Network in the loft.

[Big_Lad]

Hey guys,

I'm in a position to start installing my network around my house and over the last few months been running Cat5e around the upstairs of the house. It is my intention to mount a 9U wall cabinet in my loft and have my 1U 24-port CAT5e patch panel, 1U 24-Port 100/1000 Switch and 1U cable management located within it.

When mounting my cabinet to solid brick, what is the best method? I've been reading about dynabolts, if i use these, will the brick not crack/shatter as the bolt expands when tightened? Would it be best to mount within the mortar in between the bricks?

I also want to place my N40L in there too, but am wondering if the cabinet will:
a) take the weight of the server with 6 x 3.5in HDD's in it, and a switch.
b) is the best place for it. It's relatively dust free and also free from junk.

Your help is greatly appraciated...

Many thanks

 

[blue max]

Just use reasonably sized screws (like size 12 x 50mm) into brown rawl plugs in the wall. The weight won't be a problem as it will be largely acting downwards. Drill into the brick with a masonry drill (usually 7mm) to the full depth of the rawl plus and about 5mm. Lightly tap them home with a hammer. They will be more than enough.
Push the heavier items to the back towards the wall and you'll be fine.

 

[Kristian]

I'd be more concerned about the temperature in the loft than the cabinet fixings. In my loft, in summer I see 40C+. I'd not be worried about the cable and switch (cheap to replace) but the server and disks might be an issue. Maybe someone has experience of this and can offer an opinion; have you searched the forum?

For fixing the cab to the wall, either decent sized screws 12x3" and rawl plugs (like Blue Max suggests) or some 3" coach screws, penny washers and nylon plugs. We use some of the sleeved anchors for wall mounting bigger cabs, 20U+. If you're still worried then use a batten at the bottom to sit it on as well.

 

[DocJackal]

Hi there,

I've recently done basically what you are looking to do - 9u cabinet in the loft, wall mounted, with switch, patch panel, and cable management.

The way I did it was i built a shelf, then bolted it to the wall. So I got some fairly wide timber from Wickes and cut it to size, about 1cm wider than the cabinet on either side. I then cut out a rectangle from the wood to match the rectangular knock-out on the bottom of the cab for cables to go through, and put the shelf up with 2 brackets, & regular screws & wall plugs (fairly long screws)

I then got some bolts with wall plugs (these ones - Fixing Set 7x60mm PK4 | Wickes.co.uk and put them in the wall through the csbinets' wall mounting holes.

It's a bit belt-&-braces, but its not going anywhere

Also, put those through the brick, not the mortar (I think I had to put 1 through mortar simply due to how they all sit & where they end up)

 

[Big_Lad]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Maybe dynobolts are overkill then.

I've no idea how warm my loft gets / will get. Is a loft not a suitable place for my NAS?

 

[drummerjohn]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Maybe dynobolts are overkill then.

I've no idea how warm my loft gets / will get. Is a loft not a suitable place for my NAS?

No - it will shorten the life of the NAS and the disks. A disk running in ambient temp of 20c will be about 38c. If your loft gets to 40c then disk will be 58c - it won't last long.

 

[DocJackal]

It depends on how much insulation you have. If you have insulation in the loft rafters (a 'warm' loft), then it will probably get hot. If you only have insulation on the floor in between the lofts joists (a cold loft) then it may be fine.

 

[limegreenzx]

And in the winter the insulated loft and nas is below freezing, until the nas disks spin up from idle/sleep. Allowing condensation to form. There are reasons datacenters run at a constant temperature and humidity.

 

[Big_Lad]

Hmm. Maybe I'll just stick to the conventional switch and patch panel in the loft and move my NAS somewhere else then. My loft has 270mm of insulation material so double insulated.

 

[geordieboy25]

The N40L is quiet enough to have on 24/7 anywhere in the house. I have one on my desk in the living room and can hardly hear, neither can the wife (miracle...)
You could setup a test server, like an old tower with an old small drive and put it in the loft. Test out the temps etc over 6 months or so when seasons change so you get an idea if the n40l will survive?

 

[bl0at3r]

I have the small cabinet in the loft with the switch, patch panel and wireless ap - the extremes of temperature are far too great to have a NAS/server/PC or whatever up there IMHO - just run a cat5 point to the cupboard under the stairs or wherever to enable it to be hidden away - or as mentioned situate a quiter device somewhere like a study, spare room or whatever.

I have my CCTV DVR in the garage and that is not ideal either !