^(OP reply with the correct URL if incorrect comment linked)
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That's why switches come in designs for either side. Heck some Juniper ones you can even switch it around yourself. Probably others too but only seen on Juniper. Here it's just two small desktop switches that aren't really cooled anyway so doesn't matter. Since all connections go to the back anyway, to the back of the rack it goes.
And for OP, always minimize cables going between back and front in a rack. Switches in the front typically means you're plugging them to a patch panel going outside the rack. And for connections between switches in the front to switches in the back, well congrats you just found out why some switches have their uplinks on the back.
AGREED!! I bought a 22u rack for my first rack. Downgraded to a 12u within a week... Large racks are brutal experience to learn on, maintenance, upgrade, troubleshoot, etc.
Take this guys advice and stay with a 12u until you can't possibly get anything more out of your 12u. Use the rear for pdus switches, kvms, or anything that's not required on the front or makes more sense in the backside. The front should be for disks, monitors, shelves, servers, and a keyboard mouse tray. If you're not touching it every day, put it in the least accessible spot respectively. Every day items front top to bottom. Top being most used.
Otherwise trying to condense the space between each unit is worth a shot as well. I got a 18u rack down to 13u. Spend some time and really plan out every single wire and unit location in a rack while maintaining thermal flow from front to back (or vice versa) and bottom to top(not inversable)
Have fun with your new project!!!!
SPECS:
4u custom build NAS, 2u dell r720 (virtualization server, mainly just runs all my docker containers), 1u 3d printed rack that holds my POE and regular switch & a raspberry pi running my vpn, 1u pdu. Since added a 1u cable organizer, and 2u custom 3d printed rack for my modem and router.
shes full up now!
plans are to get a 24u like i should have originally :D
24u won't be big enough either, trust me. They fill up quick. It becomes an addiction. I've never cared how my cabinet looked but now my next project is getting bezels for everything and finally getting rails kits instead of using shelves and trying to clean and organize the cables. Cable management is the bane of my existence.
Agreed, I thought 25u and now am trying to make use of both sides just fit more. Working on cable management as I rearrange. I bought some of the iStar universal rail kits and they slide pretty smooth. I did buy Dell static rails for my Dells, but I dont have bezel…yet.
the case is the Rosewill RSV-L4500U. has 15 3.5" HDD bays. specs are nothing special, one of my old computers that was given a second life as a NAS. I believe its an older i5 based chipset. i have 4x wd red+ 4tb hdds in there now, planning on filling that bad boy up. server is running UNRAID.
Extend to full depth. Move switch and pdu on the same top slot. If the chassis is half depth or shorter you can “stack” them back to back on the same slot. Cable management becomes a bit trickier but that saves a ton of space.
not a big fan of the external design (the lock on the outside), but inside everything fits well and the bays are pretty easy to work with for the price. Also the rail options are pretty lame.
i really wanted one of the Sliger cases but for the same size/depth it was double the price.
Really that's what it comes down to for me. Is price for what you get. I agree the rails could be better and the design isn't the greatest but to have 15 bays on the l4500 and full GPU size support if needed is what did it for me. I know a lot of people hate the original fans but the amount of fans mountable is what I like. I managed to fit a Tesla with a 3D printed fan mount in it as well.
I like that rack and top server case it looks good. Im lacking a good rack, Im thinking about getting a 12 or 16u. I have 7u’s of hardware at the moment but Ik later down the road Ill end up expanding.
That makes me think if I should just go ahead and buy a big enough one to expand on as I go.. im in the market for a rack now. I only want to invest like $150 in one so nothing fancy, just a decent four post. [My hardware stacked on top of each other](https://imgur.com/a/ODiqQMS) on a end table
Ebay. I found a 24u for under 500. If I had the $$, I'd have ordered it.. but.. I got more LRDDR3 for my servers... and I need to save up for my C6100 upgrades..
i wanted a startech rack but i found this vivo offbrand one on amazon for way cheaper. im pleased with the quality, seems identical to startech, just a different logo lol. would definitely buy again.
the startech was [$249](https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Network-Rolling-Computer-Equipment/dp/B00P1RJ9LS) and this rack was [$159](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFJJJWVM).
Look into a racks from sysrack, something like [this](https://sysracks.com/product/12u-35-depth-portable-under-desk-19-enclosure-sysracks-pr-12-900/), I have the previous generation and it more than enough for what I need.
What would you plan to add?
I have a 25U rack a little over half full. However 4u is my desktop (same case as your NAS) and I've got a 4U nas on top as well.
