Server Rack Cabinet Advice reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- roberthleeii · 2023-10-14 01:15 I would like some advice on my plan to build a small server rack into a lower cabinet built-in as part of my loft remodel. Background on the project: I have a decent sized loft that we have used as a play room, craft room, kids TV room, storage room, office, computer room, server room, etc. My kids are now older and it is time to redo the room, I want to keep the space usable as an office and craft room while having it nice enough to keep a futon and TV set up for additional overnight guests. This leaves out having a full rack sitting in the loft open to all to hear and see. Purpose of the rack: I am on a journey to attempt to self hosting almost everything. I want to get rid of all the big tech services eventually. I have a good start going with a couple older desktops and am finding it is about time to up my hardware to something more. My general plan is to get a NAS type rack server and one or two more VM rack servers for redundancy and room to play, a UPS, etc. I ideally want to put my network hardware in there witch is in a big need for upgrading, along with some little tech items related to home automation. As I think about what all I can and want to put in there (future proofing) I might end up doing two of these little rack cabinets on each end of the room and run a 10gig switch between them, but that is something I need to figure out at a later time. My skill level: As far as computers go I can work with regular computer hardware and can build a computer not an expert by any means. I have a 4 node Proxmox cluster running my home right now with several VMs and LXCs. I have NO experience with rack mount hardware. As far as building skills, my 14 year old son and I have remolded most of our house. Last summer (wife and I are teachers) we finished two bathrooms and this summer we did the entire kitchen down to the studs. I have now personally built every cabinet in the house as well as most of the furniture(tables, desks, beds, tv consoles, etc.). \*Cabinet build design: The base cabinet will be part of a system of upper and lower built-ins that will take up the majority of the 3 loft walls. The rack cabinet will be at the end of a long desk area that is my main computer spot. The top will be an office work top around 30” high. That is probably the highest I can make the desk area and keep it comfortable. I was planning on the entire length being around 48” - 54” inches. Inside this area I will have a 36” long rack(this should accommodate anything I ever need) and allows at least 6” of space for wiring and air flow at the front and back of the rack. It would be at least 24” deep to accommodate the 19.5” rack width and structural elements. This should net me somewhere around around a 12 -14 U rack. There would be 4 doors, one on each end and two on the outer most side that would be the front of the cabinet. The plan is to line as much of the interior with sound dampening material such as mass loaded vinyl to keep the sound at a minimum. As far as air flow (part i am worried about the most) I was thinking 2 6” inlet fans in the bottom area of the door to the front of the rack, 1 6” outlet fan in the upper middle of the door at the back of the rack that would exit in the foot area of the desk, and 1 outlet on top through the desk top close to the wall. The one on top through the desk is not my favorite but might be the most useful dissipating the heat. \*\*To make picturing this cabinet easier, I am attaching pictures of a very rough sketch up I did at the bottom of this post and a picture of a similar sized cabinet I made, the rack cabinet would look similar form the outside with out the drawers.\*\* Please let me know what you think. Like I mentioned above I don’t have any experience working with server rack hardware and would appreciate any advice to help me make this project a reality. Thanks in advance, ---------------------------------------------------------------------- thekrautboy · 2023-10-14 01:27 This sub is about selfhosting **software services**, not about server racks or any hardware advice :s > Self-hosting, as it pertains to the /r/selfhosted subreddit, is any software intended to replace or replicate an existing website, web service, or web app, that the user who puts said software into place has full control over the hosting environment either at the Operating System level or at the level where they fully control all data pertinent to the software being hosted, including data related to the functionality of the software being hosted. > This subreddit focuses on the software that is considered to be self-hosted, regardless of where it is being hosted. > https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/wiki/selfhosted Subs like /r/Homelab /r/HomeServer /r/HomeNetworking exist too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BoobsThatArePooping · 2023-10-14 01:38 I think cooling may be your biggest area of concern. If you’re cramming an actual server rack in there, then mounting stuff will be easy - cage nuts, rack rails if you get a server chassis or just a shelve works too, patch panels if you’re really picky or plan to wire the house, UPS on the bottom. But really, I think your biggest battle will be cooling and that may just be a trial and error sort of evolving solution as time goes on. Get a reliable temp sensor that can alert maybe.