If you're looking to upgrade your home lab, old company equipment can be a tempting proposition. Often available online at reasonable prices, it is great for developing a deeper understanding of the technologies and tools that power your home laboratory. This isn't just limited to network equipment – old server hardware can be a tempting offer, especially when high-quality equipment is available at a discounted price. However, there are a few things you should consider carefully before you take the plunge and choose to equip your home with former companies.
Why is the equipment of former companies so cheap?
A complete server with 64GB RAM for $300?
Source: WikiMedia Commons
If you've ever searched eBay for hardware from former companies, you'll be wondering if there's a catch. Often this equipment is available at meager prices compared to the specifications. The reason for this type of availability is that it is generally no longer suitable for use in a data center or corporate environment. There can be many reasons for this, ranging from expiring support contracts and availability to simply the age of the hardware. Often you will find that these switches and servers no longer receive enterprise support, which is a killer in a professional environment, or that they have simply been upgraded to newer equipment. Demand for used business equipment is generally low – companies with such needs often cannot cheapen out by purchasing ten-year-old equipment. Retired hardware is often simply scrapped, given away or sold cheaply.
There is a trick to knowing which hardware is reaching end of life, although the market is often flooded for a while as certain types of hardware no longer receive support.
Your electric bill could go crazy
The European mind can easily understand this
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Depending on where you live in the world, your success with this factor may vary – and it may also affect the prices you pay for hardware. Although older hardware offers enticing performance, it is often extremely inefficient per watt compared to more modern hardware. CPUs and other on-board chips have generally (within limits) used a similar amount of power for decades – we haven't yet upgraded to multi-kilowatt power supplies the most Applications. However, they have become faster, which means an increase in both the overall speed of the hardware and its efficiency. This means that older chips, especially those from 5+ years ago, offer very poor “performance per watt”, which is an important factor for a machine that is intended to run 24/7 like a home server or network switch.
If, like me, you are in an area in the UK where electricity is expensive, this is a serious consideration. While the low upfront cost of a well-equipped HP Proliant DL360 Gen 9 may seem tempting, the ongoing running costs could quickly make a more modern, power-hungry machine more attractive (or even a small group of smaller, more efficient, consumer-grade machines). If you are in an area where electricity is an expensive commodity, we recommend that you estimate the increase in your monthly bill in advance.
Redundancy increases costs
Another aspect to consider when power is an issue is that redundancy incurs additional costs. If you're considering purchasing enterprise devices for improved reliability – such as redundant network cards, power supplies and cooling – keep in mind that all of these additional devices are inherently power hungry and will likely cost more compared to a smaller consumer device .
Corporate hardware is very loud
Whatever you do, don't let it run under your bed
Source: Wikimedia Commons
This is another big issue you should be aware of. Enterprise devices are loud and, as mentioned, often designed for use in data centers. Standing next to a vacuum cleaner that's on is a good comparison for a relatively loud server, although there are quieter options (and far louder ones) as well. However, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to avoid very loud devices.
Firstly, size often matters. Rack-mount hardware is typically designed to take up limited space. Therefore, it is important to integrate the greatest possible performance into a 1U or 2U rack mounting system. For a home scenario, dense, small hardware is a bad idea as it often contains small, very high speed fans designed to push a large volume of air through a tiny chassis. If you have space, look for larger hardware with larger fans. Research the brand of hardware you're purchasing, what other users say about the noise, and whether there are any software settings or hardware modifications you can make to keep a device quiet. Replacing lower speed fans is a common practice, especially with network switches. If you're brave, you may find that some hardware doesn't need cooling at all. (I got away with this despite using a frankly ridiculous Cisco Catalyst 3750g for longer than I'd like to admit on the internet.)
If you have space, look for larger hardware with larger fans. Research the brand of hardware you're buying and see what other users say about the noise
Tower chassis servers are generally a quieter option for ex-corporate hardware, but as people know they are usually more expensive on the used market.
Watch out for licensing issues
Nobody wants to buy electronic waste
Another small point to be careful about is licensing issues. Some components in enterprise devices may require their own licenses or even a license to function at all. These devices can do that extremely cheapBut if something is too good to be true, it often is. Research the hardware model you're interested in and check out other people's experiences on r/homelab or similar forums. The last thing you want is for a shiny old enterprise switch to show up and then refuse to boot without a valid license.
Search locally for great deals
Older technology is available in your area
If you're considering used business equipment, you'll want to shop around for a good deal. Companies of all kinds often use a piece of hardware until it has a certain lifespan – whether forced or not for various reasons – and then simply dispose of it. Things like hard drives will likely need to be disposed of safely, but old hardware is often available for free or cheaply if you're willing to pick it up. Universities and schools are also good places to find great deals (or even free deals) on old hardware, but sometimes that requires knowing the right person on their IT team or having an ambitious, friendly attitude and interest in learning.
Enterprise gear is great for learning – but don't let it overwhelm you
One of the benefits of purchasing former company equipment, especially if you are using your lab for training or learning, is that it gives you a glimpse into the world of “doing things right” (read – expensive). You'll quickly be introduced to some great tools to learn, with lots of potential for scalability, complicated custom setups, and often little to no limitations (aside from licensing issues), but be careful not to become overwhelmed. Working with enterprise devices doesn't necessarily just mean knowing what everything does, but also knowing which settings you can ignore.
If you decide to take the plunge, first make sure you are clear about where you want to store and operate your equipment. If you're concerned about space and energy costs, there are great deals on everything from old HP servers to Cisco networking gear.