Network Rescue 2 - Getting Your Network Off the Floor

In installment two of Network Rescue, we show you how we got an overgrown network off the ground and onto the wall where it belongs. Watch us trace, rebuild, rack and stack. There's always something fun to learn when you tear apart a network that isn't yours!
A version of the rack used in this video is available on Amazon:
amzn.to/3vBYNrB
LinkedIn
/ derek-smith-hi

[@JeffGeerling]

Love this series.

[@Ordanbocker]

Another channel that did videos like this (he has since gone inactive unfortunately) is FiberNinja. He has quite a few network rehab videos that are hours long.

[@BenCos2018]

@@Ordanbockeragreed I miss that channel so much

[@kristopherleslie8343]

We like yours too mr rasber pi 😂❤

[@JeffGeerling]

@@Ordanbocker A couple of those popped up in my recommendations from time to time. I guess I have some more content to binge!

[@BenCos2018]

@@JeffGeerling haha i am currently watching these style to work out how to get a cable downstairs there is at least 2 or 3 joists in the way though sadly

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

To mount large components like that on the wall, I like to screw a 2x4 to the wall just below the component. This allows you to rest the cabinet on the 2x4 during install. You can also leave the 2x4 there to provide support for the cabinet. If you span the 2x4 wall to wall, you can run long screws into each stud in the wall.

[@gt4rs429]

Don't mind me just living vicariously through these videos lol. If I can ever afford to build a house I'm totally having a network rack and it'll look super sharp thanks to you. Keep these coming!!

[@tciproductions]

I expect pics when you do!

[@FireStorm4056]

I recommend looking into torx-head fasteners in the standard sizes and lengths. With the appropriate clutch settings (so you don't shear off the head) they're an ergonomics gamechanger compared to phillips

[@dancalmusic]

every time I see one of your videos it makes me want to entrust you with the construction of a network system! Excellent

[@Palatio01]

I love these videos, I really enjoyed them a lot, thx for teaching us about the job!

[@shaibannatha795]

I really love watching your rescue videos. Amazing stuff. I appreciate your content. Simplified.

[@jacobmar2797]

Never knew I would enjoy videos like this so much. I'd love to understand more about the materials cost and how much businesses pay for network rescues like this.

[@tciproductions]

It took an embarassingly long time to dial in prices, but you essentially have a day rate per person working, and then you have materials costs, so the patch cords, the panels, the cable managers, the rack, the shelves, all that adds up. It can run easily into the low five figures. Hawaii skews the costs higher, we are one of the most costly places in the USA to live and work and that drives labor costs sky high. In a more connected region with supplies available and labor being more reasonable I think something like this would be around $2500 to $3000. In New York City or most of SoCal, I would add 50-100%.

[@jacobmar2797]

@@tciproductions That's awesome, thanks! Keep these videos coming, they're great. One of these days the inspiration meter will be high enough for me to start cutting holes in my walls and use the box of cat6 I bought last month.

[@theatlastech8792]

As help desk I don't get to do this anymore. I enjoy these types of videos because I kinda miss it.

[@gerardlp640]

I love those videos, if I may as, a rack diagram would be a nice addition.

[@tciproductions]

That's a good idea, I will incorporate that

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Excellent rescue

[@HueMongus101]

I would have definitely installed a backer board. It makes hanging that rack so much easier and gives you and the client a lot more places to mount hangers and cable management. But to each their own.

[@MrTolcher]

Awesome end result! You should check out rack studs.. you’ll never want to use cage nuts or screws ever again

[@PeterMoschopoulos]

Great videos. I love watching network reorg videos. I always learn something new. You are my new favorites since fiberninja stopped posting.

[@konstantinosgrk8156]

Great content, very informative, also Rack cleanups are very satisfying to watch! Keep the videos coming!

[@NealDunstan]

excellent and neat work. Love the neatness of the cabling.

[@erichbarrantes1208]

I'm starting to like this network rescue series

[@joeybuiteweg6847]

i love these videos, they are very satisfying to watch! please keep making them

[@papie5151]

So much I don't know about wiring closets, but learning. I'm curious how entire buildings are wired and where the ISP connections come into the building.

[@kevinansell9341]

Thats way more than I would be comfortable with lol, Good Job :)

[@notoryous2]

Thanks for these videos!

