[Recommendation] Rack-mount 24 Port Gigabit Switch

L

Landmine

Limp Gawd
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Oct 19, 2011
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Rack-mount 24 Port Gigabit Switch

I'm lookign at a ZyXEL GS1100-24 24PORT Gigabit Rackmount Switch and a few others, but I wanted to get some recommendations.

I could get by with fewer ports, as it is for my home network and I only have 6 devices wired right now, but I'd like to be able to add more.

The reason for the rack is I'm making a mini cabinet and want to keep it all as organized as possible.
 
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We get this question atleast once a month, search please. The zyxel is a fine for an unmanaged.
 
I would highly suggest the Netgear GS724T

This is what I have been running in my house for 3 years and had 0 issues.

Since I am re-running my wires, I snapped a photo.
imag0147x.jpg


I just added my second one about 2 weeks ago. Got it off ebay for $65.00 (with rack ears) --> YMMV
Just had to do a firmware update and 2 min cleaning the dust off and it worked great.
 
Can you run wires like that at my house? It's so clean and pretty.

I was going to build a rack, I'm sure there are some nice DIY guides on here for that kind of thing.
 
Landmine said:
Can you run wires like that at my house? It's so clean and pretty.
Click to expand...

The wiring is simple.
1ft cables from patch panel to switch.
Between each switch is NORCO SA-2004 CMS - $20.00 each


Landmine said:
I was going to build a rack, I'm sure there are some nice DIY guides on here for that kind of thing.
Click to expand...

I got my two 42U racks off Craiglist for $50.00 each about 5 years ago.
There are usually several for sale no matter where you live.
 
I have 4x Dell Powerconnect 5324's I've picked up over the past 2 years on ebay. They have been very reliable, and can be had for ~$100-120 pretty easily on ebay. They have an industry standard CLI and support all the major features of a L2 enterprise class switch. If you need L3 features, I'd recommend the Cisco SG300 series, though considerably more expensive, still the best you will find in that price range, that I am aware of.
 
I'd give a nod to Dell's PowerConnect series as well; 5224 does not have the industry standard CLI, but is pretty easy to use and has a very nice Web interface. I think the 5424, 5448, 3424/P and 3448/P are the current sweet-spot for performance, reliability and price on the used market. If you are patient, you can pick-up a 3424P for $50, the 5424, 5448 and 3448P can be had for $200 with varying levels of patience.
If you need Layer 3 features, trunk VLANs to a a pfSense box and get L3 features on the cheap.
Just a word of caution- all of these switches are LOUD in a home environment. There are methods to undervolt/remove fans, ymmv.
 
Another vote for the GS724T. I got mine used from the forums here. Works well. I haven't really gone deep into the advanced configuration of it. I will say that if the switch is off and then turned back on, the fans (2 of them) rattle pretty good for a few minutes then work fine. I need to replace the fans on it at some point. That's my only complaint with it.
 
The Netgear Switches I have used have had poor support for current browsers/Java versions (current products even), non-standard implementation of features and poor documentation. As a dumb switch, they are probably perfect, but their smart switches are just dumb switches with a useless interface. Pro Tip: Look for a serial interface for any managed switch and industry-standard CLI. Anything else is probably not worth your time.
I will recommend the Cisco SG200 series as the only exception I know of to the above rule.
 
Bought a couple of these for the office at work:

Cisco Small Business SR2024CT-NA Unmanaged Switch with QoS 10/100/1000Mbps 24 RJ-45 10/100/1000Mbps ports, 2 Combo SFP ports

They've ran fine for a year and a half.
 
My PowerConnect 5224 has been running 24/7/365 for 4 years since I bought it used off ebay...
 
i got 2x 2724 , 2x 2824 and 2 x 48 port dells and not one has died yet all in operation from 3-5 years.
 
GS724T here also.

Lifetime warranty

Web Management features. It just plain runs, non stop, without issue.

I got mine for $170 new, only reason I jumped on it. Its been worth it.
 
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