How To Cable Manage Your Server Rack!

For longtime sysadmins and datacenter drones, this information will be nothing new. But if you're just getting into rack management, cable management is usually the last thing on your mind. Today, I walk through a simple solution to organizing your server rack or home lab using Keystone Patch Panels and Keystone Jacks!

But first... What am I drinking???

Deschutes (Bend, OR) Fresh Squeezed, a 6.4% IPA that is a perfect blend between a dank grassy beer and juicy variants. Dank, grassy, hop-forward, but also sweet and fruity.

*Links to items below may be affiliate links for which I may be compensated*

Check out these parts to help you organize your home lab or server rack

Follow me on Twitter @CraftComputing

Music:
Lobby Time by Kevin MacLeod

[SycsFinest]

Everyone knows you gotta do home networking at 3am when the family is sleeping. 🤣

Nice video. I love using keystone panels, makes things so much easier.

[PunsRDum]

finally, a video that explains what a patch panel is and is for. Thanks for the tip about using keystone.

[DallasMike]

Well done and great timing. My wife and I are planning to build a new home and having a well-managed server closet is one of my priorities.

[alemaodownhill]

Awesome Dude. I asked about the patch panel in the last video and you just over-delivered it! Really nice solution, way more modular than the ''regular'' patch panel. Great idea, that is an awesome setup you got there. Cheers!

[PieVsCake]

Not only did this video leave me wanting to cable manage my rack but it also left me wanting a beer.. Thumbs up... but now you owe me a beer.

[scruggs.jonathan]

"It's ok, I only needed 8 of them in there." Shows 10 keystones installed. Lol

[GearSeekers]

Don't threaten me with a good time 🤣

[LND]

I've just begun the process of building my own networking infrastructure for personal use in the home, so this video proves to be very well timed as I have myself a small "19-Inch 7U Networking Cabinet" that I got for free from the roadside a few months ago and I plan to install all of my hardware into it (Well, except from the Wireless AP, because a metal cage around a Wireless Access Point is a bad idea haha).


My plan is to build a PFSense 1U Box that is low power, then hook that up to a "1U, 48-Port Gigabit Network Switch" and have my Wireless AP hook up to the network switch.

I just purchased and recieved my new (and cheap) Wireless AP the other day, it is a "TP-Link Archer C7 (V5 Hardware Revision)" which set me back about £70. I have flashed OpenWRT onto it and started setting it up, so stage 1 is well under way.

Next I plan to buy the hardware for the 1U system that will operate as a PFSense Router.
Not sure how I am going to tackle this part yet as it seems like much of the 1U, Short Depth (250mm) Chassis on the market are either poorly built + overpriced, or, NOT sold in the UK/Suitable for UK
So if anyone reads this and has any kind of recommendations then please do post a reply as I'm really struggling with this part.

[HiTechLoLife]

I've always been curious about running a home lab and your videos have definitely convinced me to do so.

[bossmanx]

this is a perfect solution for my apartment rack, i did not want to deal with terminating cables on the back, i just want a plug and play type setup so keystone seems like a great option. this option is a tad expensive at $18.99 for the panel and if your populating all 48 ports your up to $40 for the keystone attachments roughly.

[novamaster]

I love Keystone Jack Patch Panels....
I have actually rack mounted my main desktop, run some USB ports & such to the front and bam, it's like a front loading USB port.

[SilentDecode]

You convinced me to go buy a keystone patchpanel. I just ordered it :)
I already have a patchpanel, but that is one of which you said you didn't want. I've had it for 1, 5 years now and I never had the motivation to do anything with it.. xD

[kevenlonsdale]

I like the cable matters keystone rack as they have a bar to zip tie the cables to

[PoeLemic]

Your content just gets better and better. I added you to my monthly Patreon. Glad that you made the life-change. I believe in what you are doing for you and your family. Keep up good work.

[Seris_]

in our DC if we have front mounted network/switch gear we stack a maximum of 2 devices ontop of each other, seperated by a brush guard on the U's above and below the group. This allows you to run any cables you need through the brush guards and never have a cable crossing over another device. If you have a switch fail, the last thing you want to worry about is the 10-20 cables draping over it preventing you from pulling it out of the rack :)

[jeffherdzina]

A beer tree. I was getting ready to book a trip to paradise. I'm just shocked that no one came running out and complaining that the internet was down. Regardless of telling them. Mine would of freaked out still...or started hyperventilating....or both.

[alfblack]

Nice. I've heard of these keystone thingies. But never seen them installed / in action like that. Thank you.

[BrianThomas]

Love the opening to this video. "Can't beat freshly squeezed".

[StevenLynn]

Rack mount the switches in the rear. No patch panel required. Added bonus of not having to run longer cables through the middle/sides of the rack from rear to front. But, to each their own. Looks cool regardless.

[danielfisher]

I liked as soon as you said "fresh squeezed"!