Complete documentation and visualization for my mini server rack setup.

➡️ View Interactive Diagram | View HTML File

The interactive diagram shows the complete physical layout, network topology, patch panel wiring, and step-by-step setup guide.

1. Visual Overview
2. Physical Rack Layout
3. Equipment
4. Network Topology
5. Patch Panel Configuration
6. Cost Breakdown
7. Administration
8. Appendix

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│  Nighthawk AX6 Router          │  ← On top of rack (WiFi 6)
└─────────────────────────────────┘
              │
              ↓ (1-2 ft cable)
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│  Ubiquiti Switch Lite 8 PoE    │  ← 1U managed switch
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  DeskPi Patch Panel (12-port)  │  ← 1U CAT6 patch panel
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  0.5U Shelf                     │  ← Heavy duty vented shelf
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  Synology NAS (8TB)             │  ← Network storage
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  0.5U Shelf                     │  ← Heavy duty vented shelf
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  Mac Mini M1                    │  ← UniFi Controller host
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  JetKVM                         │  ← KVM over IP
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  [Empty Space for Expansion]    │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  Power Strip (PDU)              │  ← 1U rack mount
└─────────────────────────────────┘

Internet (ISP)
     ↓
Nighthawk AX6 Router (on top)
     ↓ Port 1 → Switch Port 1
Ubiquiti Switch Lite 8 PoE
     ↓ Ports 2-3 → Patch Panel Front
Patch Panel (12-port)
     ↓ Back Ports → Devices
┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│    NAS   │ Mac Mini │  JetKVM  │
└──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘

Router on Top (Outside Rack)

• Nighthawk AX6 is bulky and needs space/ventilation
• WiFi antennas need clearance for optimal coverage
• Easy access to LEDs and buttons
• Runs hot, needs unrestricted airflow

Switch Below Router

• Professional datacenter configuration
• Signal flows down naturally
• Short cable run from router
• Easy to see port status LEDs

Patch Panel Below Switch

• Central connection point for all devices
• Short patch cables to switch (6-12")
• Long device cables hidden in back
• Easy to reorganize connections

Devices Below Patch Panel

• Organized cable management
• Easy physical access
• Natural cable routing
• Room for expansion

PDU at Bottom

• Standard rack placement
• Power cables route upward cleanly
• Accessible but out of the way

• Model: DeskPi RackMate T1
• Size: 10-inch width, 8U height
• Material: 10mm aluminum alloy frame
• Sides: Translucent acrylic panels
• Dimensions: 11" x 7.8" x 16"
• Mounting: Wall-mountable, swing-out design

• Nighthawk Port 1 → 1-2 ft cable → Switch Port 1
• Provides internet to entire rack

• Switch Port 2 → 6-12" patch cable → Patch Panel Front Port 1
• Switch Port 3 → 6-12" patch cable → Patch Panel Front Port 2
• Switch Port 4 → 6-12" patch cable → Patch Panel Front Port 3
• Additional ports available for expansion

• Patch Panel Back Port 1 → 2-3 ft cable → Synology NAS
• Patch Panel Back Port 2 → 2-3 ft cable → Mac Mini
• Patch Panel Back Port 3 → 2-3 ft cable → JetKVM
• Ports 4-12 → Available for future devices

(To be configured)

The patch panel acts as a pass-through junction box:

• Front Port 1 = Back Port 1 (straight through)
• Each numbered port connects front-to-back

FRONT (facing you):

• Use SHORT 6-12" patch cables
• Connect to switch ports
• Easy to swap and reorganize
• Clean, professional appearance

BACK (facing wall):

• Use LONG 1-3 ft cables
• Connect to devices (NAS, Mac Mini, JetKVM, etc.)
• Cables stay in place
• Organized with velcro ties

• Organization: All cables meet at one central point
• Flexibility: Swap front patch cables to reorganize without touching devices
• Scalability: 12 ports ready for cameras, access points, servers, etc.
• Labeling: Label each port to track what's connected
• Professional: Industry-standard datacenter practice

FRONT                        BACK
┌─────────────┐             ┌─────────────┐
│ Port 1 ←────┼─────────────┼──→ NAS      │
│ Port 2 ←────┼─────────────┼──→ Mac Mini │
│ Port 3 ←────┼─────────────┼──→ JetKVM   │
│ Port 4 ←────┼─────────────┼──→ Available│
│ Ports 5-12  │             │   Available │
└─────────────┘             └─────────────┘
     ↑                              ↑
  Short cables              Long cables
  to switch                 to devices

