Cable ties are well known to most of us. For those in tech industries, they’re a familiar site for holding cables together. For everyone else, they are used for everything from holding up seasonal decorations, to keeping toys in their boxes.

In China this week, they had a rather innovative use. A man trying to steal the equivalent of $200 from a 50 year old fishmonger was caught by passerby who heard the fishmonger’s cry for help; the helpful crowd restrained the man with cable ties until police arrived to arrest him.

Did you know that there is a bundling controversy in the network cabling world? Some teams rely on hook and loop ties to help keep cable bundles tight and structurally solid, while others swear by cable zip ties. According to the people who claim color cable ties are “evil,” cable ties are easily over-tightened, impacting performance.

However, Kevin Hazard, a cabling expert with many years of experience in the industry, points out that, although it’s true that cable ties could negatively affect network performance, it’s mostly a hypothetical situation. His company has installed more than 400,000 patch cables using zip ties, and they have yet to experience a single network fault.

How exactly do installers bundle networks, modems and telephones? Do they attach each zip tie by hand or by pliers, carefully pulling the teeth through the pulley system? No; professional installers use cable tie guns. These guns have adjustable tension and can usually cut the ties as well.

What are push mount cable ties? These are cable ties that require no mounting hardware or adhesive. Unlike regular cable ties, which use a tooth and pulley system, these push mount cable ties are instead “pushed” together for a strong hold on cables.

Do you use nylon zip ties to secure cables? Let us know in the comments!