AxcessAbles RK22U Open-Frame Network Rack Review

The rack carries 550 lb without wheels, far more than a typical home-lab or small-office load of switches, a router, a patch panel and a shelf or two, and it is rated for use on its casters.

The 3-inch casters come pre-installed, and the front wheels lock. You roll the rack to the wall, lock it, and roll it out again when you need to work behind the gear.

The front and back are open and the rack has both front and rear rails, so you can bolt gear to either face and reach connectors on both sides. Vented side panels cover the sides without sealing the frame.

The corner pillars accept both American about 0.24 in (6 mm) and European about 0.20 in (5 mm) rack screws, and the box includes a screw pack for each standard, plus a spacer and a tool. Whatever rack screws you already own will likely work.

The rack ships with the 1U blank panel, the screws, the spacer and the tool, so nothing else is needed to start mounting. It takes all standard 19-inch rack accessories and all AxcessAbles rack drawers, shelves and other accessories. The finish is textured matte black, which buyers on Amazon most often describe as a clean, industrial look. The warranty is 1 year from the manufacturer.

Depth is fixed at 18 inches, and that is the outside figure. The rails sit inside the frame, and rear connectors and power cords need room behind the gear, so the usable depth is less than 18 inches. Full-depth servers and deep chassis will not fit.

There is no enclosure. The front and back are open and the sides are vented panels, so there is no lock, no dust protection and no noise attenuation.

Buyers on Amazon are divided on stability: some say it holds weight beautifully, others report it bends easily.

The screw holes are the recurring complaint among Amazon buyers, with several reporting stripped threads and mounting holes that are not properly aligned. Fit is also mixed, with some buyers saying everything lines up and others disagreeing.

No shelves are included, only the 1U blank panel, so plan shelves separately if your gear is not rack-mount. The 1-year warranty is shorter than some buyers expect from a rack.

22U is the mounting height; 43 inches is the overall height with the wheels on.

Eighteen inches is both the maximum equipment depth and the overall depth of the frame. Once the rails and the space behind the gear for connectors and cable bends are counted, the usable depth is shorter than that.

What fits comfortably: switches, routers, patch panels, AV and studio gear, shallow 1U equipment, and anything mounted on a shelf.

What does not: full-depth servers and deep chassis. If your deepest piece of gear is close to or over 18 inches, this is not the rack for you.

Measure your deepest piece of equipment including its rear connectors, then compare it with the 18-inch maximum.

The shallow frame is a deliberate choice for AV, networking and studio gear rather than a flaw: the rack is built for the gear its intended users actually own, and the dual-standard threading, front and rear rails, included hardware and locking casters justify that choice.

The box holds a top plate, a wheel base with the casters already fitted, four corner pillars, two vented side panels, the 1U blank panel, screw packs for both about 0.20 in (5 mm) and about 0.24 in (6 mm), washers and a screwdriver.

The threading is the part to get right. The corner pillars carry both thread sizes, and each pillar can be turned more than one way. If one is flipped differently from the others, the rails will not line up and the holes will look misaligned.

An order that works: pillars first, base next, side panels, then the top plate.

On stripped threads, use the screw pack that matches the thread you have turned outward, start screws by hand, and do not force a screw that binds.

On stability, keep the load well under the 550 lb figure and lock the front casters once the rack is in place.

The trade-off is noise. With no enclosure there is nothing to dampen fan and drive noise, so if the rack lives in a room you work or relax in, plan for that.

The footprint is 20 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 43 inches tall with the wheels on.

Home lab

A switch, a router, a patch panel and shallow 1U gear fit on the front and rear rails, with room for shelves for non-rack equipment. The dual threading means whatever rack screws you already own will likely work.

Small office

Networking gear sits in a rack that rolls to the wall and locks in place, with front and rear access for changes.

Studio and AV

The rack's intended users are businesses, DJs, sound studios and home theaters, and its intended use covers AV and home theater rack-mountable gear. This is the use case the 18-inch depth is built around.

Anyone who needs to move the rack

The casters mean it can be rolled while loaded, and with the wheels off, the frame carries 550 lb.

The same open-frame design comes in four other heights, all with 18-inch depth and 3-inch casters. The RK8U is the 8U version, rated for 330 lb. The RK12U is 12U and rated for 550 lb. The RK16U is 16U and rated for 550 lb. The RK30U is 30U and rated for 440 lb. Choose the 8U or 12U for a small stack of switches and patch panels, the 16U when you need a few more units of room, and the 30U for a tall rack of networking or AV gear.