Make your RV a truly Mobil network.

To make this work I have some work to do! (pun intended).

First I need to do a 'blue print' of what I want the network to consist of, find the parts then put it all together. In the mean time I also am restoring the dash, have some metal work to do for the main battery. And of course the 'Honey Do' list for the interior.

What the network will consist of:

• Three laptop computers with power adapters.
• Network Router with power supply
• Network Switch with power supply
• Cat5 cabling
• Rack for the laptops
• Surge protection.
• KVM with power supply and cables

Also I am upgrading the laptop storage from the mechanical Hard Drives to SSD. The Solid State Drive (SSD) will allow the computers to be running as we drive around the US of A. (The Misses likes to play solitaire when she gets bored). Normally a mechanical hard drive would not be an issue in the RV, these laptops are over five years old so why take a chance? Besides the 32 Gig SSD are on sale for about $80 each.

I am building as small wooden rack to hold the laptops and peripherals. Why three laptops? Well as I mentioned in a previous article about the Satellite Internet I want to have my 'tools' with me while we travel.

The computers will be:

• A Domain controller server.
• A firewall/proxy/web server.
• My business laptop.
• And maybe a laptop for the Misses.

In the RV on the left hand side behind the Driver's seat is a dual purpose couch, it is also a bunk bed. Under the couch is a storage space about 36 inches wide, 18 inches deep, and six feet long.

Inside this storage area is where I plan on building the rack for the laptops, the switch, router, the power adapters for the laptops, and the KVM switch. All cabling will be inside the storage area. There will be two cables coming out of the storage area, one is the Cat5 cable to the satellite, the other will be the KVM cable from the KVM switch.

With the Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM) switch I can access all three laptops and have only one keyboard, mouse, and monitor to secure while the RV is in motion.

I need to consider if I want to have a wireless access point at a latter date. If I do go wireless I will need to have a cable from the storage area to a 'Range booster' out side of the RV. Then I can use my laptop away from the RV.

The plan is now in motion -

I have installed the SSD (Solid State Drives) in all three laptops and loaded them up with the appropriate operating systems and the software I use to build and maintain my web sites.

Now I need to put the mini-network together in my office to insure everything is operational before mounting it in my RV. This is necessary because the storage area where I am planning to install the mini-network is very small, almost all of the space will be taken by the rack and the power supplies for all the parts.

I have made a mini-network rack to house the three laptops.

The materials - 16 ft of Baseboard 1" L cut, 36" of 1"x1/2", 2 ea 8"x12" 3/4" Plywood. Can of Poly, bottle of Gorilla Wood Glue, box of 1 1/4" finishing nails

The pattern for the rack tray - 12" square.

The first tray cut and ready to glue.

Almost finished, I set the network up to see if I need to make any mods before putting on the poly coats.

The top computer needs a docking station, my son is sending me his old one - soon?

The three laptops fit snugly in the trays, the bottom right hand shelf has the router and the switch, the two main components of the network.

The right hand top shelf has the computer power supplies for the laptops, the power supplies to the router, switch and the KVM  will go on the surge protector.

Over all I am pleased with my project, it will fit under a seat in the RV, there will be plenty of space between devices for cooling air. Not bad considering I am not a carpenter and was using a hand saw, miter box, hammer, and T Square... Some mistakes here and there can you spot them?

Here it is with the Poly and all the parts in place, with everything attached it weighs about twenty pounds. Not bad, a normal rack server weighs in at 45 lbs.

Everything present and connected, the KVM switch And the computer power supplies are separated by some Styrofoam, this will keep the heat of the power supplies from effecting the KVM switch and give it some shock resistance.

The cable management is a little sloppy but I didn't want to buy another set of shorter KVM cables, they were very expensive compared to what I paid for the KVM with four cables. The rest of the cables there are the computer power supply cables. By putting cable ties around the router and switch power supplies they will not come unplugged at an inopportune time.

All tied up and ready!

Once the rack and equipment are in place the next step will be to go to the Satellite company and get the Satellite dish installed and the connection setup.

Then I am ready to Roll!