Network Switch

[soontobetold]

I need more than 4 ports a typical router can offer me. It's for a home so I will assume a managed switch is not needed? However, the question now is whether if a smart switch would be necessary or an unmanaged one will do just fine?

The only thing I know about a switch is that I can have more ethernet ports, so I guess I wouldn't need to have control over the network because I don't know what else I can actually do with a switch?

Switch is quite a new thing to me so would appreciate if you could recommend which switch I should be looking at? Is there such thing as a "Good" and a "Bad" switch.

I am looking for a 8 ports switch. Also I would assume if I require a PoE switch, my options will be quite limited? If that's not the case, are there any top of the line PoE switch that is comparable to those non PoE version?

 

[microchip]

I suspect a simple 8-ports switch will be enough, based on your somewhat limited description. I have TP-Link SG1008D (costs about 15€/20$) which I use to extend the amount of the ports of my router. Works really well

A dumb, unmanaged switch is basically an "intelligent" hub. The main difference is that a hub sends packets to all ports while a switch learns/remembers to which port packets need to go and only send them to the correct port instead of broadcasting on all ports like a hub.

 

[soontobetold]

I suspect a simple 8-ports switch will be enough, based on your somewhat limited description. I have TP-Link SG1008D (costs about 15€/20$) which I use to extend the amount of the ports of my router. Works really well

A dumb, unmanaged switch is basically an "intelligent" hub. The main difference is that a hub sends packets to all ports while a switch learns/remembers to which port packets need to go and only send them to the correct port instead of broadcasting on all ports like a hub.

So you are suggesting just an unmanaged 8 ports switch? Basically an 8 ports switch will only have 7 ports available since 1 port will be connected to the router? Also I am pretty amateur at networking stuff, what (specifications) do I look out for when getting a switch?

so from my understanding, since my main purpose is to just share the internet to more wired devices, an unmanaged switch (=intelligent hub) will be sufficient as they just need to send packets to all ports. while a smart/managed switch would be used in an office situation where certain packets should go to certain ports and not all ports?

 

[fistv]

Two different questions, do you need a PoE switch and if so what for ?
I just ordered a TP-Link TL-SG1016D 16 port rack mount for $76.40 off of Amazon an hour ago to use with my Linksys1900AC, everything will be plugged into the switch with nothing being connected to the routers lan ports, except maybe port 1 for management. This is a non-PoE switch
If you want an 8 port switch with 4 PoE ports I have had good results powering 4 cisco aeronet 1600E SAPs using a Cisco SG100D-08P, I seem to remember it being in the $120 ball park 2 years ago. It's a desktop with no provisions for rack mounting

 

[microchip]

So you are suggesting just an unmanaged 8 ports switch? Basically an 8 ports switch will only have 7 ports available since 1 port will be connected to the router? Also I am pretty amateur at networking stuff, what (specifications) do I look out for when getting a switch?

so from my understanding, since my main purpose is to just share the internet to more wired devices, an unmanaged switch (=intelligent hub) will be sufficient as they just need to send packets to all ports. while a smart/managed switch would be used in an office situation where certain packets should go to certain ports and not all ports?

yes, unmanaged is enough for your situation. Just grab any 1 Gbps switch you like. I haven't come across yet on a switch that's good/bad than another, but I've tested only switches from TP-Link, Level One and INCIDIUS. All have similar performance

No, a unmanaged/managed switch is smart compared to a hub since it learns to which port to send packets for a specific device... example, you have you lappy on port 2 and your desktop on port 3. If your desktop requests/sends data, the switch knows that your desktop is on port 3 and will send the data only to that port. A hub is the dumbest of all devices. It will send the data to all ports even if it's not necessary.

A managed switch is more advanced and is also a smart one but in a "different" way since it can be configured and supports advanced stuff like VLANs, filtering, DoS defence, port security (sometimes SSH too), etc. The cheapest managed switch costs easily 2x to 3x times a simple unmanaged switch.

 

[soontobetold]

Two different questions, do you need a PoE switch and if so what for ?
I just ordered a TP-Link TL-SG1016D 16 port rack mount for $76.40 off of Amazon an hour ago to use with my Linksys1900AC, everything will be plugged into the switch with nothing being connected to the routers lan ports, except maybe port 1 for management. This is a non-PoE switch
If you want an 8 port switch with 4 PoE ports I have had good results powering 4 cisco aeronet 1600E SAPs using a Cisco SG100D-08P, I seem to remember it being in the $120 ball park 2 years ago. It's a desktop with no provisions for rack mounting

Whether I need a PoE switch is conditional on whether I can get a decent PoE AP. Likewise, whether I get a PoE AP is conditional on whether I can get a decent PoE switch. http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?p=131544

It's for home setting, so I don't really need rack mounting. Thanks for your recommendation. The Cisco SG100D-08P seems like more for a business rather than a home? But what do I look out for in terms of specification when it comes to choosing a switch?

