A Mini Rack for Your Home!

I decided to go with another rack in my home but this time much smaller! Thanks to Rackstuds for sending a few packs of Rackstuds!
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Disclosures:
- I was not paid
- I purchased this rack with my own money
- RackStuds were sent for free for me to evaluate
Products in this video:
- SYSRACKS 12u Server Rack (Gray): amzn.to/44EREmL
- SYSRACKS 12u Server Rack (Black): amzn.to/3Khv1fP
- Rackstuds Duo 1RU: amzn.to/3Y7BkIG
- Rackstuds R100: amzn.to/3Kf3yLD
- Tripp Lite UPS: amzn.to/3YbI5Js
- Casters: amzn.to/45mDeaT
(Affiliate links may be included in this description. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.)
#serverrack #homelab
00:00 - Why Choose a Small Rack
00:25 - Rack Specs
00:52 - Rack Features
02:37 - Assembly & Review
04:25 - Installing Equipment & Easy Racking
05:39 - My Thoughts on this Rack
Thank you for watching!

[@holeinthesest]

Pro tip: the rack studs are designed to also be able to be tightened with a 10mm socket. I find it works much better than the Phillips.

[@atomalchemist2658]

Just tried this on switch that wasn't sitting perfectly straight and love it.

[@devinkraeker8841]

Get the half inch impact on those suckers

[@ThereWillBeCake]

Cheers mate.

[@cheebadigga4092]

I remember why I like your videos so much. No stupid intros. No BS!

[@TechnoTim]

Thank you!

[@welshtony1]

Been using a mini rack for my home network and servers and it was the best thing I did. Have everything centralized in 1 place whilst keeping it all tidy

[@HiltonT69]

I've been using Rack Studs for years. Brilliant design.

[@hunordori]

I am rocking the exact same one in my livingroom. I am super happy with it.

[@pkt1213]

I wound up putting a network rack in the top of my office closet. I only have about 15" mounting of depth though. Another 4-5 inches would really expand the available selection of racks. I've had to do some out of the box things to get my disk shelf and other stuff to fit. RackStuds are awesome!

[@chrisumali9841]

Thanks for the demo and info, have a great day

[@rikschaaf]

I just bought the 10" 12U version of this rack (or at least of a similar brand). Perfect for my 10 rpi cluster with room to spare for networking, storage and maybe an itx enclosure down the line for a little bit stronger x64 pc.

[@RayanMufti]

Wish I saw this before completing re-racking my setup

[@PurePariah66]

I have had really good luck with sysrack, I have bought 2 different racks from them over the years and am happy with both of them. Though they both did have some paint damage and the last one had a manufacturer problem which prevented me from completing the build, but all that was needed was a simple email with a picture and they quickly sent out replacement parts. For the price it makes sense for me, plus the good customer service will have me coming back to them.

[@NyneIX9]

How much did you save compared to buying brand new?

[@maxdiamond55]

Great vid Tim. Hopefully they deliver to us here in UK across the pond . Thanks.

[@survivingnetworkingandit2084]

nice, ty for this video. Looks like a perfectly suitable rack for most people at home

[@jim7smith]

What's not to like. Very much enjoyed this.

[@-someone-.]

Yes! All white would be perfect! Thanks for this video 👍👋

[@cristobalortizortiz]

love it specially the wall mount holes help a lot and including brush on top for cable management i paid more for mine and is not even that good

[@springsm5545]

(0:02) I love that case, using one myself. So much room to work around in, so easy to clean, and even bays for DVD drives or whatever other SATA stuff you want.

[@TechnoTim]

Such a great case!

