StarTech.com 2-Post 4U Open Frame Wall Mount Network Rack with Built-in Shelf, Wall Mount Data Rack with Adjustable Depth for AV / Computer / IT Equipment, TAA Compliant Server Rack (WALLSHELF4U)

This is not the type of item that you are going to find in a standard household. But it is a type of product that you'll find in a special breed of self taught techies and makers and there's a small, but growing minority of us that happen to be female. So this review is from a female techie perspective that needed things to meet very specific requirements.The StarTech 8 RU wall-mount unit (WALLSHELF8U) is extremely well made overall, I was impressed by the overall quality (except for the lag bolts included). It's especially good if you only have a small space to work with and your needs are modest. Unfortunately, the unit will not work with the majority of servers without some creative modification as the maximum depth is only 18" fully extended. However, in my case this rack turned out to be perfect for my needs and exceeded my expectations.I reviewed many small wall-mount racks before I finally settled on this one. The turning point for me was that the depth of the rack is adjustable so it was helpful in my case since I had some rack mountable devices that were between 12 and 18 inches deep. 3/4 of the overall rack can be easily adjusted from a 12" to 18" depth, the rest of the rack is limited to a 12" depth.Mounting the rack can be a bit challenging if you're doing alone and a somewhat small person like me. However, I was able to securely mount it to the wall solo by setting it on a step ladder while i mounted it to the wall. The mounting template turned out to be a very nice touch and made mounting much easier for me. It may be a small touch, but if you're mounting this rack alone it is very helpful. The rack is heavy. You still need a level, but it's much easier to use a level with a lightweight template than trying to get a heavy wall-mount level afterwards. I can't say enough about the small touch of adding the template as an installation aid.The only thing I didn't like was the size of the mounting screws which I thought were too shallow for my mounting needs. Therefore, I did purchase larger anchor bolts than what was provided (the ones provided seemed a bit small to me for the amount of weight I was planning to put on it. I decided not to use a backer-board as I didn't see any real benefit. Instead I purchased some polyurethane and nickel platted washers to place between the rack and the wall which in the end looked much cleaner than going a backer-board route.The rack itself is extremely well built and solid - I am a fairly small lady, but it supported my full weight after it was mounted which exceeds the manufactures specifications. I also liked the spacing and positioning of the tie-off points. I very picky about cable management and the placement of tie-off points definitely makes cable management easier for me, but it would have been nice if there were some tie-off points on the side interior and exterior as opposed to just the interior back.

This is just the rack I needed. I replaced a non-depth-adjustable 4U rack with this one so that I could fit a full depth switch, and I'm very happy. The built-in shelf is a great feature to increase the rigidity of the rack and provide extra surface for gadgets without mounting brackets. It was fairly easy to assemble, though the directions specified the wrong screws in one step and some of the screws were difficult to get to start (I think the powder coat may have been applied after the threads were tapped). I would definitely buy this rack again if I needed to mount 4U on a wall somewhere else.

what I like1. surdy build quality2. comes with everything you need to put it together other than tools.3. I like the bottom shelf which adds to the rigidity and a good place to put non rack mount devices such as a cable modem.4. I like that the rack itself is threaded and doesn't require nuts to hold the thing together. I am also very pleased that they didn't cheap out and use self-tapping (aka Self-stripping) screws to hold it together.All in all good quality for the money.What I don't like1. I wish there were some strategically placed holes on the sides to provide access to the back of a patch panel.On the fence about this productI think it was cleaver to allow the face to slide in and out from the back. This is very helpful if the rack mounted hardware is of different depths. I'm on the fence about this mainly because if it's going in a tight space and the screws on the side aren't accessible. it's pretty much a worthless feature.What I really don't likeone side of the rack is not hinged.It would be nice if one side of the rack was hinged so a patch panel can be swung out to punch down wires.As it stands, the patch panel has to be removed, which makes punching down wires a bit of a faff - trying to hold the patch panel securely, and punch the wires down. a Real pain in the butt.Granted I will accept responsibility for what I really don't like because I didn't think about the hinge when purchasing. If I did, I probably would not have purchased this product.If the product had a hinge and holes on the side to gain access to the back of the back of a patch panel, then I'd give 5+ stars.

Used this in my basement for a rack-mount Unifi switch, power panel, keystone panel, and the Unifi USG, cable modem, and Raspberry Pi (all on the shelf). It works perfectly and is very sturdy. Mounting holes line up with 16" OC wall studs. I put 1/2" spacers between the rack and the wall and bought some longer 2-1/2" lag screws to make sure everything is secure. The spacers let me run wire down from the ceiling behind the rack and through the back opening into the keystone panel. The shelf is super convenient for the non-rackmount bits and bobs. No complaints at all about this product.

Very sturdy, heavy-gauge metal. Be sure to run a 10-32 tap through all the screw holes first. When the panels are made they cut them to shape, bend them and tap the screw holes. Then the panels are powder-coated/painted which gums up the threads. This is common to all brands, not just StarTech. If you don't clean out the screw threads first, you run the risk of cross-threading the screw and/or stripping out the holes. Not the end of the world but mighty inconvenient. This rack is a great value.