You've seen photos of large network and storage servers in various publications, movies, and the media in general, but do you know why those storage servers are set up in their own room? Most times, the servers and network switches are in their own room because the room requires special cooling to keep the circuits running efficiently.
Electronics operate better when they are kept in a cooler, even cold environment. This is especially true in large corporate or industrial environments where the equipment was specially built to take advantage of the additional conductivity. For small businesses with more standard commercial grade equipment, no real gains will be realized with temperature below that commonly found in most rooms.
The most common temperature danger to electronics for a small business is in temperature variation. Excessive heating and cooling of the electronics from shutting them off or keeping them in a non-temperature controlled room. As electronics heat up, they expand including all the circuits on the silicon. When the computer, switch, router, or other device cools, the electronics shrink, causing stress and flexing on the connection joints. Enough stress can cause the circuit to fail and kill your system.
The key to maintaining and protecting the longevity of your electronics is keeping them in a temperature controlled room. If it is a network switch or router, do not shut it off to maintain a consistent temperature in the unit. This will ensure you get the most life out of your system.
