Rackpath 2U Vertical Wall Mount Rack Review

The bracket is built well past what network gear asks of it. The frame is about 0.08 in (2 mm) cold-rolled steel with a black powder-coated finish, and the rated capacity is 125 lb (57 kg). A 24-port switch, a router or a patch panel weighs a small fraction of that, so the steel is not the weak link in the install.

Two mounting positions

You can bolt it vertically and flush to a wall, or fix it horizontally under a desk. The under-desk position suits a single machine in a home office, while the wall position keeps a closet or utility room tidy.

Standard 19-inch fit with square holes

The rack is 19.3 inches wide and uses square rack holes, the cage-nut type that most 19-inch equipment is drilled for. Silk-screened U markings let you line each device up on the same rung every time.

Wall holes that line up with studs

The mounting holes sit 16 inches center to center, which matches standard US stud spacing. That is the difference between a bracket that lands on framing and one that needs a workaround.

Hardware in the box

It arrives fully assembled, with 6 wood mounting screws and washers for the wall plus 10 M6 screws, 10 M6 cage nuts and 10 M6 plastic washers for the equipment. Buyers on Amazon most often praise the sturdiness and the versatility of the bracket, and several note that everything needed to mount it came in the box.

A small footprint

It stands about 4.17 inches off the wall, so it tucks into closets, garages, basements and small offices without eating floor space. Buyers on Amazon mention utility rooms, closets, garages and small office setups as the places it works.

An open bracket holds equipment by its front ears, and nothing else. There are no rails and no chassis support, so the ears carry the whole load. That is fine for a switch or a patch panel and is the wrong setup for a server unless the server slides in on its own rails.

The wall takes the load too

The included fasteners are wood screws and washers meant for studs. Drywall or masonry needs anchors you supply, and the wall structure has to be checked before anything goes up. The bracket's rating means little if the wall behind it gives way.

Installation splits buyers

Amazon's summary of buyer feedback calls installation mixed: some buyers find it easy, others run into difficulties.

No lock, no cable management, no dust filtering

It is an open frame. In a laundry room, garage or basement, expect to add port plugs and Velcro yourself, and do not count on it to keep hands out of a shared space.

Two rack units only

Two units of space is 3.5 inches of rack room.

A confusing line in the product text

The line about assembly in the product description calls it a 1U rack even though this is the 2U model. The dimensions and the 2U capacity are what count.

The numbers below decide whether your gear fits and whether the wall can take it.

Two rack units equal 3.5 inches of rack space, since 1U is 1.75 inches. The bracket's own 3.94-inch height comes from its frame around that opening. Because the design is open, the depth of your equipment is not limited by the bracket: a deep switch simply hangs in front of the wall.

What's in the box

• The 2U rack, fully assembled
• 6 wood mounting screws and washers
• 10 M6 screws and cage nuts
• All equipment mounting hardware

Wall racks for 19-inch gear come in three broad shapes, and each one solves a different problem.

Open brackets like this one

An open L-bracket is the simplest option: it holds equipment by the ears, leaves the depth unlimited, includes the mounting hardware and takes up little room. It has no lock, no cable management and no support under the chassis.

Enclosed vertical cabinets

A closed cabinet supports the chassis on rails, locks, and keeps dust and hands away from the gear. It is also far bulkier and heavier, and it takes a much bigger bite out of a wall.

Larger open-frame wall racks

Open-frame racks in 6U or 9U sizes suit anyone who has outgrown two units of space. They keep the open design and the easy access but take up more wall.

The Rackpath 2U is the simplest, most self-contained way to get 2U of 19-inch gear onto a wall, and the steel and included hardware are what justify its place among the open brackets.

The other version in this series is the 5U vertical wall mount rack, model 00600317, which adds three more rack units of vertical space at the same 125 lb capacity. It measures 3.94 in H x 19.3 in W x 9.42 in D and weighs 2.8 pounds, against 1.5 pounds for the 2U. The kit carries 22 M6 screws and cage nuts instead of 10, along with the same 6 wood mounting screws and washers, and it comes with a 2 year manufacturer warranty. Choose the 5U when you need room for more than two 1U devices; the 2U stays the smaller, lighter bracket for a single switch or patch panel.