I'm planning my first complete MDF installation and would appreciate a second set of eyes on the rack layout. The equipment has already been ordered, but the exact hardware for the primary fiber connection and failover connection is still unknown. The failover will probably use Starlink. I may also add another 2U of equipment later.
The planned equipment includes four UniFi 48-port PoE switches, two UDM Pro Max firewalls, one Dell server, one UniFi Enterprise NVR, two 3000VA UPS units—with one additional battery pack and a 120V transformer—and two managed PDUs for the 208V power system. Two additional switches will be installed in remote IDF locations. I'm also considering a UniFi redundant power supply for the switches and firewalls, plus an aggregation switch for the core network.
The two firewalls would use two ports on the aggregation switch, leaving the remaining ports for the six total switches. Are there any concerns with the physical rack order, power distribution, cable management, cooling, serviceability, or future expansion?
1 Answer
I’d put the firewalls near the top, followed by the core or aggregation switching, then the access switches, server, and NVR. That roughly follows the traffic path and makes the most frequently serviced network gear easier to reach. The exact order is partly personal preference, but make sure the rear layout accounts for your rack PDUs—horizontal PDUs can consume valuable rear space, while vertical PDUs may be easier to work around. Also leave enough room for fiber bend radius and future cabling.
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