Home Network/ IT Equipment Locations

Silvershark on 04/10/2024 - 13:37

Hello,

I’m getting a house built and would like people’s thoughts on my IT Network equipment location options. Pros and cons if you have any on each location.

Equipment would include NBN box, router switch, NVR, possibly eventually little server or something. Nothing too big.

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/177582/116259/fe52d8b5…

Option A; Garage, I do like this option, if I go with this option I would wall mount a 10 or12RU rack to wall high up.
Pros:

  • Airflow will be better than option B & C
  • Wont hear any sound of network fans from inside the house
  • Not taking up any storage space

Cons:

  • Car fumes (possibly)
  • Dusts and outside particles ( i guess there are racks with filters for fans)
  • all brick garage

Note:My garage will be west facing (in Melbourne) and there’s a kind of large tree that would give shade to the garage in the afternoon sun.

Option B: Inside storage/linen cupboard
Pros:

  • inside the house
  • Would be easy to run any future cables upstairs etc…

Cons:

  • takes up storage space
  • equipment may be loud
  • not much air flow

Option C; Under the stairs
Pros:

  • inside the house
  • most secure than option A & B
  • Sound will be dampened by storage

Cons:

  • takes up storage space
  • not much air flow

Please let me know on your thoughts of locations of where I should put the equipment. If you like, tell me where you have your IT / Network stuff at your house, whether it’s in garage, closet etc…

Thanks in advance!

Home & Garden Modem Router NVR

Comments

  • Gdsamp on 04/10/2024 - 13:47
    +4

    Option A and then buy an EV to avoid fumes….

  • stuffandthat on 04/10/2024 - 13:53
    +2

    I put mine in my laundry cupboard. Was the most central spot in my home and works good.

    • ESEMCE on 04/10/2024 - 14:18

      Ditto, it's also the central point of our house.
      I have added a vent to the side of the cupboard to improve airflow and I don't have fan cooled equipment to ensure there are no noise issues.

      What fan cooled equipment are you expecting to have OP?
      I don't exactly have standard home IT fare.
      In addition to Fibre Modem and router, I have a Procurve Switch and run an Orange Pi 5 as a Home Assistant Server but both are passively cooled.

      • stuffandthat on 04/10/2024 - 14:29

        I ended up putting some fans on the top part of my rack for cooling. Everything I have has cooling anyway, but it can't hurt.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 04/10/2024 - 14:07
    +2

    if i could be bothered with one day re-doing all the organisation of the networking related stuff in my place i would prob just clear out my under stair storage and chuck it all in there.
    How many times can you really see yourself accessing it anyway? Its usually a narrow 'room' where once you put stuff on the floor you cant really access the stuff in the back anyway…

  • FoxJump on 04/10/2024 - 14:46
    +3

    I pick C

    In our soon-to-be-built-one-day house, i pick a linen cupboard somewhat central to the house. I've told the wife i'm dibsing a whole level of the linen cupboard for me. It's 1.5m wide.

    it will host:
    - hfc box
    - nas
    - 1x network switch
    - ups
    - one laptop as the my server
    - my work laptop which i remote desktop to.
    - router
    - wifi access point.

  • aragornelessar on 04/10/2024 - 15:08
    +5

    Would be easy to run any future cables upstairs etc…

    If you're building why don't you just run all the cables now? Much simpler to have it done now than retrofit it (especially if double story). I recently built and put network cables into each room and in a couple of ceilings and eaves.

    I ended up putting the rack in the garage, but that's cause of heat/lack of cooling in the cupboards/stairs. It's also pretty much not needed to be touched since it was set up a year ago.

    • Silvershark on 04/10/2024 - 15:45

      Cost $$

      I've got limited budget.

      • toomuchdogfur on 04/10/2024 - 16:25
        +3

        Running in-wall cabling on a built house is a PITA. Any horizontal cable runs through the walls will need to run through dozens of studs.

        So you'll need to cut at least one hole per stud in the wall to access the studs and run cable through.

        So you'll need to patch, prime and paint one hole per stud in the wall after that work.

        There are of course ways around this (run through the attic, run along the walls, etc) but if you want guaranteed clean runs… yeah…

      • trapper on 04/10/2024 - 19:05

        Ethernet cable is very cheap, get your drill and just DIY, builders won't mind :)

    • ESEMCE on 04/10/2024 - 20:15

      The heat in my garage is WAAAAY higher (through a hot spell) than in my vented cupboard in my non-airconditioned house.
      It's a no-brainer IMHO.

      And OP, run some cable, you can afford an extra $1000 to run cable to all 4 corners of the property (for great WiFi) and to the lounge and study where main usage will occur.

    • cfuse on 05/10/2024 - 15:47

      Not that I'll ever have a house built, but I've always wondered about conduit.

      Cabling standards change over relatively short spans compared to the lifespan of a house. Being able to run anything you need through a conduit (and most importantly, remove it later without grief) seems smarter to me.

  • GordonD on 04/10/2024 - 15:26
    +1

    Not A. Its always at the end of the house.

    Not B. You don't put computer gear that needs cooling in a cupboard.

    C. Its usually near the middle of the house, and gives access to both levels.

    • Silvershark on 04/10/2024 - 15:43

      Thanks Gordon,

      Not A. Its always at the end of the house.

      Why would this be a negative?

    • Darude Sandstorm on 04/10/2024 - 20:16

      C is similar to B?

    • ESEMCE on 04/10/2024 - 20:21

      Yet it's OK to put it in a cupboard under the stairs (weird logic)?

