Too hot for a switch in the attic?

[anontemp123]

I am thinking about installing a switch in the attic. It gets up to 120 degrees F in there. Would an unmanaged switch be okay up there?

 

[L&LD]

Check the specs of the switch you're considering.

That is less than 50C so it may be fine in the open with nothing blocking the vents / holes.

 

[System Error Message]

Electronics work fine up to 50C in their enclosure. Above that you should start worrying. Instead of managed why not get semi managed with temperature? My managed switch and routers all show their temperatures because they go in a rack.

 

[azazel1024]

Probably easy enough if you are worried about to modify the case and install a 12v fan to ventilate it. Or install some heat sinks on the switching chip.

As for 120F, where do you live? That is rather cool for an attic. Typically even with good ventilation you are going to hit 25-30F above ambient temp, so if you get temps up around 100F sometimes, it'll be more like 125-30F in the attic (and easily add 10-15F if the attic is NOT well ventilated).

The other thing is, unless you are installing a massive unmanaged switch, a cheap 5-8 port switch is only a few bucks. If it burns out, you know it was too hot. Try one with a fan installed next time, or come up with another solution. You could always install a patch panel in the attic and run the wiring down to an air conditioned space.

 

[axiomatic]

just buy a switch with internal fans. I have a Ubiquiti 24 port gigabit switch in my attic and its running just fine and I live in Houston TX so you know its HOT HOT HOT.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Try an inexpensive switch. You can buy an 8 Port TP Link gigabyte switch for $25. Forget using a fan or a switch with a fan. Blowing 120 - 140 degree air from your attic onto a switch isn't going to cool it down below 104 which is the top of the temperature range for the TP Link.

If the switch doesn't hold up then you will have to try something else.

 

[System Error Message]

if you are worried there are military grade switches that come in rugged rackmountable cases that are very heavy and pricey but will work in a 70C environment.

 

[Cloud200]

I sometimes use in industrial settings switches designed for harsh environments.
They are usually rated for 70/75c depending on the model.
The only drawback is price.
For example, an 8 port gigabit unmanaged non POE unit costs about $175-$200

If you are dead-set on getting an industrial unit, one feature you may want to look into is getting one powered by POE.
This usually minimizes the number of trips up into the attic (or for me, getting into dark cramped, hot dusty and otherwise nasty places).

 

[sfx2000]

I am thinking about installing a switch in the attic. It gets up to 120 degrees F in there. Would an unmanaged switch be okay up there?

You might get towards the upper temp range - so perhaps it might fail earlier.

I'm not a big fan of putting electronics where I cannot see theme - shelf in the garage, that's ok, I'm in the garage daily - the attic, much less so - worst case, if things really go pear shaped, you'll know because

a) network quits working..

and

b) the sounds of the fire truck sirens as the roof might be on fire...

 

[CaptainSTX]

[QUOTE="
b) the sounds of the fire truck sirens as the roof might be on fire...[/QUOTE]

Seems a little bit dramatic. The small 8 - port switch I use draws just 7 Watts. While anything electrical could catch on fire in some circumstance, it probably could catch on fire just as easily if you had it installed in a conditioned space.

Most likely the mode of failure would be a premature failure of the power supply or an internal component from the heat. Set the switch on a cookie tin to isolate it from any combustible materials and call it a day.

 

[KenZ71]

Military / Industrial grade? Wow, that is overkill. Put a cheap unmanaged switch up there, if it craps out then move the switch to a closet & wall mount.

It would be easy using a patch panel or even Cat5e keystone couplers to extend the cables into a closet with a power line. Then seal up the hole with spray foam.

 

[System Error Message]

electronics do not catch fire from overheating but they catch fire from being shorted out.

 

[azazel1024]

electronics do not catch fire from overheating but they catch fire from being shorted out.

Depends on the failure mode from overheating. If a cap pops because it overheated, that can potentially cause a fire. Generally overheating would not cause a fire. However, the only two things I know for sure is that I'll be paying taxes this year and that some day I am going to die.

I'd personally use keystone couplers or patch panel in the attic to extend the wires in to a conditioned space.

If you have to have a switch up there, use the cheapest one you can find and make sure you can attach it to something that isn't insulation (or sitting on or under insulation).

For a fan on it, sure it can't get it below the temp of the attic, but it can get it cooler. If the switch module runs a 20C delta with passive heat dissipation and 5C delta with 10cfm of air flow over it, I'd rather the switch module be running at 55C instead of 70C (because it is maybe 50C in the attic).

 

[Trip]

Or you could just buy Allied Telesis. I've found only HP and Cisco to be as/more durable, and their stuff is usually quite a bit more pricey. Make sure you get a metal version, not the plastic "E" variant. 8 GigE switches are right around $100, 16 for $200. Not cheap, but they'll definitely run at 50C, even though op spec says 40.

Edit: Going on what Cloud200 added, you could go with an industrial solution, and no, it wouldn't necessarily be overkill. Something like a CTC Union IGS series, or Themis for fully-closed ports.