[@suswiththehomies]

In my opinion, this is the perfect rack for networking gear, Server gear....it depends, and I would say most times it's not ideal unless you're just working with something like small form factor clusters. but from my experience, most server gear either won't fit, or will be so tight, you'll need a 90-degree power cable just for the extra 1 inch of space to close the rack back up. If you are looking for a HomeLab rack, this specific size is going to leave you with a lot to be desired. However, SYSRACKS has some other GREAT options (Like Tim's 36U rack). Can you save a couple $$ and cents somewhere else, yes. But again, from my experience, you're going to be missing out on things like side access panels, ventilation, temp sensors, and most importantly (IMO) depth. Was a great video though, just don't make the same mistake I made when starting out, lol. A very avoidable headache lol.

[@ThereWillBeCake]

Rack stud is what they use to call me back in school.

[@ArrowOfTruth01]

Love to see it! That seems like a great price :)

[@sysdom]

@TechnoTim the casters you have linked have the wrong size bolts for this rack. I ordered both using your links, and the caster bolts fall right through the case holes without contacting the threads. Not sure if sysracks or the caster vendor changed the bolt size, but I wanted to give you a heads up as anyone using your links will gets casters that don’t fit this rack!

[@rileyinthevoid]

@TechnoTim would you ever do a video on short depth servers ? Cause whilst a lot of people do have space for the deeper racks, some don't! Trying to find servers that will fit within those shorter racks seems to be an increasingly difficult challenge!

[@gearboxworks]

Only $210?!? I was expecting twice that. NICE!

[@l0gic23]

Dont give them ideas

[@mikeschinkel]

@@l0gic23 😂

[@giusn]

If you have a 3D printer, you can go even more "mini" with a 10 inch rack. There's enough room for Mini-Itx boards and small switches, but you have to 3D print all the enclosures if you don't want to use the generic shelves.

[@stevemulcahy5014]

I have the 18U one of these and agree with pretty much all of the points. It currently has my 2 retired gaming PCs that are now servers, Unifi UDM Pro, Unifi Aggregate Switch, Unifi 16 port switch, Synology RS1221+ and a 4x Raspberry pi 1U panel but only with 2 Pis because they were like hens teeth last year when I wanted to get two more Pis... The depth of this cabinet really makes it a struggle to find NASes or rack mount servers, which means I paid a premium getting the Synology because I wanted something that could be rack mounted. I do want to retire the ex gaming PCs though, but I need to find some low power/small form factor PCs that I can install 10GB SFP+ cards in.

[@MindForgedManacle]

Sysrack is pretty good. Just be careful if you're trying to put some, say, Dell servers into the rack. The rack depth might not fit those 28-inch deep servers, so get one with the required depth!

[@breakfast-burrito]

I just grabbed their 42U telecom rack at 39”deep. It FINALLY fits my super long servers.

[@Casper042]

@@breakfast-burrito Enterprise Racks Usually start at 39" (1000mm) and then go up from there. Like HPE's racks are 1075mm or the deeper version is 1200mm. 1200mm is just shy of 48 inches so it fits nicely on 2 floor tiles.

[@Casper042]

Came to say the same, I was going to build my own version of something similar that would be able to roll under my desk. 12U seems about right to give room for top and bottom and casters and still roll under a standard height desk. So I was thinking maybe buy this instead, but this is just too short (depth) to work.

[@DarrolKHarris]

your videos are alwys helpful

[@JeanFrancoCaringi]

I think it was the best race of season

[@mikemorris5944]

Tim, for those who'd like a matt finish can just pick up a quart or few cans of acrylic clear mat varnish and a 3" foam roller or spray and 1 gal bucket. Test Paint a surface area not visible with a small throw away brush first, let sit a week and see if it provides the flatter finish desired and doesn't yellow. This coating will also provide an additional coat of protection.

[@i_Kruti]

Yep , it's perfect for my dream HOMELAB and the best part is it's available in India 🇮🇳 🙂😉😊

[@nebulousJames12345]

Good to know it has dust prevention where the wires go in. Guess dust doesn’t go in the 360 hole setup

[@WevOppy]

The $210 price tag, is why I just bought one!

