Are there accessories that should go with a rack?

Accessories decide whether a rack will be tidy, safe and easy to maintain. The most useful ones, depending on the installation, are:

• Patch panels and cable organisers, for tidy cabling and easy changes.
• Shelves, fixed or sliding, for equipment that is not rackmount, such as a router, modem or small recorders.
• A rack power strip (PDUGlossary · Power qualityPDU (Power Distribution Unit)A rack power strip that distributes UPS power to the equipment, optionally with metering or remote control.), for organised power distribution from the UPS.
• Roof fans or ventilation units, when the equipment produces significant heat.
• A grounding kit, so that the metal body and doors are properly earthed.
• Cage nuts, blanking panels for empty U, castors or levelling feet.

Blanking panels are often overlooked, but they help air move from front to back instead of hot air recirculating inside the rack.

Practical tip: plan the accessories together with the rack, because they take up U too. A common mistake is using ordinary household power strips, which tangle the cabling and make it harder to keep track of the load on the UPS.