Vertiv Rpdu Monitored Outlet Level EC 20A 120V 1.9KW Vertical (24) NEMA 5-20R 10 - VP6N20A4

Vertiv VP6N20A4 Monitored Outlet-Level Vertical PDU, 20A 120V 1.9kW, 24 NEMA 5-20R Outlets

Overview

The Vertiv VP6N20A4 is a 0U vertical rack PDU built for data center, server room, and network closet deployments where per-outlet visibility and remote power control matter. Rated at 20A / 120V / 1.9kW on a single-phase circuit with a NEMA L5-20P plug, it delivers 24 NEMA 5-20R receptacles — enough to fully populate a 42U cabinet with servers, switches, and storage without daisy-chaining extension strips. Outlet-level monitoring means you can track current, voltage, power, and temperature per-circuit from a central console, not just at the PDU input. If you're managing mixed-criticality loads in a shared rack, that granularity is the difference between informed capacity planning and guesswork.

The VP6N20A4 mounts vertically in a standard 0U position — tucked along the cabinet rail — so it consumes zero rack space and keeps 1U slots available for active equipment. The 3-meter cord provides enough reach to connect to a dedicated 20A circuit without forcing awkward cable routing across adjacent cabinets.

Key Features

• Outlet-Level Monitoring (Current, Voltage, Power, Temperature): Unlike basic metered PDUs that only report input-side totals, the VP6N20A4 monitors at the individual outlet, giving you a live load map across all 24 NEMA 5-20R receptacles. This is critical in colocation or multi-tenant environments where chargeback accuracy or SLA reporting is required.
• 24 NEMA 5-20R Receptacles: A full 24-outlet count on a 20A circuit means you can provision a dense cabinet without outlet contention. NEMA 5-20R accepts both standard 5-15 and 5-20 plugs, covering virtually every 1U/2U server and switch power cord in the field without adapters.
• Dual Ethernet (RJ-45) Ports: Two RJ-45 network ports support daisy-chaining multiple PDUs through a single IP address — useful when a cabinet has two PDUs (A/B feed) and you want unified management without consuming two switch ports or two IP allocations.
• Daisy Chain Support: Chain multiple VP6N20A4 units together to consolidate management across an entire cabinet row. This is particularly valuable in large deployments where IP address conservation and switch-port budgets are real constraints.
• Protocol Stack — SNMP v1/v2c/v3, HTTPS, SSH, RADIUS, LDAP, TACACS+, Modbus TCP: The full enterprise protocol suite means this PDU integrates with existing DCIM platforms, NMS tools (Nagios, SolarWinds, PRTG), and AAA infrastructure. SNMP v3 delivers encrypted, authenticated polling — important for environments under SOC 2 or PCI DSS review. Modbus TCP opens integration paths with building management systems.
• IPv4 and IPv6 Dual-Stack Networking: Native IPv6 support future-proofs the management plane in environments that are actively transitioning address space. No workaround NAT rules or legacy addressing required.
• LED Display and Indicators: Local LED readout provides at-a-glance status during physical audits or maintenance windows — no laptop required to confirm outlet state or basic load figures during an in-cabinet walk.
• USB Port: The onboard USB port supports firmware updates and configuration import/export without a network connection — useful during initial commissioning in a staging environment before the management network is live.
• Reset Button: A hardware reset option allows recovery from misconfiguration without pulling the PDU from the rack — a practical consideration in dense cabinet environments where physical access is constrained.
• NEMA L5-20P Input Plug, 3m Cord: The twist-lock L5-20P input provides a secure, vibration-resistant connection to the dedicated 20A circuit. The 3-meter cord length gives adequate slack for floor-to-overhead routing in most standard 42U cabinet configurations.

Integration and Compatibility

The VP6N20A4 is designed to fit into existing enterprise monitoring and access-control ecosystems. SNMP v1/v2c/v3 support enables integration with any major NMS or DCIM platform that handles PDU monitoring — Vertiv's own Trellis platform, Nlyte, or open-source alternatives alike. RADIUS, LDAP, and TACACS+ mean user authentication routes through your existing directory infrastructure rather than requiring local credential management on each PDU. Syslog output feeds directly into SIEM platforms for audit trails. NTP synchronization keeps timestamps consistent across log aggregation.

