Six Network Components IT Teams at Schools and Universities Need Now

In this blog post from Chatsworth Products (CPI), we learn how IT solutions can empower new educational experiences and encourage learning. Check out their solutions and contact your local Accu-Tech representative to learn more about CPI! 

While school is in full swing, the lessons learned from the last year and a half remain fresh in our minds. The way teachers provide instruction, students attend school, and everyone experiences a typical school year are all significantly transformed due to recent needs for full-time remote and virtual learning and instruction.

That's meant that tablets, phones and generally just about any digital device have been turned into a learning device to be used anywhere and anytime for instructors, teachers, students and even parents or family members at home supporting their students. As “all-the-time” learning continues to trend, so does the need for the consideration of the physical infrastructure necessary to enable this proliferation in digital and remote learning. Every K-12 and higher education school—and the IT administrators and professionals in these settings—should be prepared to properly power and protect the hardware, networks and infrastructure that supply connectivity to the classroom and campus.

Here are the six components you need now: 

Intelligent Power Management: Monitor and Control Equipment Remotely

e-Connect® Power Distribution Units (PDUs)
• Six progressive models for local metering, remote monitoring and switching at the device level
• Vertical and horizontal configurations for deployment in traditional telecom spaces or edge sites
• Single- and three-phase models with market-leading temperature ratings up to 149° F (65° C)
• Low-profile locking outlets to prevent accidental disconnections
• Integrated environmental monitoring and access control
• Redundancy Pack option that includes two PDUs (one Black and one Glacier White)
• Meets latest UL® and IEC 62368 requirements

RFID Electronic Lock Kit
• Integrated RFID Card Reader
• Can be integrated through eConnect PDUs, networked controller or building security access control system
• Provides audit trail for regulatory compliance
• Remote access control
• Centralized authentications
• ZetaFrame Cabinet preinstallation

Server Cabinets and Racks to Support and Protect Heavy Equipment

ZetaFrame™ Cabinet
• Fast, built-to-order capability
• Preinstalled with power, cable and thermal management under one project-specific part number
• Supports 5000 lbs (2268 kg) static and 4000 lbs (1814 kg) dynamic loads
• Integrated bonding through door hinges and contact points
• Enhanced cable management accessories can be used interdependently or in combinations to accommodate a wide variety of applications
• Optional upgrade to brush-sealed cable openings
• Optional shock pallet option
Cable Management and Pathway to Organize High-Density Cabling

Motive® Cable Manager
• Central track system provides unlimited adjustability with direct support for cable bundles
• A wide variety of tool-less accessories and touch-points that helps organize cables, simplifies moves, adds and changes (MACs) and speeds up deployment
• Large radii are designed into many of the frame elements
• Dual-hinged doors open to the right or left and offer push-to-close convenience
• Hook feature on inside of front door provides a dedicated, secure location to hang a test meter
• Available in a wide variety of heights, widths and configurations
QuadraRack® 4-Post Frame
• Offers easy access to equipment and cabling
• Quick assembly with one-piece top and bottom panel sets
• Easy to bay together to create multi-frame configurations
• Equipment mounting locations are marked and numbered on the mounting channel
• Threaded mounting holes speed installation of rack-mount equipment and shelving
• Supports large equipment on heavy-duty four-post fixed and sliding shelves

Adjustable Cable Runway
• Provides cable pathway customization with Moveable Cross Members
• Supports cable and fiber from floors, ceilings, walls and the tops of cabinets and racks
• Simplifies MACs
• Supports tool-less accessories for quick and easy deployment
• Complements other CPI Runway systems
• Adapts to any data center or computer room
• Ships assembled or unassembled
• Bonded construction

Pemsa® Rejiband® Wire Mesh Cable Tray
• Available in 1 heights and 6 widths
• Tray can be cut and formed into turns and transitions using standard splices
• Tops of trays are rounded and smooth to protect installers and cables from cuts
• BLACK C8® finish option delivers corrosion resistance almost equivalent to stainless steel

Wall-Mount Cabinets to Extend the Network to Classrooms and Portables

CUBE-iT® Wall-Mount Cabinet
• Three-part, swing-out design allows access and service to the front and rear of equipment
• A single lock and key (CH751) on the front door allows access to the entire cabinet
• Rear panel includes knockouts for conduit and features cable tie and attachment points
• Hinge design allows removal of rear panel for easier installation on wall
• 300 lb (136 kg) load rating
• Available with optional low-decibel (31 dB) dual-fan kit
• Factory-prepped bonding feature
• Ships fully assembled

Ceiling-Mounted Enclosures to Secure Wireless Access Points

RMR® Ceiling Enclosures
• Adjustable-depth, swing-down mounting panel accommodates up to 4 small cell radio nodes in suspended ceilings
• For indoor use only
• Flat, vented door or with dome insert options; replaces 2’ x 2’ (0.6 m x 0.6 m) ceiling tiles

RMR Wall-Mount Right-Angle
• Mounts up to 1 small cells in the preferred horizontal orientation for optimal wireless coverage
• For indoor use only
• Wedge-shaped, right-angle mounting bracket with hinged, locking cover
• Knock-outs for 1” (25.4 mm) conduit connectors 25 lb (11.4 kg) load rating

NEMA-Rated Industrial Enclosures to Protect Outdoor Equipment

RMR Free-Standing Enclosures
• NEMA Type 4, 4x, 12, 3, 3R, 5, 2 and 1
• For indoor and outdoor use
• Available in stainless steel with brushed finish for corrosive environments
• Easy-to-use side channels for mounting
• Continuous foam gasket seal
• Wide range of sizes available
• 3-point latch with choice of lock
• Optional adjustable-depth mounting plate

RMR Bollards
• Cylindrical fiberglass bollard protects radio nodes in outdoor public spaces; meets NEMA Type 3R
• 25 lb (11.4 kg) load rating
• Structural anchor base provides sturdy anchoring to concrete pads or slab
• Includes anchor base, equipment stand, hardware to fasten nodes and antennas, color0matched bolt cover and tamper-resistant hardware
• Available in 6 standard colors; Black, Brown, Forest Green, Gray, Light Gray, White

Accessories for RMR Industrial Enclosures

• NEMA-rated Cooling Units and Filter Fans keep equipment cool inside the enclosure
• Roxtec grommets are rated IP 55
• LED Light Kit provides additional lighting inside the enclosure; 100-240 Volts
• Drip Shield Assembly provides additional protection against ice and rain; Use to meet NEMA Type 3R requirements

As you focus on finishing out this planning year, get a head start on budget planning and upgrades for the 2022-2023 school year now. CPI has helped schools and universities just like yours tackle some of their toughest challenges, while also meeting tight schedules and budgets. Check out more of CPI's solutions here, or talk to your local Accu-Tech representative to learn more.