Hey SpiceHeads!
We’ve all seen it. That server rack that looks straight out of an episode of MacGyver. From duct tape to bungee cords, a hacked rack is a testament to the ingenuity of IT Pros. So, what’s YOUR MacGyver-esque rack story? Whether it’s a funky setup you configured in the past, your current rack, or a story you’ve heard, share below in the comments for a FREE T-shirt and a chance to WIN!
Prizes:
- “Unhack Your Rack” T-shirt (100 random respondents)
- Grand prize: $10,000 “Unhack your rack” package:
- HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen9 Server (valued at $5,000)
- Up to $5,000 in HPE Rack and Power equipment
It’s pretty simple. Here’s how to enter:
- In the comments below, share a photo or story about a time you or someone you know “hacked” a rack.
- One entry per story.
- Additional entry if a photo is shared with your story.
- Fill out this form and give us your T-shirt size and shipping address.
Sweepstakes open to legal residents of the United States, Canada, Germany & the United Kingdom.
Contest Runs Wed, 5/24 – Fri, 6/16
Terms and conditions
@HPE
52 Spice ups
We took angle iron and made our own custom rack using an angle grinder. Definitely not pretty or in service anymore.
4 Spice ups
Had a broken hinge on one of our racks once, so using my Scout Leader skills, I rigged up a knot to hold the door on, and allow it to open and close without any problems…
3 Spice ups
jasonhand
(JasonH1968)
4
just the usual, but looked pretty funny, network cables strung together like spaghetti, but also we had individual pc ups’s for each server, now we have rack mount ups’s, but one ups was connected to another, connected to a surge strip going across the room to the outlet, when i first got here, they had fire sprinker system for the server room! wow! lol
3 Spice ups
joeadams3
(Why OH Why)
5
used a chair with a board on it to hold a server
2 Spice ups
Zip tied the ear on a server. Macgyvered the crap out that.
9 Spice ups
once we had sacked all of our servers on a pallet and put the routers and switches on a table.
2 Spice ups
Contracted to put in new CPE in a SMB. The owner wanted a small server room that was air tight, cooled, sound proof, etc. The builders failed to make room for rear/side access to the rack. In fact, there was barely enough clearance to push in the rack into the room. Ended up using the adjacent office space. That “server room”… well, lets just say they have a really REALLY quiet bathroom now 
3 Spice ups
yikes123
(yikes123)
9
Just a trusty ol’ screwdriver and a hammer… I’ll leave the details!
2 Spice ups
ianh02
(IanH02)
10
Zip ties work great for everything! Cable hangers, holding low profile brackets in regular sized PCI slots, using them as screws, etc, etc. You name it, they can do the job!
2 Spice ups
samzick4
(Deathbybandaid-SW)
11
On the survey, it demands that you answer " Apt/Suite/Office "
Storytime:
Mounted a blue led fan underneath a gpu with a dead fan. Had to use drywall screws to fold it in place.
1 Spice up
dpskinner
(DPSkinner)
12
I have a network cab that is supported by a shelf bracket. Does that count?
Photographic proof to follow!
5 Spice ups
clutka
(MAINSTRIKE)
13
While I’m moving my equipment from one location to another, I had to move my rack. Equipment was left behind so I rigged up some angle brackets to hold the remaining equipment. [Edit: Zip ties were necessary to ensure no accidental movement.] I’m not proud of it but it works in the short term.
Please don’t judge.
At least the new location looks much better. It’s a work in progress. I’m still cabling as you can see.
3 Spice ups
timb
(Verb8TIM)
14
Installing our latest server took some finagling to fit in our server room. So far, all of our servers that were purchased were standalone units located on the floor, where as our two-post rack was housing our networking equipment. The new one, however, was a rack mount unit that of course required four posts. After some researching and deliberation, I found a 4U conversion kit for two-post racks. I received the unit only to discover that our two-post rack was installed so close to the plywood wall on one side, that the conversion mount would not fit. But, that was nothing a little Dremel work couldn’t solve as we cut out a square area in the plywood to fit the new mount.
1 Spice up
One place I worked at had an old old rack, and new servers wouldn’t fit with their quick mount systems, nor the conversion kits. Thus we had to make metal shelves for all the servers to sit on. Not very pretty nor convenient to work on the servers.
1 Spice up
The most recent was using old Cat5 cables as tie downs when moving a rack from one location to another.
3 Spice ups
derek-a
(Derek_A)
17
Plywood makes great rack shelves. Done that one a time or two. Also once took the doors off a rack and replaced them with Styrofoam boards. The boards had holes cut in them to direct the cooling right into the rack. That rack was located in a hot closet.
2 Spice ups
Well, racking is new to me.
As our servers were all tower based. With a new CFO and me reporting directly to him I got approval for a true server room.
AC, Rack, a New server (HPE!) also new switches a month later.
So I requested a unassembled rack due to a height restriction of a door and a very maze-like hallway leading to it.
Little did I know unassembled just meant the servers weren’t installed.
Needless to say, we took the door off, the rack doors off, the feet and the top and had about a half inch to get through the door.
So not really a rack hack but a learning day.
FYI I really like the ProLiant DL380 Gen9 I already have, can’t wait to upgrade the last 2 towers.
1 Spice up
I wanted to introduce a server at home and got my hands on a couple of rack-mount servers, but the problem was I had nowhere to mount them. So I went to my garage, grabbed a 4x4 treated post (a retired wood sign post) and chopped it into four 48" long pieces. I cut a salvaged 2x4 into the correct lengths to hold the bottoms of the posts at the correct spacing then screwed them together. For the top I cut a piece of 1/2" OSB and screwed it onto the top of the posts.
The three servers stack starting at the bottom, resting directly on top of each other. The PDUs attack at the top, using 1.25" gold wood screws through the bolt holes. Since it is only four feet away from the breaker panel I ran a new circuit from the panel to the ceiling above and the PDU cords reach up to it.
This currently sits in the corner of my basement and is still in service. On top of it stands a mini tower case sideways at the back with a 19" flat panel on top of that. In front of and below it is another 19" flat panel. The keyboard and house just squeeze in front of that. The keyboard, mouse, and video cables I manually plug between machines depending on what I am doing.
Believe it or not this is where I do my personal computing at home -when I’m not reclining in the living room with a laptop.
1 Spice up
i had a client that had a roof leak directly above the server racks. we rigged up a drain system with a tarp and plastic bag to drain the water away. until we could get the roof fixed.
a month later i was back and the roof was fixed, and the plastic gone, but the final solution to make sure it didn’t happen again was a metal drain pan welded to the top of the rack with a drain hose running down the side of the rack to a drain in the floor.
1 Spice up