      Vent the cupboard, either way, and you'll be fine.
      The house temp will be controlled and therefore the cupboard temp will be too.

    • miicah on 05/10/2024 - 06:48

      Not A. Its always at the end of the house.

      And? Your WAPs will be wherever they are required and everything cables back to the switch anyway. The actual physical location doesn't matter, only what's most convenient for OP.

  • SBOB on 04/10/2024 - 18:19
    +6

    Mines A. For me, main reasons

    • Space inside the house is always at more of a premium than some wall mount space in the garage and doesnt matter as much how 'ugly' it is (eg wife approval factor is a non issue)
    • Above head height 9ru rack on a garage wall isn't as 'valuable' space as internal linen cupboard or similar.
    • Gets any noisy fan or other equipment into an area where noise isn't an issue.
    • Nbn fttp enclosure on the wall directly beneath.
    • Wifi AP in house is via cabling run, so location of network/nas/fttp is irrelevant to wifi home coverage.
    • Roof access to run all fixed cabling up and through roof space to drop down into applicable spaces easily done in garage area roof space.
    • SBOB on 04/10/2024 - 19:43
      +1

      also, now looking at your house floor plan, back right corner in the garage above head height would be a good spot and where i would install it if it was my own place. Also makes for a very easy cable run to your tv/entertainment area on the other side of the wall.

      though that door from your garage to the inside should open the other way :)

  • trapper on 04/10/2024 - 19:01

    Under the stairs sounds perfect.

  • apsilon on 04/10/2024 - 19:07

    Unless you're one of those that I'm not allowed to type here that "roll coal" and plan on doing it in your garage, the fumes will have zero impact. I used to work IT infrastructure in manufacturing. I'd find all sorts of switches and other IT gear out in production areas, sitting on or under desks or jammed anywhere that was out of the way and always covered in years of filth. I think your home gear can survive your garage if that's the most convenient location for you.

  • Darude Sandstorm on 04/10/2024 - 20:13
    +1

    Option A, the other 2 I almost wouldn't consider.
    The heat and noise alone are a killer - not necessarily dangerous, seen hundreds of comms cabinets in cupboards and under stairs, it's just bloody hot when you open it up or walk in.
    Also, running cable to a garage is an easy option but you'll have to accept having it in duct if that part is already built.

    If it isn't built yet just get it all done during the build phase as it can save hassle later, get cable ran for rooms you want data points in and ones in the ceiling above where you want to mount cameras all running back to comms cabinet, simple, cheap.

    Also, make sure your rack is deep enough, seen enough people go for 400-450 deep and need 600

    • Silvershark on 07/10/2024 - 08:22

      Thanks Darude,

      Why would you want 600 deep rack?

      • Darude Sandstorm on 07/10/2024 - 11:03
        +1

        Depends, some switches, some NVRS or other networking devices can be deep.
        Standard cabinet size might be fine, was just pointing out make sure it’s the right size for your equipment :)

  • Randxyz123 on 04/10/2024 - 21:07
    +4

    Option A

    Also if you are building, I'd put ethernet points absolutely everywhere. Every bedroom, kitchen, lounge etc. Even if you don't patch them all in, way easier to do that now than later. Put some POE outside as well if you want cameras. Even if cameras are a later addition. Way easier to do in the build phase.

    • Darude Sandstorm on 05/10/2024 - 21:38
      -1

      POE outside?
      Like a switch or injectors in the roof?

  • Euphemistic on 05/10/2024 - 06:53
    +1

    C. Too much dust in the garage, or youll need to seal it up which negate any cooling benefits. Sacrificing linen storage space doesnt seem wise. Stairs are also central for any wifi point.

    Which ever you choose make sure some cable ducting is run to a point where its easy to run cables elsewhere in the house. Then again, cables arent as critical now wifi is good, so maybe just run a cable duct to whereever you might run a wifi repeater.

  • Triceratops on 05/10/2024 - 08:35

    Mine is under the stairs and it's a great location. I was worried about heat but seems not a problem.

  • sprocketoctopus on 05/10/2024 - 09:03
    +1

    I'd stick it all in the Garage.

    Most importantly run cables everywhere even if you don't plan to utilise yet. Even just run them, and ask plasterer not to pull them. Measure & Mark on a plan, so you can use later.

    This is crucial in a double storey dwelling, as access can be difficult, if not impossible later.

    Don't forget WAP's, upstairs, cable now.

    (Yes. I am a licensed ACMA cabler.)

  • Marrickvillain on 05/10/2024 - 14:08

    When we renovated we put the NBN Box under the stairs and ran wired ethernet to various points in the house - one for each TV, study etc.
    Under the stairs is always cool, which matters. Also big enough for a small server - something like the HPE MicroServer https://buy.hpe.com/au/en/compute/proliant-microserver/proli…. Plenty of mini-PCs can do the job of a server too.
    The garage and a rack feel like overkill.
    We also installed wired ethernet which was a very good decision IMHO. Patch panel under the stairs, 4-port Telstra router to the study and TV rooms. Streaming video over a wire makes a difference.

  • 2esc on 05/10/2024 - 15:26

    West is the worst direction you could face a garage due to the majority of weather comes from that direction. Every time the garage door is opened wind can blow dust and water in.

  • jonkvh on 07/10/2024 - 14:59
    +1

    Anything middle of the house, making it a central point. Want to avoid very long cable runs. Avoid anything cupboard like eg enclosed, otherwise you need to use fans. Avoid wifi, unless open plan, even then, avoid it.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join