Creating a Data Closet

Over time I've accumulated a lot of different pieces of equipment to run the various systems in my home. It didn't take me long to realize that I needed a dedicated space to place and organize all of this stuff. Here's a list of all my equipment:

HTPC (Home Theater PC)
Next Generation Remote Control Extender
Silicondust HDHomeRun Prime network tuner
Ceton Echo Windows Media Center Extender
Sewell 1x4 HDMI splitter
Motorola tuning adapter
Zoom 5341J DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem
12-port Cat 6 patch panel
Asus 8-port gigabit switch
Asus 5-port gigabit switch
PCT 4-port cable/internet signal amplifier
Various coax splitters
ISY994i home automation controller
Power Strip

One way to deal with all of this equipment is to purchase an equipment rack. I briefly considered going this route until I added up the cost of purchasing a rack and the necessary accessories. Another option is to install a structured wiring panel. These are great for keeping everything neat and organized, but this type of installation seems to have a lot of unnecessary costs like special shelves and power receptacles that will fit in the panel.

In the end, I decided most cost effective and functional installation for me was to just fasten some OSB (Oriented Strand Board, a cheap alternative to plywood) to the wall in an underutilized storage room underneath the stairs. This worked out great because the storage room is in a central location in my house.

Various Equipment Mounted to OSB

IR Extender and HTPC mounted off the floor in case of basement flooding

I'll admit it isn't pretty, but it has worked very well for me. It's extremely simple to swap out equipment, and there's plenty of room to work. Also, there's no special equipment needed to mount the components. Many components come with holes in the back for attaching to screws fastened in the wall. For components that don't have holes in the back, I just use zip ties with screw holes.

All of the wiring serving the coax and Cat 6 jacks in my house run back to this central location. This gives me a lot of flexibility. For example, I'm able to locate my wireless router in a room on the first floor rather than in the basement in order to have a stronger wireless signal on the first floor. This may not always be feasible though; if you have a finished basement with drywall ceilings, running new wiring can be difficult and frustrating.

So, if you're looking for a way to organize all of your AV, cable, and networking equipment, here's the process:

1. Identify a Location - Ideally your data closet should be centrally located, but it doesn't have to be. Verify that it is feasible to route existing and new wiring to this location.

2. Relocate or extend any existing wiring - My coax line from the cable company was split in the basement ceiling, and then went off to my cable modem and TV locations on the first floor. You'll likely need to do something similar if your data closet is in a different location than where the coax enters the house. Also, ideally you want all of the cable and network jacks in the house to terminate in this closet.

3. Layout the components - Locate the components in a logical manor, and try to keep some separation between different systems. This isn't critical, but it will help keep things organized and will reduce the number of cables that have to cross over each other.

4. Power - You'll need a lot of receptacles to plug in your components. Consider running a dedicated circuit to the closet and installing a power strip with a lot of receptacles. The one you see in the photo above can be purchased from Harbor Freight for around $20.

5. Fasten the components to the wall and make all final connections