Consolidating my Data / Comm in the house.

[dbhost]

Simply put, I need to consolidate my network / communications / video switching gear in the house. At this time, I have the following...

#1. Comcast provided Cable modem. Motorola Surfboard of some flavor, they covered the model#, and I can't find it online...
#2. WiFi / 4 port gigabit ethernet router.
#2. 16 port rack mountable unmanaged Gigabit cabled switch.
#3. 12 port wall mounted Keystone patch panel.
#4. The funky whatever the (expletive) it is box thing a ma jig from DirecTV that connects to my DVR, and my router. I am not sure what to call it, It is about the size of a deck of cards, coax in one end, ethernet out the other, and a power cable.
#5. I don't have one yet, but a VOIP adapter. Seriously considering an Ooma.
#6. Another don't have it yet. Which isn't quite correct. I have one but it is worn out and need a new one. But a 500 - 700 VA UPS to power, and power control this stuff.

I am figuring on mounting it all up to a mount board, but I need to figure out how to make indicator lights visible when I want them to be, the whole shebang hidden when I am not looking at it, and the whole thing to stay cool and operating smoothly in a closet that tends to get no airflow.

How do you guys have your networking done? Or am I on the leading edge of this?

My thoughts are to...

Replace the 12 port patch panel, with a 24 port blank keystone panel. (Will only end up using 18 or so, but hey, expansion later on right?).

Start with a 6U wall mount patch panel bracket.

Add a 1u shelf shallow enough to fit within the bracket. Amazon lists one that is 10" deep. Perfect to hold the patch panel, the router, modem, and the DirecTV uplink thingy.

Add the rack mount arms to the switch.

Install wall mount board in the closet, set this gear up with the shelf toward the top, then the switch, then the patch panel, and finally route the cabling. That leaves me 2, possibly 3 problems...

#1. Where to install the UPS?
#2. How do I hide / cool the thing from the rest of the closet? There is wall available to the bedroom it is in. I am not above adding some sort of vent / register...
#3. If I end up with a Magic Jack plus, then the VOIP adapter is a moot point, but if I go with the Ooma, what do I do with the adapter?

Would I be better off just mounting it all to a mount board? How do I keep the indicators on the switch visible then?

[Cochese]

One option for you to consider for mounting is a LACK table from Ikea. Wouldn't you know, just the exact width between the legs to mount a standard rack component. You could have that on the floor and use it as a dressing stool. Plenty of airflow.

Do you have an older DVR? The ones I've used you simply connect the ethernet cable to the back of it.

If you are serious about using rack mounts, spend a touch more and get a rack mount UPS.

[JSUPreston]

I picked up a nice 2 post rack earlier this year at a flea market for $50. Seller was desperate to move it, and it came with a Linksys router (no wifi), a Netgear fast Ethernet switch, 48 port patch panel, a bunch of cables and wire management, and a small business VoIP system that I was able to sell for $100.

I wound up getting a deep shelf for it to put a printer on and have my CCNA lab racked up in it. It's completely separate from the rest of my home network, so no chance of taking down the wife's "Facebooking" while I'm training.

I picked up a 1500 rackmount UPS from TigerDirect for about $130 or so earlier this year. It's got enough power for my "production" network Dell unmanaged Gig switch, Asus router/switch and 2 computers. One computer communicates via serial, the other via USB for graceful shutdowns.

It's all out in the open in my study since I don't have a closet for it. No suggestions for airflow, but thought I throw this out as an option. FYI: I thought about the LACK rack and would have done it, but the closest IKEA to me (Montgomery, AL) is Atlanta. Not worth the drive time/gas, and they were not offering shipping of the LACK table at the time.

[dbhost]

One option for you to consider for mounting is a LACK table from Ikea. Wouldn't you know, just the exact width between the legs to mount a standard rack component. You could have that on the floor and use it as a dressing stool. Plenty of airflow.

Do you have an older DVR? The ones I've used you simply connect the ethernet cable to the back of it.

If you are serious about using rack mounts, spend a touch more and get a rack mount UPS.

The DVR is less than a year old...

This gizmo actually is one of the few things that REALLY aggravates me about DirecTV... That and lousy customer service. But I haven't had to use it much thank God...

Yeah, I do want to rack for multiple reasons. Serviceability is one of them.

Both CyberPower Systems and TrippLite offer smaller capacity rack mountable UPS'es. I could go up to a 1Kva unit. I just can't see spending the bucks for a 1500+va unit for just this little bit of equipment...

I am actually wondering if I could possibly tap a small duct, off of the plenum, and run it to the ceiling right above the rack to provide cooling in the summer.

If I did that, I could build in an access door so that it is hidden except when I want to get into it...

I want to build this out so that any potential buyer of the house will at least realize what this is for and be able to utilize it as a selling point for the house. So installing a server cabinet, or large 2 post rack is not a good plan. At least in my situation.

