Hi All,
So im looking into purchasing a couple of switches for my new property.
It has 60 runs through out the house (Not all will be running at once, but would like them all connected).
I currently have a Netgear GS724TS.
Im looking at getting 2 x 48 port Gigabit Switches with SFP+ & VLAN capable. 1 of them with POE for approx 4 Cameras, & 2/3 In Wall APs as well as maybe a couple of raspberry pi’s.
Im leaning towards either Unifi or HP. But didnt realise how much these switches cost.
In respect to the HP switches what model numbers are recommended and where can i research the difference between model numbers? I will also be sourcing these from the UK.
LOL I had the same experience as you, in the UK those Unifi switches are freaking expensive.
Well I settled for the following which I’d recommend:
NETGEAR GS110TP
NETGEAR GS748Tv5 48 Port
NETGEAR GS116Ev2 16 Port (don’t recommend)
I too have some IP cameras and an AP using PoE they go into the GS110, but you have to double check the power. It uplinks to the GS748Tv5 without any issues.
The things I found out since this was:
48 Port PoE switches are freaking expensive but PoE switches off ebay are cheaper, I just picked up another GS110 for 50£.
For some reason LACP is better than LAG, so you need to check what type of link aggregation the switch does.
The better switches do things like port mirroring, handy if you want to run Security Onion. There are other security features that let you control what can connect to your ports/network if you are concerned about such things.
Not all switches have SNMP, if you suddenly realise you want to run zabbix on your Pi then you need this.
The netgear GUI is horrible, before you needed java to see a live picture of all your ports, but after a recent firmware update java isn’t required. Though once set up I barely look at the switch. Also it’s handy to be able to backup the switch config.
Definitely read the manuals before you buy, sometimes on Amazon it’s not clear which model version you are buying.
Oh yeah the last point, those SFP modules are expensive, it might be cheaper to buy a switch with more ports.
Cheers will look into them.
Im going to keep a look out over the next couple of months.
The prices arent cheap all be they are designed more for SMB/Enterprise so the price matches.
I will want to utilise link aggregation. But was hoping to utilize the SFP+ as an uplink. So will keep this in mind.
Not perticually bothered for the Port Mirroring at this moment. So will be a nice to have i suppose in case i decide to delve into that
Cheers for the heads up for the SNMP as i will want to run a zabbix instance somewhere on my network.
The GUI on that Netgear i have is aweful. I find i struggle even setting up VLANs on it. Ive set up a LACP before on it but it was tempermental in respect to the config as the GUI would just hang. Which is the main reason im leaning towards the HP. But for the quantity of ports im looking at i might have to go to the Netgear range.
I would look at the Cisco 3750X with a 10G module. These are so cheap on ebay, some less than $100. They can do more than any of the other brands too if you run the Advanced Enterprise licensing.
You should be able to find switches with it already on there, but the cost is higher. Look for a part number with ending in E (IP services). If all you need is VLAN than go with LAN base which ends in L.
This is the datasheet on the 3750X. It’ll give you good details on the different models.
Looking at the Cisco options, make sure it is a “48P”. The 48T (third one listed) is NOT a POE switch even if the description says it is. If you go with the second one listed, you will get the module with two 10G connections. The first and fourth listed you would need to go buy it if you want 10G.
As for the HPE switches, I am not that familiar with the model numbers and would have to research those, but I think you would be better off using Cisco switches since there is a lot more documentation out there. Also, I know I can help with that one if you have any issues or questions.
Makes sense. You can always get the 10G module at a later date. Getting a 48 POE switch for less than $200 though is an amazing deal. If you want to got cheaper though, maybe the 24 port version (WS-C3750X-24P-L) is a good option.
Im Just thinking of neatness in my rack. All Be ill have plenty of space in it.
I can. Ideally id like to have the enterprise stuff but budget restraints might make me go down @neogrid’s way.
Im looking at both options at the moment.
With being in isolation my new build has being put on hold so i do have time on my hands.
All be with that the pricing i believe are going up.
So depending whats available and what my budget is when i actually move will be the main deciding factors.
