Add PoE Switch to existing network

[rhagu]

Hi,

I have been running a home setup with a HP ProCurve 1810G - 24 GE for 11 years and I am really pleased with it.
After remodeling the house I want to use a lot more Access Points and Wifi than before, so I am looking for a PoE+ capable switch.
I would assume 8 PoE ports to be sufficient and due to HPs positive track record I would choose the HP Aruba Instant On 1930 as an addition.
Is this a good switch? Are there some better recommendations? Would you replace the whole 24 Port switch with a 24 port PoE switch?
Is there anything I should keep in mind?

thanks for your advice,
rhagu

 

[Borromini]

I'm very happy with my ZyXEL GS1900-10HP personally. Total PoE+ budget is quite a bit lower than the Aruba (77W), but from what I find here in the EU the Aruba is more than double the price as well. I only got AC PoE+ access points so far, but they draw < 4W each.

 

[rhagu]

Hi Borromini, thank you for your feedback, for how long have you been running the ZyXEL switch and how well does it do in "idle"? How well does the power draw scale down?

 

[TLN]

I got number of Aruba 2930F-8G switches. Support PoE+ and all the enterprise features (VC stacking). Small and fanless.

 

[Borromini]

@rhagu I couldn't say, sorry. I replaced the OEM firmware with OpenWrt the minute I got it.

 

[rhagu]

@Borromini is there a reason why you would use OpenWRT instead of the stock firmware? Do you want to tinker with it or does it offer some unique advantages?
@TLN I think the 2930 series is a bit too pricey for me. I guess you would recommend aruba as a manufacturer, since you bought more than one?

I am asking myself:
- Does it make sense to add a 8 port POE+ switch to my existing 24 port switch and link them with two (or one) 1Gbit connections? Or should I go with a single 24port switch? Maybe 2,5Gbit is right around the corner and I would need to switch (no pun intended) soon again?
- Is 8port + 24+port a valid setup?

 

[kpfleming]

There is no meaning of 'valid' that would apply here. You can connect switches in any fashion that you like. In my network I have four 16-ports switches in a stack with an 8-port switch in one location that needs more ports than there are cables to that location.

If your only need is for a small number of PoE or PoE+ devices, you can just use injectors to power them; that is a simple option.

 

[Vesalius]

agree with @kpfleming. Many ways and few are invalid, depends on what you want to optimize for. Ease of install, keeping your current management interface, consolidation into one switch, power use, potential for future upgrade path.

 

[rhagu]

Thanks for the feedback, I was curious if link aggreggation between switches would be necessary to avoid bottlenecks or whether there are some best practices to follow, but it looks like my setup is pretty standard and either way should be fine

 

[Vesalius]

Link aggregation between switches if available to you would be good for both overall available bandwidth (more lanes for more traffic, not usually faster) and redundancy.

 

[Borromini]

@rhagu OpenWrt support for Realtek based switches (which is what most if not all of the ZyXEL GS1900 series is) is still pretty fresh, so consider me an early adopter on that front. For me it's easier to run OpenWrt on my switch(es) too as the rest of the network hardware (edge router, access points) runs that too. Saves on maintenance and makes sure the firmware is reasonably up to date.

That being said, I have the impression ZyXEL issues more or less regular firmware updates, but their GS1900 series isn't exactly consumer stuff, so I don't know how well their plain unmanaged switches e.g. are kept up to date on that front.