- Network Admin
Network Performance Benchmarking: What to Measure
24 Dec, 2025





£1423.87 inc. VAT
AI-generated summary
The APC AP8868 is one of those “quietly sensible” PDUs you don’t notice until you need it—solid build quality, tidy rack integration, and a brand that’s usually consistent in day‑to‑day reliability. At **£1186.30 ex‑VAT**, it’s not cheap for a basic power strip, so I’d only recommend it if your rack environment actually needs that level of dependability and you want to stick with equipment that support teams (and spares) won’t be a headache for. For a small data room, office server rack, or any setup where uptime matters and you’re plugging in multiple mission‑critical devices, APC is a safer bet than chasing cheaper equivalents.
That said, I wouldn’t buy this purely because “it has lots of outlets.” If you don’t need managed control, monitoring, or a clear operational reason to pay APC premium pricing, you can usually save money with a simpler PDU from a reputable vendor and still do the job. Also, make sure you’ve planned rack power draw and cabling properly—no PDU choice fixes poor distribution design. **Who should buy:** UK SMBs / IT teams standardising on APC, running multiple servers/network gear in a rack, and valuing reliability and straightforward support. **Who shouldn’t:** budget-focused installs with low criticality or customers who don’t need the extra assurance and just want the cheapest way to get power into a cabinet.

APC
Rack PDU 2G, Metered, ZeroU, 20A/208V, 16A/230V, (18) C13 & (2) C19

STARTECH
StarTech.com 4U 19" Desktop Open Frame Rack, 2 Post Free-Standing Network Rack Switch Depth for Patch Panel/Data/AV/IT/Communication/Studio/Computer Equipment 66lb Cap. w/ Cage Nuts/Screws - 4U 2-Post Desktop Rack (RK4OD) - Rack open frame - 2-post - desktop - black - 4U

APC
APC EasyPDU EPDU2116MBO - Power distribution unit (rack-mountable) - metered-by-outlet - AC 208 V - 3680 VA - 1-phase - Ethernet 10/100, serial - input: IEC 60309 2P+E - output connectors: 24 (20 x IEC 60320 C13, 4 x IEC 60320 C19) - 0U - 3 m cord - black

APC
NetShelter VX/SX Door Sensor Switch Kit