Switch Model Selection Advice

[StarsAndBars]

Greetings all!

I am expanding my home lab/network and I have already employed a Brocade 6610 thanks to the guide here. I am very happy with it!

However, I find it lacking in 2.5GbE support, and I have added a few devices that can support it. In addition the need for 2.5, I also need the selected switch to support PoE and have SFP ports so I can uplink it to the 6610. I have looked around, and a contender is the QNAP QSW-M2116P-2T2S-US

found here:

Amazon.com

Before I drop $800 on a switch, is there a better option that is preferably less expensive? If not, I am not opposed to that one to get the features I need.

Thanks, I welcome any and all advice and suggestions!

 

[NPS]

Hmm,
there are switches with 2.5GbaseT, SFP+ and PoE+ for about half the price. Question is, what do you need?

• port count 2.5GbaseT
• port count SFP+
• PoE: port count/speed, PoE, PoE+ or PoE++?, combined PoE power budged?
• managed switch? If yes, which functions?
• rack mount?
• noise?
• power consumption?

 

[StarsAndBars]

Hmm,
there are switches with 2.5GbaseT, SFP+ and PoE+ for about half the price. Question is, what do you need?

• port count 2.5GbaseT
• port count SFP+
• PoE: port count/speed, PoE, PoE+ or PoE++?, combined PoE power budged?
• managed switch? If yes, which functions?
• rack mount?
• noise?
• power consumption?

Please give me some examples!

- At least 16 ports 2.5G, with PoE++ available on all ports
- At least one SFP+ port
- Managed
- Rack mount mandatory
- noise do not care in the least
- power comsumption do not care in the least

Thanks!

 

[Mike9474593]

A few days ago I stumbled over the new Zyxel XMG1915 series, 8 and 16 port versions available, all with 2.5G and two additional SFP+ ports.
The Zyxel XMG1915-18EP has 8 PoE++ and 8 non PoE ports, might not be enough for you. But the device is new and at least 300$ cheaper than the Qnap here. Price is probably gonna fall a bit. I don not know about the management features (I have a XGS1210-12 and it's solid but pretty limited in some ways, but this is a different line)...

 

[NPS]

- At least 16 ports 2.5G, with PoE++ available on all ports

I am confused. The QNAP QSW-M2116P-2T2S-US does not have that! Only the two 10GbaseT ports are PoE++.
Do you really need 16 Ports of PoE(++) and 2.5GbaseT? I think the combination you wish for is quite expensive. So you might end up with the switch you already found yourself. Saving money will mean making compromises (which should be ok for homelab).

 

[StarsAndBars]

A few days ago I stumbled over the new Zyxel XMG1915 series, 8 and 16 port versions available, all with 2.5G and two additional SFP+ ports.
The Zyxel XMG1915-18EP has 8 PoE++ and 8 non PoE ports, might not be enough for you. But the device is new and at least 300$ cheaper than the Qnap here. Price is probably gonna fall a bit. I don not know about the management features (I have a XGS1210-12 and it's solid but pretty limited in some ways, but this is a different line)...

Thanks! Might I ask where you found it $300 less than the QNAP?

 

[Mike9474593]

Thanks! Might I ask where you found it $300 less than the QNAP?

I'm in europe, Switzerland to be precise. The Qnap is about 800$, the Zyxel about 460 to 520$ online.

 

[Gerhen]

@StarsAndBars
What about a CPO Juniper EX2300-48MP?

Before the holidays I reached out to the main CPO player in the US and the 24MP (24 port PoE but with only 8x 2.5G ports but meets the rest of your needs) wasn’t very far from the price you quoted above. I didn’t pull the trigger on it as it as I felt the premium for 2.5G was high.

 

[StarsAndBars]

@StarsAndBars
What about a CPO Juniper EX2300-48MP?

Before the holidays I reached out to the main CPO player in the US and the 24MP (24 port PoE but with only 8x 2.5G ports but meets the rest of your needs) wasn’t very far from the price you quoted above. I didn’t pull the trigger on it as it as I felt the premium for 2.5G was high.

Please tell me more, I had no idea this was an option! Thanks for giving me another to consider. Do you happen to know if the Juniper platform has a similar process to the Brocade switches in terms of unlocking the licensing on surplus gear? I have been really happy with the guide provided to make the most of the ICX-6610 in a personal use, non-production scenario.

 

[Gerhen]

@StarsAndBars
Sent you the contact info of the person that reached out to me. Hopefully can help you find what you need.

 

[sic0048]

I also have to ask why the need for so many 2.5gb ports. Just because you've purchased a "few devices" with 2.5gb ports doesn't mean you actually need/use the capacity above normal 1gb connections. I highly suspect that NONE of your devices currently come close to saturating a 1gb connection. It's like paying extra for a "fast" car to give to your Grandfather who never drives over 25 mph.

Except for hooking up newer WiFI APs (that have 2.5gb ports) in a location with enough users to actually saturate a 1gb connection (typically NOT a home network), I see little need for 2.5gb. If you really need faster connections between a few devices, go to 10gb. It's faster and cheaper and you already have the switching capacity to handle it.

2.5gb devices will become more popular and prices will fall accordingly. Therefore there is no purpose in trying to "future proof" by buying unneeded functionality today. You are just throwing money away on capacity that you likely can't/won't even use right now. Wait until prices are low before you dive in unless you have a legitimate need right now and even then buy a switch that gives you just the needed ports and not a ton of wasted "expansion".

Long story short, there is no need to spend the kind of money that you are talking about. If you actually need 2.5gb now (which I doubt you do), I bet a $100 2.5gb switch will handle everything you need today. Then if you ever find yourself needing more 2.5 capacity down the road, prices will have likely dropped so much that you could buy an even larger 2.5gb switch that you are looking at today for a fraction of the cost you are considering today.