blog: post about router cabinet

posts/creating-a-router-cabinet.md

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+---
+title: "Creating a router cabinet"
+slug: /creating-a-router-cabinet/
+date: 2025-10-05
+tags: ["personal", "projects", "diy"]
+---
+
+As you can see below my consumer networking was quite messy. I wanted to hide
+the wires but retain easy access and the ability to add further devices down the
+line.
+
+![How unsightly!](./img/router-before-rotated.jpg)
+
+I purchased a
+[cheap bathroom cabinet](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0912R9XRJ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title)
+from Jeffrey Bezos and set about modifying it.
+
+I made a matching set of holes on each shelf to channel the wires through. I
+also created a bottom hole that will later feed Ethernet cable out via conduit
+to my loft space where it will travel across the house down into my server
+cupboard.
+
+![Making the holes in my workshop](./img/router-making-holes-rotated.jpg)
+
+As I wanted the cabinet to be flush against the wall, you'll see that I cut a
+hole in the backboard so that the fibre connection and plug sockets sit above
+the bottom shelf, easily connecting to the extension cable.
+
+![Now they know how many holes it takes to fill a bathroom cabinet](./img/router-open-door-empty-rotated.jpg)
+
+Instead of using my main router (Fritz Box 7530) for WiFi, I use a TP-Link Deco
+X50 WiFi 6 Mesh Router connected via Ethernet to the Fritzbox, to extend the
+signal laterally throughout the bungalow.
+
+This means that the main router doesn't need to be exposed since it isn't
+transmitting WiFi. The only device that needs to be exposed is the main mesh
+router. So I made a hole at the top to accommodate its Ethernet and power
+cables. This way the signal can travel without obstruction to its two auxiliary
+routers in other rooms.
+
+![Top hole for the mesh router](./img/router-top-hole-rotated.jpg)
+
+I am very happy at how neat and tidy this looks.
+
+![Mesh router sitting atop router cabinet](./img/router-closed-door-rotated.jpg)
+
+![Inside the finished router cabinet](./img/router-final-form-rotated.jpg)
+
+The cabinet currently contains the main router, the main mesh router (on top),
+my Philips Hue bridge and a Raspberry Pi 3 which I am running on the mesh
+network as a [Pihole](https://pi-hole.net/). The main router wouldn't sit nicely
+on the shelf so I just used a couple of wood screws to hold it in place.
+
+The total cost was £38.78 covering the price of the cabinet and a new
+surge-protected Masterplug extension lead.