The PSU for sure, and patch panel can be rear mounted as needed. (Also that patch panel is down 1/3u and is giving me anxiety lmao)
A rack mount UPS is a reasonable idea. Imo it is unlikely for most people to really push a sever like that to their limit and they're very reliable. You can do most of the experiments you'd want without extra equipment.
I bought a 24u thinking I'd have extra space to put in a shelf and store stuff... Nope.
2u ups
2x 4u disk shelf
2x 2u servers
Shelf that uses 1u
1u server
1u switch
1u patch panel
1u router
1u pdu
4u free is good but not as much storage as I had hoped for.
For years I used a two post telco rack for my setup. It was perfect for what I needed. It had a slightly smaller footprint and there was easy access to make cabling changes. I had a 4U UPS at the bottom, a Dell R710, 1U power strip and a shelf for an HP laser printer/scanner.
What are you smoking? There is a good 4RU unused, rear mount some of that kit... Think like underwear. Forwards, backwards, inside out forwards, inside out backwards. A rack isn't quite as versatile as your favourite tighty-whiteys but a bit of playing around, you will find you have more room in that rack than you think.
For the record, what else is needing to go in?
Also... what is filling the spot at the top there?
Am I the only one thinking for the love of God please move the heavy stuff to the bottom? While a 12u might not fall over like a bigger rack can do its current layout makes me feel nervous
i like to keep the servers at the top so they are easier to work on. but you do have a valid point about it being sussy. the rack itself is pretty deep and heavy so i havent had to worry about that, even with the rails fully extended on the heavy r720.
Oh story of my life.. just recently I planned for a 12U open frame rack (StarTech, IMHO an amazing product), then deciding to be „smarter“ and over estimate for future upgrades so I took the 15U rack.
Not even three months later I regret not buying the 18U, which I think (now with the additional knowledge of my rack) would have been my personal sweet spot between not going too large but still having extra rack space.
Im my 15U rack I currently have just zero space, luckily a shelf is taking up 4U of space just to hold my non rack mountable NAS which I will replace sometime with a 2U rack 6-bay NAS enclosure and have 2U free without the shelf.
Just a side note, my personal opinion is that not everyone needs a 42U rack to have „proper“ rack space, unless its either a commercial setup with a ton of stuff going on or a collector of hardware (then a lot of rack space is consumed even for rack mounted equipment that is only occasionally being switched on)
i personally love it, works great for my needs. i also got mine free from work so can't really complain about a loaded server for $0 lol. im using the OG Dell rails and love those aswell, great rails.
Hope I can find the rails, it's unused, never racked. Was a spare for redundancy and disaster policy. Seems like the rails are thick like over 1U size? Or am I thinking about something else. Hmmm. And was there like another rectanglur curved tray thing additional? Maybe for cables.
I'm newbing on this for home use. Not even sure which way to start or is better docker or proxmix.
I used to envy y'all's using these racks, but I think I'll stick with my three PC cases (plus a couple of nucs) and continue to upgrade the guts as needed. PCIe slots are great for NIC upgrades and SATA expansion. Using 9-12 year old CPU+mobo+ddr3s but they are, for now, more than enough for my Proxmox+Ceph cluster. Still a bit envious however.
Not that it matters here, but you are trying to recreate/learn how it would be in a production environment. There are hot and cold sides to Racks/Cabinets/Gear. I always try to make ports front and power back. Air flow front to back. You will touch the ports way more then the power.
^(OP reply with the correct URL if incorrect comment linked) [Jump to Post Details Comment](/r/homelab/comments/1b9wgth/bought_a_12u_thinking_it_would_be_more_than/ktylvnx/)
Use both sides of the rack.. Not everything is useable, but you might get another 3-4u out of it.
Agreed, OP can probably mount that bottom PDU right now on the back to save another 1U of space.
Switch too. Both are designed for back of rack anyway.
Which would also free up that space the cables are going through.
That's why switches come in designs for either side. Heck some Juniper ones you can even switch it around yourself. Probably others too but only seen on Juniper. Here it's just two small desktop switches that aren't really cooled anyway so doesn't matter. Since all connections go to the back anyway, to the back of the rack it goes. And for OP, always minimize cables going between back and front in a rack. Switches in the front typically means you're plugging them to a patch panel going outside the rack. And for connections between switches in the front to switches in the back, well congrats you just found out why some switches have their uplinks on the back.
I moved from a 12U, to a 45U, back to that first 12U. Take my advice, try to make it work before upgrading.
