Introduction
For years, my home network was housed in an IKEA Besta cabinet—a budget-friendly solution that worked but had its limitations. The components sat loosely inside, with cables running everywhere, and the network was managed by an unmanaged switch and a FritzBox modem/router. It was functional but far from optimal. You can read about the journey of creating the cabinet to upgrading it in the two linked blog articles I wrote here and here.
This year, I finally took the leap and upgraded to a proper wall-mounted 19” 15U rack, fulfilling a long-time dream. This new setup improves manageability, reliability, performance, accessibility, and leaves room for future expansion. Since my wife and I both work from home and our smart home relies heavily on a stable LAN, this upgrade was a game-changer.
If you’re considering building a home IT rack, this guide will walk you through the process and share best practices for beginners looking to upgrade their home network.
Why Upgrade to a Proper IT Rack?
Challenges with the Old Setup:
- Limited airflow: No dedicated cooling, which increased the risk of overheating or higher wear on hard disks. A dedicated rack has much more cooling vents, possibilities to active cool and a thought through air circulation.
- Cable chaos: Hard to troubleshoot with tangled wires. Especially the possibility to access the rack from both sides is a big plus for a rack.
- Limited expansion: Running out of space for new network devices.
- Basic networking features: No VLANs, proper firewall, or advanced routing options.
Why 15U is the Ideal Size for Home IT Racks
Choosing the right size for your home IT rack is crucial. A 15U rack is an ideal size because:
- It provides ample space for essential networking equipment without taking up too much room.
- It allows for future scalability, meaning you can add more devices as your network needs grow.
- It supports proper airflow and cooling, which is often compromised in smaller racks.
- It can accommodate NAS devices, patch panels, network switches, routers, and even small servers.
?? What is a “U” ??
The “U” (rack unit) is a standard measurement used to define the height of equipment mounted in server racks.
- 1U = 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) in height.
- It is used to describe the size of rack-mounted servers, switches, and other IT hardware.
- A 15U rack, for example, has a total usable height of about 66.67 centimeters (15 × 44.45 mm).
Each piece of rack-mounted equipment is typically labeled with its height in U, such as 1U, 2U, or 4U, indicating how many rack units it occupies.
For most home users, a 10U rack might be too small for expansion, while anything above 18U might be overkill unless you are running a small business. 15U strikes the perfect balance to me.
The Rack Build – Components and Their Role
I will use the number of the rack units from top to bottom for reference ans numbering of the components.
1. Ventilation Cover – Keeping It Cool
I installed a ventilation cover at the top of the rack to allow heat to escape. Proper airflow is essential for preventing overheating, especially in enclosed spaces. If you’re building your own rack, consider adding rack-mounted fans for even better cooling. Heat buildup can degrade performance over time, so ensuring proper ventilation extends the lifespan of your equipment.
2. FritzBox Rack Mount – The Internet Gateway
The FritzBox, previously my modem, firewall and router, taking the role of a DHCP server, only serves as my modem in my new setup, providing internet access to the rest. It’s mounted securely at the top with a Rackmount IT RM-FB-T3 Upgrade-Kit for Fritz!Box 6890/7590 and connects to the UniFi Dream Machine Pro, which takes over all routing and firewall duties. Keeping the modem separate from the router ensures a more stable network setup and allows for better network performance optimization.
3. Patch Panel with Double-Ended Keystones – Structured Cabling
A patch panel is essential for organized cabling. The double-ended keystone connectors allow me to neatly connect all devices within the rack to the switch while the bulk of the cables is neatly hidden, making troubleshooting and future upgrades much easier. Structured cabling prevents mess and ensures that network components are connected in a professional, scalable manner.
4. UniFi Dream Machine Pro – The Network Brain
The UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM Pro) replaced the FritzBox as my router and the UniFi Cloud Key as controller of my Network. It is an enterprise-grade solution that offers advanced network management features, including:
- VLAN support for segmenting networks to enhance security and manage bandwidth.
- Integrated firewall with deep packet inspection (DPI) for real-time threat detection.
- Built-in VPN server for secure remote access to the network.
- Centralized network monitoring via Unifi Controller software.
