My Network Server Rack Made Simple!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- Building a server rack is much easier than you think. I'll show you what server rack I'm using, my networking equipment, smart home hubs and NAS that I have.
20U Server rack: amzn.to/49SynzI
Extra shelf: amzn.to/4aKMMQ0
Surge protector: amzn.to/44g9AES
UPS: amzn.to/3UqX6qt
Klein Tools Network LAN Cable tester: amzn.to/49SmycZ
Ethernet connectors (what I'm using to extend the cables): amzn.to/3UustQR
Cat-6 Ethernet Cable: amzn.to/49OzeSi
Unifi Dream Machine Pro: store.ui.com/us/en/collection...
Hard drive for Dream Machine Pro: amzn.to/4baxJi3
Unifi PoE switch: store.ui.com/us/en/collection...
SFP+ cable: amzn.to/44esnjz
Screen door material: www.homedepot.com/p/Phifer-36...
USB extender: amzn.to/4djFuEe
Synology NAS: amzn.to/4ddqIyU
Hard drives for NAS: amzn.to/3QgrMZ5
Upgraded ram for the NAS: amzn.to/3W9Kllq
Small network switches around the house: amzn.to/3QfsdTj
(affiliate links)
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0:00 Intro
0:23 Location
2:23 Server rack
4:27 Home network
7:33 Smart home hubs
8:41 NAS
10:00 Extending around the house
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MUSIC
Operatic 3 by Vibe Mountain
Thanks for watching! Like I said this is a simple set up compared to what's out there, but works for me and hopefully it’s helpful to some of you!
Get this man a patch panel!
i recommend the ubiquiti ones, they look very good with the unifi gear
Reed, I cannot believe you said "YOU" turn on the vent fan in the laundry room when you do laundry. Why haven't you automated that task yet, so when the washer or dryer are turned on or running the vent fan automatically turns on and also runs if the humidity is too high. That should be the next Home Automation project for you. Great video.... Oh, my 9U rack is in the laundry room also for the last 2 years... no issues yet.
haha I did have it automated. The switch connected to the fan kept giving me issues so I ripped it out. It was in a previous video on this channel th-cam.com/video/PtGqaY0sCwI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Xdsv0tQdNYsW-8F1&t=61 Good to hear you haven't had issues with yours either!
@@reedssmarthome Well with 26 likes to my comment regarding the laundry room, I believe that a new video of you installing the laundry room light and fan automation somewhere in the future, maybe. I looked at that link you mentioned on the original laundry room install but it was the baby room and media center install. No problem... have a GREAT day!
Side panel, screen door mesh, four or more thin neodymium magnets and a hot glue gun (or other strong glue)
For the remote switches you could use the USW Flex Mini ($29) which is a 5 port switch which is powered by USB-C or PoE from your main switch. If you need PoE at the remote side you can use the USW Flex ($99) which is powered by PoE but the number of POE client devices it supports depends on the source switch. The advantage of these switches is that it still shows up in the UniFi console
That's what I did. I've got three of the flex minis and they work great.
Patch panel isn't just about looks. The cables that are run in fixed installations such as in trunking or behind walls are usually single core conductors that will break if flexed too many times, the patch panel means you don't have to move the cable at all to change the switch or port it is connected to. Its also far more convenient to have fixed labels on the patch panel telling you where each cables go to and then short patch cables off to your switches.
Good call! I might have to get one then!
@@reedssmarthome also I'd worry most about the cabling preinstalled in your house - I'd look into putting a dual rj45 keystone patchpanel into your wall cabinet, so the preinstalled cables stay nice and still. For the patch cables going to your 19" rack you don't need to worry - they have (hopefully) stranded conductors and are meant to be moved around. But the wife approval factor might go up slightly if the cable routing in the rack looks clean and neat - even my missus had a slight "looks neat" after I redid my rack, which I'd consider a high approval from her!
