Anyone know where I can buy cage nuts and rack screws locally
near SAVVIS DC3 in Sterling, VA? They don't seem to have a
local supply here, and somehow the racks we bought came with
a 2:1 screw:nuts ratio.
-cjp
Any Greybar should have them, but they're not going to do you any favors on price.
-wil
Graybar is not too far away. There might also be an Anixter within
range. (Graybar is in Sterling near the south end of IAD)
Owen
Owen DeLong <owen@delong.com> writes:
Anyone know where I can buy cage nuts and rack screws locally
near SAVVIS DC3 in Sterling, VA? They don't seem to have a
local supply here, and somehow the racks we bought came with
a 2:1 screw:nuts ratio.-cjp
Graybar is not too far away. There might also be an Anixter within
range. (Graybar is in Sterling near the south end of IAD)
They are in Sterling, but the "near the south end of IAD" address is
in Chantilly (they were on Westfax Dr). They moved from there several
years ago.
45145 Ocean Court
Sterling, VA 20166-2345
(703) 631-8600
gmaps is correct. note that "relocation drive" is not accessible
directly from 28.
-r
As always, thanks to the responses off list, we're all sorted now.
I really don't understand why someone hasn't put vending machines in every major colo around the world. We have vending machines that sell ipods at the maul, we can certainly have a vending machine that sells rack nuts and screws, patch cables, tools, etc. at colos.
jc
In a message written on Wed, Dec 01, 2010 at 06:43:25AM -0800, JC Dill wrote:
I really don't understand why someone hasn't put vending machines in
every major colo around the world. We have vending machines that sell
ipods at the maul, we can certainly have a vending machine that sells
rack nuts and screws, patch cables, tools, etc. at colos.
Every meeting I have with a colo provider I suggest this exact idea.
Patch cables (cat5, single mode, multi-mode), fiber couplers, maybe
even SFP's, velcro ties, a 10-in-1 screwdriver, etc.
I'd say skip the colo provider, and look for vending machine companies.
The colo provider's unlikely to go to the bother of digging up somebody
to provide the vending machines and contents, but seems likely to be
quite interested if the thing's provided to them as a package...
cheers!
Anyone know where I can buy cage nuts and rack screws locally
near SAVVIS DC3 in Sterling, VA? They don't seem to have a
local supply here, and somehow the racks we bought came with
a 2:1 screw:nuts ratio.I really don't understand why someone hasn't put vending machines in every major colo around the world. We have vending machines that sell ipods at the maul, we can certainly have a vending machine that sells rack nuts and screws, patch cables, tools, etc. at colos.
I had that idea back in 2003, after getting very frustrated late one Saturday evening because I didn't have something like cage nuts, and actually tried
to interest the management of Switch and Data into doing it, but it went nowhere.
I am sure I was not the first here...
Regards
Marshall
Two notable places I've done site work where the colo vendor was happy to sell me such things were Terremark/NOTA in Miami and Global Switch in Amsterdam. But even in those cases there were times where I needed something outside normal office hours and couldn't find anybody to sell it to me. Vending machines have the advantage that they don't sleep.
Joe
the colo provider may not want to 'waste' electricity/cooling on a
vending machine...
-chris
Once upon a time, Christopher Morrow <morrowc.lists@gmail.com> said:
the colo provider may not want to 'waste' electricity/cooling on a
vending machine...
A plain (non-drink) machine draws a few watts. I don't think rack
screws and patch cables need to be refrigerated; if they can't spare a
few watts for a vending machine, then you probably can't install
anything new there anyway.
You know, I don't think the reason this doesn't happen is a technological one. There are a bunch of us who've been pushing this idea to DC and colo providers for well upwards of fifteen years now, and I don't know of anyone who's actually done it. The problem is supply, not demand. Combining someone who's willing to service vending machines for a living with someone who knows what we need the vending machines stocked with is the sticking point, since the market is too small to separate those roles, I think. At least to bootstrap. Of course, if the economy continues downward, maybe there will be more clueful people who figure stocking vending machines is better than no work at all.
-Bill
Its def not a bad idea, and if you really wanted to, not like it would be hard to put nuts, screws, etc in a can, put a piece of electrical tape over the top, and completely repurpose an existing soda machine or even use one or two spaces in a machine already in the lobby or NOC. It may not look pretty, but its actually a great way to recycle and do something creative.
Or, you could do what our co-loc does, have a large coffee can with screws, nuts, etc and a few shared screwdrivers in another. On your way in, grab the nuts/screws and a screwdriver, on your way out put unused and extras back in the can.
Little things like that if people cooperate can be an excellent bullet point on why to be in a specific facility.
Or, you could do what our co-loc does, have a large coffee can with screws, nuts, etc and a few shared screwdrivers in another. On your way in, grab the nuts/screws and a screwdriver, on your way out put unused and extras back in the can.
I like this idea better - which is what one of our DCs does for snacks and food. Box of Pop-Tarts, with an honor system can for payment. Partially for the staff, but they put it out in the customer area along with free coffee. Coke machine costs $0.50. There is at least one operator on duty 24/7; if I really needed to I could go knock on the door and have them scrounge up tools and screws. There is a Home Depot a half mile away failing that.
This all sounds a little silly compared to the normal datacenter facility issues like power, security, telecomm... but indeed these touches go a long way towards customer satisfaction when you're there for an entire weekend for some big install. Next time we look for new facilities, I know I'll have these in mind.
An aside: There is a special place in hell reserved for those who throw out "unneeded" rack hardware. 
Or, you could do what our co-loc does, have a large coffee can with
screws, nuts, etc and a few shared screwdrivers in another. On your
way in, grab the nuts/screws and a screwdriver, on your way out put
unused and extras back in the can.I like this idea better - which is what one of our DCs does for snacks
and food. Box of Pop-Tarts, with an honor system can for payment.
Partially for the staff, but they put it out in the customer area
along with free coffee. Coke machine costs $0.50. There is at least
one operator on duty 24/7; if I really needed to I could go knock on
the door and have them scrounge up tools and screws. There is a Home
Depot a half mile away failing that.
Unfortunately rack nuts (really the clips) aren't at HD, and they miss
the thread pitch for several rack screw types. They do have cat5 and
cat6 jumpers and bulk cable, tho.
This all sounds a little silly compared to the normal datacenter
facility issues like power, security, telecomm... but indeed these
touches go a long way towards customer satisfaction when you're there
for an entire weekend for some big install. Next time we look for new
facilities, I know I'll have these in mind.
There was always Tribeca Ace Hardware... I see it burned out last May,
so no longer... Where else could you get retail fiber jumpers on Sunday?
-- Pete