Rackmounting at Home? 204
gnurd asks: "I am toying with the idea of buying a Rackable system for home use. However I'm sure I dont need a 72" cabinet, but i would like a small safe enclosure for a couple of systems. I have had a hard time finding a small (12U) cabinet for home use. anybody try setting up a small racked center at home? Your experience would be appreciated." Would any of the solutions from
this past Ask Slashdot discussion help in this case? And has anyone successfully used racks intended for rackable musical instruments to hold servers instead?
Umm.. why? (Score:1)
MIDI Racks (Score:1)
A few places to get racks (Score:1)
A Tip (Score:1)
Re:I have a related question (Score:1)
Re:I have a related question (Score:1)
Some considerations (Score:1)
There are a few considerations I learned about when I set up my living-room-based rack:
1) Temperature: Even a few pieces of equipment will boost the temperature of the room where the rack is placed. Beware of closets and other closed spaces since they collect heat and can be so hot in a few hours that your equipment will fry. UPS units make a lot of heat! Have a decent A/C available.
2) Noise! The rack can act as an echo chamber for equipment noise. The fans run all the time, and they can get irritating 24/7 when the rack is in a living area. You may want to consider low noise power supplies such as the Silencer from PC Power&Cooling [pcpowercooling.com] if the rack will be in a populated room. Also, some of the cooling fans that are actually attached to the rack may cause too much noise.
3) Power Requirements: I had to install an improved plug in the living room of my apartment just to handle 4 rackmounted systems, a switch and some other peripherals. Be careful if you are planning to plug lots of stuff in as it could be drawing too much current. This would cause your circuit breakers to blow frequently or possibly a fire hazard.
4) Appearance: I got a lot of flak from my girlfriend when I installed the rack. Since I could not leave it in the closet for temperature reasons I had to put it in the living room, and she didn't like the way it looked. Fortunately, I bought a Middle-Atlantic unit (somewhat pricey, though) which allowed me to add a plexiglass door which made it look a little better. It sits in the corner with a lamp on top and looks okay, though.
Generally, besides these special concerns for a home rack, it is like any other piece of industrial equipment. I bought it for the specific reason that I run a home-based business and I needed to economize on space. I recommend against buying it unless you have a specific need. Even a single rack because of the above considerations will take some planning and setup work when one could just as well stack up systems on top of one another.
- John
Rack Enclosure Options (Score:1)
quality rack supply (Score:1)
Re:I have a related question (Score:1)
Build your own rack (Score:2)
Music Stores! (Score:2)
Personally I use a 10RU SKB rack case.. just throw the front and back on and pick the thing up by the handles.. incredible if you need to lug 10U worth of rack gear around every few weeks.
Re:I have a related question (Score:2)
Look for old Motorola radio cabinets (Score:3)
Music equipment racks work fine (Score:2)
They make a standalone 24U isolated rack [middleatlantic.com] that might be just what the doctor ordered.
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here's mine: (Score:2)
- A.P.
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Geek Haus Racks (Score:1)
Server racks [nerp.net]
Entertainment Racks [nerp.net]
There are a couple other racks, the central router rack, with cablemodem, cisco routers for internal subnets, and a vlan switch for remote management.
and another server rack next to the main NOC rack for a couple of servers, and a small clarion raid array.. (just don't ask what our power bills are like.. yikes)
Traffic signal controller cabinets (Score:1)
Radio Shack rack (Score:1)
Price was $59 on sale. They also had a bigger one which was still less than $100.
The drawback is that they only have 1 small one per store, if that. So if you don't get the in store one you have to order it from the catalog, and I imagine shipping isn't cheap.
Re:Radio Shack rack (Score:1)
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5
Try electronics catalogs (Score:5)
(Unfortunately, Newark's online catalog is poorly organized, the print version is much easier to follow, IMO).