[@OneTrueKing23]

Great job as always! 👏🏻

[@majiddehbi9186]

super great i d love to learn from u sir

[@KamenosTheGreek]

Thanks for sharing this video. I am really interested on the subject of how are you doing your diagrams and if you are using any software for it!

[@RuxUnderscore]

4:30 I always end up cutting off the anti-snag (more like anti-maintenance.) part on the domed ones like that because of how annoying they can be to disconnect.

[@somewheresomehow1]

Love the video! I love the fact that you go step by step all the way from beginning to end. Would it be possible to see the spreadsheet where you keep track of all cables (patch panel, uplinks) and how you label the cables? Thanks again for your channel!

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Best to use a tool after install a common tool being used for DCIM is Netbox For cabling work likely this just document them just like your switch lays it out. Most SMB switches have a GUI which is just going to be 2 rows of how many ports the switches his. Use a spreadsheet create same thing.

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Big boys use DCIMs and that’s often what gets left out in our type of work as it’s not common for a IT team. But like I said Netbox and Visio (or applicable tool) will do the job. Also IT Glue, Hudu etc

[@somewheresomehow1]

​@@kristopherleslie8343 thanks so much!

[@alittax]

I love these videos, and have got an improvement suggestion: After screwing in all devices into their proper places, wouldn't it make sense to refer to your documentation on what is plugged into where, and then use tape measure to measure the length of each connection? You'd then write that down in your documentation, and when you're done documenting the lengths between all ports (i.e. the minimum lengths of the cables), you'd sort the table based on the minimum cable lengths. Then, you'd start plugging in the shortest cables, then the longer ones, until finally you'd plug in the longest cables. (Obviously, you wouldn't create cables that are exactly the minimum length, but you could use cables for standard lengths, such as short, medium short, medium, medium long, and long, etc.) That way, there would be a neat layer of cables. What do you think?

[@tciproductions]

I think this would work out, however I don't have that kind of time when working. The labor involved would be just too much for the return. Always have to balance the look with the cost and the speed of executing the job. If I was a government employee and had to fill the days, I think I would gladly do what you suggest :)

[@alittax]

@@tciproductions Thank you very much for the response! :) Yes, on second thought, measuring things would add up. I've seen someone write in a forum that they use excel to somehow calculate the distances. I'm not sure how they meant that, but one way I could think of is to measure in advance the distances between the ports, and then use the same excel template to calculate them as you add the values. If someone has the time, they can perhaps write one and share it.

[@alexl3146]

Another amazing video ❤

[@danieldawson4937]

Clean! Nice work.

[@gaindehbi]

Great video! Great job 👍

[@fps_purple9556]

Nicely done!

[@WillEliasRosalesRuiz]

Muy buen trabajo, excelente!

[@houcineamaidi499]

thanks for u prof really u help me so much

[@Dextermorga]

I would replace that synology DS with RS

[@AliB333]

"This helps me rebuild everything without having to commit it to memory" My dude if you can commit even ONE 24-port patch panel to memory I'd be incredibly impressed. I'm so happy I watched this video because all my gear is sitting in our closet at the moment and it gets really warm because there's no AC running in to there. I've been looking at getting a wall mounted cabinet to mount in one of the common areas, and then I saw the Sysrack you're using, checked them out and I can get a bigger cabinet for cheaper than the ones I've been looking at. Hw many U's is this one you guys mounted? Also those blue plastic tabs are AWFUL and I absolutely hate them.

[@tciproductions]

It's more like when a panel mostly matches the switch and only has like 3 out of place, you think you'll remember it later but.... I think the rack was 20 or 22U, something like that.

[@AliB333]

@@tciproductions Thank you! I'm looking at their 12U 24" deep rack. I'll probably add a 2X4 to brace it on the bottom because I'm going to put a couple of small servers in there as well.

[@shephusted2714]

the final pic still has a few weird wires in back that should be made more structured - why go to all that effort not to have look perfect - you should also shove the excess up into the ceiling instead of letting it loop down like a boa constrictor

[@bentheguru4986]

Sometime, the client needs to "TOLD" as that setup just wasted a lot of space for a small rack. I then seen the use of a single stud, metal self-tapping screws and unless that stud was box steel or pipe, nowhere near enough strength. The UPS is still on the floor I am guessing. Floor-stander rack in corner, access from front and right side. UPS then could be racked with rest of gear.

