New Rack Comparison/Opinion

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ntba

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 28, 2005
Messages
185
I need a new rack to house my home lab and found two options and am looking for an opinion.

I will be housing

4 x Cisco 2821 (8U)
4 x 3560/3750 switches (4U)
3 x 1800's (3U)
-possibly a Misc. shelf or two (unknown at this time)

I count at least 15U without any shelves or other items and no servers as of now. I might throw on one or two 1U's rackmount servers in the future. I'm thinking that a 2 post rack is all I need.

Between these two:

Skeletek 24U

This is the one most people have purchased as a cheap lab rack, You get 24U, not a lot of mounting screws/bolts 30" base to make it into a 4 post in the future but some reviews have said rails won't work well, not that I'll need them. Says it is rated to 800 pounds.

and this:

Monoprice 22U

This one looks like monoprice just got recently at some point, it is more money but it is from monoprice, has a larger base at 39" and comes with enough mounting screws for 20 U's worth of installed hardware. Not configurable to a 4 post rack as far as I can tell for now. It seems like a good option but I have no experience reviews on it. Says it is rated to 165 pounds

Opinions? I'm looking for around this size to clean up all this stacked hardware for max $250
 
I would keep a eye out on craigslist... I picked up a 48U, 4 post APC rack with a metered power distribution units for $150.
Also, leave room for expansion, looks like your working on a CCNA/CCNP, but you never know when you will drift into a ASA, TACACS server or Call Manager.

But if you hard set between the Skeletek or Monoprice, I would go for the Skeletek.
 
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Yes I am working on my CCNP right now, I've had this pile of routers in a stack for a while now and its time to rack it properly.

The unfortuante part about looking on Craigslist is that I live in a technological dead zone in Canada. Here kijiji rules, not craigslist. The only racks you can buy here are for your car or you bbq and the only routers on there are Dlinks :)

So I do have to get one online. If I go the skeletek route I'll be able to afford a higher U count at the same price as the monoprice rack, so that's a bonus. I just have to factor in the extra mouting hardware costs.
 
Any good recommendations for a cheap PDU, nothing fancy just individual power switches for each device would be a requirement.
 
ntba said:
Yes I am working on my CCNP right now, I've had this pile of routers in a stack for a while now and its time to rack it properly.

The unfortuante part about looking on Craigslist is that I live in a technological dead zone in Canada. Here kijiji rules, not craigslist. The only racks you can buy here are for your car or you bbq and the only routers on there are Dlinks :)

So I do have to get one online. If I go the skeletek route I'll be able to afford a higher U count at the same price as the monoprice rack, so that's a bonus. I just have to factor in the extra mouting hardware costs.
Click to expand...

LOL. So MB or SK? It's impossible to find that kind of stuff here in SK. I swear I'm the only one in SK with enterprise gear at home. It impossible to sell anything high end here.
 
/usr/home said:
LOL. So MB or SK? It's impossible to find that kind of stuff here in SK. I swear I'm the only one in SK with enterprise gear at home. It impossible to sell anything high end here.
Click to expand...

I can start a Export business! :D
I scored a ASA 5520 on craigslist for $200 a year ago. Also got a new in box APC 1500 rack mount SmartUps for $50! Got to love going out of business sales!
 
I'll try to answer in order since I can't quote easily on mobile but:

Yes that is exactly what I'm looking for, I would migrate to a managed one later to power on the lab remotely, but not needed as of now.

SK or MB? Nah it isn't that bad. I live in southern Ontario, I believe it was once referred to as the anus of the world by Colbert and we are currently hold the record for the highest unemployment in Canada. Anything I buy has to come from Toronto which is a 4 hour drive or Michigan with is crossing the border and paying duty and getting hassled by the 'muricans ;)

I was also wondering, I have two ASA5505's but I've seen the 5520s go EOL specifically while the 5505 and 5510 are still being supported (I think) Why is that? Is the 5520 still a viable and usable fw for labbing? Kinda off topic but it was mentioned.

I'm probably going to do the skeletek rack unless anyone else has any other options
 
Cisco is pushing the X series ASA. The first Gens are getting older..
looks like the 5505 is still supported but the 5510 is EOL...

But the 5520 is more then what I need for my home server room. Sure beats a Linksys WRT54G!

Have you looked at Cisco packet tracer? You can get a CCNA rather easily with it..
you need the lab for CCNP and higher...

And Merica! Hell Yeah!! :D
 
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I finished off my CCNA without racking this stuff and now that I'm investing the time for my CCNP I thought it nice to have it done properly :)
 
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