Raising Electronics CR6N42-9001 4-Post Open Frame Server Rack Review

The CR6N42-9001 is a floor-standing 4-post open frame with 42U of rail space at the standard 19 inch width, so standard 19 inch equipment mounts without adapters. The mounting depth adjusts from 22 to 34 inches post to post in 1 inch increments, a range that covers shallow switches and patch panels through mid-depth servers.

The aluminum frame keeps the assembled rack at 61 lb, which matters when you build it alone and slide it into place. M6 screws and cage nuts come in the box, so basic mounting hardware is there on day one. The open frame leaves airflow unrestricted and gives access from all four sides, which helps when you reconfigure gear often.

Buyers on Amazon most often praise the ease of assembly, the build quality, the functionality and the versatility for home lab use, and they are happy with the quantity of cage nuts and screws included. The large majority of ratings are four or five stars.

Stability is the point buyers raise most often, and Amazon's summary of its reviews reports divided opinion on it, with several buyers noting the rack can sway side to side when moved. Standing still on a flat, level floor it does its job; if you push or drag it around, plan to anchor it or weight the base.

An open frame brings no enclosure: no door, no lock, no dust protection and no noise reduction. That is the format, not a defect, and it is the trade for airflow and access.

The depth ceiling is 34 inches post to post. Deep, full-length enterprise chassis and long sliding rail kits need more, so measure your deepest unit plus clearance for cabling and rear power before ordering. The aluminum frame is light and easy to handle, but it is not a heavy steel frame. Assembly is a bolt-together job, so budget time and a second pair of hands for the first squaring-up.

These are the figures that decide whether your gear fits and how the rack behaves once it is standing.

42U equals 73.5 inches of usable rail height at 1.75 inches per unit, so the 78 inch assembled height leaves headroom for the feet and the frame. Check ceiling and overhead cable clearance where the rack will stand.

The CR6N42 line also comes as the CR6N27.9001, a 27U open frame in black that stands 56 inches tall and weighs 27 lb. It keeps the 19 inch width and the four-post open layout, and its posts adjust from 24 to 35 inches post to post. Its listed capacity is 700 lb, against the 42U frame's 950 lb. Choose the 27U frame when 27U of rail space covers your gear and you want the shorter, lighter frame; choose the 42U CR6N42-9001 when you need the full 42U of rail space.

Assembly is the topic buyers mention most often in a positive light, followed by build quality, functionality, mounting hardware and versatility. Several describe the rack as comparable to the enclosures they know from work, and the included cage nuts and screws get consistent praise for quantity.

Stability is where opinion splits. Amazon's summary reports that several buyers find the rack sways left and right when it is moved, while others are satisfied with how it stands. Mounting gets mixed feedback as well. The practical reading is that the CR6N42-9001 behaves well once it is squared, sitting level and left alone, and that anchoring it removes most of the complaint.