The UDM Pro is a huge step up from a standard consumer router, offering better control over traffic, better monitoring, better security features, and improved network stability.
I will do a separate blogpost about my network setup and the reasoning behind it.
5. Unifi USW-24 POE Managed Gigabit Switch
I upgraded from an unmanaged switch to this UniFi USW-24 POE 24-port managed switch with Power over Ethernet (PoE), allowing me to power network devices (like my cameras, UniFi Flex Mini switches I use in some rooms, and UniFi wifi access points) without separate power adapters. This makes cable management cleaner and reduces the number of power cables and adapters needed.
A managed switch enables VLAN segmentation, QoS (Quality of Service) settings, and remote management, which is critical for a high-performance home network and reliable work form home.
6. Patch Panel for External Cables – Connecting the House
This panel connects all network cables from the house to the rack using keystones, ensuring a centralized and structured wiring system. A labeling system is a must for quick troubleshooting and future expansion.
7. Raspberry Pi Rack Mount – Mini Servers for Smart Home
I use a rack-mounted Raspberry Pi holder by GeekPi for up to four Raspberry Pis, to securely hold the Pis in place and have all connectors easy accessible at the front. What I particularly love with this set is, that this even comes with a PCB that routes the HDMI and even the SD-card slot to the front – giving full access – and cooling for all four PIs!
Three of which are currently in use (pictures are a bit older and only show two):
- Home Assistant (Raspberry Pi 4 B 4GB) – Controls my smart home automation, including lights, security cameras, blinds and sensors. I wrote about my Home Assistant addiction here. I will eventually migrate Home Assistant over to a Raspberry Pi 5 B 16GB in a few months for extra computing power.
- PiHole (Raspberry Pi 4 B 4GB) – My network-wide ad blocker and local DNS server that improves security and browsing speed.
- Paperless NGX (Raspberry Pi 5 B 16GB) – My document management system for digitalizing paperwork. I will eventually also write a blog post about Paperless NGX in the near future because I think this is a great way of reducing the amount of paper and the hustle of storing and archiving documents. Give me a few weeks on this as I just set this up recently and have to gain some experience with it.
Each Raspberry Pi is powered via a USB power supply, actively cooled, and cables are routed neatly to the patch panel. These small, affordable computers allow for running powerful services while consuming very little power.
8. Cable Management Cover – Front-to-Back Routing
This simple cover with brushes hides and organizes the cables running from the Raspberry Pis to the back of the rack, maintaining a clean and professional look.
9. Blank Cover for Future Expansion
Leaving some empty space in a rack is a good idea. It allows for future upgrades, but also ensures enough “head-room” for the two NAS below.
10, 11, 12 & 13. Synology NAS – Reliable Data Storage
I have two Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices in my rack:
- Synology DS918+ (Primary NAS): Handles media streaming, runs some dockers, photo storage, backups, cloud syncing and more. It supports RAID configurations for data redundancy and runs Docker for lightweight containers.
- Synology DS414j (Backup NAS): Acts as a secondary backup target using Synology Hyper Backup, ensuring offsite and incremental backups.
These NAS devices ensure that my important data and media libraries are safe and accessible from anywhere.
14 & 15. Blank Covers for Power Management
Behind these easy removable DIGITUS DN-97651 covers are the power extension cords, USB power supplies, surge protectors and earth connection. Keeping power components separate from network equipment ensures safety and easy access in case of maintenance.
Bonus: HUE Light Strip for Visibility
I installed a Philips Hue Light Strip around the inside of the rack. Not only does it look great, but it also provides better visibility for troubleshooting in low-light conditions. I also control the color of the light to indicate possible problems with the discs of the NAS or the internet connection.
Conclusion
starting with an overview over the entire rack, conveniently hanging at optimal working-height also providing storage space below.
Upgrading to a 15U wall-mounted IT rack has completely transformed my home network. It’s more reliable, better organized, and easier to manage. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced tech enthusiast, building a rack-based home network is one of the best investments you can make for performance, security, and scalability.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your setup, I highly encourage you to start small and scale over time. Even a basic rack can provide significant improvements in cable management and overall network efficiency.
Do you have questions or remarks? Let me know in the comments!