Apartment rack setup (Score:1)
My setup isn't as sophisticated as I'd like, but it gets the wires off the floor. I have two enclosures, an old AT&T DataPhone cabinet (about 1.5m tall by .65m wide by .5m deep) and a free-standing "ladder"-style rack (3m tall, standard width). The DataPhone cabinet holds two DDS-2 tape drives, a keyboard/monitor switch, and four computers: two "pizza box"-style Intergraph TD-40 workstations, a 486 in a standard tower case, and a Packard Bell desktop. The rack holds most of the networking kit in the apartment (both firewalls, the cable modem, an Ethernet hub, the Synoptics chassis, and the Token Ring MAU). The disk array chassis and the UPS remain freestanding.
The most important reason to throw stuff in a rack is cable management. Common cabling is bundled up neatly and hung off the screw holes on the enclosures. Bundles of CAT-5 cable are snugly wrapped in masking tape every half meter, with Ethernet in a bundle separate from the Token Ring. Power cabling runs up the opposite side of the rack from the data cabling, and I have taken care to cross power and data cables at right angles to minimize cross-talk. Almost everything is labeled neatly. If you want to spend the money, you can color code your cabling (I usually do this when doing wiring jobs for money).
Be careful when using tie-wraps: They can be cinched too tight and cause internal breaks in delicate wiring (e.g. SCSI or UTP cabling). I usually use wire ties like you get with boxes of trash bags to truss everything in place.
Make friends with other sysadmins. A friend of mine gave me all sorts of nice telecomms hardware (including the Dataphone cabinet and brackets for running wiring) in trade for helping him clean out his machine room. I regularly go through the trash at work looking for useful items, e.g. an HP SCSI enclosure or Sun monitor cables. I once found two 4-GB SCSI disks in the trash and was able to make do with them for several years until I bought enough disks for a software RAID array. A consultant friend of mine was able to get four dual-processor Intergraph workstations for less than USD 300---all with 128 MB RAM, on-board Ethernet and SCSI. Even though they're Pentium-133s, Windows, Linux, and Solaris fully support the hardware and run great as domain controllers, file servers, and Unix workstations. Another guy traded me a monitor for a working SGI Indy that was loaded with memory. Make new friends and keep the old, my aunt always said.
I have something like 20 computers in my apartment, from an old IMSAI 8080 on up to a DEC Alpha. While I'd be really hurting if I had to replace it all, I think I've purchased maybe one complete system out of the whole lot. If you're having a hard time finding racks and such, nose around the local swap meets or hamfests, contact wholesalers and salvagers, and hang out around a college data center. Somebody's bound to get rid of something useful, and most times they'll just give it away to be rid of it.
Rev. Dr. Xenophon Fenderson, the Carbon(d)ated, KSC, DEATH, SubGenius, mhm21x16
Re:Wires off the floor? (Score:1)
Heh. Fortunately for me, my girlfriend has her own place. I doubt I'd get away with all the crap I have if I was married. :)
Rev. Dr. Xenophon Fenderson, the Carbon(d)ated, KSC, DEATH, SubGenius, mhm21x16
Surplus shops (Score:1)
I've been contemplating the same, some links: (Score:1)
From Smarthome: Rack Systems [smarthome.com] - They're for audio and computers. Check out the empty frames 'n casters.
Cheap 4U EMPTY rack case!
Interlogic Industries [interlogicindustries.com]
My idea was to convert my standard cases into rackmounts. Not too expensive it seems. That's the cheapest 4U rack enclosure I've ever seen. Dunno if it's still a good price though.
If anyone else has any other hints, lemme know. I'm still thinking about rack mounting to save space in my apartment.
Pretty nice desks w/racks (Score:1)
Re:Pretty nice desks w/racks (Score:1)
build your own rack (Score:2)
in full-height (96" or something) and half-height
(45" or so). They're about $100 for the set of
four rails. I just bought a set myself, I've
got a big UPS, some hubs, and a few small boxes
now, and plans for a 4U RAID cabinet and a 2U web
server. Plus the spare wood from the deck my
parents just dismantled, I figure I got a pretty
great deal.
- Kazin
An answer to several questions. (Score:2)
The reason they are expensive is that the demand is low, and the construction has to be pretty strong. You are, after all, mounting stuff that's usually quite expensive, and usually mounting lots of it.
