structured media enclosures

[Donald]

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-4960...p;sr=8-4&keywords=leviton+structured

These are getting popular for home and small business. Places where you want to mount the components neatly and away from prying fingers but not large enough to require a 19" rack. I see Legrand and Leviton on Amazon.

It looks like the interior parts need to be made for/by the same brand of enclosure.

I assume you need to plan for several inches of clearance around each component?

I only found one UPS made to fit inside an enclosure.

Looking for tips/tricks from people who have used these when installing modem/router/switches.

 

[StevieC]

Wireless router/A.P. in a metal box, there is a good idea.

Otherwise, yeah these are nice to have.

 

[kschachn]

I have one for my network stuff, i suggest you buy the largest one you can afford as it will never be too large (in my opinion). You don't have to use the components supplied by the manufacturer of the enclosure if that's what you mean, I just used industrial strength Velcro and zip ties. But I did spring for the manufacturer's power supply thingy which gave two 120v outlets and a bunch of 12v ones for the components. It was $150 or so but made the wiring neater. It has a surge protector built-in.

I use a separate wireless access point (WAP) located more centrally in the house and I disabled the wifi on the router. The WAP is connected via an Ethernet cable that also supplies power through PoE.

Other than that the box currently houses a switch, the cable modem and a Slingbox that my daughter uses to watch Green Bay Packers games away at school. Oh and an Obihai device for our legacy landline. Prior to installing the enclosure I had a UPS, but I didn't transition that to the box because we have an automatic standby generator and a momentary interruption is not a big deal.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by StevieC
Wireless router/A.P. in a metal box, there is a good idea.

Otherwise, yeah these are nice to have.


They do sell a version of the enclosure made of plastic specifically for WiFi antenna.

I plan on a structured metal enclosure with APs mounted outside of the box.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by kschachn
I have one for my network stuff, i suggest you buy the largest one you can afford as it will never be too large (in my opinion). You don't have to use the components supplied by the manufacturer of the enclosure if that's what you mean, I just used industrial strength Velcro and zip ties. But I did spring for the manufacturer's power supply thingy which gave two 120v outlets and a bunch of 12v ones for the components. It was $150 or so but made the wiring neater. It has a surge protector built-in.

I use a separate wireless access point (WAP) located more centrally in the house and I disabled the wifi on the router. The WAP is connected via an Ethernet cable that also supplies power through PoE.

Other than that the box currently houses a switch, the cable modem and a Slingbox that my daughter uses to watch Green Bay Packers games away at school. Oh and an Obihai device for our legacy landline. Prior to installing the enclosure I had a UPS, but I didn't transition that to the box because we have an automatic standby generator and a momentary interruption is not a big deal.


What is the need for 12v? The POE voltage I need is 28v and I will pull that off the switch.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by Donald
What is the need for 12v? The POE voltage I need is 28v and I will pull that off the switch.

It powers some of the other devices in the cabinet like the modem and the Obihai device. Those don't take power from the PoE system.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Donald
Originally Posted by StevieC
Wireless router/A.P. in a metal box, there is a good idea.

Otherwise, yeah these are nice to have.


They do sell a version of the enclosure made of plastic specifically for WiFi antenna.

I plan on a structured metal enclosure with APs mounted outside of the box.

I know I was being a bit of an arse with my sarcasm. I have a server cabinet for mine and my Ubiquity WAP which is POE is in the middle of my house not in the cabinet where the modem is.

 

[BozoDeClowne]

These were much more popular 20 years ago, before wireless took off. I have a smaller Leviton unit where all of the POTS and cable lines were tied together, all long-since abandoned. When our house was being built 18 years ago, the builder let me come in on a Sunday and run a bunch of Cat5e, Cat3 and RG6 drops all over. Many of those are still under the sheetrock, probably never to be used. I also ran a 2" sealed conduit from basement to attic. That now carries half a dozen RG6, CAT5e and alarm lines, as we've moved devices and added others.

Our networking gear sits in what is essentially a 1/4 rack built from scrap lumber and suspended from the floor joists. 2 24-port patch panels and a couple of shelves for cable modem, switches and a NAS box. I like the concept of the structured cabling systems, but the boxes never seemed to have enough room and the OEM modules were ridiculously overpriced.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted by StevieC
Wireless router/A.P. in a metal box, there is a good idea.

It is! Set it up as a real Faraday cage and market it as the ultimate in wireless security.