Server "closet" in small apartment?

[jester]

(I know this isn't strictly a "chassis" question, but this subforum seemed the best option.)

I live in a typically smallish apartment in New York, and thus need to fit my gear in the small amount of semi-public space that I have; I can't put anything in an attic, basement, extra closet, etc. Indeed, everything has to be exactly where it is now, in a bedroom, because that's where the network wiring was set up (incorrectly, but I can't do anything about that now).

The picture shows my current setup: I have a built-in unit that I am planning to remove, under which is a few plugs, the network drops for the apartment, and a bunch of gear, including a NAS, 16-port Ubiquiti switch, UPS, printer, Mac Mini, Raspberry Pi (with two USB disk drives attached), digital tuner. In the near future, I will be adding a second NAS/app server, moving the router from another location to here, and possibly adding another one or two small things. If possible I'd like to route the TV wiring (power and Ethernet) into the wall, but I guess that's not directly relevant for this discussion.

The solution needs to be enclosed (for aesthetic reasons as well as to keep the occasional toddler away), but also accessible, ventilated, and does have to be reasonably aesthetically appealing, as this is a room where people stay, watch TV, etc. I do have a bit of budget for this project, but I'm not able to redesign the entire apartment.

What do people think are good options?

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Go vertical. Just make sure it is secured to the wall if you are concerned it will topple over if someone attempts to scale it while you are not looking.

Personally, I use wire racks.

• Inexpensive
• Well ventilated
• You can pull it out easily to access/route wires if on casters
• You can hang curtains to hide unsightly items.
• In the past, I have used a formica counter on one shelf at desk height. You might be able to repurpose some of the built in for that.

 

[reasonsandreasons]

It's not fully enclosed, but I use a 1x4 Ikea Kallax unit for this in my Chicago apartment. You're stuck with front-to-back airflow and have to manage cables, but there are an assortment of inserts you can hack to do things like conceal a power strip in the bottom cubby. They do come with wall brackets, too, so there's minimal tipover risk.

A potential con is that you can't fit anything bigger than 335x335x390mm (or 415x390mm on top), but you can do things like command strip a standard short-depth switch to the side and sandwich it up against a wall.

 

[TLN]

I was in your shoes. I'd recommend paying for more powerful server and passive (silent) poe switch. All the enterprise features in small package.