APC by Schneider Electric AR3355W NetShelter SX 45U Free-Standing Rack Enclosure
The APC by Schneider Electric AR3355W is a 45U free-standing rack enclosure in the NetShelter SX family — the 750mm-wide, 1200mm-deep white variant built for mixed-use deployments where rack depth matters. If you're housing deep 1U/2U servers, patch panels, and security appliances side by side, the 1200mm depth gives you the clearance to cable and close the door without wrestling rear-mounted equipment. The white finish makes it a practical choice for environments where aesthetics matter alongside function — NOCs, server rooms with open-floor visibility, or IT closets in commercial interiors.
Key Features
- 45U Capacity: 45 rack units of usable vertical space — enough to stack a full compute layer, network tier, and storage shelf without running out of room mid-deployment. Fewer enclosures means fewer inter-rack cable runs.
- 750mm Wide Frame: The 750mm width (vs. the narrower 600mm SX variants) accommodates wider blanking panels, side-by-side cable management trays, and equipment with wider mounting ears — a practical consideration when mixing vendors across a shared rack.
- 1200mm Depth: Deep enough for back-to-back full-depth servers and 1200mm-depth switches without forced cable bends. If your equipment list includes anything over 900mm in chassis depth, this is the dimension to check against your longest unit first.
- Free-Standing Design: No wall or two-post relay required — positions wherever your floor plan needs it, reorients during facility changes, and doesn't depend on wall-stud placement for structural integrity.
- Mixed-Use Configuration: Designed for environments that blend IT and security infrastructure — compute, storage, networking, and physical security controllers can coexist in a single managed enclosure rather than splitting across separate racks.
- White Finish: Matches white-interior data rooms, clean-room environments, and commercial IT spaces where a black enclosure would visually stand out. Identical structural spec to the black AR3355 variant — color is the only differentiator.
Integration and Compatibility
The AR3355W is part of APC's APC by Schneider Electric NetShelter SX line, which shares a common accessory ecosystem — side panels, blanking panels, roof/floor brush strips, and power distribution units are interchangeable across the SX family. If you're already running SX enclosures in a rack enclosure deployment, AR3355W accessories will integrate without special ordering. For mixed-use security and IT buildouts, pairing this enclosure with a rack PDU and structured patch panel setup keeps power and cabling organized within the same footprint. Review your data center planning requirements — specifically equipment depth and U-count — before committing to the 45U footprint if your deployment may scale.
When This Is the Correct Choice
Choose the AR3355W when your deployment requires: (1) a white enclosure to match facility aesthetics, (2) 1200mm depth to accommodate full-depth server and network equipment, (3) 45U capacity for a high-density mixed-use rack build, and (4) a free-standing unit that doesn't require wall or ceiling anchoring. It's the right pick for commercial NOCs, security operations centers, and enterprise IT closets where the enclosure will be visible and the equipment list is deep.
When to Choose a Different Model
If depth is not a constraint and floor space is limited, consider a 1070mm-deep variant in the NetShelter SX family — it reduces the overall footprint without sacrificing U-count. If you need the black color variant, the AR3355 (without the W suffix) is the equivalent enclosure in black. If 45U is more than your build requires, APC offers shorter SX variants that keep the same width and depth profile at reduced height — worth considering if rack utilization will stay below 30U long-term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between the AR3355W and the AR3355?
A: The AR3355W is the white color variant of the AR3355. Both share the same 45U, 750mm wide, 1200mm deep free-standing NetShelter SX frame. The W suffix denotes white finish only.
Q: Is the AR3355W compatible with standard 19-inch rack equipment?
A: Yes. The NetShelter SX series is built around EIA-310 standard 19-inch rack mounting rails, compatible with the vast majority of 1U, 2U, and larger rack-mount IT and security equipment.
Q: Can the AR3355W be used in a mixed IT and physical security deployment?
A: Yes. It is classified as a mixed-use enclosure, suitable for housing servers, network switches, NVRs, access control panels, and security appliances within a single free-standing unit.
Q: Does the AR3355W ship with side panels included?
A: The full product name — NetShelter SX 45U 750mm Wide x 1200mm Deep Enclosure With Sides — confirms side panels are included in the base configuration.
Q: Is the AR3355W compatible with APC NetShelter SX accessories?
A: Yes. As part of the NetShelter SX family, the AR3355W shares a common accessory ecosystem including blanking panels, roof/floor gland plates, brush strips, and APC rack PDUs.
The spec I keep coming back to on the AR3355W is the 1200mm depth paired with 45U — that combination is the practical answer to mixed-use racks that try to coexist servers and deep networking gear. At 1200mm, you're not forcing a Cisco Nexus or a Lenovo SR650 to hang off the rear rails with a cable-management arm fighting for space. That matters on day one and especially on maintenance day two years in.
Technical Highlights:
- 45U / 750mm Wide: The wider 750mm frame over the 600mm variant gives you real room to run vertical cable managers on both sides without eating into usable rack units — a detail that separates clean long-term deployments from spaghetti in six months.
- 1200mm Depth: Accommodates full-depth enterprise equipment (typically 800–1000mm chassis) plus rear cable management without bending cables around the door frame. Verify your deepest unit's spec before assuming 1070mm suffices.
- White Finish (Mixed-Use): The W variant is the same structural unit as the AR3355 — no trade-off in capacity or compatibility. Choose white when the enclosure is customer-visible or when facility standards require it; otherwise the black variant is interchangeable.
Deployment Considerations:
- Free-standing placement requires adequate floor load rating — verify your raised-floor or slab spec before loading a 45U enclosure at high density; manufacturer load ratings should be confirmed in the current APC datasheet before final spec.
- The 1200mm depth means the enclosure projects significantly into the aisle — account for a full hot-aisle/cold-aisle gap or ensure your room layout leaves adequate rear-door clearance for cable dressing and airflow.
This enclosure is the right fit for a mixed-use security and IT rack in a commercial NOC or enterprise server room where equipment depth exceeds 900mm and a white finish is a facility or aesthetic requirement — not a universal default for every rack deployment.
