Network Cabinet Purchase Considerations

Network cabinet purchase considerations

buying tips

1. Cabinet size

List all equipment planned to be installed in the cabinet and its complete measurement data: height, length, width, and weight. Combined with the volume and space occupied by these devices, it will ultimately determine the height of the cabinet.

Of course, taller cabinets can hold more appliances and save space. As a general rule, the height of the cabinet should be increased by 20% to 30% for future system expansion.

2. Materials

The standard cabinet should be made of high-quality cold-rolled steel. Some cabinets on the market are hot plates or even iron plates to reduce costs. They are prone to rust and deformation and have poor performance in use. This is what you should pay attention to when buying!

3. Loading capacity

With the increase of equipment placed in the cabinet, good bearing capacity is the basic requirement of a qualified cabinet product. At the same time, choose a cabinet with a reasonable structure and sturdiness. High-quality and inexpensive cabinets may not be able to effectively protect the equipment inside because of poor quality. This affects the entire system.

In addition, the weight and carrying capacity of the cabinet are two common parameters, but the nominal load-bearing value of the cabinet is much larger than the actual number of servers that can be carried. Generally speaking, the cabinet has sufficient redundancy, but in special cases, there are certain requirements for the total weight of the cabinet plus the server.

4. Material thickness

The weight and stability that the cabinet can withstand have a certain relationship with the thickness of the board. The thicker the sheet, the better the bearing capacity and stability, but also the higher the price. Please note that the thickness of materials in different positions of the cabinet is different, usually 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm and other different sizes. The material and surface finish of the housing will also affect its performance.

5. Painting

The surface is treated to prevent corrosion, rust,  or wear of the steel sheet. This is similar to our common PC case. Not an only conventional coating, but also special measures such as galvanizing and phosphating to isolate the steel plate from the air.

6. Number of accessories

Usually, the price of a cabinet will include some accessories. Before placing an order, please confirm with the seller which accessories and accessories are included in the quotation, and then order other optional accessories according to your needs.

7. Other functions

Locked cabinets are more secure and control the number of people who can open the cabinet, ensuring that no one else can touch the equipment inside the cabinet

Wall cabinets are lighter and easier to maintain than server cabinets, which are generally bulkier. Choose cabinets with swivel casters and feet for easy movement during maintenance.

8. Heat dissipation

Generally speaking, a network cabinet with 2-4 fans can basically solve the heat dissipation problem. However, it is best to use fan units in server cabinets with high-density equipment. Preferably an integrated cooling solution. In addition, the server cabinet should choose a mesh door with better heat dissipation.