I just wanted to mention that even for homes that don't have ethernet everywhere, if they have coax TV cable, you can use those to transmit your network data via mocha adapters. I've got three in my house and they're fantastic. I've got access points thrown at the house that are backhauled from switches that connect to my mocha adapters. There's very little signal loss and it was very easy to set up. I didn't have to run any new lines in the house
This is a good middle-ground setup. Not too basic, but not overly complicated either. Good job. I also have my network equipment in the laundry room and haven't had any issues yet either. Since you already have the exhaust fan, why not setup a temp/humidity sensor and put the fan on a smart switch? I don't have an exhaust fan, but I did setup a standard desk fan to move the air around and used the generic thermostat integration in Home Assistant to have it come on when the temp gets a little warm due to the dryer running. But - the fan makes noise. And when someone leaves the laundry door open it drives me nuts because I can hear it from the living room. So I added a contact sensor to the laundry door that bumps the thermostat up by 5 degrees when the door is open. This way it shuts the fan off, but if it's still too warm then the fan will continue running.
Contact sensors are amazing, aren't they? Such a small and cheap device with so many possibilities and uses.
I inherited a sweet system, my friend bought a house and it had a whole 9U rack with a bunch of stuff including the power supply and UPS and she didn't want it so I took it. I just have no idea why I would need it though, all my stuff in my house runs just fine. I have Wyze cameras all over, Ring doorbell, tons of Lutron switches, 9 TVs etc and they all run fine the way it is now.
Reed, One of the main reasons to use a patch panel is you aren't putting excess strain on the ends of the Ethernet cables by making that 180* bend going into the switch. This will protect your cables a bit more and it also looks nicer.
Oh that's a good point! Maybe I should get one.
@@reedssmarthome Sounds to me like a non-issue. Your cables are already extended and the extended part is easily replaced by a new one. It sure looks nicer, but I think you can fix a lot of cables before it would be at the cost of a patch panel and the required new short cables.
I bought a new house with a media panel in the closet just like Reed's. I used the TRENDnet 12-Port Cat6A Shielded Patch Panel to clean it up and keep the cabling secure.
I'm in the middle of town and don't even have fiber, lucky! Great video n ubiquiti they have a simple ecosystem for homeowners. Hoping to get my UDM Pro next month
Great video! 😃🎉
And if you don’t want big metal racks in your house, I bought studio racks instead. You can get them in many different wood types and colors and they look more like ordinary furniture! 😃🎉
In the systems I setup, patch panels are clutch, rack ups, blank plates, side panels, super quiet rack fans, wire management, etc…
My house….looks almost exactly like yours, but more equipment, and more messy.
Ths is a man who had issues with cables not labeled at all XD
Great info, thank you, Reed.
Thanks for sharing Reed.
Thanks Ron!
Nice setup Reed. In typical fashion for those of us involved in smart homes, some of this is probably a little overkill, but it’s son fun!
Way ahead of you. Went with a full on enterprise rack setup a few years ago and was then "gifted" a HPE proliant server so it became a must.
Why did you put the word "gifted" in quotes?
You stole it didn't you.
@@TimotejFedlimid-zo3hy Nope was given to me by an ex neighbor who works in the IT field.
Great Video, I really do appreciate the insight and tips as it helps with my own setup and not making the same mistakes. Maybe next a video on how you setup your NAS?
Almost 100% identical to my setup! Only difference was .y switch from pi to a dedicated computer with proxmox & docker. Little more to learn, but great functionality!!
Im in glendale. Let me know if you ever do any meet-ups. I love to pick the brains of like-minded people :).
Have you connected the cameras and doorbells to the PoE switch first and then the UDM Pro or directly to the UDM Pro?
It’s crazy I have the identical setup (minus the rack!)
Are you saving bandwidth with that SPF connector? The SPF connection on that specific PoE switch is only 1Gb, so I’m surprised you saw a speed difference.
Thanks for a great video!
Why use both Unifi and Reolink camera? why not just one of them?
