Can I put my network in a fridge?

[PMTerp]

Ok, actually, my network equipment. Considering making a real home network and trying to decide on its central location. The most convenient spot I can come up with is my attached workshop (which was the garage at one point). The problem is, its not climate controlled and I know I shouldn't let it get too hot. I'll have my Comcast modem, my netgear router, an 8-port switch, and a hard drive. Can I get a mini fridge and put it all in there or will I have moisture problems? Any other suggestions for sticking it out there and keeping it cool?

Thanks

 

[andruoid]

Be sure to buy zip-lock freezer bags so your network packets don't suffer from freezer burn. ;-)

Honestly though, not a good idea. Wireless doesn't do well enclosed in a metal box. None of that equipment is going to suffer from heat that much. I have my router/firewall, network drive in the converted attic space, which gets in the 30's in the summer (even with windows open) and never have had any issues with heat.

 

[SUroot]

Fridges are typically wet, if you weren't sure

 

[alostpacket]

Yeah I gotta agree this is not the best place. If you need cooling put it near an air conditioner maybe?

 

[johnlgalt]

Be sure to buy zip-lock freezer bags so your network packets don't suffer from freezer burn. ;-)

Honestly though, not a good idea. Wireless doesn't do well enclosed in a metal box. None of that equipment is going to suffer from heat that much. I have my router/firewall, network drive in the converted attic space, which gets in the 30's in the summer (even with windows open) and never have had any issues with heat.

While it is true that the enclosure in a fridge is a bad idea all around (condensation, as well as signal shielding), there is a point to be considered here.

The OP lives in Northwest Georgia. Georgia gets hot. Sometimes extremely hot. I live in Middle GA, so my temps are typically hotter than the OPs area, but usually only by 10 degF or so. We've had summers here where the temps outdoors are above 90 degF from just after sunrise too well past sunset. An enclosed garage that is never opened can *easily* see temps hit 125 degF during the daytime, and higher, especially if it remains enclosed with no airflow. At temps that high, you're hampering your hardware no matter how you look at it, particularly if the hardware is being taxed in any way (in terms of load). Add to that the fact that there is an attached HD, and you really start needing a better cooling system.

@ OP: What I suggest you do is take a look carefully at your equipment and see if there is a was to modify using simple household items to boost the passive cooling ability of the devices - like attach heatsinks to the metal bodies of the devices. I've seen many posts in hte past where people would modify their (network) devices for performance boost / increased cooling, at places like DSLReports / Broadbandreports . com, and I'm sure that Googling for such information should be relatively easy.

Regardless of whether you modify the passive cooling ability or not, this idea should help a lot: position a fan that blows on the devices constantly so that there is constant air flow across the devices. That, alone, should help keep the devices at least a bit cooler. If you have a way of installing an A/C duct that blows on them, even better, but that A/C will obviously only be on when your internal (hose) temp regulated the A/C, so that might not be as advantageous as the fan idea.

Since I live in Middle GA, I can understand your concern - we had pollen dropping off plants at the end of Jan, so we're all expecting that this is gonna be a scorcher - and you're right to be concerned.

 

[andruoid]

While it is true that the enclosure in a fridge is a bad idea all around (condensation, as well as signal shielding), there is a point to be considered here.

The OP lives in Northwest Georgia. Georgia gets hot. Sometimes extremely hot. I live in Middle GA, so my temps are typically hotter than the OPs area, but usually only by 10 degF or so. We've had summers here where the temps outdoors are above 90 degF from just after sunrise too well past sunset. An enclosed garage that is never opened can *easily* see temps hit 125 degF during the daytime, and higher, especially if it remains enclosed with no airflow. At temps that high, you're hampering your hardware no matter how you look at it, particularly if the hardware is being taxed in any way (in terms of load). Add to that the fact that there is an attached HD, and you really start needing a better cooling system.

Keeping thing as cool is always a good idea. However, these are consumer devices we are talking about and even under load and heat there is not too much to worry about.

To be a little more detailed in my experience the converted attic in my house can reach as high as 40 C (+/- 2 C) even with both windows open on either side on said space. I have a SMC Gateway wireless device that the cable provider includes with their service. In average temps it runs warmer than most consumer routers I've had in the past. Being in the attic it gets tested more than it should but I have seen no performance hit or damage to the unit itself.