[@questionablecommands9423]

I had a variation of this rack before upgrading to a larger ( 37U rack which _just_ rolls through a standard door, also from sysracks) rack. IIRC, the back panel screws are compatible with you typical computer thumb screws. I _highly_ recommend swapping those out.

[@TechnoTim]

Thanks! I will check that out! Much better than the self tappers they sent!

[@trexgamer73]

Great video

[@8xpdhpckkg]

can confirm: Rack Studs are amazing!

[@abigailmurray5897]

I wish something this nice was this cheap in the UK.

[@ianmapa]

Hey @TechnoTim. Could you do an airflow and sound test on this sysracks please? Thank You - I am looking to install a 4U rackmount server + network switch and was wondering how good with keeping it cool would be.

[@romayojr]

i think i need one lol i really don’t but i want one for my home lab now 😅

[@aflawrence]

I have the same rack in black. I use it for printer and scanner that are on pull out shelves. Also houses my UPS and a switch. I currently have my PC sitting on top of it but am thinking about getting a Sliger or SilverStone 4U rack mount case and moving my PC into it...problem is I like looking at my pretty PC ;). Looking forward to see how you use yours.

[@TechnoTim]

Ha! I am in the same boat, also, have the same idea as you about the Sliger! Stay tuned!

[@zadekeys2194]

Tim please review the Mikrotik 10u open rack. Very nice for home labs.

[@TechnoTim]

Noted!

[@zushiba]

I'm heavily considering using a 2 or 3u rack case for my next PC build and getting a pair of rails so I can quickly pull my PC out on rails, work on it, and slide it back under my desk when I'm not working inside it. As it stands my system is annoying to pull out of my desk, disconnect all the wires, open it up on the table and get inside, only to have to reverse the process. A drawer style rack mount would save me time and hassle.

[@TechnoTim]

Exactly what I am doing! Coming soon! Having a rack in my office is the ultimate cable manager!

[@minedustry]

I would like something like this that looks more like furniture, like a end table.

[@erdanxiloscient3666]

I've heard of ikea furniture being popular for making diy racks that look good as furniture. I think the "Lakka" table is most popular? I recommend searching the internet and especially the big homelab subreddits

[@TechnoTim]

Yeah, the ikea hack table! I prefer it to look industrial though! To each their own!

[@rithiksidharth1123]

Bro can u do a video on how to send data from austor flash nas to main nas with slower drives automatically over night

[@amcape5654]

You should do something with LDAP, IAM, and Authelia. Like self service access requests.

[@AdHdEntertainmentLLC]

Gonna have to measure the 1U gl360G5 I just got for free at a clear out event.

[@CaptainNu-cu8hy]

I'm looking to start a server rack to learn about the hardware side of things. What's all the equipment that's needed for a good home server project?

[@TechnoTim]

Honestly I'd start small with something like this. I run 3 of them and they work great! kit.co/TechnoTim/efficient-low-power-powerful-virtualization-server

[@bits2646]

I think shelves are upside down too :D

[@TechnoTim]

Actually they aren’t! If you mount them the other way, you lose .5u!

[@Yuriel1981]

Tim: Im gonna keep this simple and program an AI to manage my server rack with little to no upkeep on my part...... 😂 thought i was gonna keep it simple. Me: I appreciate your honesty my friend.

[@TechnoTim]

😅

[@stephenzedalis4012]

Nice review. I pulled the trigger on mine. Can you share a link for casters or the size to get? Thanks!

[@TechnoTim]

Thanks! Sorry about that! I added them in the description!

[@grocerylist]

Does it offer any sound deadening? How's the airflow/temps? I've been considering one for my noisy NAS but some of the disks are very near 40C and I worried an enclosed rack would push them above.

[@TechnoTim]

Nothing specifically for sound but you could line it if you want but that might soak up more heat. I will say that when I close the door it is quieter, especially on my later rack.

[@techaddressed]

All this begs the question ... what's going into the new 12U rack???

[@TechnoTim]

Soon!