I agree about the size. Mine is an 8u. It's perfect... but full. I have no room for anything more. But that said, I probably won't need more.
Great setup Reed. I recently installed the Unifi Dream Router and I'm having issues discovering my TP-Link Kasa switches in Home Assistant. Did you have to change to any settings in Unifi for the Kasa switches you have to make them discoverable? When I input the IP address of the switches in the Home Assistant integration, it says no devices found. When I reconnect the switches to my ISP router then it becomes discoverable in Home Assistant again. Thanks.
I’m so tempted to upgrade to unifi in our home, I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet
One thing I wish I did differently is get a larger rack. I’m pretty much at capacity without room to grow. Ironically, I just published a video on my UniFi rack setup a few days ago.
Do you happen to have a model number for the in-wall "cabinet" that the builder put in. I am currently doing a renovation project and really need something like that.
Thanks for the videos, keep upnthe great work!
Have you automated the exhaust fan? I have a power monitoring plug on the washing machine and a smart switch controlling the fan. When the washer is started the fan turns on and it turns off after the washing is done. I also use the plug to get notifications on when the washing machine is finished.
it would be better to use a humidity sensor to turn the fan on and off, that way the fan only runs when the humidity is high.
Yes I had a smart switch in there to automate the fan. I had to remove the switch because it didn't have an air gap and would stop working. So I removed it th-cam.com/video/PtGqaY0sCwI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Xdsv0tQdNYsW-8F1&t=61 but I need to automate it again.
"it's a DRY heat!"
Like a blow torch?
Not to mention that the Phoenix area has grown so much and the people want to bring their plants and yards when they come, so the average humidity has gone way up in Phoenix. It's not as dry there as it used to be humidity wise
You can also setup Home Assistant on the Synology I think. To get rid of raspberry pie
What is the reason that switching to that small cable to connect to the sfp modules is faster then the ethernet? I understand it supports fiber but if you were using cat6 and you only get a gig wouldn't it be the same or is the fiber cable still just faster?
Should get the UniFi mini switches!
I need to check those out!
I got a cabinet from ikea, added legs, and a thermostatically controlled fan kit. It looks like an end table next to my desk,
Finally! Always wondered what kind of network you had running all that smart home. I’m super jealous having pre wired Ethernet! I would have Unifi if I had Ethernet all over my house. Wondering if you setup a VLAN? I have 3 Synology’s. Love them! And since I can’t have a Unifi, I went with Synology’s Router/Mesh. I did manage to hardwire one WiFi Point to the router, but the third is a wireless backhaul. I setup 3 wired/wireless VLANS with firewall rules; the Primary network for compute devices, an IoT Network to isolate it from compute devices and a Guest Network, well for Guests. So far it’s working well. My network equipment resides in my home office with my main computer and Plex Server. Oh and I have a 10GbE Switch in there as well. I have another Digital Audio Workstation wire to the upstairs wired router for a high speed connection. Anyway, great video! Nice tech!! 👍🏻
Hey. I also have a Synology NAS and highly recommend upgrading the RAM. I have the "Timetec Dual Rank 16GB DDR4-2666" which is only $30 and will increase the RAM to 20GB!
@ 10:36 - these are actually DAC cables. No SFP+ adapter needed as it has it built in
I also have a similar rack (but smaller, mounted on wall and closed) in the washer and dryer room, no idea why moisture would be a problem there. On the contrary, it currently has the lowest humidity of all the rooms in the house. Both the washing machine and the dryer are connected to the water drain, so they do not evaporate moisture into the room. They only heat it up a little, so the bigger challenge is the heat, but it's not that acute either.
does that NAS support link aggregation? my DS423+ does (2 cables) but i don't need it, it's fast enough with 1 cable.
I just checked and I think mine does support link aggregation. Yeah mine seems fine now but it's interesting and I'll have to look into it more. Thanks!
You don’t have a UPS for your rack?