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Then, if you take it as a given that you have these servers happily whirring and humming away, you probably do want to put them in another room from the one that you actually work/live/watch tv in.
At risk of being on-topic, I'd say that racks are expensive largely for the same reasons that SCSI hard drives are expensive - economies of scale (or rather the lack of them).
The coolest rack I've seen recently is the one that comes "free" with a Sun 4800. So buy one of those and stick your boxes in the spare space. Or maybe not :-)
Re:Alternative Approach (Score:2)
Man, I get this ALL the time! (Score:2)
"HEY BABY! NICE RACK! COME ON HOME, BABY! I WANNA MOUNT THAT THING!"
Tough life, I know. [shrug]
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E-Bay & Space saving (Score:1)
Ive got a neat wall-mount rack... (Score:2)
Usual disclaimers apply, etc etc...
Re:Look for old Motorola radio cabinets (Score:1)
In favor of rackmounting... (Score:2)
If you are setting something up in your basement or even a spare bedroom, IMHO, they're the only way to go.
Get to know people who work in IT at large companies. You may find that they're dumping rack enclosures. I've picked up a 19-inch and a 24-inch for nothing. The 24-incher has shelves and both have fans and doors. These were being dumped during an equipment migration project and if I didn't take them they'd have actually paid someone to come and haul them away. If you have some money... I've seen some equipment racks for sale cheap (though not cheap enough for me :-) ) in the local classified ads, usually when some company goes under. With the recent death of some dot-com companies, I suspect that some hardware will be for sale fairly cheap.
I have been assembling my own systems since the late '80s and prefer getting rackmounted enclosures for most systems though I found that it's nice to have a smaller workstation that'll sit under the desk. You can keep most of your data on the rackmounted systems downstairs. Makes the system under your desk quieter when it doesn't have a half-dozen disks spinning in it.
The downside of racks are that, even if you strip them down to the skeleton (removing the side panels, doors, etc.), they're a bear to haul up and down the stairs if you move. I know... I just moved and my back wasn't the same for a couple of days. Tests the strength of your friendships as well though it helps to remind folks that there's beer in the fridge when you get done shlepping the rack up the stairs.
The other thing that's sometimes annoying is that you never have enough of the hardware for mounting equipment in the rack. As a result, you collect a bunch of incompatible clip-on nuts and screws. The one's I prefer are apparently only made by one company on the planet and available only to people representing a secret cabal of IT equipment manufacturers. And what ever screw/nut combinations you find... don't ever lose one of the screws. The local hardware store will not have exact replacements. It's incredibly annoying to have to have three different screw/nut/Torx drivers on hand to put in a pair of slide rails. Hint: if you find some mounting hardware that you like, buy a bunch of it.
Oh yeah, one more plus: Your friends and acquantances will be assured of your being a geek when they see your rackmounted computers. Of course, if you wish to be recognized as a total geek, you'll keep the racks in the living room.
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Re:Rack Cart by Anthro (Score:1)
Kinda expensive, but you get what you pay for.
Send lawyers, guns and money. The shit has hit the fan.
Alternative Approach (Score:2)
I ended up buying industrial shelving. It's cheap (~$100 for 36" wide by 72" high with 5 shelves) Each shelf is rated to 400 lbs. I bought the grid style shelving, which means it is made up bars every 3 inches or so. That makes cabling nice and easy.
No I don't get to screw my equipment into it, but it sits on it nicely, and even supports a Compaq DS20 without any hassle. (In fact, there are 3 other "normal" machines on the same shelf.) It isn't very pretty or very sexy, but cheap and efficient. (Think warehouse shelving)
You can get this sort of thing at any commercial office supply place. I'm not sure if some place like OfficeDepot would have it or not.
10U Shock-mount Rack Case Available (Score:1)
If anyone's interested, the first decent offer takes it. I would sell through ebay for security.
Use 19 inch open relay racks (Score:1)
home rack system with audio rails (Score:1)
Look around in there and you'll see some nifty stuff I've got hanging from my basement ceiling. Total cost was about $10 for rails and $15 for a bag of 100 audio rack screws.