The space all of this has to fit in is 24x24x96". It is within easy reach of the Telephone Network Interface so that I can connect to my existing house wiring. (It is also within easy reach of my main panel.

[Cochese]

Is it a SWM or duplexer? Take a pic, because I'm genuinely curious.

If you're looking for it to be a selling point of the house, you need to make it easy to get to and a standard installation. The last thing you want is some old lady to be explained what it is and wonder what else of the house you've cut up for strange things. Something that would be easily removable, because you'll either need to remove it because someone doesn't know what the **** it is, or you'll have a network geek already have a setup that they'd install themselves anyway. The other thing is heat - I know in Texas you don't need it too often, but the last thing you'd want to do is help bake it in winter.

If you have the room, you could easily disguise it as a piece of furniture if you couldn't otherwise put it in the closet. A small bar, for example. Just park it over a floor vent or wall vent if you have one in the summer, and shut that vent off when the heat needs to come on.

A house is a bit like a car when it comes time to be sold - when you show people how customized it is, your potential market shrinks. Just a thought.

[dbhost]

And a good thought. However my bigger consideration is the current standard in homes, with structured wiring with home runs. Effectively the phone system is indoors in a dedicated network closet, and utilizes a star topology.

A few guys I know are basically building a "network box" in the attic, effectively a small room, insulated, with HVAC ducting, typically above a closet, where they blow exhaust air. The room is insulated, and the phone / video / data networks are based in there. My cathedral ceiling prevents this with mine...

If it wasn't for the heat issue, I could put the (expletive) thing on a mount board right by the attic stairs. Power is very close by, and it is just about as central as you can get. Video already runs there anyway...

I guess I need to keep mulling this over. I REALLY want to centralize this stuff. But it isn't exactly the easiest thing to figure out without doing weird things to the house...

[ivwshane]

I'll post a pic tomorrow of my setup. It's not as centralized as you want it to be but it's clean and hidden when the laundry room door is open.

[JSUPreston]

Just before I found the 2 post, I was looking at building something like this:
http://www.xrackpro.com/v/vspfiles/V...12U-studio.htm

Retrofitting an older house for today's datacomm is a nightmare!

[dbhost]

Since I am only dealing with switching, routing, modem etc... hardware, not servers (those are overglorified desktops anyway) I was thinking about something along the lines of...

6u Patch Panel wall mount bracket.


1u 10" deep rack mount shelf to hold the modem, and router. which would be mounted highest possible. And a second mounted just below. The top for the UPS, the second for the modem, and router.


Swap out the 12 port wall mounted keystone patch panel for a 24 port rack mount.


As far as UPS'es are concerned. I have 3 already, and other than desperately needing replacement batteries, they are fine. Older CyberPower boxes. The smallest one, is a 550 VA unit that I got in 2002. Now I'm not Mr. Environmentalist, but I don't believe in just tossing something that can be easily fixed unless there is a compelling reason to upgrade. I am going to check with CyberPower about replacement batteries. They have a reference on their site, I just need to verify my model #s and get the right batteries.

The big problem is the only UPS I have that is rack mountable is a 1500VA, and I am using it for my backup server. I figure I can put the smaller one on a shelf, plug the VOIP adapter directly into that since it will most likely be Magic Jack Plus, mount a shelf under that, place the modem, and router on that, that should take 3u, then mount the switch (1u), and the patch panel (1u) which would leave me with 1u to spare.

Power really isn't a huge issue. There is an outlet on the wall immediately underneath the existing patch panel. I have just run power cable down under the door and to the outlet. This outlet is actually useless inside the room it is in. I don't see any reason why I can't remove it from the one side, install it on the inside, and patch the sheetrock on the bedroom side.

That brings me to cooling. I don't want to cut holes in the wall for venting, although I have seen that done in homes, particularly in humid climates. Tends to keep clothes in the closets from getting mildewy... It's ugly as sin though...

I am however not allergic to shaving the door bottoms up a hair to allow for a greater gap between door and floor allowing ventilation into and from the closet. I am not allergic to punching holes in the closet ceiling though as I already have a hole that the cabling is run through anyway.

So it looks like I really need to add a ceiling register to the closet ceiling just above the equipment which looks easy enough. I just need to make sure I can shut the register off in the winter. Don't want to cook the things you know...

I figure once that is installed, I can build a simple freestanding 2x4 frame to support a plywood access door. The idea here is twofold. #1. When not accessing the network components, it isolates the network from the contents of the closet. My main purpose here is if LOML and I are ever blessed with the need for using this bedroom as a, well bedroom, I want to keep clothing and other closet contents, not to mention those that live in that room, out of the network components thus insuring fewer externally influence network disruptions. #2. The access door, well allows access which means I would be able to view status LEDs as needed, and work on / replace components as needed.

