Network switch

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Lizard1977

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#205461 14-Nov-2016 11:30

I'm considering buying a network switch, and keeping an eye on PB Tech's Cyber Monday sale later today to see if this may offer a good deal.

In our first lounge I'm currently using a Fritzbox 7390 which has four LAN ports, but one of these is occupied by the fibre internet connection, and a second is wired to a TP-Link router in the second lounge, acting as a wireless AP to boost the reach of the wifi in our house, and also offers wired connections to the PC, NAS, and Raspberry Pi in that room. The other two ports on the Fritzbox are occupied by another PC and another Raspberry Pi, but I also have an Xbox 360, a Bluray player, an AV receiver (with Airplay for music), and a TV which could all benefit from a wired connection. Clearly, I have too few LAN ports for my needs.

So I'm looking at getting a switch to ensure that all my devices can connect via a wired connection. We are also looking at turning our second lounge into a bedroom in the near future, which means that the tech in that room will largely be mothballed or relocated to the first lounge (though I'd like to keep a wireless AP in that room to improve signal reception in the house). By my calculations, I'll have need of about 8-10 ports in the first lounge.

From my research so far, I figure I don't need a managed switch, but I think it would be good future proofing to get a gigabit switch. Any recommendations? Going back to PB Tech (in the hope that the Cyber Monday sale offers a good deal in this area), and on the basis that I've had good experiences with TP-Link, how does this switch look?

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/SWHTPL1019/TP-LINK-TL-SG1016D-16-PORT-GIGABIT-SWITCH

16-ports is a lot more than I need right now, but I figured it gives room for expansion down the track.

As to how it's used, would I need to keep the Fritzbox connected to the ONT (and connect the Fritzbox to the switch) or could I just connect the switch direct to the ONT? If I can connect the switch directly to the ONT it would remove some of the clutter and I figure it would give me a reason to get a better wireless AP in its place...

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#1670598 14-Nov-2016 11:33

Yes, you will need a router in addition to a switch.

Lizard1977

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#1670609 14-Nov-2016 12:02

Thanks. So presumably it would go like this

ONT ---> LAN 1 Fritzbox ---> LAN 1 Switch

leaving LAN 2-4 of the Fritzbox and LAN 2-16 of the Switch free to connect all other devices?

rb99

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#1670639 14-Nov-2016 12:05

Don't know if this'll help much, but am in a contributory mood at the mo.

So I just have an Asus router with one switch next to it for the stuff in that room, another switch behind the TV connected via a long Cat 6 cable to the Asus router for TV / FireTV / etc, and another switch downstairs for the PS4 / XBOX / etc also connected via a longer cable to the Asus.

Used these, or the previous version as they seem to have got a lot rounder https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/tp-link-8-port-gigabit-desktop-switch/21010580

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

rb99

trig42

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#1670640 14-Nov-2016 12:06

ONT -> LAN1 (WAN?) of Fritzbox (Fritz has a LAN port that can also be a WAN port doesn't it - no seperate WAN port?)

LAN2 of Fritzbox to LAN1 (or any other number) on Switch.

Leaves 2 LAN ports on Fritz and 15 on Switch. All Gigabit.

jnimmo

1097 posts

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#1670765 14-Nov-2016 13:57

Personally would suggest more of a desktop switch like the suggested 8 port TP Link if you're after less clutter - the 16 port model is a decent size!

Can always add another somewhere else if you need more ports, i.e. a little 5 port to do the TV, receiver, Bluray and Xbox, then only need one cable from TV back to the Fritz (or main switch)

SumnerBoy

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#1670772 14-Nov-2016 14:06

I have a 24-port TP Link Gigabit switch which is surplus to requirements here if you are interested. Based in ChCh. Probably a bit big for what you need, but I find I always need more, hence this one being superceded ;).

Lizard1977

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#1670775 14-Nov-2016 14:10

Thanks trig42, I should have said ports 3-4 on the Fritzbox would be available as port 2 would then be connected to the switch, but it sounds like I'm on the right track.

The model linked by rb99 looks nice, and price is hard to argue with. Is there any real benefit in the home environment of the more expensive TP-Link model I linked to, or would it be fine to go with the smaller 8-port switch and daisy-chain additional switches as the network expands? I just mapped out my equipment and an 8-port switch would leave one port free based on my current equipment needs.

Thanks for the offer SumnerBoy. 24-ports is probably far too many for my needs, and I suspect it will be a touch expensive to ship it to Palmerston North. But I appreciate the offer... :)

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SumnerBoy

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#1670776 14-Nov-2016 14:11

Yep - she is a heavy old girl - shipping would be more than I would want for it most likely.

shk292

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#1670790 14-Nov-2016 14:48

I have various 5-port and 8-port switches daisy-chained to do the same job as OP is describing. It's not best LAN design, but works perfectly well.

I think you'll get a neater job with smaller switches local to the devices than one 16-port one star-wired to everything

Mattmannz

471 posts

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#1670825 14-Nov-2016 15:18

My personal preference is to go for a managed switch as you can then get details on port performance and errors, do port mirroring, vlans and other functions that whilst you might not need them right now can be very handy. Switches tend to last more than 5 years so the price per year is quite low.

rb99

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#1670837 14-Nov-2016 15:43

In the unlikely event I read your first post correctly, you're basically expecting to have two ports on the fritzbox 'available', so you could possibly just get two 8-port switches (even if they're going to be in the same room) and have 16 ports for half the price of the one you posted ?

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

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hio77

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Lizard Networks

#1670858 14-Nov-2016 16:24

For your situation i would definitely go with just a standard unmanaged 8 port.

collect them, they are worth pocket change these days and you never know when you need to dynamically expand things.

As identified by others, your fritzbox will stay in its current place and you will simply use the switch as an multibox.

Personally i sit two 24 port managed gbit switches at my core, bridge off with unmanaged for entertainment points that i do not wish to run multiple links, vlans or require more ports.

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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

richms

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#1670892 14-Nov-2016 18:21

The only concern with cascading switches is that there is only 1 gigabit between them shared between everything.

If you get gig internet, and are moving files between a NAS on one switch and a PC on the other switch, you may bottleneck on the link between them.

If you are just putting devices that sip the internet slowly like streaming on a TV and game downloads on consoles etc and put them all on one switch, and all your heavy usage stuff on the other switch, will not be an issue.

Whereas the internal connections in a switch allow for full gig speeds between any port and any other port, so PC to nas can be going at full speed, while internet to another PC is also happening, and they will not affect each other.

Richard rich.ms

Lizard1977

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#1671120 15-Nov-2016 09:26

Thanks for all the replies. I've gone with a TP-Link 8 port gigabit switch from PB Tech. I think this will be fine for now, and as and when my situation changes I can either add on to this or replace it with something larger. For $35 it's a small price to dip my toe into a larger network.

LucyStan

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#1671180 15-Nov-2016 10:13

After the Wifi router revolution, network switch aren't that common anymore. However, 12 port network switch are available in the market. And every wifi router generally have 4 ports. I think just a network switch will be enough for you.

One other thing, I suggest you to buy something after you change the rooms and rearranging everything. So, you better have your setup as soon as you can, then you will know for sure what you need and what you don't.

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