The front unit hangs over my 4' x 8' plywood desk and gives me 14U of rack space with room to easily fit my hitachi 21" tube under it.
AV racks are not as expensive (Score:2)
Cheap racks for North Dallas residents, plus a ? (Score:1)
I managed to find a really NICE 5/6-enclosed HP 2m rack super-cheap from a company near me (in the north Dallas suburb Richardson)...includes a fan at the top, power strip, counterweights, little snap-in front filler plates, the works. They buy corporate-surplus hardware and resell it; from what my contact tells me, the racks usually end up on the scrapheap.
The company's name is Half-Price Computers...they ought to be in the greater Dallas phone book. I can't speak for them 'cause I don't work for them, but I imagine they'd ship FOB or deliver for more money...Luckily for me, my rack fit in the back of a friend's Dodge Ram.
The only problem I've had with the rack (aside from getting it in the door of my apartment) has been the power strip...it has one of those twist-locking 120VAC/20A connectors (I believe NEMA L5-20 is the designation), and my apartment doesn't. Landlords get peeved when you change out electrical outlets, so I'm stuck with trying to make/buy an adapter cable. Does anyone know of a place (online or otherwise) that sells those, or might sell those? Already checked Home Depot and Lowe's...they have the parts to make a cable but I'm not so good with a soldering iron that I want to risk burning down my apartment building by making my own. I know of several custom-cable places that could make one for me, but I'd rather buy off-the-shelf (or 'mass-customized' a la CafePress [cafepress.com]) if I can...I would expect such to be significantly cheaper.
Anyone? Anyone?
Cool little unit. (Score:3)
Now I need to get the Financial Manager (read:Wife) to approve purchase of one of these. This means proving that I am indeed a worthwhile investment (read: clean out the basement, cook, cut lawn etc.) and that we really do need one (see cleaning basement above). I will then have to show ROI for a while to come after installation (Hon, I know we're broke, but can I buy this dress? You got that silly LAN rack or whatever a couple of months ago...). Like I said, thanks.
;-)
Re:Rackmounting at home and temperature (Score:1)
Shaky if not supported though.
Why not build your own? (Score:2)
Rackmounting? Well.. I.. err (Score:1)
Network Racks (Score:1)
If you want to try a guitar rack, you might try www.carvin.com or www.musiciansfriend.com. Both sites have attractive, nice racks and cabinets.
Music Racks (Score:1)
Never saw that exactly but I did see the inverse. My old roommate had an nice old rack surplused from a gov data center packed with tasty musical gear.
Effects Racks maybe less Xpensive alternative (Score:2)
Check out SKB [skbcases.com] for new ones.
I prefer the handmade wooden ones you find around the music shops. The better ones even come with internal and/or external shock absorbers! Great for portability.
racks abound (Score:4)
Buy a road case from someone like Anvil, Starcase, or SKB. They're durable. You can take them with you to a LAN party. And your equipment will be safe in transit, or as luggage on a 747, or whatever.
Alternatively, build a rack. Parts for serious road cases and other racks (aluminum extrusions, hasps, heavy steel corners, plywood with colorful vacuum-laminated fiberglass, pre-tapped rails, etc) can be found at TCH (the URL escapes me). They seem to be the same to road cases as Black Box is to networking gear.
Rails are also available at Parts Express (www.partsexpress.com), for cheap.
Whatever you do, be sure to compare the depth of the equipment to the depth of the rack. It might not be a big deal if the back of your server hangs out of the cabinet a few inches, unless it bothers you to look at. But it would be somewhat troublesome if the back cover for your new road case doesn't fit once it's loaded with equipment.
Companies like Starcase and Anvil are completely willing to build custom projects, so if you -really- want something special...
Re:Just put it in your wall! (Score:2)
Hmmmmm....
Cheers,
levine
Enclosures / Relay Racks (Score:1)
Some info for you (Score:3)
The place we buy from is Pacific Radio [pacrad.com] in Los Angeles. More detailed info located here [pacrad.com] on modular racks.
The main considerations will be heat disapation and cabling. Just make sure you have adequate airflow and are setting things up where you have cables running all over the place.
