Posted 02/08/2008 at 09:30:23am

Zip ties are only bad if you tighten them down too much. And even then, it's not that big of a deal for the average user. But if you really want to get down to it, use common sense here: if the zip tie is making an impression on the wire's insulation, you're doing it wrong. Plus most USB cables, etc... are braided wires and not solid. Braided wires are much more flexible than solid copper wires. It's bad to put kinks and crimps in solid copper wires, but braided wires are flexible and much more resistant to kinks, etc. Cat4/5/5e/6 are all solid copper wires, and more care should be taken when routing these wires.