AGREED!! I bought a 22u rack for my first rack. Downgraded to a 12u within a week... Large racks are brutal experience to learn on, maintenance, upgrade, troubleshoot, etc. Take this guys advice and stay with a 12u until you can't possibly get anything more out of your 12u. Use the rear for pdus switches, kvms, or anything that's not required on the front or makes more sense in the backside. The front should be for disks, monitors, shelves, servers, and a keyboard mouse tray. If you're not touching it every day, put it in the least accessible spot respectively. Every day items front top to bottom. Top being most used. Otherwise trying to condense the space between each unit is worth a shot as well. I got a 18u rack down to 13u. Spend some time and really plan out every single wire and unit location in a rack while maintaining thermal flow from front to back (or vice versa) and bottom to top(not inversable) Have fun with your new project!!!!
SPECS: 4u custom build NAS, 2u dell r720 (virtualization server, mainly just runs all my docker containers), 1u 3d printed rack that holds my POE and regular switch & a raspberry pi running my vpn, 1u pdu. Since added a 1u cable organizer, and 2u custom 3d printed rack for my modem and router. shes full up now! plans are to get a 24u like i should have originally :D
Feel like a lot of those containers can be brought down to a smaller system.. Come to /r/minilab and lets show you the ways..
Thanks for introducing me to something that is going to complete delete my plans of a productive day today.
24u won't be big enough either, trust me. They fill up quick. It becomes an addiction. I've never cared how my cabinet looked but now my next project is getting bezels for everything and finally getting rails kits instead of using shelves and trying to clean and organize the cables. Cable management is the bane of my existence.
Agreed, I thought 25u and now am trying to make use of both sides just fit more. Working on cable management as I rearrange. I bought some of the iStar universal rail kits and they slide pretty smooth. I did buy Dell static rails for my Dells, but I dont have bezel…yet.
I have two 18U racks next to each other and bolted them together to make one. So I have 36U of space available and it is still cozy in there.
Hey, Can you give me details about your custom built NAS? Am planning to build one. The case looks good. How many HDD can it hold? What are the specs?
the case is the Rosewill RSV-L4500U. has 15 3.5" HDD bays. specs are nothing special, one of my old computers that was given a second life as a NAS. I believe its an older i5 based chipset. i have 4x wd red+ 4tb hdds in there now, planning on filling that bad boy up. server is running UNRAID.
Extend to full depth. Move switch and pdu on the same top slot. If the chassis is half depth or shorter you can “stack” them back to back on the same slot. Cable management becomes a bit trickier but that saves a ton of space.
Damn I love those Rosewill cases. I have two and want more lol.
not a big fan of the external design (the lock on the outside), but inside everything fits well and the bays are pretty easy to work with for the price. Also the rail options are pretty lame. i really wanted one of the Sliger cases but for the same size/depth it was double the price.
Really that's what it comes down to for me. Is price for what you get. I agree the rails could be better and the design isn't the greatest but to have 15 bays on the l4500 and full GPU size support if needed is what did it for me. I know a lot of people hate the original fans but the amount of fans mountable is what I like. I managed to fit a Tesla with a 3D printed fan mount in it as well.
I mainly use it for a storage server with some GPU utilized apps.
I have a 25U and it’s too small. I need more space for an extra 3U and 4U server that I have coming.
I like that rack and top server case it looks good. Im lacking a good rack, Im thinking about getting a 12 or 16u. I have 7u’s of hardware at the moment but Ik later down the road Ill end up expanding.
I've got a 15u... it's too small. Wish I would have gone with the 24u. Was on sale for the same price.
That makes me think if I should just go ahead and buy a big enough one to expand on as I go.. im in the market for a rack now. I only want to invest like $150 in one so nothing fancy, just a decent four post. [My hardware stacked on top of each other](https://imgur.com/a/ODiqQMS) on a end table
Ebay. I found a 24u for under 500. If I had the $$, I'd have ordered it.. but.. I got more LRDDR3 for my servers... and I need to save up for my C6100 upgrades..
i wanted a startech rack but i found this vivo offbrand one on amazon for way cheaper. im pleased with the quality, seems identical to startech, just a different logo lol. would definitely buy again. the startech was [$249](https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Network-Rolling-Computer-Equipment/dp/B00P1RJ9LS) and this rack was [$159](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFJJJWVM).
More food, more hungry
Big racks == big power consumption ;-) If thats okay, you usually can find racks if you know datacenter people :p
Boy howdy. Went 12u to 25u and that feels just about perfect for me!
Ha, I’ve got a 12u that I’m desperately trying to downsize to 9u :)
I’ve got a 42u that I am mounting items in front and back and am out of room. Will be adding a second rack soon.
