Wall box versus a short floor bay
Both can show 9U. The floor bay needs footprint and a tip path. The wall box needs studs and a swing that clears the corridor. A price that ignores the mount is unfinished.
9U PRICE WORKSHEET
9u network rack price comparison workflow
A 9u network rack price is comparable only after width, depth, door, fan tray, shelves, shipping, and currency sit in separate cells. Nine rack units equal 15.75 in of rail (9 × 1.75 in). That opening does not price the box. LinkScope Sourcing 44 keeps the worksheet; it does not publish a street price.
Cells that stop two 9U prices from pretending to match
| Line | Buyer entry | Supplier must echo |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 9U rail, 15.75 in | Rail opening versus external height |
| Envelope | Width and depth in mm | 600 mm class or the actual external size |
| Door and fan | Solid, glass, or vented; fan tray yes or no | Included or priced beside the box |
| Shelves | Count and shelf load | Cantilever rating, not the frame rating |
| Mount | Wall, swing gate, or floor | Hardware included and the wall assumption |
| Money | Currency and per-rack or whole-order basis | Freight, duties, and the zip or port |
Named cabinet makers can align more directly with a published drawing set and a spare-part path you can reorder. A compatible frame can widen the factory list when the hole pattern, depth, and load sentence are verified on that frame. Neither path is “the real rack” until the drawing date matches the quote. Treat the choice as a sourcing tradeoff, the same way buyers separate OEM-coded modules from compatible modules on active gear: support path on one side, a broader supplier list on the other, both still needing an exact-item check.
Background: two 9U wall boxes differed by less than the cost of a fan tray. Process: the worksheet moved the fan, the shelf, and the swing-gate hinge into their own cells and asked which quote used cage nuts. Result: the prices were no longer ranked until those three cells matched. No percentage was calculated, because the scope was still open.
Alternates a 9U buyer should refuse to assume
Vented door versus a sealed door
Side-breathing equipment and a sealed door are a poor pair. Front-to-back equipment wants a path through the door. Write the equipment breathing before you delete the fan tray to chase a smaller number.
Fiber plant is not a cabinet cell
Single-mode fiber supports longer reach when the link and the optics are designed for it. Multimode fiber can suit a short run inside one room when the transceivers match. That dispute changes the patch panel and the manager depth. It does not change the 9U steel price, and it must not be used to “explain” a cabinet delta. Wavelength and optical budget stay on the optic line.
What the workflow will not do
It will not upload a spreadsheet. It will not convert an ex-works figure into a landed cost. It will not assign ingress protection, runtime, or a safety file. Paste the open cells into the requirement field and keep the drawing identifier with them.
Continue with the inquiry labels or submit the 9U worksheet. The buyer note lists the wider cabinet checks.
Submit the 9U lines for a factory comparison
Use the requirement field for opening, envelope, door, fan, shelves, quantity, destination, and timing. Optional budget stays labeled as per rack or whole order. High-end, mid-range, budget, or undecided is your preference, not a factory grade.