View Single Post
      10-09-2015, 06:52 AM   #11
zx10guy
Brigadier General
5150
Rep
3,241
Posts

Drives: 2013 135i
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: DC

iTrader: (0)

I don't know how big your house is and where the ultimate location of your wiring closet will be, but I'd consider getting bids for Cat6a. The reason is Cat6a supports 10GbaseT at the full 100 meter spec that each wiring standard has typically done for each step in Ethernet speed.

I would consider a location where not only possible noise from the IT equipment is a factor but also where a conduit could easily be placed to allow for you to pull more cabling in the future. With respect to noise, while it is a consideration, many network switches really are not that loud after the initial power up sequence. There are also network switches which are fanless. Dell sell up to a 26 port smart managed switch with no fans.

This leads me to the next topic of discussion. This is concerning how many drops you intend on pulling. Whether PoE is a consideration. Most PoE switches have a fan some don't if the number of PoE ports is low. Whether you need advanced features found in managed switches or if you are ok with a dumb switch. And switch size...more particularly depth.

This leads to another question and this is about the type of mounting hardware you want...ie structured wiring cabinet, wall rack, or everything mounted to a plywood board on the wall. Each type of mounting scheme has specific considerations. Structured wiring cabinets vary in size and many required you to use their hardware for patch panels, etc due to the manufacturer specific mounting method. You also need to take into consideration space within the cabinet and also heat as if you go with a cabinet you would probably want to close it up or the cabinet really serves no purpose. If you go with a wall rack, you need to select the rack you want to use. Wall racks come in a bunch of different sizes and styles. Some are permanently fixed to the wall. Some allow you to swing the front of it out to gain easy access to the back of the peripherals. Some allow you to mount devices vertically to allow a more compact install. And some have noise dampening capabilities. These wall racks are cabinets which are fully enclosed with baffles, insulation, and specially designed fans to keep the noise super low. This can be a consideration if the switch you select is known to be a bit noisy or you just want to ensure no noise issues at all. Be aware these wall cabinets are super expensive. And the last and cheapest option is to have a plywood sheet mounted to the wall which you would then screw on the various devices and patch panels. If you go this route, make sure you plan out any future expansion or nonexpansion. Also ensure the switch you select can be mounted to plywood vertically.

I trolled the internet to find a wall rack which was tall (had a lot of RUs or rack units) and was the deepest. Even though I was able to find a 19" deep wall rack, one of the network switches I use in my network is too deep to utilize the switch's rack hardware. So I ended up having to put the switch on a rack shelf.

Have you considered wireless in your networking plans?

Do you plan on running a server? If so, then anything mounted to the wall is moot. You would have to consider a floor rack. Again lots of different options to include again noise isolating racks that cost a lot.

Finally, you need to make sure there is power to that location. If you don't have power, you're going to be in a world of hurt. Make sure the circuit being run to that location is on its own dedicated breaker. I'm not sure how many devices you plan on running but you might consider having the circuit be a 20A circuit. I had to upgrade the dedicated circuit for the area I had all the wiring pulled to my house to 20A from 15A. Eventually, that area became a dedicated server room in my basement when I had a wall put up to create the room with a door. When that happened a bit after I ended up putting in a 240 L6-30 outlet. You also want to have enough headroom to allow for the load from a UPS with the draw from the circuit to charge the battery. It's not that big but significant enough to add in to the total load calculations.

If you decide on a closet or enclosed area, a nice to have which you'll thank me later is to have a light put in there. When you're working in there for what ever reason, you don't want the hassle of having to hold on to a flashlight to see stuff.

I think that's pretty much everything I would consider and think about.
Appreciate 0