Grounding your home lab?

[bs_kwaj]

Hello, I finally got my BlackBox 19" rack... 39" high, free standing. Today I'm starting to load equipment into it. The first is my new 2811. I also have 2 1841's, a 24 port 2960, an 8 port 3560 with PoE, and an old 2610 and 2611. I also have an 8 port 2960 on order. (Dang, I must be gettin' serious about this!)

Then the issue of grounding came up.

For a small home lab:

Is the grounding provided through the power cords good enough?

Can a ground cable be connected from each piece of equipment directly to the rack (free standing and actually sitting on top of a wooden table)?

The equipment will be connected to an 8 port Belkin UPS, 1500VA, 830W.

Any other words of wisdom on the grounding subject?

Thanks, Bennie

[lammle]

Bennie, that is an awesome lab you have. Congratulations!

I have literally hundreds and hundreds of routers and switches in my server room at GlobalNet Training. We have them all racked into various pods and we don't ground anything - other then through the regular power source, of course.

I am sure that someone has a better answer somewhere, but I am just telling you what we do and we don't have any problems. At least we haven't yet!!

Good luck with your studies.

Cheers!
Todd Lammle

[bs_kwaj]

Here's the lab as it stands today. I got moved and then just threw these in the rack. Had to go on an extended business trip, but I'll be back in July. Then I'll start diligently going through the book and wiring this thing up.




http://bennie-smith.net/cpm/albums/userpics/18May08_011.jpg

[lammle]

that's a cool rack....has everything you need and is all neat.
Take a look at the rack I used to write my book with:
talk about scary!

[Big Evil]

Great gear guys, i envy you for having the space for that.

Todd, buy some damm cable ties will ya. LOL

[lammle]

no doubt, right? Maybe this explains some of the typos.... lol
Todd

[bs_kwaj]

that's a cool rack....has everything you need and is all neat.
Take a look at the rack I used to write my book with:
talk about scary!

D'oh... that's what I need next... a white board! :D

You had a great setup. (or is that still there? :eek: ) I guess there's no real permanent-like wiring schemes for a lab setup, since you're moving things around a lot.

Here's my new happy home in my little 2 room Bachelor Quarters on Roi-Namur. I was only there for 2 weeks before
I had to put out to sea --> ( http://bennie-smith.net/cpm/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=33 ).
I'll be back in July. This arrangement may change. And this was just before I re-populated the rack.

Ok, here's the new Happy Home:

http://bennie-smith.net/cpm/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=42

Oh, notice my current network center. (Use your imagination. I'll post up a clearer photo at some point.) The little Dell machine in the middle of the rack to the right is running Smoothwall and it feeds those 2 little Linksys switches on the top of the rack to the right. Next to the switches is my trusty, dusty 56K USR V.92 (firmware upgraded) dial-up modem. Sad, isn't it. That's all we have available. We live in, like a 60's environment, but at least we have 80's technology!! :rolleyes:

I may replace the Linksys switches with the old 1900 or 2900 I bought along with those old 2600 series routers. And, of course, my home lab will remain separate from my internet connection.

Note: Ok, since most people ask, the big monitor shows my 64bit Ubuntu desktop and that's a woman in a bikini by a pool.

One last word, all of my machines, except the Smoothwall, are Folding:
http://folding.stanford.edu/

[lammle]

Yes, a white board really helps...
If you look close, that is the figure I use in chapters 6 and 7, the most important chapters in the book, I think.

That is a great lab!

dude, is that porn on your screen? lol
Todd

[bs_kwaj]

dude, is that porn on your screen? lol
Todd

I know you're a busy guy, and that's a lot of info in Post #7, so I'll restate:

Note: Ok, since most people ask, the big monitor shows my 64bit Ubuntu desktop and that's a woman in a bikini by a pool.

It will go back to being a sunset shot, or something, before long.

:D

[Big Evil]

dude, is that porn on your screen? lol

Busted. LOL

[Big Evil]

no doubt, right? Maybe this explains some of the typos.... lol
Todd
Getting tangled in cables, that make sence to me. LOL

[lammle]

Sorry, I missed that sentence. You did write that it was a girl in a bikini.
I missed that because I read and then looked at your neat lab.
I am busy and do read fast.
You don't need a sunset, I like the screen you have!! :)
Todd