 

[soontobetold]

yes, unmanaged is enough for your situation. Just grab any 1 Gbps switch you like. I haven't come across yet on a switch that's good/bad than another, but I've tested only switches from TP-Link, Level One and INCIDIUS. All have similar performance

No, a unmanaged/managed switch is smart compared to a hub since it learns to which port to send packets for a specific device... example, you have you lappy on port 2 and your desktop on port 3. If your desktop requests/sends data, the switch knows that your desktop is on port 3 and will send the data only to that port. A hub is the dumbest of all devices. It will send the data to all ports even if it's not necessary.

A managed switch is more advanced and is also a smart one but in a "different" way since it can be configured and supports advanced stuff like VLANs, filtering, DoS defence, port security (sometimes SSH too), etc. The cheapest managed switch costs easily 2x to 3x times a simple unmanaged switch.

ahhhh. i see so i can just ignore a hub and just get a switch.

i guess managed is out of the question.

what about

smart vs unmanaged?

also what do i look out for in terms of specification when choosing a switch?

or can i just get the cheapest gigabit switch with the number of ports i need?

Are there any brands that are known to made good quality switch in general for home users?

 

[microchip]

Whether I need a PoE switch is conditional on whether I can get a decent PoE AP. Likewise, whether I get a PoE AP is conditional on whether I can get a decent PoE switch. http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?p=131544

It's for home setting, so I don't really need rack mounting. Thanks for your recommendation. The Cisco SG100D-08P seems like more for a business rather than a home? But what do I look out for in terms of specification when it comes to choosing a switch?

This is a bit of simplifying things, but virtually all unmanaged switches have similar specs and are pretty cheap. I suspect that most of these switches use Realtek chips hence for their low price, but since I can't inspect all switches in the world, I cannot say that they are all the same inside. One thing is for sure. They all perform pretty much equally

if you want to get technical, look out for a switch that reduces its power usage when a port is not used. The TP-Link I have and mentioned in my above reply is such a switch. TP-Link calls it a "Green Switch" since it throttles the power needed when port(s) are not in used. So the more ports are unused, the less it consumes.

More technical: look for one that has flow control, 15K Jumbo frames, Auto-MDI/MDIX which eliminates the need for cross-over cables.

 

[fistv]

Rule of thumb between hubs and switches, if you find a hub, put it on the floor and stamp it into little pieces so nobody else can be tempted to use it.
As far as switches, Netgear and HP both offer lifetime guarantees, you pay for it but it's there. I've used TP-link a few times here at work, I put two of them in the Restaurant for the av and tv sports bar systems and Point of sales systems and they have been fine for the past 2 years. Those come with a 5 year warranty.

 

[soontobetold]

Rule of thumb between hubs and switches, if you find a hub, put it on the floor and stamp it into little pieces so nobody else can be tempted to use it.
As far as switches, Netgear and HP both offer lifetime guarantees, you pay for it but it's there. I've used TP-link a few times here at work, I put two of them in the Restaurant for the av and tv sports bar systems and Point of sales systems and they have been fine for the past 2 years. Those come with a 5 year warranty.

Haha! so angst.

anyway thanks guys for the advise. gonna do some homework and see which switch i can get and come back here for some advise.

thanks!

 

[fistv]

Haha! so angst.

anyway thanks guys for the advise. gonna do some homework and see which switch i can get and come back here for some advise.

thanks!

Nope, not angst, just practical. It was/is an acquired skill to track them down in offices parked in the damndest places where they were used for cable range extenders and having to go back a second time because someone found it and used it again, the foot hammer was the best solution.

 

[sinshiva]

Rule of thumb between hubs and switches, if you find a hub, put it on the floor and stamp it into little pieces so nobody else can be tempted to use it.
As far as switches, Netgear and HP both offer lifetime guarantees, you pay for it but it's there. I've used TP-link a few times here at work, I put two of them in the Restaurant for the av and tv sports bar systems and Point of sales systems and they have been fine for the past 2 years. Those come with a 5 year warranty.

hubs can be useful for packet inspection between devices just don't leave it there.

 

[azazel1024]

hubs can be useful for packet inspection between devices just don't leave it there.

Not really. That is like using surgery for a pap smear when a simple speculum would work so much better.

Want to do packet inspection, get a semi-managed or managed switch and do port mirroring.

 

[sinshiva]

Not really. That is like using surgery for a pap smear when a simple speculum would work so much better.

Want to do packet inspection, get a semi-managed or managed switch and do port mirroring.

i don't disagree, but if you already got them i'd consider them a tool. an aside, if one wanted to selectively mirror traffic, iptables "--tee" at the router looks useful