Middle Atlantic This Innovative NEW Shelf WAS Designed TO Mount Small Items Conveniently - MS-5.5-4

Middle Atlantic MS-5.5-4 Small Device Rackmount Shelf, 4-Pack

Overview

The Middle Atlantic MS-5.5-4 is a 4-pack of shallow, 5.5-inch-deep rackmount shelves designed to seat compact devices — cable converters, wireless access points, small audio processors, or security appliances — inside a standard 19-inch rack without consuming the depth real estate that deeper shelves demand. Each shelf ships at just 0.5 inches of rack height, so you can stack all four across two rack units and still leave room for airflow panels or blanks. If you've ever needed to mount a flat, lightweight device without committing a full 1U vented shelf, this is the practical answer.

The MS-5.5-4 (often searched as MS 5.5 4) comes as a factory-new set of four identical shelves, making it straightforward to standardize small-device mounting positions across multiple rack bays or build out a single bay with consistent hardware.

Key Features

• 5.5-Inch Usable Depth: Shallow enough to sit in front of rear cable runs without blocking patch panels or cable managers — the right call when you're mounting a flat device behind a cable-dense 1U area and a full-depth shelf would create a cable management problem.
• 30 lb Weight Capacity per Shelf: At 13.6 kg rated, each shelf handles most compact security appliances, small UPS units, or wireless controllers comfortably. This is not a heavy-server shelf — it is sized for the lightweight-but-rackable devices that tend to get zip-tied to rack ears otherwise.
• 19-Inch Rack Width, 2 Mounting Points: Fits any standard EIA 19-inch rack rail. Two mounting points per shelf means fast, repeatable installation — no hunting for a four-hole pattern or fighting warped rails when the shelf only needs two anchor points to sit square.
• 0.5-Inch Profile per Shelf: At 1.3 cm tall, each shelf occupies a fraction of a rack unit. Installing all four in a single bay consumes roughly 2 inches of vertical space — a worthwhile trade when the alternative is improvised mounting that blocks airflow or leaves devices unsecured.
• Black Finish: Matches standard black rack enclosures and accessories without requiring paint-matching — a minor but real time-saver when building out a uniform install.
• 4-Pack Quantity: Sold as a set of four, which covers a multi-device bay deployment in one order. Fewer line items, consistent hardware across positions, and a single shipping weight of 5.5 lbs for the entire set.

Integration & Compatibility

The MS-5.5-4 is built to the standard 19-inch EIA rack specification, so it installs in any compliant two-post or four-post open-frame rack, rack enclosure, or wall-mount rack cabinet using that form factor. The 5.5-inch depth is a deliberate constraint — devices deeper than the shelf will overhang the front edge, which may or may not be acceptable depending on what you're mounting. Verify your device's depth against the 5.5-inch usable depth before ordering; a device at 6 inches or more will need a deeper shelf from the same Middle Atlantic rack accessories line.

These shelves work alongside patch panels, cable managers, rack accessories, and 1U blanks from any manufacturer — the 19-inch width is universal. If you are building out a rack enclosure for a security system head-end (NVR, access control server, small PoE switch), the MS-5.5-4 provides a clean mounting surface for supporting appliances that lack rack ears of their own. Pair with a rack system sized to your channel count and device footprint.

What's in the Box

• 4x Middle Atlantic MS-5.5-4 rackmount shelves (black finish, 5.5-inch depth)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many shelves are included in one order of the MS-5.5-4?

A: The MS-5.5-4 ships as a 4-pack — four individual 5.5-inch rackmount shelves per order.

Q: What is the weight capacity of each shelf?

A: Each shelf is rated at 30 lbs (13.6 kg). That capacity applies per shelf, not across the four-pack combined.

Q: Will these shelves fit in a standard 19-inch rack?

A: Yes. The MS-5.5-4 is 19 inches wide and mounts to standard EIA 19-inch rack rails using two mounting points per shelf.

Q: Can I mount a device deeper than 5.5 inches on this shelf?

A: The usable depth is 5.5 inches (14 cm). A device that extends beyond that will overhang the shelf's front edge. For deeper devices, select a shelf with a matching or greater depth from the Middle Atlantic lineup.

Q: How much vertical rack space does each shelf consume?

A: Each shelf is 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) tall. All four shelves together occupy approximately 2 inches of vertical space, which fits within a single rack unit with room to spare.

Q: What finish does the MS-5.5-4 come in?

A: Black powder-coat finish, consistent with standard black rack enclosures and accessories.

Eden Phillips

The MS-5.5-4 solves a specific rack-build problem that comes up constantly in security system head-end installations: you have a compact appliance — a license-plate recognition server, a small PoE manager, a door controller — that lacks rack ears and needs a stable, non-improvised mounting surface. The 5.5-inch usable depth is the key constraint to check first; it fits flat devices cleanly but will not support anything much deeper than a shallow appliance chassis.

Technical Highlights:

• 30 lb Rated Capacity: Each shelf handles up to 30 lbs (13.6 kg), which covers the realistic weight range of compact security appliances, wireless access points, and small audio or intercom processors without engineering margin concerns.
• 0.5-Inch Profile: At 1.3 cm tall per shelf, you install all four across roughly 2 inches of vertical space — meaning a four-device mounting solution fits inside a single open rack unit, leaving the rest for cable management or blanks.
• 2-Point Mounting: Two mounting points per shelf speeds installation in open-frame racks; no four-hole template required, and the shelf sits square without shimming on most standard EIA rail sets.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your device depth is 5.5 inches or less before ordering — the usable depth is fixed, and there is no adjustment. A device at 6 inches will overhang the shelf edge, which creates a snag risk in high-traffic equipment rooms.
• The 4-pack quantity is the purchase unit; there is no single-shelf SKU for this model listed in evidence. Budget for the full set even if you only need one or two shelves for a smaller install.

The MS-5.5-4 is a practical fit for security system head-end racks where a mix of racked and non-racked appliances need to share a single enclosure — particularly in access control or intercommunications deployments where small controllers and converters would otherwise be zip-tied to rack posts.