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l008com · Sep 1, 2011, 05:32 AM

Are there any clever invention out there for surface-mounting regular old routers and such, to the BOTTOM of a shelf? So it basically hangs under the shelf, but is directly smooshed up against it? I've done this in the past with USB hubs. I just take out the screws holding it together, drill out the holes, and put a much longer wood screw all the way through, and up into the shelf. It sorta works well for something small like a USB hub. But I want to mount my router and fios... whatever they call the fios device, to the bottom of a shelf on my desk. I'll drill holes in them if I have to, but someone must make some sort of mounts for things like this?

These aren't rack-able devices, they're just regular old consumer grade devices, designed only to sit on a flat table like surface.

So any ideas... Hmmm like maybe an elastic strap with a D ring on each end, and a screw plate attached to the D ring! That could work well. Especially for the fios piece of crap. Maybe less for my switch since it's so low profile but something like that would be worth a try.

Spheric Harlot · Sep 1, 2011, 05:47 AM

Cable ties or Velcro tape. You need the good tape where the glue won't smush up and fail when stuff gets warm.

OreoCookie · Sep 1, 2011, 06:08 AM

Ditto for velcro tape. If your router is a little heavier and the shelf made of (magnetic) metal, you could also use magnets.

ghporter · Sep 1, 2011, 06:36 AM

Lots of such boxes have "keyhole" mounts on the bottom-they fit over flat screw heads and slide into place. Most of the time these are used to mount things vertically on a wall, but there's no reason not to use them to mount things under shelves.

residentEvil · Sep 1, 2011, 08:29 AM

while i don't have every brand of 8 and 16 port desktop hubs/switches in front of me; the 3 brands i do all have screw holes on the side of them for L brackets.

simply head to your local hardware store and get two of them. i suggest getting ones WITHOUT holes so you can make your own; otherwise you will need to hunt down some of those small screws/big heads + washer combos so they fit.

brackets like these:

Waragainstsleep · Sep 1, 2011, 08:47 AM

Those will work just great with rack mountable kit which includes most hubs and switches. They usually ship with brackets like those. Domestic routers tend to be all sorts of shapes and sizes sadly.

residentEvil · Sep 1, 2011, 08:54 AM

can even go cheap/small since it doesn't weigh much...

the single hole up into the table top, and one of the other holes on the 2 hole side should line up with your switch. one on each side will hold it just fine. your local hardware store will have dozens of these in various sizes too to help match up one that works.

l008com · Sep 1, 2011, 02:24 PM

Yeah there are no side holes on any of my devices.

residentEvil · Sep 1, 2011, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by l008com

Yeah there are no side holes on any of my devices.

that makes it even easier. get the best thermal 3M double stick tape you can find (or on the Internet) and still use the brackets above or some a little larger. with the brackets double stick taped on...screw the L brackets to the bottom of your desk. which every part of the L you decide to tape, have the other side facing out obviously, so you can screw it down.

done.

drink.

boy8cookie · Sep 1, 2011, 06:09 PM

depending on the height of your gear, a u-bracket may work to create a miniature shelf.

andi*pandi · Sep 1, 2011, 06:33 PM

or a hanging shelf like this could be useful:
The Container Store > Undershelf Baskets

l008com · Sep 1, 2011, 06:40 PM

I think this thread will benefit from some photos of exactly what I'm trying to do.... when I get home I'll post some.

boy8cookie · Sep 1, 2011, 06:57 PM

Plantronics | Under-the-Desk Mounting Bracket

Something like this that will fit your device ^

l008com · Sep 2, 2011, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by boy8cookie

Plantronics | Under-the-Desk Mounting Bracket

Something like this that will fit your device ^

If it just happens to be the EXACT size of my devices, it would work great.

Here's a picture of my desk. The shelf is to the left. The glass orb thing, right under that is the USB hub. It has two screws going through it's case, but the case is coming apart. And you have to destroy the cases to mount them that way, I'd rather not have to destroy my other items (the switch and the actiontec router)

l008com · Sep 2, 2011, 11:47 PM

Also the switch does have those 'keyhole' mounts on the bottom, the actiontec does not. But those keyholes are made for vertical mounting. It only had two of them, so mounting them upside-down will not be very secure.

ghporter · Sep 3, 2011, 07:43 AM

...unless you can find U-shaped brackets that they can just slide into. Let's say your devices are no more than 2" tall; find a U (or really "C") shaped bracket at the hardware store that is 2.5" wide inside and has enough length on the two sides to support the boxes, and you're almost there. Screw the brackets to the underside of the shelf, slide the boxes into them, and you have "suspended" the equipment.

By the way, I've been using old "laptop to desktop" hard drive mounts as supports for keeping my network hardware up off the shelves the items sit on for quite some time. I'm using adapter brackets that look kind of like this:

You may need brackets with wider interiors, but this gives you a visual reference...