Skip to main content

Modernizing old house network wiring - Part 7 - Interlude - My Home Data Center

Before I hop into the next part of the project, I want to cover my thoughts and feelings of what I want in my home data center.

A lot of people have been asking me what I want in a rack system.  The basics seem easy: a standard 19 inch rack that's able to mount at least 14 U's.  Anything less seems just not big enough - routers, switches, a patch panel, power, and maybe a couple servers... it can add up.  Boy, that would look so incredible!

But let me take a step back before I go down a path like that.

My old Telecom Backboard was a Wreck

My home telecom backboard in the basement was old-school, and it was nothing like a data center.  Instead, it was the world's worst telecom backboard, with 70+ years of sloppy modification. There were at least 22 cables hanging around the area, with about 65% somewhat attached to something else, and the other 35% left dangling.  There were a lot of bare wires twisted together, along with a few wire nuts.   The "backboard" itself consisted of a 1 x 4 piece of scrap wood.  Mounted on the panel was a cable TV splitter and a barrier strip used for a subset of the telephone wiring. There was also a telephone company interface box, which by rights should have been mounted on the panel, but instead was left dangling. 

Now I've removed all that and I'm nearly back to a clean slate.  It's time to think about the future.

My New Home Data Center Solution

I'm an IT guy and I've designed and run mission critical systems and applications within large, established organizations full of industry-leading engineers.  I have substantial expectations when it comes to IT.  But my expectations are likely very different than what people might imagine.

A lot of people on the Internet seem to be interested in "professional looking" data center racks, but what I see is are racks that are great for a photo-op but that are awful from cost, labor, and space perspectives.  I see a lot of good-looking but unnecessary cabling, professional equipment mixed with poor consumer equipment, and a lot of over-complication.  That's exactly not what I'm looking for.

I'm an IT guy.  I like the appropriate level of engineering for the job.   My configuration will be professional, highly reliable, flexible, and appropriately affordable.

So instead of making a faux "data center for the home", I'm going for what's appropriate for my home: I'm going for a plywood backboard, 18 inches wide and 36 inches tall.   There will be no racks, no doors and likely very few blinky lights.   The new panel will have 4.5 square feet dedicated to modern data equipment and clean cable management.  It's a big step ahead.  It's sustainable.  It's appropriate.

My equipment and cabling will be directly attached to this board using clips and screws.  I'll buy what I need, and no more.  Because we all know that IT equipment has a limited operational life.  If it runs out of steam can capacity, I can replace the board with a fancy rack later.

Key Equipment On My Telecom Panel

This is what I'm planning to have hanging on my plywood telecom backboard.  I've linked to the products I'm thinking about:
All of this will be wall mountable.  I can envision a few other small items, but that's about it.

In short, this set up will likely cost under $200 and will include everything I need.

Would a rack really make this set up better?  No.  Then I'd have to buy a big and power-hungry rack-mount equipment.  Would a patch panel make it better?  No, a patch panel would not only mean more connectors and cables, it also means wiring nightmare.

I might add other devices to my telecom panel, but I have no plans for them out of the gate.  Things that I might add later include:
  • UPS: I might want to replace the power strip with a small wall-mountable UPS.  ($40)
  • TV Streaming Tuner: I might want to add a device to stream over-the-air TV to my LAN ($80)
  • MOCA: I might want to add a MOCA interface for the coaxial cable, but it seems unlikely ($80)
  • Analog Telephone Interface.  Haha, just joking.  This is obsolete technology.
And that's it!

Next Up

Next time I'm planning to mop up some of the remaining ugly cabling.


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, part 1: Disassembly Guide

I've had my SodaStream Jet for years, and once in a while something has gone wrong. Disassembly is the first step to repair.  Start with this article to see how to disassemble the SodaStream, and then once you have that down, scroll through my other articles to see how I repaired specfic SodaStream problems. SodaStream Jet Disassembly Guide Tools Required Flat head screwdriver Phillips head screwdriver 1. Remove the Carbonator.  Duh. 2. Remove the black panel lever The front big black tilt lever needs to be removed first. Removing this panel is tricky, but it isn't impossible. Looking up at the bottom of the black panel, there are two tabs, one on the left and one on the right. These tabs fully secure the panel in place. The trick is to use a flat-head screwdriver under the plastic to gently lever the tabs out of the way.  Note in the pictures how I approach these tabs with my screwdriver.  I usually release the left side first, and then I release ...
Read more

