systems-obscure/posts/creating-a-router-cabinet.md

---
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.