SMALL BUSINESSES REQUIRE SECURE AND MAINTAINABLE NETWORKS. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT AS COMPLEX AS LARGER CORPORATIONS, RELIABLE EQUIPMENT AND SECURITY ARE STILL BOTH IMPORTANT. THIS LIST IS FOR A SMALL SERVER RACK.
NETGATE 6100
This Netgate – Pfsense firewall is ideal for small business. This model features 10Gb connections for higher bandwidth and future proofing.
The software is PfSense which provides a secure and customizable Firewall, VLAN, VPN and many other features which small businesses require.
Power back up
Tripp Lite SMART1500LCDXL 1500VA
If your tight for space and only have a small 15″ deep rack mount this UPS can fit the available space.
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Networking
To update the network and Wifi we recommend the Ubiquiti system for small offices. Here are a few of the items to fill out the network needs.
Access points are wifi puck devices that can be dispersed around a building to give constant connections. The Ubiquiti Unifi access points are powered over ethernet so only a single cable is required from a PoE network Switch. Ubiquiti has a unified system to control all wifi access points, switches, cameras systems called Dream Machines. That said you can also run your own mini machine for the purpose of the network management using their Unifi software.
Cable Management
Patch Panel
A patch panel mounted in the rack will help greatly with cable management.
Access Points
Ubiquiti UniFi 6 + Lite Access Point
A compact access point improving upon the U6 Lite by bringing higher performance and dual-band WiFi6 support. Ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. This device requires a PoE switch.
UNIFI Controller , video recorder & small POE Switch
DREAM MACHINE Special Edition
There are two Unifi models that look the same, one has an SSD drive and PoE ports for wifi and cameras. The Special Edition or SE is the one that has these functions and fills the needs of most small office and even home office installations. (UDM-SE)
- 1.7 GHz quad-core processor
- Dual WAN ports (10G SFP+ and 2.5GbE RJ45)
- (8) GbE RJ45 ports, including (6) 802.3af PoE and (2) 802.3at PoE+ LAN ports
- (1) 10G SFP+ LAN port
- Integrated security gateway and UniFi Protect-ready NVR that supports compatible 3.5″ HDDs
Ubiquiti systems Dream Machine Pro is a great all around system that can manage and connect their switches, cameras and wifi access points.
SwITch with POWER OVER ETHERNET
Ubiquiti 24 Port PoE switch
This managed switch will provide PoE, Power over Ethernet, which can power IP phones and Ubiquiti branded Wireless Access Points and IP security cameras without the need for additional power bricks on each device. This one has 24 ports for a small office. The USW-PRO-24-POE Gen2 has 10Gb upstream ports and 16 PoE+ ports. IP phones that can use PoE will not require a wall plug.
8 Port Switch with 4 PoE
This is a much smaller switch for those who don’t have any need for more than 4 powered ethernet and 8 total ports.
UNIFI PROTECT CAMERAS
These work with the Dream Machine SE
UNIFI CAMERA
UVC-G5-Bullet. outdoor bullet camera
Unifi G3 HD camera
UVC-G3 cost effective security camera with HD quality
MISC RACK MOUNTING
Patch Cables
Patch cables are what we connect between the patch panel and the switches. servers and various devices in a rack.
24″ Patch Cables have longer reach – 20pack. 12″ are great for when everything is rack mounted longer ones give flexibility if you have a small switch on a shelf.
Mounting Hardware
Mounting Hardware / Bolts to mount the rack mounted devices and shelves
Rack Shelves
Rack mount shelves – short ones fit in a small rack with max depth of 15 inches
Power Strip Rackable
Rackmounted power strip helps keep the power organized and out of the way.
Small Server Rack
Why a rack mount? It eliminates clutter, keeps all of your IT equipment housed in one place behind a key lock to keep curious employees from meddling with things. Even if your business uses all online services like Office 365, it is still a benefit to keep things secured. If you add a mini server or NAS now you have a place to put them safely.
One should still keep in mind that all equipment needs ventilation racks like the one below have fans so they can sometimes be noisy. However, it is advisable to not keep your equipment in a closet that can get hot, especially if there are hard drives involved as in the NAS. It will lower the lifespan of your equipment and increase failure rates.
Small 15U Server Rack – 16″ max equipment length – ideal for mini computer servers like mac mini .