[@stevenwjudd]

Were the computer towers replaced with rack mount equipment? I didn't see any of them before the door was closed.

[@tciproductions]

Between steps we conferred with the end users. They wanted to try with it in the cabinet, then they laid it sideways, then they took it out entirely. I don't personally like a PC inside the cabinet, but I'm always up to talk with the client and give them what they want.

[@BladeWDR]

Yeah I was concerned at first when I saw that rack going up on what looked like drywall anchors. :D I think every IT person hates those specific round boots. I'd rather my patches have no boots than those dang things. I keep a small flathead screwdriver in my bag thats entire lot in life is to make it easier to me to press those tabs down.

[@ForrestAger]

that's exactly what I keep on hand is a small flathead. Makes my life so much easier.

[@CustomComputing]

lol wtf is happening hahah wow yeah I did laugh at how hard that was Also the inefficiency of the patching is crazy, the entire network could have been done with a single switch

[@shaibannatha795]

So the NAS and PCs that were housed in the previous cabinet will not go into the new cabinet?

[@tciproductions]

Client tried a few configurations with them in the rack and decided to move them elsewhere. The NAS you can sort of see under the new rack on one of the wide shots near the end.

[@kuerbispaula]

I run CAT7-cable through my house and also CAT7-patchcords inside my rack to connect from patchpanel to my switches. But the patchcable in my rack feels very stiffy and uncomfortable. Could it cause problems, if I replace the cables inside the rack to unshielded cat6, to get more flexibility? It is a home network, no business.

[@tciproductions]

Other commenters might chime in, but in my experience, using unshielded patches on shielded panels and cables can potentially cause some interference. However, it would take a high frequency signal before it manifested I would imagine. You may have to experiment and see if it has a noticeable effect.

[@shaibannatha795]

Have you managed to leave any space for the fan on top for ventilation?

[@tciproductions]

The fans are active and have plenty of room, yes. This wall cabinet has a cavity for the fans at the top, so even if you pack it with equipment the fans should still be operable.

[@bobzone09]

Was that fiber leg managed by Lumen? Are you able to share that info?

[@tciproductions]

This particular one is Charter/Spectrum. I use Lumen for my own stuff, the equipment is different but the concepts are similar.

[@dfmu2669]

Looks like fun. You guys hiring? Lol

[@lordgandalf22]

i hate seeing relay racks and in europe you never see them at all. maybey in an antique building you might find similar relay racks. But i feel for it equipment it needs to be closed off certainly when its in an accessable location. Dont want people to patch gear in ore you get the mess you had before :D

[@tciproductions]

I run into relay frames a lot it seems. Quite interesting how each of our regions and cities does things differently.

[@gojdff]

How do you charge a job like that, hourly or flat projet fee?

[@tciproductions]

These days I do it flat fee, we have done enough of these we can tell by site survey roughly how long it will take. Generally, something around this size is about 1-2 days, so you charge your day rate x2 and then whatever materials get burned up making it happen.

[@asmrfactory9056]

how many calls or jobs do you do a day?

[@tciproductions]

It's random, sometimes we have ongoing jobs that are large and take many days, other times we split into teams and tackle small ones around town at the same time. So at least 1, and maybe 4 if we're busy.

[@robertkey4981]

How much did you charge for this..labor wise?

[@tciproductions]

To bring people out for a full day is usually in the $3k range for the whole team. Hawaii is a very expensive labor market though, so check around locally where you are, it could vary a great deal.

[@robertkey4981]

@@tciproductions thank you

[@anyfoolknowthat]

When you want to get to my level of paranoia, you label each cable with its patch port on one end and switch port # on the other. #neverrelax

[@Jr2728]

First

[@lmko]

Doing completely useless stuff, with only explanation "client wanted that". Classic.

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Music was annoying as ever

[@ICgasm]

What is up with the audio?? Are you underwater?

[@tciproductions]

Sounds different to me on different devices now that I try it. There was some post-processing to remove a hum, I don't think I'll do it again.

[@ICgasm]

@@tciproductions Ah, the dreaded hum. Just thought I would ask.