On 2/16/12 2:23 PM, nanog-request@nanog.org wrote:
time sink 42
Others have already noted the difference between TZ and M tapes; the TZ tapes are also supposed to be 'better' in that they are laminated, while the M tapes are not and may decay more quickly. However, the problem I have is that the "better" label maker (the one that takes TZ tapes) is not nearly as easy to use as the "cheaper" one, the M-compatible P-touch. I knew that I didn't want a bunch of useless features, so I bought the cheapest TZ-compatible P-touch I could find, the 1290, but it is about twice as hard to get anything done with it as the bottom-of-the-line $19.95 P-Touch that takes M tapes. Anyone got a solution for *that* particular problem? Should I get a better TZ-compatible labeler? jms -- Joel M Snyder, 1404 East Lind Road, Tucson, AZ, 85719 Senior Partner, Opus One Phone: +1 520 324 0494 jms@Opus1.COM http://www.opus1.com/jms
In a message written on Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 02:32:07PM -0700, Joel M Snyder wrote:
features, so I bought the cheapest TZ-compatible P-touch I could find, the 1290, but it is about twice as hard to get anything done with it as the bottom-of-the-line $19.95 P-Touch that takes M tapes.
Anyone got a solution for *that* particular problem? Should I get a better TZ-compatible labeler?
Brother seems to have about 20 different models out at any time, and replaces about 2 of them once a year. Chances are you can find one you like. My kingdom for a model that didn't hide an apostrophy on a sub-menu. The "step up" solution is something like Brady. Significantly more expensive label makers, somewhat more expensive supplies. However I generally think they are superior in UI, durability, label selection, and so on. Many also have a serial port (I think USB on a few of the new ones) so you can "print" (basically an ASCII stream) to them which can make large volume labling really easy from your PC. If you're spending more than a half hour a day with your label maker invest in a mid-range Brady. The "step down" is a pen. For labeling cables sheets of the "self laminating" labels (a white tab with a clear tail) are easy to write on and laminate as you install them. No batteries, super small for a ton of labels, easy to use. -- Leo Bicknell - bicknell@ufp.org - CCIE 3440 PGP keys at http://www.ufp.org/~bicknell/
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel M Snyder" <Joel.Snyder@Opus1.COM>
Anyone got a solution for *that* particular problem? Should I get a better TZ-compatible labeler?
If you're labelling a batch of stuff all at once, you should definitely get one that runs from your PC; I have a PT-2430PC, and their software is actually pretty damn skippy, as long as you're running Windows. It won't run in WINE at all, cause it wants to install its own USB driver. I'll be trying it in VBox next. Cheers, -- jra -- Jay R. Ashworth Baylink jra@baylink.com Designer The Things I Think RFC 2100 Ashworth & Associates http://baylink.pitas.com 2000 Land Rover DII St Petersburg FL USA http://photo.imageinc.us +1 727 647 1274
Personally, I prefer the Brady IDExpert. It's pricier, but, it has much greater flexibility and will produce, among other things, very nice self-laminating labels you can wrap around wires. Owen On Feb 16, 2012, at 2:06 PM, Jay Ashworth wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel M Snyder" <Joel.Snyder@Opus1.COM>
Anyone got a solution for *that* particular problem? Should I get a better TZ-compatible labeler?
If you're labelling a batch of stuff all at once, you should definitely get one that runs from your PC; I have a PT-2430PC, and their software is actually pretty damn skippy, as long as you're running Windows. It won't run in WINE at all, cause it wants to install its own USB driver. I'll be trying it in VBox next.
Cheers, -- jra -- Jay R. Ashworth Baylink jra@baylink.com Designer The Things I Think RFC 2100 Ashworth & Associates http://baylink.pitas.com 2000 Land Rover DII St Petersburg FL USA http://photo.imageinc.us +1 727 647 1274
On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 5:06 PM, Jay Ashworth <jra@baylink.com> wrote:
From: "Joel M Snyder" <Joel.Snyder@Opus1.COM> Anyone got a solution for *that* particular problem? Should I get a better TZ-compatible labeler?
