StarTech.com 2U Sliding Server Rack Mount Shelf - 20 to 30in Adjustable Mounting Depth - Vented - 50lb - Heavy Duty Universal 19” Rack Shelf for Equipment Rack - 24in Deep (UNISLDSHF19)

I purchased this product from Amazon.com to provide a working shelf for my Startech 25U 4POSTRACK25. Rather thanuse a traditional all-in-one KVM shelf with keyboard, touchpad and monitor, I decided to build my own setup usingthis rackmount shelf and other parts. I'm building PC's instead of servers, which those other prebuilt KVM shelvesare oriented toward. Those cost about $500 for a basic model to well over $1000 depending on mfr. and features touse with servers.This allowed me to pick and choose every component, and change them as needed, at much lower cost. I can standard-ize on any keyboard, mouse and monitor I want, and switch any one at any time. I built around the TRENDnet TK-802RPS/2 VGA KVM 8 port rackmount switch.This shelf from Startech is very nice, quite sturdy and well-made. To assemble it one should be mechanically adeptbecause the instructions are rather sparse, giving almost no direction. Even the pictures only help somewhat. Thefirst thing to do is attach the drawer slide rails to the sides of the draw, after separating the slides releasingthe black latch lever. The tapered end of the slide faces toward the rear of the drawer. Screw heads are insertedfrom the outside, and the washer, lockwasher, and retaining nut are then attached and secured from the inside ofthe draw.The stock picture on this product page is for mounting onto a 2 post rack. My pictures will make very clear what isthe correct order and position of each part to install in a 4 post rackmount like mine. The smaller brackets thenare attached to the outer rail. The holes only line up in one end to do this. The black drawer backstop inside theouter rail is towards the rear. Attach each outer side rail to the front using the screws into M5 cage nuts in theframe. Next attach the rear rackmount brackets at the same height in the rear of the unit, placing the outer slideinto this bracket. Once the rear bracket is secured, you can insert 2 screws through the bracket and outer rail tomate this outer slide assembly. In all cases the screw heads are mounted INSIDE the bracket and rail, reversed ofhow the drawer screws are mounted. The washers, lock washers, and nuts face outside the sides of the slides. Thisis done in both instances because there is a ball-bearing slide assembly inside the outer rail, for clearance ofthe draw to move inside the slide mounts.Last step is to attach the handle to the drawer front as pictured, then insert the drawer into the slides similiarto a desk or file cabinet drawer. The handle is easily reversed to hide-away and exposes a flush flat side. I stillhave some cable management to do. The drawer was placed under the KVM to keep it exposed, and allow clearance forthe mouse and keyboard wires, because the draw has no cable management. Some cable clamps after connection to theKVM will tidy all my AC, DC, printer, KVM, telco, USB and network cables once routed neatly in bundles.For less than $300, I built a flexible standard PC KVM rackmount system for up to 8 computers, and cascadable if Iever need to expand by using this Startech rackmount shelf drawer.

I have purchased several Star Tech racks, all of them were fixed position racks, and I have been pleased. This sliding shelf / drawer rack was new for me and I love it. It arrived well packaged and protected. The directions were clear and all of the required hardware was included. It took me about 30 minutes to install, which was appropriate for the first time. The shelf and brackets are solid and slide easily, but not too easily. I added this to a server rack for an easy keyboard rest and I keep other gear further back on the shelf.

This review for: StarTech.com 2U Sliding Server Rack Mount Shelf - Adjustable Mounting Depth - Vented - 50lbVery sturdy; very likely can hold more than the claimed 50lb, but have no need for more. Came very well packaged (with mounting hardware).Inverted the mount so I have a drawer (lip up) instead of a shelf. Would have loved to have a 1u equivalent, but wanted something >= 18in deep, well ventilated, with a reasonable range of depth, and at a reasonable price. Various reasons for that including need to find have a laptop + PSU + misc. gear (otherwise not rack-mountable). had a choice of going with combination of shorter depth sliding drawer-shelves and fixed shelves ... which in the end would have used 2U. So decided on trying this. Have not been disappointed, bar a few installation annoyances (see below).Only caveat is that mounting shelf-to-rails can take some patience. As with similar gear, first rule if doing this without a helper (and especially if in a closed rack) is to remove the rails (trivial); mount the rails to the rack (trivial); then slide the shelf into the rails (can be not-so-trivial). Issue is the horizontal tolerances are a bit loose--understandable given potential variations--but mostly that rail-to-rack mounting ears are open-ended (they are not a closed oval shape).Good news is that those open-ended rail ears provide plenty of room to adjust. Bad news is that when trying to adjust the rail ears to align horizontally with the shelf, it can be painful. If you torque down the rails, there is a good chance the shelf will not properly mate (e.g., rails are too widely or narrowly separated, or not quite vertical, to allow you to properly slide in the shelf); it takes only a slight misalignment to make the mating between shelf and rails not work.Unfortunately, If you do not torque down the rails to the rack, there is a good chance they will come loose from the rack while you are trying to mate them... and you are left starting anew. Took me three tries (without a helper) but got it done.All of which is a long-winded way of saying: Startech--use closed rack ear mounts in the future. Would have reduced the time-effort from three to one try: loosely mount rails (with no fear of them falling out); slide in shelf and align with rails; torque down rails-to-rack. Only reason I took off a star.p.s. And if you are wondering why the need for a bit more than 1U... my cable modem is the offender (Arris SB6141)... my micrometer says it is 1.74" high (give-or-take, mounted on its side), which means tolerances are going to be very tight for 1U drawer or may bot be sufficient unless the drawer uses rather thin sheet metal ... which typically means inadequate ventilation or it sags (or both). Still tempted to take a grinder to the cable modem to make it fit; sacrificing 1U for that alone still seems a sin.

As others have noted, this shelf is not very easy to install. It also will NOT fit into a standard computer rack, which will usually have a depth of 36 inches between the rails (I was about maxing out this shelf with my rack that was just shy of 29 inches between the rails, which seems more normal for a half-height rack).A bigger concern is that this shelf does not 'latch closed'. If your rack is on an even slightly unlevel surface and is 'lower in the front', and you push the shelf in, the shelf will slide out. This is really annoying when doing any kind of work in the rack.With all my complaints, the shelf does slide smoothly once it is installed, and holds several pieces of heavy equipment just fine. I don't think that I would buy another one, though.