I wound up getting the Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL. This allowed me to also get rid of a couple of 8-port POE+ switches and repurpose them in other rooms. The Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL was only $100 more than the C2960L-24TQ-LL, so it was an easy decision for me. The Catalyst C1000 line is supposed to be the follow-on series that replaces the 2960L line, but I didn't see any significant advantages that the C1000 had, other than it's further away from EOL. However, the 2960L, being older, was available online at much better prices. So far, I've been very happy with the WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL. I didn't think I needed the CLI, but I have wound up using it quite a bit. I really like how it is POE but no fan!
10 GB switch - questions
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I wound up getting the Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL. This allowed me to also get rid of a couple of 8-port POE+ switches and repurpose them in other rooms. The Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL was only $100 more than the C2960L-24TQ-LL, so it was an easy decision for me. The Catalyst C1000 line is supposed to be the follow-on series that replaces the 2960L line, but I didn't see any significant advantages that the C1000 had, other than it's further away from EOL. However, the 2960L, being older, was available online at much better prices. So far, I've been very happy with the WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL. I didn't think I needed the CLI, but I have wound up using it quite a bit. I really like how it is POE but no fan!
@Razvan @randman
Not sure how the Aruba S2500-24P was missed on your list. They go all day for around $100.
There was even a write up on them here on STH: https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/aruba-mas-series-sfp-poe-switches-sub-100.23056/
I bought 4 transc. for under $35 each.
Not sure how the Aruba S2500-24P was missed on your list. They go all day for around $100.
There was even a write up on them here on STH: https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/aruba-mas-series-sfp-poe-switches-sub-100.23056/
I bought 4 transc. for under $35 each.
Can you share how much did you spend for it and what was the difference between this and the C1000 equivalent?
Unfortunately 30.5 cm of depth prevents it from fitting in the wallmounted rack it's supposed to go in
Can you share how much did you spend for it and what was the difference between this and the C1000 equivalent?
Unfortunately 30.5 cm of depth prevents it from fitting in the wallmounted rack it's supposed to go in
I was hunting for a 24+ port switch with similar requirements as you. I ended up with the Netgear M5300-28G3, however the fans are a bit noisy. Still TBD if I’ll keep or try to find a replacement. Noctua fans (x4) I’ve tried to swap just don’t work.
However, I also bought the Netgear XS708T to put in my home office. Don’t be concerned with fan noise. I actually ended up swapping the single 40mmx20mm fan with a Noctua I had, and now it’s totally quiet. Like I have to put my head inches away to hear! I highly recommend this switch, especially with a $15 fan swap.
Noctua fans may not start at a lower voltage. See this thread for more details.
Glad to hear the mod worked for you.
I am dealing with two CAT5e runs and according to the XS708T datasheet "Cat5/Cat5e are supported for Gigabit speeds up to 100 meters".
Good news, I tried a regular Cat5 cable, just for you
The longest I had was about 5m, but you can see it negotiates 10G.
EDIT: oops, I realized I took a picture of my M5300, but the XS708T is the other connected device (at 10G).
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I spent about $800 for the WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL. The C1000-24P-4X-L, which is the follow-on switch, cost close to $1700, so more than twice the price. I quickly compared the two switches, and I didn't see any significant differences relevant to me, other than the C2960L was near EOL and less than half the price.Can you share how much did you spend for it and what was the difference between this and the C1000 equivalent?
Unfortunately 30.5 cm of depth prevents it from fitting in the wallmounted rack it's supposed to go in
How many meters was the longest cat5e cable where the line rate was 10gb ?
Nice catch, so far I've seen bigger prices for the WS-C2960L-24PQ-LL: $910; $1400; 1650 EUR.
It's not using a switch but maybe this helps: two 9m runs of CAT5e, joined with a CAT5e patchcord at the walljack while the ends terminated in the rack are connected to both 10G nics in a server. So about 18m of sftp CAT5e links at 10G and transfers (iperf3) at about 6GB/s (1500 MTU). With 9000 MTU it reaches 8+GB/s. I get the same speeds (for both MTUs) with just the patchcord between both nics so, at least in this case, the whole run doesn't affect the connection speed.
Yes, I did. It gets very warm (I measured 62 degrees C near the 10Gbit SFP+ cable tranceiver) , but it sits in my garage (which has connection to the outside air so it's a bit cooler down there (northern europe)). The DAC transceivers are hardly warm to the touch, and since I have two of those, I'm not too worried. The BiDi SFP+ transceiver gets to around 45 degrees on my desk, so will be slightly cooler in the garage.
I've run some performance tests, and it's all OK, makes 10Gbit all day long on the 10Gbit ports (from Linux<>Linux machine, through the switch).
So all-in-all a good purchase, nothing spectacular. Does what it says on the box.
My aruba 2500-24p died lol literally burnt up too hot to touch. I just ordered a brocade 7250 48p and 4 of the FS.com brand brocade sfp+ to 10 g rj45 transceivers. I got the 7250 off eBay for $205 plus $50 shipping. And the sfp+ to 10g rj44 trans. are $59 each. Most HPE/Aruba, Brocade and Arista switches have some encryption chip which makes the 10g copper trans more expensive.
Hope it helps
Thanks so much for the answer! I am looking for something cheap and quiet to replace my Mikrotik CSS326 with something with 4 SFP/SFP+ ports and your input is very valuable! What kind of SFP modules are you using? Are they HP compatible or something else?
My SFP+ modules are genuine Intel and Cisco-compatible and I am also looking to plug in a weird GPON SFP module to avoid having to put an SFP card in my pfSense router. The Mikrotik had some issues with the Cisco Transceivers with the link flapping up/down, that is why I am asking.
So in your experience, you need compatible SFP modules? I know on higher end Arubas you can override the SFP compatibility settings but I believe that is not possible with the 1930 series.
In my experience if you stay optical your compatibility will be greater. But if you are going to use sfp+ 10GbE/10Gbase-t (rj-45) transceivers then it is far more critical to stay on the QVL for the transceivers. I tried a lower tier transceivers for 10gbase-sr 850nm connectors and everything seemed to handshake and just work. Its those rj-45 transceivers that are super finicky when it comes to routers and switches that are not considered "open". Those brands vary by year, make and model. But the typical "closed/encrypted" ones have been brocade/rukkus, HPP/HPE/Aruba, Arista to name a few.
Everyone has that vender that they just trust to get it right, for me it is fs.com, your mileage might vary. They have a test assured program, and usually have very qualified staffing answering questions. For me it is one of those "you get what you pay for" situations. However STH forums is ripe with information about people testing configurations, both hardware and software. If you get more than one hit reporting a good configuration then I would say it's your chances are good.
Typically if the transceivers are encrypted (meaning not open) they are more expensive, so for 10Gbase-t sfp+ 30 meter (NEW) they range from $35 to $99 for a generic brand. Most manufacturers follow the naming convention such as 10G-SFPP-T, ASF-10G-T, SFP-10G-T, etc. If you see a "T2" at the end its probably going to be the 80 meter version and could draw more than 3 watts per transceiver and be more expensive and possibly be more finicky about handshaking with the router/switch.
Your mileage might vary, but that's my two cents.
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What kind of SFP modules are you using? Are they HP compatible or something else? Mine are 'generic' brand from the sf.com. I had some problems with my DAC cables and my HP 10Gbit passthrough card (C3000 chassis), some of them would not work, others would. Not quite sure what happened there, but the C3000 has had a hard life before I got it (lot's of scratches on the chassis), so it might be related to that.