The load put on this gateway varies day to day however, it does control 4 wired devices, 5 laptops, Wii (also used for Netflix), 6 phones and more recently a 3TB network drive for backup and streaming.

I'd move the unit elsewhere but, the location is ideal for covering the 3 floors of the house for wireless. i was able to wire some of the house but most areas would be a pain to cable just to have the unit in a lower section of the house.

 

[johnlgalt]

Does the attic have any sort of venting? MY attic, for example, has venting from where the eaves hang over the house, and at that apex of the roof, has a sort of ventilated slits that are angled downward (to prevent water during rains).

Also, 42 degC is ~107 degF. In my garage, however, it routinely hits 125 degF (We have a hanging thermometer which is a bit old now, but I'd still give it +/- 3degF) which equates to 51.67 degC. The router, modem and switch will perform fine at temps as high as 40 degC (which is what I found running around on the Internet). However, pushing 50 degC or higher is definitely not advisable, even for consumer electronics.

Also, is you 3 TB array also in the same location (physically)? To me the main concern here is the HD that the OP is referring to, more so than the router and other stuff, but in doing my research on most consumer electronics, I'd still be concerned (just as the OP is) about temps higher than ~110 degF (about 44 degC).

 

[andruoid]

Does the attic have any sort of venting? MY attic, for example, has venting from where the eaves hang over the house, and at that apex of the roof, has a sort of ventilated slits that are angled downward (to prevent water during rains).

Also, 42 degC is ~107 degF. In my garage, however, it routinely hits 125 degF (We have a hanging thermometer which is a bit old now, but I'd still give it +/- 3degF) which equates to 51.67 degC. The router, modem and switch will perform fine at temps as high as 40 degC (which is what I found running around on the Internet). However, pushing 50 degC or higher is definitely not advisable, even for consumer electronics.

Also, is you 3 TB array also in the same location (physically)? To me the main concern here is the HD that the OP is referring to, more so than the router and other stuff, but in doing my research on most consumer electronics, I'd still be concerned (just as the OP is) about temps higher than ~110 degF (about 44 degC).

It's a terrible and probably poorly insulated attic. When we bought the place the attic was already dry-walled and carpeted. All we did was paint and replace the carpet with engineered flooring. The windows at the time didn't open enough for proper venting. We replaced the windows with much larger panes that increase the air flow. The crawl space(s) are on either side of the roof and span the length of the house on one side, about half on the other. On a good day you could probably fry eggs in there.

The 3TB drive is right beside my gateway. Before summer I'll run a cable down to the main or even lower floor. Ideally, I might even have the cable company run a new line from the outside to the main floor and redo the entire network myself from there. The house is full of angles (its what is called a Western Coast Contemporary style) so like I mentioned before, running cable is near impossible in most places.

 

[PMTerp]

Thanks for the input guys. Putting a fan on it is doable but not the A/C vent because of the layout. I'm still not sure if I'll do it or if I'll partition off part of my closet shelf, I just prefer for it to be out of sight.

 

[johnlgalt]

If partitioning off closet space is possible at all, then go with that by far.

 

[A.Nonymous]

I keep all of my stuff on top of my desk in my bedroom. I see nothing wrong with a similar arrangement. This isn't commercial grade stuff we're talking about and I doubt you're going to see a ton of throughput that'll cause heat issues.

 

[TheyCallMeBT]

I live in Middle GA

Me, too! Haha, I just happened across this while reading the thread. And yeah, it gets hot as mess here in the summer. Made worse by the humidity that can sometimes make it difficult to breathe. I wonder if the garage/ workshop is usually closed up or usually open. If open, I wonder if the humidity could also cause moisture problems.

 

[argedion]

I live in South East Georgia and I can say that the heat is one issue however a much bigger issue is the humidity. You can literally walk out side turn around go back into the house and have felt like you just got out of the pool. Putting equipment in those conditions are not favorable. I know South West Georgia isn't much different in the Humidity department. We live in Swamp Land.

Having a fan pull out heat will help a lot. You may want to invest in a dehumidifier if your going to put equip in garage. Summers down here are not equipment friendly