Wall-Mounting 1U Devices Without a Rack?

c640180 asks: "I need to figure out a way to mount a 1U enclosure in a small closet that doesn't have a relay rack or anything similar. Is there such a thing as a set of right angle brackets that would provide me with 19" wide screw holes so that I could mount the device vertically (so that the screws would be pointing down)? how do other folks who don't have real network closets mount real networking hardware?"

Comments

Beware of Fire Hazards!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Think long and hard before you start running an electrical device 24X7 in a wooden closet that hasn't been fire-proofed.

That said, DataTel/MiddleAtlantic has a nice, affordable series of wall mount racks [the "WM" series]:

http://www.middleatlantic.com/specs/96_291.pdf
[PDF FILE]

Syndat, out of Oklahoma, is a retailer who will mail them to you [the "WM" series isn't listed on their website, but they do carry it - ask a salesman]:

http://www.syndat.com

Consider convection.

[chrestomanci]

Rack mounted equipment will be designed to work horizontally, and often on the limits of heat dissipation (because everything is packed in tight).

If you turn things sideways, the convection currents that the manufacturer allowed for in the design will flow the wrong way and may not provide enough cooling.

For most things you can probably fix this by adding another fan or three, but if you have a CPU that is cooled by a heat pipe setup, it will not work at all. Heat pipes must be the correct way round to work at all, otherwise you will kill your expensive server CPU quite quickly.

Also, consider things like tray loading CD-ROM drives, which may be inconvenient to use the wrong way round, though you probably don't plan on using it very much.

Hope this helps.

Ask Slashdot

[GigsVT]

I submitted this to Ask Slashdot earlier, it's been accepted but not posted yet:

I have these small devices holding my computer case on. Basically they are small pegs made out of metal, with a small cap or "head" on top. The cap has a small indention that looks like a plus (+) sign. It appears you are supposed to rotate them to extract them and remove the case. My question is, is there a tool of some sort to extract these metal pegs? TIA.

Re:Ask Slashdot

[Ratface]

Good question!

I think that the tool you are looking for is called a hammer. If you find that using the hammer doesn't help, you may want to also try and track down a cold chisel. That should definitely help you remove those stubborn pegs!

If all else fails, you can use a drill with a metal boring bit. Be sure to use a bit with a diameter several times that of the pegs, or you may risk leaving parts of the peg in place. Drilling to a depth of at least 10cm should ensure that the job is done thoroughly. ;-)

Dexion!

[Bazman]

Fantastic stuff. Meccano for grown ups. People have built entire staircases out of it. We just built ten little shelves to fit behind desks in our new lab to hide the little Wyse Xterms we bought. I'm very tempted to build a mini-rack out of it for some of our other gear.

A Howto Here

Re:Boy, this is an easy one.

[adolf]

Airflow? He's mounting a single 1U box. And even if he wanted more, it is usually exceedingly difficult to find road cases in excess of 12U. Which just isn't very much equipment.

Remember, the intended purpose of these racks is not just for the shipping of equipment, but the use of it. Sensitive analog (and increasingly, digital) electronics upon which multi-million dollar shows (and hundreds of thousands of potentially-angry people) are relying on.

This type of stuff generally makes a lot more heat than a couple of PCs. And it's sitting in direct sunlight on a 105 degree day...that is, unless it's getting rained on.

Somehow, airflow seems to be OK for these folks. And they take it at least as seriously as any of you computer kids.