Home network switch recommendation

Rich Jordan · Post by **Rich Jordan** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:04 pm

We finally have enough equipment at home, and file sharing in use, to make a switch upgrade worthwhile. I've been using an HP ProCurve 1700-8, which is a basic layer 2 manageable switch but it is 10/100 with a single GbE uplink. With three, and soon four devices capable of GbE its time to upgrade. The firewall is only 10/100 on the ports but since the cable internet service is currently at 24 down 6 up and the unit can handle up to 40 down 10 up with full security enabled, we're not changing it yet.

So: I'd like to stay managed but basic management is OK (like the ProCurve 1700). 8 ports minimum, more if not too expensive. It has to handle 100Mbit equipment for now, but since the firewall will do 10, the couple of antiques can go there, so the switch doesn't need to handle 10Mbit (though nearly all will).

Recommendation appreciated. I'd love to stay under $100 (and I know I can get an unmanaged switch for well under $100) but somewhat higher is ok

Thanks

Post by **BobbyK** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:23 pm

The Netgear ProSafe line is generally OK for home use, otherwise you can get a 24 port managed HP switch with GigE for around $300.

Greg · Post by **Greg** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:24 pm

When I first found myself with more than one gigabit-capable device I upgraded to an 8 port gigabit switch. Netgear, whatever the cheapest one in the blue metal box happened to be (GS108?). I've been happy for several years.

I suspect if you needed a managed switch you wouldn't be asking here.

(Most people wouldn't know what to do with a managed switch or why they might want one. The network guys I've known who would have some justifiable reason for using a managed switch at home, they have the knowledge and the anal-retentiveness to make it worthwhile, already have strong opinions on what they'd use.)

Post by **Denis** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 8:22 pm

Greg wrote:When I first found myself with more than one gigabit-capable device I upgraded to an 8 port gigabit switch. Netgear, whatever the cheapest one in the blue metal box happened to be (GS108?). I've been happy for several years.

I suspect if you needed a managed switch you wouldn't be asking here...

+ 1. Hard to imagine what you would need a managed switch for on a home network. I would (did) get a 24-port D-Link or Netgear 19" rackmount dumb gigabit switch, and put it behind a good quality router by the same manufacturer - you can pretty much do all the management a home network needs on the router.

Rich Jordan · Post by **Rich Jordan** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:38 pm

We use Procurve (HP) Layer 3 managed switches at work. I bought a Procurve 2650 to learn on (at work) the current Procurve 1700 for home, even though it is a much lower level switch (no CLI mode, its all GUI) because it still let me play with traffic prioritization and VLAN setup. I don't (currently) NEED that at home but once I get a NAS I would like to play with it again. The 2650 is not for home use; it has fans and is also still 10/100 with only two GbE uplinks.

Its keeping my fingers in the networking world with work more and more burying me in windows pc diaper changing. Besides, what is wrong with wanting a properly optimized and set up weenie little home network? I might want to run VOIP phones someday and might want them on their own VLAN with proper QOS settings. Or run a storage VLAN for an iSCSI NAS device... maybe

And I asked here because I know there is some expertise on the board, possibly without brand specific lock-in.

I've had (at customer sites) many D-Link switches just start flaking out and need to be replaced, and several Netgears burn out their power supplies and at least once attached equipment (no storm) while the ProCurves just kept running and things attached to them don't fry. I'm not a fan of the lower line switches.

But I'm open to other options so asked here.

Greg · Post by **Greg** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:54 pm

Rich Jordan wrote:We use Procurve (HP) Layer 3 managed switches at work. I bought a Procurve 2650 to learn on (at work) the current Procurve 1700 for home, even though it is a much lower level switch (no CLI mode, its all GUI) because it still let me play with traffic prioritization and VLAN setup. I don't (currently) NEED that at home but once I get a NAS I would like to play with it again. The 2650 is not for home use; it has fans and is also still 10/100 with only two GbE uplinks.

Its keeping my fingers in the networking world with work more and more burying me in windows pc diaper changing. Besides, what is wrong with wanting a properly optimized and set up weenie little home network? I might want to run VOIP phones someday and might want them on their own VLAN with proper QOS settings. Or run a storage VLAN for an iSCSI NAS device... maybe

Nah, you've already got a strong opinion plus you know enough to make use of a managed switch, etc etc.

Sounds like you're really looking for a Procurve.

Unless you're trying to get us to talk you into making the jump to Cisco land? (I'm not a network guy but I've listened to enough of them talk to know that Cisco hardware and software is a world of its own, with gatekeepers and barriers to entry, but rewards within. Don't know if they're worth it, though.) That's probably best discussed on a tech-specific forum with other network guys.

HTRN · Post by **HTRN** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:36 am

Denis wrote:I would (did) get a 24-port D-Link or Netgear 19" rackmount dumb gigabit switch, and put it behind a good quality router by the same manufacturer - you can pretty much do all the management a home network needs on the router.

Routerboard/Mikrotik offers some interesting boards - notably some pretty heavyweight routers, both with, and without cases for reasonable money(Case in point a CCR1016-12G has 12gb ports, 2 gigs of ram(with no expansion limit/2 SODIMM slots) and a 1.2Ghz processor. Not bad for 600 bucks.

Post by **BobbyK** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 2:45 pm

HTRN wrote:[
Routerboard/Mikrotik offers some interesting boards - notably some pretty heavyweight routers, both with, and without cases for reasonable money(Case in point a CCR1016-12G has 12gb ports, 2 gigs of ram(with no expansion limit/2 SODIMM slots) and a 1.2Ghz processor. Not bad for 600 bucks.

Ah Mikrotik... famous for having a BGP bug that crashed a ton of Cisco routers back in 2009
http://www.renesys.com/2009/02/longer-is-not-better/

Rich Jordan · Post by **Rich Jordan** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 5:22 pm

HTRN wrote:Routerboard/Mikrotik offers some interesting boards - notably some pretty heavyweight routers, both with, and without cases for reasonable money(Case in point a CCR1016-12G has 12gb ports, 2 gigs of ram(with no expansion limit/2 SODIMM slots) and a 1.2Ghz processor. Not bad for 600 bucks.

Yeah but 5x the max price I'm willing to go to. And probably has fans and its definitely a large unit.

I see they have a manageable 5 port switch too; if they had an 8 port it might be worth pursuing.

Rich Jordan · Post by **Rich Jordan** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:22 pm

Thanks all. Two votes for the Netgear ProSafe series.

Since I'm not in fact willing to spend pro/enterprise money on this, and don't want to find a way to fit a 19" switch, I think we're down to the ProSafe or a Procurve 1810, and so far reviews on the 1810 seem to be lackluster (compared to the model it replaced, more reports of problems... bet they downgraded manufacturing quality).

So I'm going to investigate the Netgear GS108T. Thanks for all the info

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