the underdesk railway

When you want to trace which cable goes where from your desk to the PC case, use Cord Plug Finding Climber Trolleys. They’re small motorized rechargeable wheeled vehicles that clip to your external PC wires, and race along them, in either direction. They each have an LED headlight and a label for a device (mouse, keyboard, iPod, etc). They clip to various diameters, to work with power cords, USB, or adapter cables.

When the trolleys reach the back of the PC, you know which is which by the label on the trolley. This is handy if you’re at a friend’s place, and the wires aren’t marked. But I’d use them on my PC for the extra lighting, and because I’d enjoy sending the little trolleys on their way. They’ll come in handy for audio/video system cables, too. And there can be a high-torque version of the trolley to pull a new cord up or down to you.

If your cords are knotted and tangled, fix that first. But if a climber stops at a knot, at least it will be illuminated.