I probably should but I have the Tesla Powerwalls. The grid has gone down and only my living room lights flickered for a split second and nothing turned off on the server rack.
When i build my house in the D.R I need it to have ethernet almost everywhere, i would probably add a dedicated room for this.
Curious, that USB hub with the long cable, which one was it you used? TIA
Oh sorry I should have linked it. Here it is amzn.to/4djFuEe
If I had the room for a server cabinet I would have done this ages ago.
Maybe I misunderstood this part but is your NAS plugged into a UPS? That’s basically a must have, it’ll save your NAS during a power outage, though I guess TECHNICALLY your whole house has a UPS with the Tesla battery walls
Yes I haven't got a USP because the Tesla Powerwalls are basically one for our whole house. The grid has gone down and only the living room lights flickered for a split second. Nothing turned off in the house or the server rack.
What was that cat6 testing device?
Nice vid. I would think you might consider going for Unifi Flex Minis for small switches scattered throughout the house. These switches can be POE powered. Using them this way, you get conditioned, battery backed power supply to all network ports and some really clean, centralized management screens via the Unifi console (think vlan mappings). Also, for those patch cables, consider the short Monoprice SlimRun cables. They're very flexible and are a bit easier to manage for crowding around the main switch. Even the longer SlimRuns seem to have no problem with 10gbe speeds.
Not using the Flex Mini switches? I figured with the POE switch it would be a no brainer. One less power cord to plug in.
Hey Reed, any reason you chose not to use the small unify switches?
Another commenter said that the small Unifi switches will show what's plugged in. I didn't know that or I would have bought Unfi one's from the start. But I'm definitely going to buy a small unifi switch to try it out though!
Hey Reed. To borrow from Paul Hibbert, what about the elephant in the room? You mentioned the box from the ISP as a modem only, then you went straight to your network gateway. What are you using for wifi?
access points, connected to (and powered by) that PoE switch (or router) using ethernet cables. i have a similar setup, except my flat is so small that i only need one access point.
@@mrxmry3264 Something like the Unifi U6 mesh?
Sorry I didn't cover the WiFi. I'm using 2 Unifi long range access points. They are definitely overkill for our house and I have the power turned down on them but since we have a spread out one story it's able to cover everything. Usually one access point is plenty.
@@reedssmarthome Thanks, Reed!
Sorry to say, but your SFP+ is a 10 GB cable, but your switch does only have 1 GBit Interfaces incl. the SFP Slot… so afaik it couldn‘t be much faster. Please test this with iPerf
Great video , why oh why did the builder put the network panel behind the door?
Because builders are clueless when it comes to network equipment. They're used to the old mindset of placing circuit breaker panels behind doors
2:10 don't you have a humidity/temp sensor in your laundry/server room? ;-)
Also curious what you use for (data) backups, since raid is not a backup.
yeah, keeping an eye on humidity is a good idea. also, running a dehumidifier (or that exhaust fan) when humidity is high wouldn't hurt either. in my flat humidity is usually between 50 and 60% and that never caused a problem with all my electronics.
Haha I should! We also back stuff up to the cloud and separate drives. I try to edit the family videos into short watchable lengths and back those up to the cloud. I know there are ways to back up a NAS offsite but it's probably overkill for what I need.
If that’s a 920+ Synology, you can find the correct RAM for an “unsupported” upgrade to 20GB. Works great. Cheers.
Great video! What are the chances I was making one at the same time haha
I like the idea for the side rack material!
Thanks! You're setup looks better than mine with the patch panel!
Hi reed! some questions
1. why do you need a switch if you have a unifi dream? when you said ‘brains’, does it mean it’s a router that handles dhcp, qos, etc.?
2. is your modem in bridge mode so the real “router” is the switch or the unifi? this one connects to the switch, and the switch connects to the unifi where all APs are connected to the unifi?
3. how do you offload your wifi smart devices? Do you use a separate router/ap in a separate vlan so other devices especially gaming/work devices won’t experience lag?
