UPS for wall mounted network cabs

[thimon]

Hi all. What UPS setup do you have for your wall mounted network switch cabinets? Ideally I would like to have them all covered, however I’ve been warned about the weight of UPS’s in wall mounted cabs, which makes sense. Many of these are located in classrooms. What would you advise? Thank you

[3s-gtech]

We use the smaller desktop ones. 700VA (our switches are hungry!)

 

With these, you can put them in the cab (or on top with care) close to the wall to reduce the torque pulling the cab down.

[RobFuller]

Got some APC SCL500RMI1UC 500VA Smart-UPS C Lithium Ion, Short Depth which fit in most "wall cabs".

If you want remote management there is a cloud fee (not a lot) or you can spend more and get local network control version or don't worry. Either way smart little unit.

[pete]

If the cab's deep enough, we'll use a 2U rackmount one.  If it's not (or we're only powering a couple of low-draw things), we'll use a desktop UPS on a vented shelf.

 

On 24/05/2025 at 11:34, 3s-gtech said:

We use the smaller desktop ones. 700VA (our switches are hungry!)

 

With these, you can put them in the cab (or on top with care) close to the wall to reduce the torque pulling the cab down.

 

please don't put them unsecured on top of cabinets.  It triggers H&S auditors.

 

[3s-gtech]

Indeed, it's not a recommendation. I think I have one like that, and it's due for a new cab.

[synaesthesia]

Just don't cheap out on them like I did - figured with the specs that the 400VA APC Back-UPS would suffice. Forgot to factor in the raised current draws at reboot on switches with larger PoE budgets which throws the UPS into a hissy fit of beeps and non-powery-function.

[PotNoodleTech]

Way better than any of the outdated crud APC make.

 

[synaesthesia]

1 hour ago, PotNoodleTech said:

Way better than any of the outdated crud APC make.

 

Yes but it's not the same thing is it? If I found one of those in any commercial or educational setting I'd laugh it out of the building - as would anyone carrying out any sort of IT audit.

No control, logging, no smart behaviour for shutting down devices, no nothing. It's for boiling a kettle whilst camping on the moors, not powering system critical systems.

[PotNoodleTech]

1 hour ago, synaesthesia said:

Yes but it's not the same thing is it? If I found one of those in any commercial or educational setting I'd laugh it out of the building - as would anyone carrying out any sort of IT audit.

No control, logging, no smart behaviour for shutting down devices, no nothing. It's for boiling a kettle whilst camping on the moors, not powering system critical systems.

 

Mhh. Ok I'll bite.

 

No control - control over what, a switch?  I thought we were talking about keeping extraneous comms cabinets up?  you dont need any controls it's jus always on.

 

Logging - Logging for what, a switch?  I thought we were talking about keeping comms cabinets up?  (ps plenty of logging via the on board bluetooth can even get it to email you etc)

 

No smart behaviour for shutting down devices - shutting down what, a switch which doesnt even have an on off switch?  I thought we were talking about keeping comms cabinets up?

 

No nothing - just uptime, lots of uptime - one of those will keep a couple of switches going for hours - yo could also wire in some solar or a generator if things went really soutgh - all things you haven't got a hope of doing easily with an 90s style UPS.

 

Don't worry, stay in the past and scramble to shut down everything in 20 minute whilst your sealed lead acid batterys bulge and leak under the strain  

[DrCheese]

Don't have any UPS on our edge switches, can't afford them (& Have always thought in a power cut they wouldn't be much use anyway?)

[Rob_D]

In the old buildings we have 250w Eaton Eclipse UPSs in the smaller/wall mounted cabs (mostly for power protection, rather than uptime). They're pretty compact and not too heavy.

 

In the new(er) build, we've got these surge protectors on the small wall cabs. But they were put in by the builders so I'm not sure how much help they actually are. 

 

 

[StephenPink]

We're looking into Riello at the moment - previously have used Tripp-Lite as they were the only ones (at the time) with a shallow enough UPS, with enough outport ports (6) however they've since been bought by Eaton. And the management cards were a bit naff. 

Also do use APC elsewhere - but they only seem to have the super expensive lithium model in a shallow enough depth, and that only has 4 outputs - and isn't rated high enough for the class 6 upwards switches

 

Cheers

[synaesthesia]

19 hours ago, PotNoodleTech said:

 

Mhh. Ok I'll bite.

 

No control - control over what, a switch?  I thought we were talking about keeping extraneous comms cabinets up?  you dont need any controls it's jus always on.

