Should I go with enclosure or open bracket for my structured wiring?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Should I go with enclosure or open bracket for my structured wiring?

AzaK

79 posts

Master Geek

#150503 24-Jul-2014 21:32

Hi all. I've been looking around the forums a while and it seems some of the posters here go with the enclosures and some just place a bracket on the wall. I'm really just after any advice on some reasons I might not be thinking of as why to chose one over the other.

I'm going to need about 16 ports (For a start, and up to 30ish in the future if I go nuts). I'll want to add phones and I also have Fibre so the ONT will need to go in/around there. I will also be placing a Digital video splitter for 2 TV's and maybe an HDMI one in the future. IR will have to be there somehow too. It won't be an extravagant setup, but I'll start small and build over the coming years.

The pros and cons I can think of are:

The enclosures are obviously tidier as you can close the door and everything is tucked away.

The bracket seems wider than what you can get in enclosures (I see the dynamic 19" is a popular one) and you can pile on a heap of cables whereas with an enclosure (Again like the dynamic) I will need to buy the modules in sets of 8.

The enclosures have limited space, and of course a raw bracket means I can use the whole cupboard although my wife is probably to into that idea.

So is there anything else I'm not considering. It seems for what I need that a 28" dynamix enclosure might be suffice.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Aaron

froob

692 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1095263 24-Jul-2014 21:59

I would say it depends on the location you have in mind. Go for the bracket if that location is already in a cupboard and there are plenty of places for modem / router / switches etc. If you use an enclosure, then you will just end up with a cupboard in a cupboard, and probably make the space less usable.

On the other hand, if you are going to run the cabling back to a point where it would look untidy to have a bracket (e.g. a garage wall or spare room) then I would go for an enclosure with a door.

I'm just in the process of installing structured cabling in our house, to polish off some renovations we've just completed. The cables all run back to just inside the door of a walk-in wardrobe, so I've used an enclosure to keep it tidy. I did originally buy a 19 inch bracket and patch panel, but changed my mind (for the reason above) before I installed it.

Guide: Installing Network Cabling in New Zealand Homes

AzaK

79 posts

Master Geek

#1095477 25-Jul-2014 10:48

froob: I would say it depends on the location you have in mind. Go for the bracket if that location is already in a cupboard and there are plenty of places for modem / router / switches etc. If you use an enclosure, then you will just end up with a cupboard in a cupboard, and probably make the space less usable.

On the other hand, if you are going to run the cabling back to a point where it would look untidy to have a bracket (e.g. a garage wall or spare room) then I would go for an enclosure with a door.

I'm just in the process of installing structured cabling in our house, to polish off some renovations we've just completed. The cables all run back to just inside the door of a walk-in wardrobe, so I've used an enclosure to keep it tidy. I did originally buy a 19 inch bracket and patch panel, but changed my mind (for the reason above) before I installed it.

Thanks froob. It will be in a good sized cupboard in the hall that is currently our linen cupboard but the reno will give us a much larger one elsewhere so this cupboard is just for a few things for the kids bedrooms and a few towels. It will have plenty of space for modems etc but my wife is a little concerned about ugliness that's for sure and that was my reason for considering an enclosure as originally I was just going to go for a bracket. That said, if things work out well it's possible the cupboard could become a media cupboard and I'll put my server etc in there at some point.

Can I ask what enclosure you went with in the end and what patch panel etc you used?

Cheers
Aaron

greenbone

176 posts

Master Geek

#1095624 25-Jul-2014 13:59

i put my rack stuff in a linen cupboard, post here

AzaK

79 posts

Master Geek

#1095635 25-Jul-2014 14:26

greenbone: i put my rack stuff in a linen cupboard, post here

That's real sexy greenbone. I guess a proper rack is best if you have some components to go into the system. Do you have any need for cooling in there? That'd be one thing I'd be concerned about for me as I wouldn't want to hear fans in the hallway :)

froob

692 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1095838 25-Jul-2014 19:58

Can I ask what enclosure you went with in the end and what patch panel etc you used?

I'm in quite a small (ex-state) house, so didn't need anything massive. I went with a Dynamix 18 inch enclosure in the end. Not much in there at the moment - a Dynamix 12 port patch panel and a TP-Link TL-SG1008D switch I had already. I'll move the modem (a Draytek Vigor 120) into there as well some point soon. My router (which is a Linksys model running Tomato) is sitting in the lounge next to the TV, so that the wireless is more central and the devices behind the TV can be plugged into its built-in switch. I have two cables running from the patch panel to behind the TV, so that the LAN side of the router can run back to the switch.

