What should be recorded about connected cables and peripherals?¶

Photograph every connection from end to end and record the attached equipment before unplugging, moving or reconnecting anything.

Connections reveal power, data and control paths¶

A cable may carry power, storage access, network traffic, video or control signals. Show the ports used and the relationship between computers, monitors, routers, storage, docks and other equipment. Combine wide context images with readable labels, model details and serial numbers.

Record keyboards, pointing devices, printers, scanners, cameras, external drives, hubs, memory readers, security keys, chargers and network adapters. A peripheral may have its own display, status lights, storage or logs.

An ordinary-looking charging cable can also transfer data. A mounted drive may support an open file, and a hardware key may maintain authentication. Do not unplug an item merely to identify it.

Disconnection can affect more than one device¶

Complex industrial, medical, security or business systems may depend on a connection that appears local. Obtain specialist support before altering an unfamiliar setup where the operational consequences are unclear.

If something was already disconnected, record who did it, when and why. Reconnection is a new intervention and may cause automatic mounting, synchronisation or device recognition, so it requires its own decision and record.