Network gear in attic or airing cupboard?

[Wings]

Hi all,

New build house to which I am adding POE CCTV. I will be running the cables in to the attic space. Running cables between floors is proving problematic, but the attic gives me good freedom of movement - I can then keep everything within there or, go through the ceiling in to the airing cupboard. So I will have:

CCTV PVR
POE Switch
NAS

I can put them in the attic, which is currently averaging about 6.5 degrees and 88% humidity (no idea what it would be in the summer), or the airing cupboard which is averaging 27 degrees and 31% humidity. Max recorded is 28 degrees so it seems stable.

From a purely preferential point of view, I would keep them in the airing cupboard - I have no permanent loft ladder so access isn't great. But do you think the airing cupboard is too hot? It is quite large, approx. 2m x 1m, and has no ventilation. I couldn't add ventilation on the walls or door due to layout and materials, but I could create some kind of ceiling vent in to the attic space above.

Thanks!

Wings

 

[Wings]

Thanks all, this is really useful. Seems I am probably over thinking slightly and the kit will stand up to either, for a while at least.

Perhaps I'll split my kit out a bit. I like the idea of CCTV NVR in the attic as it's not accessible in the very unlikely event someone breaks in. I could put my NAS in the study and ethernet it to the wall, and then put a low profile vertical 4u rack somewhere else, maybe even in the hallway, so it is cooler and accessible.

No space is any other cupboard or under the stairs etc?

The reason it's not the obvious solution is that the under stairs cupboard (also where internet enters the house) is surrounded on three sides by stairs, as they curve around it, and the one remaining wall runs 12 coax leads, all the electricity for the house and phone sockets, all of which fan out across the wall and are stuck fast inside the plaster - so even with a cable detector I can't find a clear space to cut in to to route ethernet! There is one (cheapo cat 5) ethernet cable already running to upstairs so that's my only way in and out.

 

[Wings]

Hi! our friends have it in the airing cupboard, everything works fine for about a year, if it helps you

Thanks Katie, I think it's worth me giving it a go and if it gets too hot there's not a huge amount of work lose moving everything if I need. I'll report back!