Note that I've just used cat 5e cabling (because it's a bit easier to work with an can still do gigabit) and am not sure whether there is a cat 6 version of that patch panel.

Guide: Installing Network Cabling in New Zealand Homes

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1095876 25-Jul-2014 20:45

If it is going in a cupboard then I would say go for the open frame. Dynamix have revamped their open frame range and they are really good now - you won't do better for $100.

I personally built some cupboards in my laundry and have a 6U open frame with rack mount switch, patch panels etc. Then there is room for the server, UPS, stereo, mySky etc.

General rule, exposed go for a full cabinet; enclosed open frame is all good.

AzaK

79 posts

Master Geek

#1095893 25-Jul-2014 22:01

froob:
Can I ask what enclosure you went with in the end and what patch panel etc you used?

I'm in quite a small (ex-state) house, so didn't need anything massive. I went with a Dynamix 18 inch enclosure in the end. Not much in there at the moment - a Dynamix 12 port patch panel and a TP-Link TL-SG1008D switch I had already. I'll move the modem (a Draytek Vigor 120) into there as well some point soon. My router (which is a Linksys model running Tomato) is sitting in the lounge next to the TV, so that the wireless is more central and the devices behind the TV can be plugged into its built-in switch. I have two cables running from the patch panel to behind the TV, so that the LAN side of the router can run back to the switch.

Note that I've just used cat 5e cabling (because it's a bit easier to work with an can still do gigabit) and am not sure whether there is a cat 6 version of that patch panel.

Cool, thanks. I've seen that patch panel and wasn't sure how it attached to the enclosures as the other patch panels they have look different.

I'm still undecided about cat5e vs 6 as I can't see myself collecting 10Gb switches, computers etc in a loong time.

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AzaK

79 posts

Master Geek

#1095894 25-Jul-2014 22:05

chevrolux: If it is going in a cupboard then I would say go for the open frame. Dynamix have revamped their open frame range and they are really good now - you won't do better for $100.

I personally built some cupboards in my laundry and have a 6U open frame with rack mount switch, patch panels etc. Then there is room for the server, UPS, stereo, mySky etc.

General rule, exposed go for a full cabinet; enclosed open frame is all good.

open frame range? Do you mean this sort of thing?

Btw, does your setup have a fan and how loud is it. With mine being in the hall next to bedrooms I don't want any noticeable sound.

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1096248 26-Jul-2014 16:58

Yep exactly that. I have a 24-port switch in it with a noisy fan but when the cupboard doors are shut you can't hear it in the next room.

overkill

222 posts

Master Geek

#1096274 26-Jul-2014 18:23

AzaK:
chevrolux: If it is going in a cupboard then I would say go for the open frame. Dynamix have revamped their open frame range and they are really good now - you won't do better for $100.

I personally built some cupboards in my laundry and have a 6U open frame with rack mount switch, patch panels etc. Then there is room for the server, UPS, stereo, mySky etc.

General rule, exposed go for a full cabinet; enclosed open frame is all good.

open frame range? Do you mean this sort of thing?

Btw, does your setup have a fan and how loud is it. With mine being in the hall next to bedrooms I don't want any noticeable sound.

That link is not for an open frame rack....this is what an "Open Rack" looks like this no sides or doors.

"Setting the Standard in Quality and Commitment"

AzaK

79 posts

Master Geek

#1096312 26-Jul-2014 20:39

overkill:
AzaK:
chevrolux: If it is going in a cupboard then I would say go for the open frame. Dynamix have revamped their open frame range and they are really good now - you won't do better for $100.

I personally built some cupboards in my laundry and have a 6U open frame with rack mount switch, patch panels etc. Then there is room for the server, UPS, stereo, mySky etc.

General rule, exposed go for a full cabinet; enclosed open frame is all good.

open frame range? Do you mean this sort of thing?

Btw, does your setup have a fan and how loud is it. With mine being in the hall next to bedrooms I don't want any noticeable sound.

That link is not for an open frame rack....this is what an "Open Rack" looks like this no sides or doors.

Yeah, I just couldn't find an actual 6RU Dynamic open frame rack anywhere so I wondered if it was something like that.

overkill

222 posts

Master Geek

#1096324 26-Jul-2014 20:46

AzaK:
Yeah, I just couldn't find an actual 6RU Dynamic open frame rack anywhere so I wondered if it was something like that.

Check out Dynamix site for HWMB200-6U or here

Should be something you could look at.

"Setting the Standard in Quality and Commitment"

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1096372 26-Jul-2014 22:21

Potato Potaato. The first open frame mount the OP put up is the business. The new style mount Dynamix are doing are really good for home situations.