Question 1

Because of the slight angle of the rack, does a standard rack shelf work properly when putting loose equipment on it (modem, routers)? Would the Startech model# CABSHELFV or something similar work, or would the equipment slide off because of the angle of the rack?

Accepted Answer

I actually had this exact question myself, and had to do some trigonometry to figure out the answer (and then I had to do it all again once I remembered to account for the 0.2" tall rubber feet on the bottom).

Firstly, the bottom U is pretty much useless for anything other than the included base bracket, so I highly recommend just using the base bracket there to connect the two legs.

For the U above that, you have roughly 15.165" of depth to work with, so you can fit a 15" deep shelf in that U (tan(81°) * 2.402” = 15.165”).

In the U above that, you'll get about 26.214" inches of depth to work with (tan(81°) * 4.152” = 26.214”).

Remember, the rack reclines back at 9 degrees, so even though the shelf in that U would be 15" deep at the bottom, the top of whatever is in that shelf will be further back (this was a factor for me).

I would also recommend getting a shelf with a lip on the back to prevent things from sliding off the back, because that will likely happen otherwise, even with rubber feet on the devices in the shelf. Velcro could also work.

TL;DR you likely won't fit anything in the bottom U other than the base bracket. But you can fit a 15" deep shelf in the U above that one. In the U above that, you have about 26.214" of depth to work with.

Question 2

how tall is it?

Accepted Answer

Because of the slight angle of the rack, does a standard rack shelf work properly when putting loose equipment on it (modem, routers)? Would the Startech model# CABSHELFV or something similar work, or would the equipment slide off because of the angle of the rack?

Question 3

I want to install an R710 on this rack. the R710 is about 23" long. Will this work without worrying about tipping? Also, how stable will it be just using the front mounts?

Accepted Answer

They do sell kits that allow you to rack a full device like a server to a two post rack but I would never recommend it. What happens is over time the weight will twist the metal. You should always use a 4 post rack for anything as a deep as a server. These two post racks are really only meant for network gear and patch panels.

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