Simple Question for IT Pros - How much space does office need for IT?


  1. Posts : 235
    Windows 10 Home
       #1

    Simple Question for IT Pros - How much space does office need for IT?


    Before looking for an IT consultant to help me, I just wanted to know in general, how much space does a normal office for a business need?

    Say you have a doctor's office that just moved into some space and they intend to use 5 computers. How much approximate space do they need to fit all the router, server, VOIP equipment, etc?

    Would a well ventilated closet the size of a typical bathroom towel closet be enough?

    I'm asking because I just need the ballpark square footage such equipment requires so I know where I should put it. If it's just a small area, I can just place it next to the riser which will bring the wires from the bottom floor. If it's a large area, I need to allot a specific area for it.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 8,057
    windows 10
       #2

    With out details a closet should be big enough but you would probably need fans for cooling as there could a fair bit of heat. We used to use Dell cabinets which are racks specially made for the job with fans racks etc you can get a rack server and put router switch's etc all in it
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 235
    Windows 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Samuria,

    Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

    Would installing fan(s) that vent to the outside be sufficient or would a fan that supplies air from the outside be also required?

    By the way, where do you even look for IT consultants for stuff like this? Is there a website that is the Yelp equivalent for finding IT consultants for small businesses?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 8,057
    windows 10
       #4

    Its hard to say on fans not knowing the location or whats going into it but it realy is crucial so fans brining in freash air and ones extracting is key fans are not an expensive thing and you should keep your eye on tempratures most places would have some sort of air con to maintain the temp. Being in england I dont know how you find an concultant we just use phone book. With only a few pc you shouldnt realy need much.What sort of company is it is there any special requirments for the company like security
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 235
    Windows 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Sorry for the late response. It's sort of rude so sorry. I don't know how to make it so that my email is notified of responses. I'm going to try to change it now.

    It's just for small businesses.

    Is including servers within the air conditioning system normal? If I have to include air-conditioned air, I think it would be pretty expensive since I would have to only bring in cool air and always monitor the temperature. I would almost have to make an independent system for the entire building for it and this building only has a few offices.

    I'm new at this. Would there be some sort of fan and damper system for the air conditioning system based upon the outside temperature and inside temperture?

    For example, when the server room got hot, the fan(s) would turn on. The ducts would be normally open to the outside air but if the outside air is too hot (eg. summer time), a damper would open the duct to the building's cool air conditioning system.

    If the server rooms happen to be big (not in my case), the air conditioning system would have to be a modulating kind so it could deal with the extra load during the summer.

    There would have to be filters for the ducts that bring in fresh air directly. To simply, I guess I could use the ducts that supply the fresh air for the HVAC system but that means I would have to put the server room in the path of the fresh air duct system of the building's HVAC system.

    Sorry for the rambling just now. I was just thinking the entire thing through by typing it out. It's not that complicated but it's complicated enough that it seems like a pain in the butt. I think it's important to keep systems as simple as possible.
    Last edited by CerebralFreeze; 27 Jan 2018 at 18:31.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 8,057
    windows 10
       #6

    I would chck the temps in the space and see what your dealing with it may be ok only testing will tell you According to OpenXtra, server room temperatures should not dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and should not exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The optimal temperature range is between 68 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 235
    Windows 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks for the info. Never knew that it was bad to dip below 50 degrees which doesn't seem that cold for a computer.

    Thanks again for all the helpful info.
      My Computer


 

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:32.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums