StarTech BLANKB2 2U Steel Server Rack Blanking Panel

Overview

The StarTech BLANKB2 is a 2U steel blanking panel built for standard 19-inch equipment racks. If you have open rack slots — whether in a network closet, a server room, or a structured cabling environment — unfilled unit spaces create bypass airflow paths that undermine your cooling strategy. Hot air migrates from rear exhaust zones back into the front cold aisle, raising inlet temperatures on active gear above their rated limits. A properly fitted filler panel like the BLANKB2 blocks that bypass, keeps hot and cold zones separated, and costs a fraction of what a failed hard drive or overheated switch costs to recover from.

Built to EIA RS310-C, the BLANKB2 fits any standard 19-inch server rack or cabinet without shimming or modification. At 1.2mm cold-rolled steel construction, this is not a flimsy plastic placeholder — it holds its shape under repeated installation cycles and won't sag in tall open-frame racks where flex becomes a real issue.

Key Features

• 2U form factor (3.5 in / 88.9mm tall): fills two rack units in a single panel, cutting installation time roughly in half compared to stacking two 1U fillers. In racks with multiple open spans, that adds up fast during a buildout or refresh.
• 19.0-inch panel width, EIA RS310-C compliant: the industry-standard rack width specification means this fits any EIA-conforming 19-inch rack without measuring or guessing. You get flush, gap-free coverage every time.
• 1.2mm steel construction: thicker than commodity plastic blanks — resists rack flex and repeated removal cycles in high-density cabinets where panels get pulled and re-seated during maintenance. The rigidity also gives you a true airflow seal rather than a bent, gapped placeholder.
• Black finish: matches standard black rack interiors and mixed-vendor equipment, keeping installations looking organized and professional without custom finishing.
• Lightweight at 1.1 lb (0.5 kg): adds negligible weight to rack load calculations even when deploying multiple units across a large installation — relevant in floor-load-sensitive data rooms or raised-floor environments.
• Lifetime hardware warranty: StarTech covers this panel for the life of the product. Given that blanking panels often outlast multiple generations of active hardware in the same rack, that warranty actually means something here.
• Package dimensions 19.6 x 3.9 x 0.9 in: ships flat, minimal packaging waste, and stores easily if you're staging spares for a multi-rack deployment.

Integration and Compatibility

The BLANKB2 is designed to the EIA RS310-C standard, which covers standard 19-inch equipment rack dimensions used by virtually every rack and cabinet manufacturer — APC, Tripp Lite, Eaton, Middle Atlantic, Kendall Howard, and open-frame designs alike. It pairs naturally with rack mount accessories and fits alongside patch panels, switches, UPS units, and NVRs without modification.

For deployments mixing 1U and 2U gaps, keep a mix of panel heights on hand. The BLANKB2's 2U height is the practical choice for most open spans in NVR and server rack builds where equipment is staged in logical groups with deliberate spacing between zones.

When planning airflow management for a full rack, combine blanking panels with proper rack cooling and airflow accessories — blanking panels block bypass paths, but cable management and hot-aisle containment work together with them for full thermal control.

What's in the Box

• 1x StarTech BLANKB2 2U Steel Blanking Panel

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What rack size does the BLANKB2 fit?

A: The BLANKB2 is 19.0 inches wide and built to the EIA RS310-C standard, so it fits any standard 19-inch equipment rack or cabinet from any manufacturer that follows that specification.

Q: How tall is the BLANKB2 in rack units?

A: It occupies 2U of rack space, measuring 3.5 inches (88.9mm) in height. This fills two rack units with a single panel.

Q: What material is the BLANKB2 made from?

A: The panel is constructed from 1.2mm cold-rolled steel in a black finish. It is not plastic — the steel construction gives it rigidity for repeated installation and removal cycles.

Q: What is the warranty on the BLANKB2?

A: StarTech provides a lifetime hardware warranty on the BLANKB2.

Q: Does the BLANKB2 include mounting hardware?

A: The package contains the blanking panel itself. Mounting into the rack uses the rack's existing cage nuts and screws — standard rack hardware that is typically already present in any 19-inch rack installation.

Q: Why use a steel blanking panel instead of a plastic one?

A: At 1.2mm steel, the BLANKB2 holds its shape under rack flex and stays flush against the rail, maintaining a proper airflow seal. Thin plastic fillers can bow or gap over time, especially in tall open-frame racks, which defeats the purpose of blocking bypass airflow between hot and cold zones.

James Everett

The BLANKB2 is one of those components that gets overlooked in rack planning until something overheats. At 1.2mm steel construction and 2U height, this StarTech panel is the right call when you need a rigid, EIA RS310-C compliant filler that actually maintains a sealed airflow plane — not a bent plastic tab that gaps out after the second reinstallation.

Technical Highlights:

• 1.2mm steel gauge: meaningfully stiffer than commodity plastic blanks — holds flush contact with both rack rails across the full 19.0-inch span without bowing, which is what actually blocks bypass airflow rather than just suggesting it.
• 2U height in a single panel: cuts filler count in half versus 1U panels for the same open space — fewer fastener points, faster installs, and less hardware to track across a multi-rack deployment.
• Lifetime hardware warranty: StarTech covers this for the life of the product, which in practice means it outlasts multiple refresh cycles of the active gear sharing the same rack.

Deployment Considerations:

• The BLANKB2 relies on the rack's existing cage nuts and screws — confirm your rack hardware is present before installation, particularly in partially populated open-frame racks where cage nuts are sometimes missing from unused positions.
• At 1.1 lb per panel, weight is not a concern, but if you are filling large numbers of open slots across many racks, pre-stage cage nuts during the initial rack build rather than retrofitting them later — it saves significant time.

For NVR rack builds and network closets in commercial security installations where equipment groups are staged with deliberate spacing between logical zones, the BLANKB2's 2U format is the practical default: it fills the most common open spans without mixing panel heights and keeps the airflow plane intact between active equipment sections.