Gigabit switch

I'm considering investing in one of these 16 port gigabit switches.

My home network is pretty simple so no need for a managed or smart switch and any VOIP or other traffic management can be handled by my Billion router.

Has anyone had experience of TP-Link switches. What should I be looked out for spec-wise?

Don't know about the 16 port switch but I have a TP-Link 5 port gigabit switch and it's works just fine

Mine aren't gigabit, but I've got a couple of 5-port 10/100 TP-Link switches; plug in, switch on, forget

Times are changing. I paid the same for an 8port Gig switch 3 years ago. Now you can get 16ports for the same cost.

Just go for it

Think I will get that switch I mentioned, it looks like a quality bit of kit for a very reasonable price. Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Just remember to put EVERYTHING through the switch except your VOIP connections. That way the switch to router traffic will only be internet up/down traffic and DHCP queries rather than local traffic.

Good point and I do that anyway. I don't have an VOIP traffic (yet) but that does raise a question about POE: if I eventually get VOIP telephones they may well be POE, but can I use a power injector over my existing cat5e cable and still get gigabit speeds? Does my patch panel need to be POE-certified/compatible? I'm assuming the switch does?

Reason I say to put VOIP direct to the router is that is is effectively separate from the rest of your network and does not have any local traffic.

As for POE there are different adapters out there. If you use one which injects power onto te line, it should/could only present data and no power to the switch . Does the patch panel need to be? Not really, you are only using low voltage but just choose appropriately.

I am about to install a couple of VOIP base stations here, they can use POE but as there is real power close by there is no need.

As long as the POE is 802.3af compliant (which most are these days) the yes - gigiabit is possible with POE.

I just googled it.

No your patch panel doesn't need to be specially rated for PoE / gigabit, as long as all 8 wires are connected correctly.

PoE 802.3af (or .at) works at gigabit speeds if the switch and device are both gigabit (i.e. same as for none-PoE devices) and are set for auto negotiation (no doofing around with manual speed and duplex).

If you only have a few PoE devices then injectors will be ok but there are plenty of choices for gigabit switches (unmanaged or managed) with PoE on some or all ports.

Common variations:

• 4 standard + 4 PoE ports
• all ports PoE but not at full power on all at the same time
• all ports PoE and capable of full power to all (sometimes called max power or MP)

Examples:

TP-Link: Unmanaged

Netgear: Unmanaged Smart

Cisco: Unmanaged SG100D-08P Smart SG200-08P Managed SG300-10P/10MP

Edited by prlzx (Wed 20-Feb-13 20:18:08)