As mentioned in a previous post, Types of Racks, Fixtures, and Cable Access Designs, side mount wall racks mount equipment perpendicular to the wall. This results in the side of the equipment facing forward, leaving the front and rear of the equipment being accessible from the sides.

Side mount wall racks are a perfect solution for tight spaces, such as spaces under stairways (sometimes called spandrel), or in situations where two walls facing one another are too close for a traditional wall mount rack. Although vertical wall mount racks such as the NavePoint 4U Vertical Wallmount Rack and cabinets like NavePoint 5U Vertical Wall Mount Rack Enclosure - 36 Inch Server Depth are also great for tight spaces, side mount wall racks are a better option when you have more than 5U of equipment. Even if you don’t have space constraints, here are some additional benefits of side load racks.

Rear Access with Higher Weight Capacity

One of the major advantages of side mount racks is their higher weight capacity compared to other wall mount racks with rear access features. In short, side mount racks are more structurally robust compared to others designs which usually require hinges. For example, NavePoint 9U Side Load Wall Mount Network Rack can handle 240 lbs.

Rear Airflow

Another advantage of side mount racks is the rear airflow. In a typical rack, the rear of the equipment is facing the wall. Depending on the distance between the equipment’s rear fans and the wall, airflow could be restricted. On a side mount rack, the rear of the equipment is facing the side, leading to better airflow, better thermal management, and healthier equipment.

Less Depth Restrictions

NavePoint recommends mounting your shelves and equipment on all four posts. Unlike typical front facing racks, side mount racks have an inherent ability to allow more flexibility in regard to mounting depths. Without a wall to restrict the longer server equipment, people have used server rack rails like NavePoint 1U Adjustable Rack Mount Server Shelf Rails Full Depth to hold their server housing and allow a few inches to stick out from the side of the rack. Another option would be using rail depth adapters like NavePoint 2U Server Rack Rail Depth Adapter Kit 4 inch (10 cm).

How to Choose a Side Mount Rack

Similar to choosing other wall mount racks, consumers should keep in mind their setup’s rack units, equipment depths, weight capacity, and wall mount anchor locations. Furthermore, NavePoint recommends buying a rack with a few extra rack units and a higher weight capacity for future expansion. Unlike other side mount racks in the market, NavePoint’s side mount rack offers more room for cable access and more openings for better airflow while still maintaining a respectable weight capacity. Check out NavePoint 12U Side Load Wall Mount Network Rack, or talk to NavePoint’s sales team for more information!

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