How would you mount a switch here?

[thecomputerguy]

I have a client who will be moving offices. The new office is wired for about 30 drops of which they will probably only be using 10 of them.

Their current office is wired and they are using a cheapy 16-Port Gigabit switch which seems to work just fine for them. I'd like to get all of the ports active in the new office so no one messes with the wiring but I'm just not sure how I should mount what will probably be a 48-P Switch to accommodate all of the drops.

I just don't understand how the company before them could have mounted their switch.

If you look at the images, they do have a little rack, but the rack isn't deep enough to take any sort of switch. The rack is about 6 Inches deep.

There's basically no room above the rack because the wires come out the top.

I'm thinking do I have to mount a switch to that board and just run like 3-footers all to way to the patch panel?

 

[thecomputerguy]

Do I replace the Enclosure with something like this which is 12inch deep?

https://www.amazon.com/Navepoint-19...id=1476740504&sr=8-13&keywords=6u+patch+panel

The only problem I see with this is at 12 Inches the bracket and patch panel will stick out beyond the wall and will undoubtedly cause people to walk into it as it is right behind a corner.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Just mount the switch directly to the plywood on the left of the patch panel. You can get port plugs if you are worried about dust.

 

[jmitservices]

You might be able to mount this to the front:
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-19-Inch-Vertical-Equipment-RK419WALLV/dp/B001YHUX2I?th=1

You could also try some 1u standoff brackets to give you a few more inches.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Just mount the switch directly to the plywood on the left of the patch panel. You can get port plugs if you are worried about dust.

You mean like this? It just sounds like it will be messy ...

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

You mean like this? It just sounds like it will be messy ...

Yep, use velcro and the cable management that is already there.

 

[Markverhyden]

I'd go ahead and replace the mounting rack. Just make sure that you have enough space in the back.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I'd go ahead and replace the mounting rack. Just make sure that you have enough space in the back.

I'd do that but if I extend the rack out to 12" then people will walk right into it because it's around a corner. Right now its about flush with the wall.

 

[Markverhyden]

I'd do that but if I extend the rack out to 12" then people will walk right into it because it's around a corner. Right now its about flush with the wall.

In that case @Slaters Kustum Machines seems to be the best solution.

 

[fencepost]

Well, how close to "not deep enough" are you? For brands that have 4 screws holding the mounting brackets onto the switch, you can generally put those in any of the 4 positions. That would either leave you with a convenient way to anchor directly to the board using the brackets off the top or bottom of the switch, or you could leave the switch sticking out a couple inches by reversing the brackets so they're towards the back of the switch. You'd need a right-angle plug and most PoE switches wouldn't work, but you may be able to get a shallow managed switch.

Edit: Ouch just looked back at the picture, missed that you have the cable bundle in the way as well. What's the actual depth of that rack? I suspect this is possible for 24-ports with a mountable desktop switch, but I doubt that 48 ports will happen.

OK, digging a bit on Netgear (because it came up first, except for D-Link) there are a variety of managed, web or smart switches that are ~8" deep for 24-28 ports and ~10" deep for 48-52 ports. I suspect the same will apply to most manufacturers, and I was not looking at PoE which are going to be deeper.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Well, how close to "not deep enough" are you? For brands that have 4 screws holding the mounting brackets onto the switch, you can generally put those in any of the 4 positions. That would either leave you with a convenient way to anchor directly to the board using the brackets off the top or bottom of the switch, or you could leave the switch sticking out a couple inches by reversing the brackets so they're towards the back of the switch. You'd need a right-angle plug and most PoE switches wouldn't work, but you may be able to get a shallow managed switch.

Edit: Ouch just looked back at the picture, missed that you have the cable bundle in the way as well. What's the actual depth of that rack? I suspect this is possible for 24-ports with a mountable desktop switch, but I doubt that 48 ports will happen.

Yeah the depth is only 6 inches. I think the rack is actually this exact product...

https://www.amazon.com/NavePoint-Mo...&qid=1476748911&sr=8-11&keywords=6u+navepoint

The cables behind also present an issue ...

Even if I got something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-24-P...05&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=24+port+switch&psc=1

I would still need to reverse the brackets so it would stick out a couple inches to fit in this rack ... maybe 24 is the way to go though

 

[Markverhyden]

If there is the dimensional issue you mentioned I'd discuss it with the site before letting anything stick out from the face of the rack. Also, how high is the ceiling?

 

[fencepost]

Well, as an example of 24-ports, there's this (170mm/~6.75"): https://www.netgear.com/business/products/switches/web-managed/JGS524Ev2.aspx#tab-techspecs or this (204mm/~8.2"): https://www.netgear.com/business/products/switches/smart/GS724Tv4.aspx#tab-techspecs but the larger ones jump to 257mm (~10.1")

That first one from the pictures does have the 4-screw rack mount brackets and you'd probably save ~1.5" by mounting those reversed, so a depth of ~5-5.25" so you'd need to spread those cables out, and get the correct right-angle power plug but you could make it fit.

A similar D-Link (DGS-1210-28) is listed at about 8" deep.

 

[jmitservices]

Ha, I've only just noticed the IP address written in blue on the left. Must of had something mount straight to the wood board.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I spoke with him and I we decided that we are just going to leave some of the drops empty and go with a 24P that I will HOPEFULLY be able to mount in this rack if I reverse the brackets.

 

[fencepost]

At 7.1 inches that TP-Link is still almost a half inch deeper than the (admittedly more expensive) Netgear. I'd check the depth of anything you're considering before ordering.

 

[GTP]

Just mount the switch directly to the plywood on the left of the patch panel

This ^^^ That would be the easiest solution.

 

[allstarit]

looking at the picture id say thats how previous tenants mounted it. You can see something would have been mounted on the left as it has 192.168.1.2 written on the wall.

 

[Frick]

I have used these vertical wall racks a number of times:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_8?k=2u+vertical+wall+mount+rack&sprefix=2u+verti

You may want to cover unused ports with electrical tape or something similar to keep dust out.

 

[fencepost]

I have used these vertical wall racks a number of times

Fascinating, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that. I'm not sure how I feel about it (particularly the drawing air in at the top and out the bottom), but I can definitely see advantages and I may end up looking more at those.....

One thing I'd do for that or for a switch flush mounted against the wall (with the ports on the side) is to figure out something to put above it that wouldn't block airflow but would prevent dust and such from falling in - not just tape over unused ports that'll get removed and not replaced over time.