The UDM Pro, SE, and the new Pro Max all have a limited bandwidth for the backbone of their built-in switch - like 1Gbps. By using an external POE switch, he can get 10Gbps throughput from the UDM Pro to the switch, and the switch itself has a maximum backbone throughput like 22Gbps. So, each port can get full line rate speeds without blocking due to the other busy ports on the switch.
@@shubinternet if i got this right, you're essentially offloading the dirty work to the switch re routing, dhcp etc.?
Is the correction chain right? Modem - switch - udm - ap?
An advice! You should always avoid metal or iron near hubs. It interferes with or reduces signals such as wifi, bluetooth etc. That is the disadvantage of placing hubs in network racks.
Why are you not running Home Assistant on your NAS?
I recently installed rack. I got a 12 bay rack. Wish I had gotten a 20 bay rack.
He uploaded!
I think server racks look cool but with today's mesh wifi, I really don't need to hardwire everything. I'm getting at least a gig up/down (paying for 1.2) everywhere in my 5200sqft home. I don't have a NAS or any smart hubs, but maybe one day.
Nice build. Why not use a patch panel?
Yeah, nah, messy.
Put a small rack up on the wall and run either a duct accross to the network box in the wall. Turn the rack-ears on the switch 90° and mount the switch inside the cable box. If you got keen, opend the plaster and pass cables in a conduit inside the wall. Otherwise, pull all cabling up and out of the wal-box and put into rack on wall up nice and high, out of the way and will be very tidy.
As for the use of the DAC cable speeding things up, lol, thats a placebo effect dude. The switch is only a 16-porter and the SFP port is just that, SFP, not SFP+. Still only 1GbE
Hope the box from your isp is set to bridge mode. Double NAT is no good
Yes it's in bridge mode. I should have mentioned that.
I don't see any mention of what you use for WiFi. I currently use the Unifi 6LR and those things are piece of junk especially for IoT , thread, matter& smart home. I had issues for months with the switchbot matter and thought it was a bad unit, took it to my mums who uses the ISP router and it connected immediately and worked flawlessly. I spend at least 3 hours every day trying out different setting and scouring every blog or rebooting or factory resetting and it's been ongoing for the past 2 years even with replacing gears. I have ordered the eero6 to replace them for now. I'm on my final straw and looking for other options. I was looking in to TP Link Omada.
The LR AP'S aren't meant for home use, they're meant for much bigger spaces. I have a U6 pro and it covers a 3 story house just fine. I could get a 2nd one but the performance is fine enough with 1.
I also use Unifi 6LR access points. Yeah I've heard they are too powerful for homes but I think I turned down the power to fit our house. Since we have a spread out one story it's been nice to have.
Matter devices are notorious for being finicky with WiFi. I think with a dedicated 2.4 network it works better. I'm about to try out more Matter devices so I'll try to update on what works and what doesn't.
@@reedssmarthome For anyone else that's having issues with devices not connecting or frequent disconnect or super slow speed.The wireless got SOO bad that I just couldn't take it anymore. I am an enterprise wireless network analyst for cisco and even Unifi got me working overtime. I just bought the eero 6 mesh and using them as my wifi access point independently so each of them on seperate VLAN port on my UDM(annoying that I cannot have multiple SSID on the eero) . All the devices that have been giving me issues for months all of a sudden have started working fine. Unifi was the culprit all along. I 'll keep my UDM and POE switch but remove U6 - I have U6 for sale for anyone interested. I think I am finally done after dealing with the BS for over 1 year. I'm back to 700Mbps+ on my wifi from sub 100Mbps using Unifi
Have you thought about getting rid of the Hue hub, and moving your Hue devices over to plain ZigBee?
I believe you lose some Hue “extras”, but I haven’t missed those, myself. And one less secondary hub in my rack, one less network on the airwaves.
