Spec Me A Network Cabinet....

[Valo]

I'm in the process of adapting and renovating a bungalow to make it wheelchair friendly - My Build Thread
As part of the build I'm running CAT6 to points in every room of the house and I've got a couple of mates who have offered to do it for me, if I can provide the kit.

My plan is to put a small wall mountable cabinet/rack in the Garage which will contain:

• 24Port Patch Panel
• 24Port Rackmount switch
• Wireless Router
• My Existing Drobo 5N NAS
• PDU??

I'm looking for a advice about the Size and Depth of cabinet I'll require to take my kit and along with suitable PDU?

The wall in the garage I want to put the cabinet on is 84cm (33") Wide.

My NAS - Drobo 5N (Specs)

• Width: 5.9 in (150.3 mm)
• Height: 7.3 in (185.4 mm)
• Depth: 10.3 in (262.3 mm)
• Weight: 8.5 lb (without hard drives, power supply, or packaging)

My Proposed Rack Switch - HP Procurve 1410-24G

• Width: 33.6 cm
• Depth: 16.9 cm
• Height: 4.4 cm
• Weight: 1.35 kg
• Rack Mounting Kit Included

Any help and advice would be great

 

[Valo]

Installing a wireless router into a rack in your garage isn't a great idea. You want your wireless inside the main structure, and definitely not inside what is basically a metal box.

I'd either buy a router that doesn't have built-in wireless, or just disable it. You can then use your shiny new network to install wireless access points where they can do some good.

If you're running cables then add some in suitable locations, and then get access points that'll handle PoE.

I was planning on just having the router sitting outside on top of the cabinet.

Are you going to be using the all 24 ports of that switch?

To add on the above you could get a HP poe 8 port switch instead. Still rack mountable.

They'll be at least two available ports on the main 24 port switch.

 

[Valo]

Still not ideal. You'll effectively have the wireless outside the main structure. A double skinned external wall kills wireless performance, especially on 5GHz.

That's less than ideal. I'm planning on using FTTC/Fibre broadband in my new home, my original plan was to take the VDSL Modem and connect that to my CAT6 cabling. I'm putting a single CAT6 Point by my BT Master socket and have the Router at the other end of the cable run by the cabinet.

BT Socket ------ VDSL Modem ------ CAT6 WALL PLATE ------(CAT6 CABLE RUN)------ PATCH PANEL ------ Router ------ Switch

How much would an HP 8 port POE switch cost and a few small discrete Dual Band Wireless AP's?
My other option would be to take the router and have it in the house and have it connected to the VDSL Modem and then to the network. The routers wireless courage should be just fine in the house which is timber frame construction.

BT Socket ------ VDSL Modem ------ ROUTER ------CAT6 WALL PLATE ------(CAT6 CABLE RUN)------ PATCH PANEL ------ Switch

 

[Valo]

A singe Ubiquiti UniFi access point could be enough. They're designed to be wall/ceiling mounted, and basically look like slightly overgrown smoke alarms.

I believe that they all come with passive PoE adapters so you wouldn't need any additional PoE kit. Both of their dual band models are also 802.3af or 802.3at compliant.

If one access point wasn't enough you can add others and manage them all centrally.

They're cheap for what they offer, but may be a touch expensive for domestic use.

I'll investigate that. I've been following a thread on here, where these have been installed and used all over a house to great effect.

 

[Valo]

Anyone able to give me an idea on the depth of cabinet I should look at go take my kit?

 

[Valo]

Can you guys double check that I've got the size and depth of cabinet I'm going to need right. I'm planning to install the cabinet onto a wall in my garage that is 33" wide.

I've worked out for:

• 1x24port Patch Panel
• 2xCable Management Brush Strips
• 1x24port Switch
• 1xPDU

Will take a total of 5U (1U = 1.75" - 4.445cms).

My NAS has a Height: 7.3" (185.4 mm) Depth: 10.3" (262.3 mm or 26.2cms)
I'm planning on putting my NAS on a shelve and will need at least 5U, probably 6U to be safe of space for it - 7.3/1.75 = 4.17

The NAS is also the deepest bit of equipment at 10.3" (262.3mm or 26.2cms) call it 30cms with power plug.

Should a 15U 500mm or 550mm Deep cabinet be sufficient for my needs? I can't see the need that I'll be adding any big bits of hardware later to the rack.

Can anyone recommend any good suppliers?

 

[Valo]

If you've got a single switch and a patch panel you won't be needing brush strips or a PDU. What's going through the brushes?

You've got 2U worth of kit that needs a single power connection. IMO you're massively over engineering things.

Fasten something like a StarTech RK219WALLV 2U bracket to the wall for the patch panel and switch, and stick everything else on a shelf.

I understand where your coming from but I'm keen to have my NAS on a shelve in the cabinet. I realise it isn't rack mountable but it can still go into a deep enough cabinet.

I was planning on using the brush plates to take the cables from the front of patch panel back behind the rack switch, then back out underneath the switch and connect them in. Similar to ronski's install in his Dubai Villa Renovation thread here

I thought by using a small PDU with surge protection I'd only need a single power point to run the NAS, Switch and any other equipment I may install into it in the future.

 

[Valo]

Get a cabinet, don't start sticking things on shelves. In a locked cabinet it will be safer and there is some sort of protection from dust. Only thing would be the heat but you haven't got that much equipment in there. You can get cabinets with fans fitted.

A 12U 500mm deep cabinet would be suffice. I install 600mm ones as standard these days but thats only as some of the larger HP switches are deeper and once you factor in power cables out the back and clearance for patch cables out the front you need the depth. Having said that the price difference between 500 and 600 isn't much.

Don't bother with a brush panel or PDU, get a rack mounted ups with surge protection.

Thanks, I think for the moment a rack mounted UPS might be a bit over kill for the initial equipment I'm going to be installing, but I could go down that road later.

Where is best to go purchase my cabinet from?

 

[Valo]

If you are in Livingston and can get across to Edinburgh then I might have one you can have for free. I just need to check the size and make sure its not required!

Wow! Could be really interested in that offer

Thanks