigger the better as it helps absorb water from the surrounding planks but I wouldn't worry too much about painting it with anything as it's where no-one will see it but if you are worried about the appearance from inside simply draw a smiley face on it to make you feel better when you see it.

[JennyMorgan]

The biggest bodges I see are those enthusiastic cockpit conversions where people build incredibly ugly room extensions on the stern of their boats. Generally there will be no pretensions whatsoever in regard to appearance. This had to be one of the worst but there are a few that are not far behind!

[JennyMorgan]

I just had to tap 'really ugly boats on the Broads' into Google images. Had to smile when this one came up! 

[Bound2Please]

Not a bodge up but a bit of a co*@ up

[Siddy]

Nothing wrong wih that comms room (wall) it's pinned to the wall but no port tags on the ends.

The room I was in last Saturday night was 2 walls full of patch panels 7 foot high. Over the years new leads patched in but nothing removed. I stood in the corner and the cables and went over me at 45` it was like a porch had been installed.

Will get pic from my phone (remove site names) tomorrow.