I probably should. I've slowly started consolidating my systems but it's difficult when I might need something to test for the TH-cam channel. It's an ongoing battle.
I miss a few videos and you have a beard?! 😅 keep it.
I would have gone with an on-wall rack. This would have offered floor space for what ever plus also get the rack up beside your in-wall can from the builder.
This rack can be mounted to the wall. I think my wife wants shelves in there but I haven't put any up...
@@reedssmarthome Well wife factor always trumps anything else. Another product that could help is Perplas it's a plastic conduit you can put on the wall and can be painted to hide them more.
You can also use blank plates for the front of the rack to cover up empty spots or a brush plate for the wires coming into the switch.
Reed are you using mesh wifi?
I'm using 2 Unifi 6 long range access points and a flex. So yes it creates a mesh coverage but it's slightly different than say Orbi because that has the router built into the WiFi access points.
I found some good advice of putting the WiFi access points on the opposite side of the channel spectrum and that's helped with low interference.
What AP's are you using ?
Unifi 6 long range. I know it's probably overkill for my house but I've turned down the power and things are spread out around here in a one story house so it's been good for us.
@@reedssmarthome thx
I don't see why humidity would be high in a laundry room. Unless maybe you have one of those fancy new ventless dryers.
because of the washer!
@@scottluther2091 Washer drains and clothes get dried so not really. Clothes are in a sealed environment.
Is your hub in the center of your house?
Not really, I have to have a few Zigbee and Z-Wave repeaters in between the hub and the devices across the house.
@@reedssmarthome ah ok
we need a network map/diagram too
Hi Reid, have you considered running HA as a VM on your DS420+ instead of the Pi?
Personally, I wouldn’t run anything on the Synology NAS other than the storage functions. All VMs or other functions should be done elsewhere.
I've heard people doing that but yeah right now I prefer to keep it separate. I think if I were going to change my HA hardware, it would be a VM on a more powerful computer to handle AI and all that.
Actually, some humidity is good for a server room. low humidity is prone to static buildup/discharge.
Higher humidity helps prevent that. I tend to prefer 50% to 60%.
Oh that's interesting!
I feel like more things should be rack mountable to justify a rack.
I would get rid of the "dumb" small switches you have and look into the small unifi switches. That way you have managment over all network ports in the house and can then setup VLANS for segregation of different devices for a better network. The small 5 port unifi switches are 30 bucks, so not much more than the cost of the ones you have, but way more functionality.
That's a good suggestion, I'll check those out. Thanks!
Reed must be on Ozempic
I'm stuck at step 1: running ethernet from every room to a central location 🤭
I made the mistake of thinking that 100mbs was fast 4 years ago. I need to replace my 24 port poe switch with a 1gig version.
2:03 When your pipe will burst your PSU will be flooded with water
That would be pretty extreme but I guess I could have a water leak sensor to alert me.
Yeah, or just hang the rack on the wall :-)
No comments from Ally? 😂
Why does someone need a network server rack?
Uploaded 48 seconds ago….that could be the least I have seen yet while browsing…!
Haha that's impressive!
You have cables pre-run in your house?!? Who has that?!?
I feel spoiled having it. But I've seen people add it afterwards like Snazzy Labs did a video on it which was really helpful.
Why so many zigbee networks?
Likely using the Nortek for Zigbee and Z-Wave and the Skyconnect for Thread.
Testing for the TH-cam channel. I try and find a good balance of setting up the bare minimum for what I need but it's difficult when videos require more.
First
People who have said that moisture in your laundry room with that much space and distance to your server rack have way more serious moisture issues to figure out in their houses than worrying about what electronics are going to be damaged. Awesome setup, thanks for sharing!
That's a good point! I appreciate it!
This worrying about what the wifey is going to think is WAY overrated. Don’t be a beta, do what’s needed as a man. She will learn to accept it.
Noob
🤣
see that many say you should get the unifi mini switch. those are great just remember that they add alot of latency