atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Cable pulling-to mark or not to mark

What I naively thought was a bonehead way to install cables seems to be the standard practice for some of you guys, so I thought I would ask for a quick survey.

Question #1
Do you mark cables as you are installing them with a cable number or do you wait to identify cables until the end of the installation?

Question #2
If you mark cables during the installation, how do you mark them?

We used to tone everything out, but when you get 300 cables its kind of a mess. Since I work alone most of the time now I label them with a sharpie. Its alot easier than running back and forth all of the time.

Ditto, mark um as I go, saves time.

Seldom mark cables if I do its with electrcal tape or sharpie I also work alone most of the time and found it a worth while investment for moduler testers so I can tone/test several cables at a time.

Same way as Merritt, I work alone most of the time and do mainly smaller jobs. I can map out up to 20 jacks at a clip. Plug the remote into the jack then stand back at the panel and lable them at that point, works out well and sames me some time and a lot of effort of running back and forth.

work alone most of the time , usually dont mark but do every once in while to see what im missing .

I find it much more effeciant to pull terminate and then label .

like I mentioned in the other thread the datalite helps a lot
https://www.tecratools.com/pages/datacom/37600.html

I mark cable in groups depending on what works with colred tape , one side of bldg bundled green other side red or broke down further by quainity vs bldg layout

I use colored electrical tape when pulling multiple cables of the same color, which is pretty much all the time. Since I like to pull everything before terminating, I label the station end with a labelmaker after the pull, and the closet end with a Sharpie. I was labeling both ends with the labelmaker, but the closet end label was always cut off during termination. I could remove and reposition the label, but a Sharpie is much faster.

The colored tape method gets a bit ridiculous when you're pulling 8 cables at a time and only have 3 rolls of tape.

"Let's see - blue/yellow/purple will be cable #38."

I put the number of the cable on the box(or reel), mark the cable with that number....pull the cable, write the number on the cable...cut

same as capitol..

I'm with Skip - don't mark cables when pulling, but use white for voice and blue for data, even though they're all cat-5 going on a patch panel. Terminate the wall plates, terminate the patch panel. Work with a partner and walkie talkies and the Data-Lites. It lights up, call out the number. Swap the light's power source for the tester dongle, and print out the label while the other guy pulls out the light and tests. We fly through testing and labeling. Give the customer an as-built, and an Excel spreadsheet of Room-Jack-Port-ID sorted both ways.