So you need a rack for your new office network and you’re not sure which one to choose. In most cases you’re looking at the price tag, other times you’re looking at the color or whether it includes a fan. Those are all important items to consider when choosing a network cabinet, but there are some other things to consider such as build quality, access from the side, build time, etc.
Thankfully for you we took a look at several vendors and several models to help you decide which rack is best for you! Below is a break down and comparison of five different 6U network racks that may suite your needs. They were all evaluated based on the following criteria: Price, Build Quality, Accessibility, and “Rackability”1. Each criteria is scored on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being “not-so-good”, and 5 being “top-notch”
1Rackability is a made up term that describes attributes such as the depth of hardware that can be mounted in the rack, max weight capacity, cage nut/rack screw support.
Tedgetal
Build Quality
Like the others in this post, this is made from cold-rolled steel which isn’t the most durable material. It can be dented and bent pretty easily. Assembly is required for the Tedgetal and more is desired from the instructions provided. |
Accessibility
Rackability
Summary
The Tedgetal isn’t a bad rack if you need something to put your hardware in. It truly is a budget-friendly rack, and between the quality of the material, the instructions, and build quality I would recommend others out there.
Tecmojo
I have built a few of these racks, and the first time I assembled one I was quite surprised given the price. I thought it was relatively easy to assemble, it provided some spare keys and was accessible from all angles. It also had flexible device mounting options which allowed me to install smaller appliances with shallower dimensions, along with some larger, deeper appliances.
But after the 2nd and 3rd rack I built, I started to notice some characteristics that told me this was a budget rack.
Build Quality
Like most of the racks on this list, it is made from cold-rolled steel. I typically associate strength with “steel”, but this seems like it was built with aluminum more than steel.
Everything does stay together quite nicely though once fully assembled as there a tight fit amongst the pieces.
I do wish that the threaded holes for the bolts were of better quality. If you did not place the bolt in the hole in just the right position you would risk stripping the holes.
Accessibility
The Tecmojo rack does do a great job of allowing access to the contents of the rack. There are locking doors on each side, along with a reversible glass-front door.
The draw back to these locking doors is that among the three Tecmojo racks I’ve built recently, the keys from all three racks worked across all the racks. Not as secure as I would’ve hoped.
Rackability
Most of the racks here have a mounting depth of 13″-15″. This particular ones falls right in the middle with a max depth of 14.17″.
This particular rack has 4 mounting posts that can be used with either cage nuts or threaded bolts which most of these racks can’t say they support. Each of the posts can me moved forward or back to allow increased support if the rear posts are used when racking your gear.
Summary
The Tecmojo rack is a budget rack with budget qualities. Specifically around the material used, the threading issues with the holes, and keys that work in most, if not all, Tecmojo racks. If you want a budget friendly rack with accessibility and flexibility then you can’t go wrong with this one. If you want a rack with better build quality and you have flexibility with your budget, then I would recommend another rack on this list.
Echogear
Build Quality
Assembly is required
Accessibility
Accessibility from both sides seems to be the norm nowadays. This is no exception with the Echogear rack as it has two removable, locking panels for easy access to cabling. If you don’t have side access then you are already differentiating your product from the others, but not in a good way. One thing to note with the Echogear is that locking mechanisms need to be purchased separately, and do not come standard here. The front door can be mounted on either the left or the right side. |
Rackability
The unit comes with all the hardware needed to mount on the wall including a mounting template. Without an included mounting template you will want to ensure you have a second set of hands to help you support it during installation. This has a 4-post build with cage nuts and the mounting depth is unknown. Depth of the rack itself is 14.6″ so I would assume a max mounting depth of 13.5″-14″. |
Summary
If security is important and your hardware is not behind a locked door, this may be a problem with the Echogear cabinet due to the lack of locks on the side panels.
As a bonus it does come with an included wall mounting template, two pre-installed fans and two 1U shelves.
Given the price tag, the Echogear should provide more, and it does. Build quality, ease of assembly, and the bonus hardware make it worth the extra dollars spent. Personally, I would’ve preferred locks on the side panels instead of the included 1U shelves.
NavePoint
Build Quality
Assembly is required for the Navepoint, just like the others. This is very similar in design to the Tecmojo rack with small differences.
It is built out of cold-rolled steel just like all other racks on this list. However when assembling a Navepoint rack you can tell there is a considerable difference with how the pieces go together. Time was taken to ensure measurements were taken accurately.
There is a 110lb weight limit with this cabinet.
Accessibility
We do have two removable side panels with lock and key allowing for access to the rear and sides of your appliances. This is another cabinet with a glass-front door providing a sleeker look. You do lose out on some increased airflow. However since this is a 6U cabinet, I don’t see there being enough hardware in there to cause any problems.
There is an included fan to remove warm air out of the top. It does support two fans, so if you needed an additional one you can get it.
Rackability
The NavePoint has a max mounting depth of 11.75″ which is the shallowest of the 5 cabinets listed here. Using the same Ubiquiti switch we used in the example above, this would allow for only .5′ of clearance in the rear of the rack.
This can potentially cause problems if you do plan on racking some deeper hardware here because once you add in the power cables depth when plugged in you would have exceeded what is supported and cables would be pinched.
Cage nuts supported with this rack, no support for threaded bolts.
Summary
If it wasn’t for the mounting depth of this rack I would have this as number one on the list with a higher rating. Aside from that I would highly recommend this rack based on build quality, easy assumble, the included fan, and ability to lock the rack.
Startech
Build Quality
Most of the racks on this list were made from cold-rolled steel and this is no exception. This is by far one the more solid builds here with a max load capacity of 198lbs!
This is also the only rack on this list that comes fully assembled, a time saver for sure!
Accessibility
The Startech also has 2 removable side panels with lock and key, along with a mesh front door allowing for easy access, security, and good airflow.
Rackability
We have a 2-post design allowing for a max depth of 15″ allowing you to mount anything to your hearts content.
Cage nuts are support here and it does come with the included hardware needed to mount the rack along with some equipment.
Summary
This ranked top on my list based on build quality and the fact that it comes fully assembled. It also allows for deep mounting depth and comes with an included fan and 1U shelf.
The information and the ratings here are based on my experience with these racks on a personal level along with aggregated data from third parties. I hope you found this information useful and it helped you make a more informed decision.