 

Logging - Logging for what, a switch?  I thought we were talking about keeping comms cabinets up?  (ps plenty of logging via the on board bluetooth can even get it to email you etc)

 

No smart behaviour for shutting down devices - shutting down what, a switch which doesnt even have an on off switch?  I thought we were talking about keeping comms cabinets up?

 

No nothing - just uptime, lots of uptime - one of those will keep a couple of switches going for hours - yo could also wire in some solar or a generator if things went really soutgh - all things you haven't got a hope of doing easily with an 90s style UPS.

 

Don't worry, stay in the past and scramble to shut down everything in 20 minute whilst your sealed lead acid batterys bulge and leak under the strain  

Point taken on "just comms cabinets" but don't you want  control or basic logging? Don't you want to be able to detect possible issues before they come major problems such as persistent voltage problems, brownout frequencies, spikes etc?

Ok the shutting down devices was aimed at servers, but we've all seen plenty of random crap stored in those comms cabinets over the years but even so some higher end switches will take command from UPS and vice versa to safely shut down or even adjust things like PoE budget to suit (keeping certain ports powered but not others).

I said nothing about a preference for acid batteries - there's plenty of modern lithium ones, I would prefer ones that are not chinesium however - your post came across rather condescending considering you were plugging a camping battery.

[PotNoodleTech]

1 minute ago, synaesthesia said:

Point taken on "just comms cabinets" but don't you want  control or basic logging? Don't you want to be able to detect possible issues before they come major problems such as persistent voltage problems, brownout frequencies, spikes etc?

Ok the shutting down devices was aimed at servers, but we've all seen plenty of random crap stored in those comms cabinets over the years but even so some higher end switches will take command from UPS and vice versa to safely shut down or even adjust things like PoE budget to suit (keeping certain ports powered but not others).

I said nothing about a preference for acid batteries - there's plenty of modern lithium ones, I would prefer ones that are not chinesium however - your post came across rather condescending considering you were plugging a camping battery.

 

Maybe - I think the UPS brigade are stuck 20 years in the past to be honest, the same kinda attitude that told me "my god you can't run SSDs in a server" over a decade ago.  Now they're all running SSDs too.

 

Given that I am running my entire house including applieances and PCs and 3d printers and my laser cutter on (much) bigger versions of these now it makes me laugh when people say they're not capable of doing a good job powering your switches or servers that are using a few hundred watts here and there.

[mrbios]

19 hours ago, DrCheese said:

Don't have any UPS on our edge switches, can't afford them (& Have always thought in a power cut they wouldn't be much use anyway?)

Effectively same here. Having unifi switches rather than expensive Aruba or Meraki ones etc means i have spares on hand in the event of power spikes blowing something too. Cheaper than maintaining UPS's everywhere.

 

Only place i do have one is a cab near my reception...keeping two switches alive there = phones stay on for reception and main offices, as long as the server room is still powered by its UPS. 

[synaesthesia]

24 minutes ago, PotNoodleTech said:

 

Maybe - I think the UPS brigade are stuck 20 years in the past to be honest, the same kinda attitude that told me "my god you can't run SSDs in a server" over a decade ago.  Now they're all running SSDs too.

 

Given that I am running my entire house including applieances and PCs and 3d printers and my laser cutter on (much) bigger versions of these now it makes me laugh when people say they're not capable of doing a good job powering your switches or servers that are using a few hundred watts here and there.

Indeed, but these aren't houses - we're running schools and cliche as it may be, what we do has an effect on the lives of others - as a result we have a responsibility to do as much as we can to make it reliable, keep it running at a decent cost and also bear in mind liability. If I had a chinesium device installed in a cab and it went up due to a manufacturing fault causing untold damage, there's not going to be a single person in Shenzen or the Temu factory it came from that will give two hoots. Not saying the device you posted was that bad, and it doesn't just cover those devices either - some quite well known battery brands (DCS in Australia, anyone?) ended up in hot water because their devices were just not cutting the mustard or outright unsafe. 

[Rob_D]

Eaton have a pretty good range of Lithium UPSs.

https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/catalog/backup-power-ups-surge-it-power-distribution/eaton-5p-ups.facets$4070056489$1366315245.html#tab-2.html

[thimon]

From finding the model I’m happy with, I’m now looking at suppliers for the best price. UnifiComms have come in with the best price, however I’ve never heard of them and there’s not too much about them online. Anyone used them? It’s either them or Switchshop came in with a good price.