Picking a Cable Modem for Xfinity

There are a lot of cable modems on the market, and many are compatible with Xfinity service. However, that doesn't mean that every modem is perfect. My basic requirements are: Currently certified by my ISP.  Buying a cable modem that isn't currently certified is simply unlikely to work. Capable of supporting needed service speeds.  Buying a cable modem which cannot deliver the service needed is going to be an immediate bottlebeck.  Buying a cable modem which is far more capable that the service speed is likely a waste of money, No built-in WiFi capability or Telephone line capability.  A personally-owned WiFi router is likely a better choice than an all-in-one unit that will need to be positioned exactly where the cable is within the house.  Don't over-buy.  Cable modems do not last forever.  Manufacturers abandon support, and cable modems aren't infinitely durable due to things like lightning strikes and being powered on for years at a time. So what ...
Read more

Old Apple gear that keeps on ticking

I've been dealing with Apple computer gear for a long time, as have my friends and family. Here is a list of the old gear that me and/or my friends have in active service.   Note that this gear is in real service, and isn't treated as museum pieces or as part of a retro-computing hobby. 2008: Apple Airport Express, draft-N, first generation 2009: Apple MacBook, late 2009 (utility use only) 2010: Apple iPod nano, 6th generation 2013: Apple Airport Extreme AC 2015: Apple TV HD (4th generation) The big winner here is the Airport Express, which is modern enough to do its job, and it just keeps on going.  The device that my friend runs has been in operation for more than 125000 hours.  It received its most recent firmware update on 28 August 2018, 10+ years after its initial release. In terms of security: it has no open, unpatched CVE vulnerability reports.  Many generations of other routers have come and go while this one keeps going.
Read more

Transitioning to Comcast Now!

I've transitioned to Comcast NOW, a lower speed, lower cost alternative.  The kids have grown up and moved out.  I'm spending much more of my time traveling.  I don't need the high speeds at home like I used to. This transition promises to save me $240 dollars a year versus my old "discounted" plan. Xfinity to Comcast Now transitioning process I went to the Xfinity store and told them I was cancelling two weeks out.  This isn't weird - people move all the time, so they do have a process for cancelling at a future ("move-out") date. Later the same day, I was able to go to the Comcast website and order the NOW modem for the new service. Note that Comcast didn't let me do this until I had a future cancel order in place.  Three days later, the modem arrived via FedEx. The cancel date came and went - Xfinity seems to have a grace period, so the old modem wasn't unceremoniously yanked out of service at midnight.  This made the transition smooth.  ...
Read more

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, Repair #2 - Broken Fill Button

My Soda Stream Jet's fill button broke, which means I can not longer carbonate water by pressing the pushbutton. This caused all sorts of grief in my household. Here is how I managed to repair my Jet to give it another 10 years of life (hopefully). First, a look at the button The fill button on the top of the SodaStream is actually a simple lever. Pressing down on the button moves a pin that does the actual work of pressing open the Carbonator's valve. Unfortunately, the axis point is fairly thin and can see a lot of stress. That's where my Soda Stream button cracked. [ I think the usage tip here is "don't over-press the button like a gorilla, it doesn't do anything but put high stress on the button."] Cracked levering point of the button The Pesky Lever Retaining Pin The Fix It was pretty easy for me to replace the button: Take off the back of the Soda Stream and remove the carbonator. Push out the the button lever's steel retaining pin. This takes qu...
Read more

Sodastream Carbonator Leakage, Usage, and Weight

SodaStream 60L "Carbonator" CO2 cylinders have a specific weight when empty, plus about 410 or so grams for the CO2 they should have when they're "full".  A little while ago I went to buy a replacement Carbonator from my local hardware store. The dealer pulled a new Carbonator out of the box and sensed it was lighter than usual.  He put the "light" Carbonator in the "empty" pile and sold me a different one.  At that moment I concluded that it would be smart of me to weigh both new and empty SodaStream carbonators.  Here are the results. Weighing a SodaStream Carbonator - for both Science and Consumer Protection.       The dealer told me that sometimes the carbonators leak after they leave the SodaStream filling facility.  That means there could be an opportunity for customers like me to get ripped off! The SodaStream cylinders I buy claim to have a net product weight of 410 grams - and that means that a full Soda Stream Carbonator shou...
Read more

Other Posts

Show more