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Re:I have a related question (Score:2)
Re:Rackmounting at home (Score:1)
Been thinking about this myself! I could skip the plywood myself.
Screw rack-mounting.. what about cooling? (Score:2)
Keeping that room cool is a bitch. There's a ceiling fan, but even with the AC on in the place it hovers around 90. Short of sticking a thermostat in the room in question (or getting the room its own window A/C), I don't know what else to do.
Keep in mind a rack will also concentrate a lot of that heat in one spot. You could end up with scorch marks on your ceiling.
Pro audio uses the same racks (Score:3)
-jhp
Remember heat... (Score:2)
There's a reason that machine rooms at your job are around 60 degrees and full of fan noise...
You can't just put a bunch of systems in a rack (especially with doors that close) and push it off into the corner and expect everything to work. These systems give off significant heat and will start to panic or the disks will fail if you don't take proper cooling precautions.
I think some closed racks are required to have cool air pumped through them from below.
I have friends who have mounted large open-aluminum rail-type racks in their garage with fairly good results. (kind of like these racks [icc.com])
Re:Why? (Score:2)
1) space: I have four systems that I never log into directly (firewall, web server, compute server and file/email server). It is more space efficient to have them in a rack in a corner I don't use. The noise and heat are somewhere else.
2) heat management: Rack mount cases are typically better for heat (and nearly everything else) than desktop cases.
3) dirt: Things in racks are typically cleaner. All the rack mount cases I own have filters which keep the insides WAY cleaner than the hairy mess your desktop case is certain to be.
4) ease of service/change: I can have any of my rack mounted systems out and open in well under 30 seconds. Because of 2 & 3, though, I usually don't have to do that.
5) Cable management: Rack mount hardware and switches makes keeping that rat's nest behind your computer much more manageable.
6) Centralized UPS: With just a couple of racks of stuff that need reliable power, I have two rack mount UPSes in the racks that matter and so there isn't Yet Another Box sitting around taking up space. This also means only a couple of upsd's and only a couple of sets of batteries that need to be replaced regularly.
7) my home is wired cat 5. Ditto wireless.
Lots of people have differing needs, wants and hence setups. Those few of us /.ers that actually make our livings in this weird industry do *use* our computers pretty close to 24/7... and at least in my case I have no problem investing in the hardware to make my life easier.
One more point. Rack mount stuff doesn't get technologically obsolete (mostly). The racks I'm using I purchased used and date from the 1970's. My AT cases are circa 1985 (with new guts of course). So this is pretty much a 'do it once' and not worry about it. I do hope that ATX lasts a really long time as a result...
-- Multics
Standards - Not (Score:5)
There are several non-standard things to be aware of when rack mounting computer equipment.
First off is where the holes are drilled in the equipment. You may think that you can buy a 12U rack and stick 3 4U computers in it. But if you try it with different models of case or computer, you will likely find that the computers don't line up with each other correctly, meaning you may need more than 12U.
I've rack mounted a LOT of computers, audio and video equipment and run into this constantly. The A/V equipment always fits right, but the computers are all over the place!
Second thing is the depth. Many computer cases are deep enough that they need to be supported in the back. You'll find that there are multiple standards for how far back the back rail is supposed to be. To circumvent this, I usually forget about installing back rails (unless I have a perfectly homogenous installation), and just install side supports, either wood or metal, and bolt the computers to those.
I highly recommend that you use slide rails. Try to get ball bearing rails rather than friction rails, becuase the friction rails frequently do not work well.
Also if you are building your own rack out of wood, consider using the fancy ball bearing drawer slides from the kitchen dept. at Home Depot. You won't need expensive rack rails, and they can slide all the way out to let you remove the entire machine for service. The only drawback is that you'll probably have to drill your own holes to match up with the holes in the computer's chassis.
When drilling those holes, watch out and don't get any metal shavings in the ball track!
Good luck
-Loopy
Telco and data racks are not created equal! (Score:3)
Telco people use 23" racks, with a different flange design and regular 1" hole spacing. Telco equipment has the mounting flanges in the middle of the equipment, so the only force on the screws is shear. There's very little twisting, because the weight of the equipment is centered in the rack. Almost all carrier-class equipment is designed for 23" racks and mid-mounting.
