Tracking and labeling cables

[Sjors]

As Lansweeper is an asset tracking tool, wouldn't it be great to track cables/wires?

1. Register a cable
2. Select which assets are connected with the cable (or even which components of a device, a specific network card of a PC and a port number on a switch).

Bonus:
- Print a label with a label printer (for example a Brother PT-P900W) with a QR code which has the URL to the cable in Lansweeper.

Possibly cables can connect to 1, 2 or even more assets (Cable lock, Powercord, Network cable, extension box, etc.)

With this you can easily register and keep track of your cables (and what is connects to) in Lansweeper.

[Sjors]

"DYMO Connect for Desktop" did have an issue with generating updating dynamically generated QR codes (import of EXCEL file with URL's). Don't know if it is already fixed.

"DYMO Label" (I use version 8.7.3.46663) works fine.

We use 64x19mm durable labels for this purpose.

I added a few cable to LanSweeper with MS-SQL server manager (directly into the database) and used these ID's to print 2 labels per cable. After I used the labelled cable I update the cable in LanSweeper.

[janderson]

Does the Brother Label printer you mentioned work well for printing QR codes? Did you need to make any adjustments to have them print?

[jacob_bks]

Then at that point, I suppose I would create a report to list the network cable asset types, and add 'assetID' column.

I'd export that as excel, and use then concatenate command in excel to build the proper URL

like http://lansweeperserver.yourdomain.com:81/asset.aspx?AssetID=1133

where you pass the assetID from the other column.

Then export values as CSV, and plug in to whatever or however your label printer does its thing with the URL.


Again, all this goes out the window if a cable changes, or your URL to your server changes, or you switch it to HTTPS only with no redirect... etc... etc...

[jacob_bks]

Also, if you're good at SQL, you can make asset relation reports for your switches to show you in a single place whats all related to what, and you can export to excel, etc etc.

But the SQL is quite hairy to do that, lots of joins, and also gets tricky with multiple relationships.. but it is possible.

Most everything is possible in Lansweeper - just depends on how much you want to dig into it.

[jacob_bks]

You can do that, somewhat, by:

Creating an asset type of 'network cable' and give it a neat icon

Creating 24 assets of type 'network cable', for a 24 port switch

name each one accordingly (switchname_port1_cable) or something

edit the asset, add a relationship > is connected to > and add the switch asset for the target

make sure you can scan the switch by enabling SNMP and having the right credential - it will give you all the ports and descriptions that you put in the switch for port descriptions

Then, you can click the switch, and not only see whats on what port, but also the relationships to each network cable you associated with the switch - and the cable asset name you gave, will tell you the port.

That being said, I would never recommend doing that because to me the point of Lansweeper is to be dynamic inventory, and as we all know, cables get changed around, and all of the sudden your information is not accurate. I only trust dynamic data - which is why Lansweeper is so awesome.

I stick with port scanning of the switches - that's always accurate if you sweep it often - and I know what's on each port... then I have someone trace the cable from port 23 to the equipment I know its connected to... or reversely, if I know the server or device that's not communicating, I can say 'ok move the cable from port 12 to a free port, which I show there's a free one on port 22 - to troubleshoot things...