A network cabinet is the shallower 19″ variant for switches, patch panels and routers: a maximum of 800 mm deep, usually with a glazed or glass door, and passive ventilation is sufficient. From 1000 mm depth — for deep servers with directed cooling — it is called a server rack.
Which network cabinet suits you?
ZPAS manufactures network cabinets in three designs — from the wall-mounted enclosure for the floor distributor to the floor-standing cabinet for the equipment room. All comply with the 19″ standard (DIN 41494), have degree of protection IP 20 and are available direct from the factory:
Z-BOX & Z-CUBE wall-mounted enclosures
Space-saving on the wall: Z-BOX one-piece (600 × 600 mm, up to 100 kg), Z-CUBE one- or two-piece (depth 450/600 mm) — on the two-piece version, the front housing swings open for cable access. Glass or sheet steel door, tool-free assembly.
Z-BOX & Z-CUBE in detail →SJB office network cabinet
Compact floor-standing cabinet with full-glass door for offices, practices and shops: 600 mm wide, 600/800 mm deep, up to 45 kg. With a design worktop in three decors, it becomes a piece of furniture — castors optional.
SJB in detail →SZB IT with glazed door
The classic floor-standing network cabinet: glazed door made of safety glass, depth 600/800 mm, up to 1,000 kg load capacity, 270° door opening — many sizes with glazed door from stock. Bayable and expandable to a server rack later.
SZB IT in detail →Catalogue for reference: Z-BOX/Z-CUBE from p. 60 · SJB from p. 52 · SZB IT stock standards from p. 30 (PDF).
The three designs compared
| Series | Montage | Heights | W × D (mm) | Load capacity | Door | Colours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z-BOX | Wall | 6–18 U | 600 × 600 | 100 kg | Glass or sheet steel | RAL 7035 |
| Z-CUBE | Wall | 6–21 U | 600 × 450/600 | 60 kg (two-piece 30 kg) | Glass or sheet steel | RAL 7035 |
| SJB | Floor (office) | 12–18 U | 600 × 600/800 | 30–45 kg | Full glass (toughened safety glass) | RAL 7035 / 9005 |
| SZB IT | Floor | 18–47 U | 600/800 × 600/800 | up to 1,000 kg | Glazed door (safety glass) | RAL 7035 / 9005 |
All values according to the “IT Solutions” catalogue; 1 U = 44.45 mm. In depths of 1000/1200 mm with perforated doors, the SZB IT is also available as a server rack. Frame heights of the SZB IT: 18 U = 896 mm, 24 U = 1,163 mm, 33 U = 1,563 mm, 42 U = 1,963 mm, 45 U = 2,096 mm, 47 U = 2,186 mm — all dimensions on the server rack dimensions page.
Network cabinet or server rack — the distinction
The rule of thumb is depth: network equipment (patch panel, switch, router) is shallow — cabinets up to 800 mm deep are sufficient. Servers are deep and hot — for them there are racks from 1000 mm depth with perforated doors (80% open area) for directed front-to-back cooling. Load capacity also separates the classes: wall-mounted and office cabinets carry 30–100 kg, the SZB IT floor-standing network cabinet up to 1,000 kg, server racks such as the Z-SERVER up to 2,000 kg (without levelling feet). If you need both, start with the SZB IT: same series, by swapping doors and choosing a greater depth it grows into a server rack — right up to cold aisle containment.
Network cabinet with ventilation or cooling
In most cases, passive ventilation is sufficient: ventilation openings in the roof and floor plates are standard on all series. If the heat load rises, there is a suitable active stage for each design — the ventilation kit for Z-BOX (230 V, 165 m³/h), fans with worktop riser for the SJB or roof fans for the SZB IT. The free cooling capacity calculator shows in two minutes how much cooling your equipment really needs. Important for planning: an active compressor cooling unit requires a closed cabinet of IP 54 or higher — for this, the air-conditioned server rack based on the Z-SERVER is the right choice, not the network cabinet.
Glazed door, glass door or sheet steel door?
In networking, the glazed door has become established: status LEDs remain visible without opening it, while the equipment is still lockable. For the SZB IT, ZPAS supplies the glazed door with partial frame and swing handle lock — from stock in 24/42/45 U with a depth of 600/800 mm, at the rear with a solid sheet steel door including a 3 U cable entry panel with brush strip. On the SJB, the full-glass door made of safety glass is standard; the Z-BOX and Z-CUBE are available with either a glass or a sheet steel door (e.g. for corridors with public access). If you need special protection — for example in a production hall — the SWN IT is a 19″ wall-mounted enclosure with 12 U and degree of protection IP 65.
Frequently asked questions — network cabinet
What is the difference between a network cabinet and a server rack?
Depth and cooling: network cabinets are a maximum of 800 mm deep and house shallow equipment such as patch panels, switches and routers — usually behind a glazed door, and passive ventilation is sufficient. Server racks start at 1000 mm depth, carry significantly more load and use perforated doors for directed cooling of deep servers. More on this in the server rack guide.
How deep is a network cabinet?
450 to 800 mm is typical: Z-BOX/Z-CUBE wall-mounted enclosures 450–600 mm, SJB office cabinet and SZB IT floor-standing cabinet 600 or 800 mm. From 1000 mm depth, it is called a server rack.
Wall-mounted or floor-standing — which fits?
Up to about 18–21 U and a low load (up to 100 kg), the wall-mounted enclosure is the space-saving choice — e.g. as a floor distributor. For offices and shops with 12–18 U, the SJB is a good lockable floor-standing unit. From about 18 U, with heavy equipment or when expansion is foreseeable, the SZB IT floor-standing cabinet (up to 1,000 kg load capacity) is the right basis.
Why do network cabinets have a glass door or glazed door?
Status LEDs of switches and patch panels remain visible without opening the door, while the equipment is still protected and lockable. ZPAS supplies glazed doors made of safety glass for the SZB IT (from stock in depths of 600/800 mm), full-glass doors for the SJB and glass or sheet steel doors for the Z-BOX and Z-CUBE.
Does a network cabinet need cooling?
Usually passive ventilation through ventilation openings is sufficient. With higher heat loads, a ventilation kit (Z-BOX), fans with worktop riser (SJB) or roof fans (SZB IT) help. An active compressor cooling unit requires a closed cabinet of IP 54 or higher — in that case the air-conditioned server rack is the right basis. The cooling capacity calculator determines the required cooling capacity.
What height (U) should a network cabinet have?
Rule of thumb: add up the rack units required for patch panels, switches, cable management and reserve, and plan around 30% spare space. Wall-mounted enclosures cover 6–21 U, the SJB office cabinet 12–18 U, the SZB IT floor-standing cabinet 18–47 U (1 U = 44.45 mm).