They make adapter plates to mount 19" equipment with EIA-spaced holes into a 23" rack with WECO-spaced holes. There are also adapter brackets to move flush-mount equipment forward so it's even with mid-mount equipment.
As the large telcos know, it's easier to put adapters in a 23" rack than it is to stretch a 19" rack.
a word from the author of our quote... (Score:2)
This was originally said 15 years ago or so, when Linus was a high-school student, and odds were good that the UNIX implementation you would see at a university was BSD or a derivative thereof.
I've received enough grief from UNIX people in general who thought I was a VMS partisan or something. (I'm not). I don't want to be misconstrued by BSD lovers as having an axe to grind with BSD as well (I don't).
... But you are free to make any quote you want. My lawyers won't call...
j.
Military Auctions (Score:2)
Anyway, call your local militar base and ask for DRMO. Find out when the next auction takes place.
Remember, you paid for it (with tax dollars), so you should at least check it out.
Racks (Score:2)
Re:Cool little unit. (Score:2)
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Re:I have a related question (Score:2)
Hence, so-called "morons" buying stuff en masse means that it will probably eventually get cheaper.
But anyway, back on topic: my friend has an old, old wooden stereo cabinet that's actually exactly rack-width. We put rack equipment in it by drilling the appropriate holes in the wooden frame to mount things. Wooden racks like that, if built carefully, can be very sturdy. And it's much cheaper to machine wood than it is to machine metal.
We have a winner. No more calls, please. (Score:2)
7-foot rack free in Tampa (Score:3)
I'll help you push it out the door. Everything else is up to you.
I'm serious.
Re:I have a related question (Score:5)
ebay (Score:2)
The only problem I've had has been finding inexpensive cases for my PCs and shelves for my nonrackable stuff.
Re:I have a related question (Score:3)
Re:A computer person with an audiophiles problem : (Score:2)
I suppose a more accurate title would have been "A computer person with an amateur DJ's problem"
I have a related question (Score:5)
Why are racks so damn expensive?
They're just hunks of metal, and yet the ones I always see cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Even those seem unfinished (barbs and sharp bits everywhere); to get a *nice* rack you have to spend even more.
What's the deal? Is the market so small that they can charge this much, or is there some secret process in the manufacturing that makes it so expensive?
Re:Look for old Motorola radio cabinets (Score:2)
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Build yer own for smaller things (Score:2)
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WTF? (Score:2)
I've got a small rack at home... (Score:2)
I've got a rackmount er, rack, here - it can hold about 20U of devices, atm it has 3 4U PC boxes (canibalised systems, easier to fit into 4U's).
It's got space under the rack bracket for my two full tower units...now I just need to make up something so I can mount my 1603R in it - damn Cisco making 19" rackmount routers way to expensive.
Anyway it's made by NexelShelf [nexelshelf.com] It's the EIA Rack on that page.
pic of my one in action [shad0w.org.uk] :)
What I'd really like is a full height server enclosure from Rittal :)
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Re: Rackmounting at Home (Score:3)
What consenting adults do behind closed doors is their own business.
Re:WTF? (Score:3)
Why the hell is a question which has been asked many many times on the front page, while the story about the BSA that would actually interest most of us is hidden off in Ask Slashdot?
Hmm, take a look at the top of your screen. See that ad for cheap rack units? VA Linux has tons and tons of rack mounted hardware they have to get rid of, and they're obviously trying to drum up interest in people buying this stuff up for home use.
Heres what I did. (Score:2)
For my newer machines, I just made shelves inside the case and layed the machines on horizontally. The same goes for my sun machines.
Also, if you want a cheap enclosure to hold all the rack mount gear, look for someone who is selling an old unix server case. That's what I did, and now all my stuff are inside of a Sparc Center 2000E case. The processing power inside of it is more than the origional server had. And, IMHO, it looks good too.