Subtotal (Already Invested): ~$1,153

To Purchase:

• Minimum (Switch + cables): $121
• Recommended (includes PDU, cable management): $183
• Complete (all accessories): $233

Total (Fully Loaded): $1,386

Great deals you got:

• Mac Mini M1 for $100 (usually $500-700 used) - saved ~$400-600!
• Synology DS923+ for $550 in 2021 (now ~$600-650) - good timing
• DeskPi 0.5U shelves at $25.99 each vs generic 1U shelves at $20-25 each - better value for heavy duty

Smart choices:

• JetKVM at $89 is cheaper than commercial KVM-over-IP (~$200-500)
• DeskPi equipment is affordable compared to enterprise rack gear
• Ubiquiti switch gives you managed features + PoE for only $109
• 0.5U shelves save rack space while supporting up to 25kg (55 lbs)

Your total investment of around $1,300-1,400 gets you a professional homelab setup that would cost $2,000-2,500 buying everything new at retail prices.

Installation:

• UniFi Network Controller runs on Mac Mini
• Software is free and runs 24/7
• Local-only management (no cloud account required)
• Web interface accessible at http://[mac-mini-ip]:8443

Configuration:

• Static IP for switch
• SSH access enabled
• Port monitoring configured
• VLANs (if needed)

Access:

# SSH to switch (via UniFi Controller)
ssh admin@[switch-ip]

# Or access via UniFi Controller web UI
https://[mac-mini-ip]:8443

Local Access:

• Web interface: http://[jetkvm-ip]
• HDMI input from managed device
• USB for keyboard/mouse control

Remote Access:

• Optional WebRTC via JetKVM Cloud
• SSH access for customization
• Open-source, self-hostable

(To be documented)

• Router admin interface
• Switch configuration
• DHCP/DNS settings
• Port forwarding
• Firewall rules

(To be documented)

• NAS backup schedules
• Configuration backups
• Firmware update procedures
• Cable organization maintenance

• Interactive Rack Diagram - Visual guide with all connections
• Shopping List - Detailed purchasing guide with links
• Setup Guide - Step-by-step installation instructions

DeskPi Products:

• RackMate T1 Rack
• 12-Port Patch Panel
• 0.5U Heavy Duty Shelf
• Blank Panel
• DeskPi Wiki

Network Equipment:

• Netgear Nighthawk Support
• Ubiquiti UniFi Documentation
• UniFi Controller Download
• UniFi Community Forums

Storage & Compute:

• Synology Knowledge Base
• Synology DS923+ Product Page
• JetKVM Documentation
• JetKVM Quick Start

Homelab & Networking:

• r/homelab - Reddit community
• r/homeserver - Server-focused community
• Patch Panel Basics (YouTube)
• UniFi Switch Setup (YouTube)
• Home Network Design (YouTube)

Technical References:

• TIA-568 Standards - Ethernet cabling standards
• CAT6 vs CAT6a - Cable differences
• PoE Standards - IEEE 802.3af/at/bt

Network Tools:

• UniFi Network Controller - Switch management
• Angry IP Scanner - Network scanning
• Wireshark - Packet analysis
• PuTTY - SSH client (Windows)

Cable Management:

• Cable Label Templates - Brother P-Touch
• Rack Cable Management Guide

Ubiquiti:

• Ubiquiti Store
• Amazon - UniFi Products

Cables & Accessories:

• Monoprice
• Cable Matters
• StarTech Rack Accessories

Forums:

• Ubiquiti Community
• Synology Community
• ServeTheHome Forums

Discord Servers:

• Homelab Discord
• Self-Hosted Discord

• 2026-01-04: Added DeskPi 0.5U Heavy Duty Shelves to cost breakdown
• 2026-01-04: Complete restructure with cost breakdown and equipment details
• 2026-01-04: Added Ubiquiti switch to shopping list
• 2026-01-04: Added interactive rack diagram
• 2026-01-03: Initial repository creation

Last Updated: January 4, 2026
Maintained By: Freddie Vargus
Repository: github.com/freddiev4/homelab-server-rack