For power distribution and UPS deployments requiring managed outlet infrastructure, the VP6N20A4 pairs cleanly with vertical Vertiv cabinet solutions. Explore the broader Vertiv power and infrastructure catalog for complementary components including rack enclosures, UPS units, and thermal management. If your project also requires PoE network switches to support IP-connected infrastructure in the same rack, coordination of power budgets between the PDU and switch is straightforward given the outlet-level monitoring capability. Review our PDU selection guide to compare monitored, metered, and switched models across ratings and form factors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the maximum load the VP6N20A4 can handle?

A: The VP6N20A4 is rated for 20A at 100–120V, delivering up to 1.9kW. For safe continuous operation, NEC guidelines recommend loading to no more than 80% of rated capacity — approximately 16A or 1.52kW sustained load across all 24 outlets combined.

Q: Does the VP6N20A4 support remote outlet switching?

A: The VP6N20A4 is a monitored outlet-level PDU, meaning it provides per-outlet current, voltage, power, and temperature monitoring. Remote outlet switching (on/off control) is a feature of switched PDU models in the Vertiv lineup, not this monitored variant. If remote reboot or power cycling capability is required, evaluate a switched PDU in the same series.

Q: How many PDUs can be daisy-chained together on a single IP address?

A: The VP6N20A4 includes two RJ-45 Ethernet ports specifically to support daisy-chaining multiple units. The exact maximum chain length should be confirmed against Vertiv's current firmware documentation, but this topology is designed to conserve switch port and IP allocations in multi-PDU cabinet configurations.

Q: What network protocols does the VP6N20A4 support for management?

A: The VP6N20A4 supports DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS, IPv4, IPv6, LDAP, NTP, RADIUS, RSTP, SSH, SMTP, SNMP (v1/v2c/v3), Syslog, TACACS+, and Modbus TCP — a full enterprise stack suitable for integration with DCIM platforms, NMS tools, and AAA infrastructure.

Q: What input plug type does the VP6N20A4 use, and what circuit is required?

A: The VP6N20A4 uses a NEMA L5-20P twist-lock plug and requires a dedicated 20A, 120V single-phase circuit. The 3-meter (approximately 10-foot) cord provides routing flexibility in standard cabinet configurations.

Q: Can the VP6N20A4 be mounted horizontally in a rack?

A: The VP6N20A4 is designed as a 0U vertical PDU, intended to mount along the side rail of a standard rack cabinet. It is not designed for horizontal 1U rack mounting. Verify your cabinet's vertical PDU mounting channel compatibility before ordering.

Eden Phillips

The VP6N20A4 is a PDU I recommend specifically when a project requires outlet-level power monitoring — not just aggregate input metering — and the team wants that data feeding into an NMS or DCIM via SNMP v3 without standing up a separate management appliance. The 24-outlet count on a single 20A / 1.9kW circuit is well-matched to 1U server-dense cabinets, and the dual-RJ-45 daisy-chain design is genuinely useful in high-density rows where IP address conservation is a real constraint.

Technical Highlights:

• Outlet-Level Monitoring: Current, voltage, power, and temperature visibility per outlet — not just per PDU. This is the spec that separates this unit from basic metered PDUs when chargeback reporting or granular load balancing is required.
• SNMP v3 + TACACS+/RADIUS: Encrypted SNMP polling and AAA integration mean this PDU fits inside enterprise security policy without exemptions or workarounds. Syslog output ties directly into SIEM pipelines.
• Dual RJ-45 with Daisy Chain: Two network ports let you chain A/B PDUs in a cabinet under a single IP — a practical win in dense deployments where switch port budgets are tight.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your cabinet has a vertical 0U mounting channel that accommodates the VP6N20A4's physical form factor before ordering — not all aftermarket or third-party cabinets have compatible side-rail mounting hardware.
• This is a monitored PDU, not a switched PDU. There is no remote outlet on/off capability. If your deployment requires remote power cycling of individual servers or network gear, you will need a switched-outlet variant instead.

The VP6N20A4 is the right specification for colocation providers, managed service environments, and enterprise IT teams deploying mixed-load cabinets where per-outlet energy data needs to flow into a billing or capacity management system — not for basic power strip replacement where metered-only PDUs are adequate and cheaper.