Jason
Dell also has racks (Score:2)
Linux Today Story (Score:3)
Finally!!! (Score:3)
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Re:Cool little unit. (Score:2)
I feel your pain brother.
Substitue shoes for dress and LAN rack for hard drive and I'd swear I was the victim of that same conversation last week. 8^)
Is nice to know that there are certain constants in the Universe yes?
Who needs a rack? (Score:2)
It's really more compact (though maybe not as neat) to put rackmounted stuff wherever you have a niche for them, rather than setting aside an entire block of space.
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Re: damaging resale value (Score:2)
Anyways, that rack is really hardcore, man. I love it. Watchen das blinkenlights...
Just put it in your wall! (Score:3)
Check out racks for audio gear (Score:3)
You should make sure that you have adequate ventilation though (add a fan or five if necessary) - these are generally meant to be enclosed, and I've seen LCD displays (the small type on audio gear) go bad just from the heat generated by the equipment.
Also - check the depth on the rack before you buy... most audio equipment isn't as long as some of the computer gear you might mount.
Or, make your own [musiciansfriend.com]. Watch the weight though!
Roll your own (Score:2)
If it's for home use, make it a bit more furniture like. Your woman of the house will complain much less.
bm :)-~
Seattle source for cheap racks (Score:3)
Most are in good shape and blue. I have a single in my garage and run everything remote.
Re:I have a related question (Score:2)
This is the same reason I can charge 90 an hour for webdesign if I want. People pay what you ask if you supply the service they need.
The Lottery:
Re:Music Stores! (Score:2)
On the other hand, I love my SKB. A 4U ATX case from ebay, a rock solid power amp, EQ, processing, and power conditioner all in one neatly wired black cube. Snap both covers on and I can easily move the whole system anywhere.
Now if only I could find a cheap, ergonomic rack mountable monitor.
Re: damaging resale value (Score:2)
Off the top of my head...
Of course, I'm a tad rusty on prices, but that should be pretty accurate. And if he's talented enough to make the hole and wire it up, then he's probably talented enough to repair it.
Re:Just put it in your wall! (Score:2)
Is that a 12-port 10/100 Bay switch I see there, below the patch panel? How many actual boxen do you have - are you ever likely to actually fill the rack up?
I have a [day]dream of getting together 3-4 geeks and building the hacienda, uh, that is, the ultimate geekhaus... pooling the cost of a *real* net connection (none o' that cable modem crap!), proper cabling, LAN parties, no need to actually *speak* to one's housemates - just IRC them...
One day. *sigh*
--
"I'm not downloaded, I'm just loaded and down"
I just bought a one (Score:2)
I got one for my home lab. It's a 48in. rack open frame equipment rack ( basically 2 poles with holes in them attached to a metal plate at the bottom, they're much more accessible and cheaper than the enclosures ). I also got the cool thumb screws from rackrelease.com. I add/remove components all the time without the use of a screwdriver.
Look on ebay as well. There are rack models sometimes called "table top racks" . They are usually very cheap, as low as about $40 bucks and I've seen them on ebay for less. they look small and flimsy but should get as tall as about 8U I think
This one is great (Score:2)
There are two major products that come out of Berkeley: LSD and BSD. We don't believe this to be a coincidence.
Cheap Racks (Score:2)
radioshack rack on wheels (Score:2)
look at my fishtank cam [vidcard.com] , powered by linux, php, mysql & apache
Buying racks in the UK (Score:3)
Digital Networks UK Ltd
www.dnuk.com
Pro Computers & Industrial Case Ltd
www.pcicase.co.uk
Sight Systems Ltd
www.sightsystems.mcmail.com
VASCO:
www.tmc-uk.com/
Personally, I bought an ATX case, and separate drive case from Sight Systems, cost under 500ukp, and you can even choose the colour!
Personally, I went for the rather nifty black ones, though if you are so inclined pantone-414C is still available. That's beige to you and me.
The quality was excellent, far in advance of standard pc cases including vibration dampening, and not a sharp edge anywhere to be seen!
The cabinet an (18u including acrylic door) made by proel and purchaced through a high-street music store was 220ukp (including VAT and delivery).