If you're labelling a batch of stuff all at once, you should definitely get one that runs from your PC; I have a PT-2430PC, and their software is actually pretty damn skippy, as long as you're running Windows. It won't run in WINE at all, cause it wants to install its own USB driver. I'll be trying it in VBox next.
The PT-2100 was the best of both worlds. Regular labeler AND a USB port to drive it from a PC. Current model is PT-2730 I think. http://www.brother-usa.com/Ptouch/Ptouch_DualOperation/ On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Owen DeLong <owen@delong.com> wrote:
Personally, I prefer the Brady IDExpert.
It's pricier, but, it has much greater flexibility and will produce, among other things, very nice self-laminating labels you can wrap around wires.
For cable labeling I've had good results with 3M Scotch Super88 color electrical tape. Pick unique color bands for each cable. Band it identically at both ends. You don't have to squint to see how it's labeled. And the label isn't invalidated merely because you unplugged it from one place and plugged it in somewhere else. For longer distances, label the patch panel. Regards, Bill Herrin -- William D. Herrin ................ herrin@dirtside.com bill@herrin.us 3005 Crane Dr. ...................... Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/> Falls Church, VA 22042-3004
Anyone got a solution for *that* particular problem? Should I get a better TZ-compatible labeler?
Brother PT-1400 P-Touch Handheld Labeler ($90ish) is nice in that it will do three lines and also do "flags" (double print) to tag wires with. Batteries last a good while, and fits in the hand nicely. Good for field work and fairly rugged. Main downside is lack of a qwerty keypad. If you don't have to label a whole data center and just need to pump out a dozen or two a day, it does the job well and won't kill the budget. Fits nice in the tool bag too. http://www.amazon.com/Brother-PT-1400-P-Touch-Handheld-Labeler/dp/B00011KHPG/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1329441056&sr=8-22 -- Joe Hamelin, W7COM, Tulalip, WA, 360-474-7474
For cable labeling I've had good results with 3M Scotch Super88 color electrical tape. Pick unique color bands for each cable. Band it identically at both ends. You don't have to squint to see how it's labeled. And the label isn't invalidated merely because you unplugged it from one place and plugged it in somewhere else.
I usually use labels printed on all sides in about a 14 point font that have a unique number followed by a - and a length. So, for example, 10294-4.5 is a 4.5' long cable number 10294. You might need to squint a bit to read it, but, 14 points is usually pretty legible and being printed 4 times on the label (3 of which remain visible on the average cat5/cat6 cable) means you usually don't have to futz with twirling the cable to find the label. I usually have the labels installed ~2" from the plug at each end. In a crowded deployment, I think the color bands would be like trying to read resistor color codes in a box of ~1,000 mixed resistors. You're going to end up squinting anyway. With my tactic, you have the additional advantage that you get a defined search radius within which the other end can be located. Using serial-number labels instead of equipment-specific labels means that mine aren't invalidated either. Owen
I don't suppose anyone follows the TIA-606-B Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings when labeling things like cables. -----Original Message----- From: Owen DeLong [mailto:owen@delong.com] Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 10:42 PM To: William Herrin Cc: NANOG Subject: Re: Which P-Touch should I have?
For cable labeling I've had good results with 3M Scotch Super88 color electrical tape. Pick unique color bands for each cable. Band it identically at both ends. You don't have to squint to see how it's labeled. And the label isn't invalidated merely because you unplugged it from one place and plugged it in somewhere else.
