I am seriously old school--"patch cords" for me conjure (in addition to the modern views) 4-wire patches and coax patches (some of which were called "hairpins"). To me far more important that color is tags, one on each end if it is more that a foot long. The tags should have a short (two or three word) description, the authority for the patch (person's name or position, order number, or trouble ticket number) and where the _other_ end of the patch is, followed by where _this_ is. (For short cords "this" will cover both ends, probably. Why "this end"? Make a mistake and pull the wrong one out of a mostly clear jack-field sometime. Clarity will occur. -- Requiescas in pace o email Two identifying characteristics of System Administrators: Ex turpi causa non oritur actio Infallibility, and the ability to learn from their mistakes. Eppure si rinfresca ICBM Targeting Information: http://tinyurl.com/4sqczs