[@aliazimi91]

yo my dude! which keystones did you use for the ui patch panel? looks like shielded keystones? Do you have cat 6a shielded cable throughout your house? if so, how did you ground the patch panel? Thanks for all the content you make man, its awesome!

[@TechnoTim]

Thank you! This is the UniFi one but I also have 2 of these in my big rack! amzn.to/3OU935g You can see it in my homelab tour!

[@aliazimi91]

@@TechnoTim I actually ordered those patch panels because of your most recent home lab tour video! I was just wondering which keystones you used for the Unifi patch panel in the small rack specifically because I do like the aesthetic of the UI patch panel but I gotta make sure it can be grounded or be compatible with shielded cables cus that’s what I have ran in the house :/

[@eliminyro]

Hey Tim, have you had a chance to try PiKVM v4 with the rack-mountable KVM switch yet? I’m looking to do something similar to the setup you showed in PiKVM v3 video, and I was wondering if the issues have been resolved.

[@TechnoTim]

Hey! Not yet! I have one but haven't been able to test it yet. It sound simple, but testing it takes a ton of time. I hope to get to it soon!

[@billnaert4760]

What casters did you use?

[@TechnoTim]

Thanks! Sorry about that! I added them in the description!

[@devans83]

I need an option like this to rack a Dell R730.

[@xbhollandx]

Need a deeper rack for that system

[@BelieveInTheLordJesus777]

Too bad it can't be found in the UK... :(

[@tommsla123]

Nice mini rack

[@protogenxl]

Best Rack is the LACK

[@TechnoTim]

Ha! I have yet to try the LACK HACK RACK!

[@Altirix_]

£325 yeah for under £100 i built my own rack of the same size using 2020 extrusions and some plywood. no door mind you but i doubt it would cost £225 more to build one.

[@MatthewHill]

I went down in the basement and counted and... unfortunately, have 13U of stuff down there right now. 😞 (4U TrueNas server, 4U compute server, 2U backup compute server, 2U UPS, 1U switch.)

[@TechnoTim]

So close!

[@vandal144]

Thank you m'goat

[@ChristophLoacker]

1:30 US power sockets always seem to be scared

[@TechnoTim]

Haha! You must have a the "other" style of plugs!

[@ChristophLoacker]

​@@TechnoTimyeah we got those boring "Schuko" ones :( great video again! 🎉

[@visghost]

I attached the shelf upside down

[@TechnoTim]

Ha! I did too! I finally realized that it should be mounted with the lip facing up, otherwise you waste .5u! I need to flip the one in my other rack!

[@achannelhasnoname5182]

Call me crazy, but that UPS already sags quite a bit.

[@TechnoTim]

sorry, bad angle!

[@gomezadams9900]

I hear that term "u" thrown out a lot but I'm unfamiliar what it means. Can someone please clarify this for me

[@TechnoTim]

It’s short for RU, which means “rack unit” which is about 1.75 inches. It’s a standard measurement unit for racks/cabinets.

[@atomalchemist2658]

Love rack studs, hate the UPS in the video for home office, it has always on fans that sound awful.

[@TechnoTim]

Yeah, now that you mention it I can't unhear the fans :) Still great for the price.

[@atomalchemist2658]

@@TechnoTim I swapped mine out within the return window for a competitor that's within 10% of the cost and silent unless the power is out, was worth the extra $30 for my application. Can't disagree on the great price, it's why I tried it first! Just wish it was clear that model lacked fan control, or they spent an extra $5 on better fans and passed along the cost.

[@Batman-xl2bg]

Ok rack. The cooling at the top is absolutely junk. It lasted less than a year here.

[@joost00719]

Nice rack bro

[@BrickTamlandOfficial]

not sure how tim got this rack for 210 US lol its currently 'discounted' to 240 plus shipping. Shady price manipulation if you ask me.

[@TechnoTim]

It's 210 if you buy direct + shipping

[@thematrix1999]

Gay