I usually use labels printed on all sides in about a 14 point font that have a unique number followed by a - and a length. So, for example, 10294-4.5 is a 4.5' long cable number 10294. You might need to squint a bit to read it, but, 14 points is usually pretty legible and being printed 4 times on the label (3 of which remain visible on the average cat5/cat6 cable) means you usually don't have to futz with twirling the cable to find the label. I usually have the labels installed ~2" from the plug at each end. In a crowded deployment, I think the color bands would be like trying to read resistor color codes in a box of ~1,000 mixed resistors. You're going to end up squinting anyway. With my tactic, you have the additional advantage that you get a defined search radius within which the other end can be located. Using serial-number labels instead of equipment-specific labels means that mine aren't invalidated either. Owen
Give me a link to the labeling section and I'll let you know if I've seen it in the wild. I'm out in the field now (got sick of the desk) and see a lot of commercial/retail plants. I doubt that it's going on in retail, except maybe Lowe's Hardware. They do love MM fiber and just did a nation-wide network upgrade to gigabit everywhere in the stores. But then again, the label specs were kinda hit and miss. Sadly I've seen no IPv6 in any retail shops. -- Joe Hamelin, W7COM, Tulalip, WA, 360-474-7474 On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 9:20 PM, Kenneth M. Chipps Ph.D. <chipps@chipps.com>wrote:
I don't suppose anyone follows the TIA-606-B Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings when labeling things like cables.
-----Original Message----- From: Owen DeLong [mailto:owen@delong.com] Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 10:42 PM To: William Herrin Cc: NANOG Subject: Re: Which P-Touch should I have?
For cable labeling I've had good results with 3M Scotch Super88 color electrical tape. Pick unique color bands for each cable. Band it identically at both ends. You don't have to squint to see how it's labeled. And the label isn't invalidated merely because you unplugged it from one place and plugged it in somewhere else.
I usually use labels printed on all sides in about a 14 point font that have a unique number followed by a - and a length. So, for example, 10294-4.5 is a 4.5' long cable number 10294.
You might need to squint a bit to read it, but, 14 points is usually pretty legible and being printed 4 times on the label (3 of which remain visible on the average cat5/cat6 cable) means you usually don't have to futz with twirling the cable to find the label.
I usually have the labels installed ~2" from the plug at each end.
In a crowded deployment, I think the color bands would be like trying to read resistor color codes in a box of ~1,000 mixed resistors. You're going to end up squinting anyway. With my tactic, you have the additional advantage that you get a defined search radius within which the other end can be located.
Using serial-number labels instead of equipment-specific labels means that mine aren't invalidated either.
Owen
Subject: RE: Which P-Touch should I have? Date: Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 11:20:37PM -0600 Quoting Kenneth M. Chipps Ph.D. (chipps@chipps.com):
I don't suppose anyone follows the TIA-606-B Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings when labeling things like cables.
The swedish equivalents are way to tree-centric, meaning it is hard to assign codes to stuff like fiber path between rooms that do not pass the One Interconnect In The Basement. We did a 600x600mm grid in the entire building (fitting the footprint of an ETSI frame, or two 300mm deep cabinets as well as being one european floor tile.) and then every cable documentation refered grid number and HE. (German for RU) So a cable could be referenced with AA92:12 - AB36:14, but the only label on the cable was a serial number. -- Måns Nilsson primary/secondary/besserwisser/machina MN-1334-RIPE +46 705 989668 YOU!! Give me the CUTEST, PINKEST, most charming little VICTORIAN DOLLHOUSE you can find!! An make it SNAPPY!!
Subject: Re: Which P-Touch should I have? Date: Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 07:45:29PM -0500 Quoting William Herrin (bill@herrin.us):
For cable labeling I've had good results with 3M Scotch Super88 color electrical tape. Pick unique color bands for each cable. Band it identically at both ends. You don't have to squint to see how it's labeled. And the label isn't invalidated merely because you unplugged it from one place and plugged it in somewhere else.
At previous employer, we ordered two identical rolls of Brady (IIRC) numbered labels. Every cable got numbered in both ends and the number, being unique at the site, could be used for documentation as well as finding both ends in looms etc. -- Måns Nilsson primary/secondary/besserwisser/machina MN-1334-RIPE +46 705 989668 LBJ, LBJ, how many JOKES did you tell today??!
participants (9)
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harold barker -
Jay Ashworth -
Joe Hamelin -
Joel M Snyder -
Kenneth M. Chipps Ph.D. -
Leo Bicknell -
Måns Nilsson -
Owen DeLong -
William Herrin