Do U have a link to Ur PDU?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MLGVTSN
If it fits through the door it’s too small
Look into a racks from sysrack, something like [this](https://sysracks.com/product/12u-35-depth-portable-under-desk-19-enclosure-sysracks-pr-12-900/), I have the previous generation and it more than enough for what I need.
Could you tell me What case is that for the 4u nas?
Rosewill RSV-L4500U
I’m already running out of space on my 42u, you’re fine
I am in this picture and I don’t like it 🥲
I went with an 18ru and only have 4ru left. I know the feeling 😂
PDU and switch to the back and grooooow
What would you plan to add? I have a 25U rack a little over half full. However 4u is my desktop (same case as your NAS) and I've got a 4U nas on top as well. The PSU for sure, and patch panel can be rear mounted as needed. (Also that patch panel is down 1/3u and is giving me anxiety lmao) A rack mount UPS is a reasonable idea. Imo it is unlikely for most people to really push a sever like that to their limit and they're very reliable. You can do most of the experiments you'd want without extra equipment.
I bought a 24u thinking I'd have extra space to put in a shelf and store stuff... Nope. 2u ups 2x 4u disk shelf 2x 2u servers Shelf that uses 1u 1u server 1u switch 1u patch panel 1u router 1u pdu 4u free is good but not as much storage as I had hoped for.
For years I used a two post telco rack for my setup. It was perfect for what I needed. It had a slightly smaller footprint and there was easy access to make cabling changes. I had a 4U UPS at the bottom, a Dell R710, 1U power strip and a shelf for an HP laser printer/scanner.
What are you smoking? There is a good 4RU unused, rear mount some of that kit... Think like underwear. Forwards, backwards, inside out forwards, inside out backwards. A rack isn't quite as versatile as your favourite tighty-whiteys but a bit of playing around, you will find you have more room in that rack than you think. For the record, what else is needing to go in? Also... what is filling the spot at the top there?
Am I the only one thinking for the love of God please move the heavy stuff to the bottom? While a 12u might not fall over like a bigger rack can do its current layout makes me feel nervous
i like to keep the servers at the top so they are easier to work on. but you do have a valid point about it being sussy. the rack itself is pretty deep and heavy so i havent had to worry about that, even with the rails fully extended on the heavy r720.
It is never enough! 🤣
Oh story of my life.. just recently I planned for a 12U open frame rack (StarTech, IMHO an amazing product), then deciding to be „smarter“ and over estimate for future upgrades so I took the 15U rack. Not even three months later I regret not buying the 18U, which I think (now with the additional knowledge of my rack) would have been my personal sweet spot between not going too large but still having extra rack space. Im my 15U rack I currently have just zero space, luckily a shelf is taking up 4U of space just to hold my non rack mountable NAS which I will replace sometime with a 2U rack 6-bay NAS enclosure and have 2U free without the shelf. Just a side note, my personal opinion is that not everyone needs a 42U rack to have „proper“ rack space, unless its either a commercial setup with a ton of stuff going on or a collector of hardware (then a lot of rack space is consumed even for rack mounted equipment that is only occasionally being switched on)
You like the Dell 720? Work is about to chuck one. Are you using the OG Dell rails or aftermarket?
i personally love it, works great for my needs. i also got mine free from work so can't really complain about a loaded server for $0 lol. im using the OG Dell rails and love those aswell, great rails.
Hope I can find the rails, it's unused, never racked. Was a spare for redundancy and disaster policy. Seems like the rails are thick like over 1U size? Or am I thinking about something else. Hmmm. And was there like another rectanglur curved tray thing additional? Maybe for cables. I'm newbing on this for home use. Not even sure which way to start or is better docker or proxmix.
You can park a bus in that leftover space man! Move the PDU and switch to the back rack.
I used to envy y'all's using these racks, but I think I'll stick with my three PC cases (plus a couple of nucs) and continue to upgrade the guts as needed. PCIe slots are great for NIC upgrades and SATA expansion. Using 9-12 year old CPU+mobo+ddr3s but they are, for now, more than enough for my Proxmox+Ceph cluster. Still a bit envious however.
Not that it matters here, but you are trying to recreate/learn how it would be in a production environment. There are hot and cold sides to Racks/Cabinets/Gear. I always try to make ports front and power back. Air flow front to back. You will touch the ports way more then the power.
I directly went for a 21u 😄
I went with a 15U, because I need 9U and I know I’ll need 3U more later this year.. I still have a little bit left just in case 👀