[ivwshane]

I'm using a 28" structured wiring enclosure:
http://www.smarthome.com/865109E/Lev...ncluded/p.aspx

It's got two 8 Gigabit switches
This splitter (I got off of ebay for way cheaper):
http://www.amazon.com/8-Port-Bi-Dire...705795-2858753

24 port patch panel:
http://www.smarthome.com/36546/Levit...e-ports/p.aspx

A DSL filter board and a phone module similar to this:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/leviton...l#.UKUvoVEzra4

I then made a custom rack to hold my rack-mount UPS and it will eventually hold my media server as well.

[dbhost]

I'm using a 28" structured wiring enclosure:
http://www.smarthome.com/865109E/Lev...ncluded/p.aspx

It's got two 8 Gigabit switches
This splitter (I got off of ebay for way cheaper):
http://www.amazon.com/8-Port-Bi-Dire...705795-2858753

24 port patch panel:
http://www.smarthome.com/36546/Levit...e-ports/p.aspx

A DSL filter board and a phone module similar to this:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/leviton...l#.UKUvoVEzra4

I then made a custom rack to hold my rack-mount UPS and it will eventually hold my media server as well.

Wow, while not quite what I am looking for, I think... that looks great. A couple of quick questions...

#1. This is just me being curious. But why did you opt for 2 8 port switches instead of a single 16 port model? Mind you, I have 2 of those exact 8 port gigabit switches, but I am using them for an iSCSI SAN implementation that is set up actually on a desktop.

#2. Is there a way to perhaps mount the switch / switches on a plate that could hinge down 90 degrees thus allowing view to the status LEDs without having to crane ones neck?

#3. What is the required mounting depth? Can this be mounted say inside a standard 2x4 wall stud cavity?

#4. How are the devices actually attached to the enclosure?

#5. What are the interior dimensions of this thing?

#6. The patch panel, does it use keystones, or is it more of a solid punch down block on the back?

IF I can make everything fit excluding the UPS, I can provide at the very least conditioned power through the surge supressor that it looks like you added as well. That would leave me with very little else to worry about on this installation. I could install it on the wall that gets covered by the bedroom door when its open, so it is no less intrusive than say an interior mount breaker panel. I see yours has a key hole. Does it include a locking mechanism?

[ivwshane]

Wow, while not quite what I am looking for, I think... that looks great. A couple of quick questions...

#1. This is just me being curious. But why did you opt for 2 8 port switches instead of a single 16 port model? Mind you, I have 2 of those exact 8 port gigabit switches, but I am using them for an iSCSI SAN implementation that is set up actually on a desktop.

I used 2 8 port switches because of cost and space. Both switched cost me about $40-50.


#2. Is there a way to perhaps mount the switch / switches on a plate that could hinge down 90 degrees thus allowing view to the status LEDs without having to crane ones neck?

There are all sorts of mounting brackets available but you could also make your own and buy the locking buttons to hold it in place.

#3. What is the required mounting depth? Can this be mounted say inside a standard 2x4 wall stud cavity?

Yep, it's designed specifically to be mounted in between 2x4 studs 16" oc.

#4. How are the devices actually attached to the enclosure?

Push in locking buttons. Smarthome.com should have a bag of them.

#5. What are the interior dimensions of this thing?

The link in my post should have the demensions but they also make a 48" version if you want more space./

#6. The patch panel, does it use keystones, or is it more of a solid punch down block on the back?

Keystone for the front and standard punch down in the back.


IF I can make everything fit excluding the UPS, I can provide at the very least conditioned power through the surge supressor that it looks like you added as well. That would leave me with very little else to worry about on this installation. I could install it on the wall that gets covered by the bedroom door when its open, so it is no less intrusive than say an interior mount breaker panel. I see yours has a key hole. Does it include a locking mechanism?

You can use a standard lock on it (it did not come with it) but I have no need nor do I want more keys

Personally I'd go for a whole home surge protector. The surge protector in my enclosure really isn't a surge protector but rather an extension block, however that is plugged into an AC module that has power protection.

http://www.smarthome.com/865110/Levi...r-Block/p.aspx

[dbhost]

It's a pity I don't know how to model cables, that would help a LOT with this project...


http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...39&prevstart=0

I have more I need to model, listed in the TODO section of the description.

My wife has selected a perfect spot for it too. Just above the HVAC return air grates. Plenty of airflow, easy access to existing house wiring, pretty central location, and on a wall already more or less bunged up by utilities.

[ivwshane]

It's not go obstruct the actual air return air flow will it?

[dbhost]

It's not go obstruct the actual air return air flow will it?

Nope. The return air vents pass through the wall. I will just be utilizing dead wall space above. My return air is kind of weird, the vents open into an almost closet like space that feeds into the plenum.