Topic: Gigabit Network Switches, are they all created equal?

[rastasean]

I don't like linksys.

Check this out, it will save you over $50:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10521&cs_id=1052104&p_id=7857&seq=1&format=2

For home use, this will work well. It's a dumb switch so there's no management interface or cli access. I bought two for my work: voice and data. both are working well without any issues.

[adrianf74]

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?ab3=b&utm_expid=58369800-11.R-enhtUGRrSdHz5vzpVS2g.1&c_id=105&cp_id=10521&cs_id=1052104&p_id=10927&seq=1&format=2&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.monoprice.com%2FCategory%3Fc_id%3D105%26cp_id%3D10521%26cs_id%3D1052104

Looks like a newer version with a slimmer profile.

[rastasean]

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?ab3=b&utm_expid=58369800-11.R-enhtUGRrSdHz5vzpVS2g.1&c_id=105&cp_id=10521&cs_id=1052104&p_id=10927&seq=1&format=2&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.monoprice.com%2FCategory%3Fc_id%3D105%26cp_id%3D10521%26cs_id%3D1052104

Looks like a newer version with a slimmer profile.

I'd personally go with the unit that has almost 200 reviews.

[DigiGal]

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?ab3=b&utm_expid=58369800-11.R-enhtUGRrSdHz5vzpVS2g.1&c_id=105&cp_id=10521&cs_id=1052104&p_id=10927&seq=1&format=2&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.monoprice.com%2FCategory%3Fc_id%3D105%26cp_id%3D10521%26cs_id%3D1052104

Looks like a newer version with a slimmer profile.

I'd personally go with the unit that has almost 200 reviews.

That's part of the reason I went with the TRENDnet TEG-S80g it has over 1000 favorable reviews.  The Linksys SE3008 only has a couple of reviews probably hasn't been out long and less people will try it because it costs quite a bit more.

It's nice that those Monoprice units both have port connection speed LED's most models don't. The first Monoprice with over 200 reviews does not have the port grounding shield to gain benefits of using the STP cables that we already have in place. Can't tell on the newer Monoprice model. This is of no concern for most folks, at least in the US who don't use shielded network cables.  If however you use shielded network cables like we do you're better off not getting these Monoprice switches or the newer S82g switch by TRENDnet. This was part of my gripe of many manufacturers who are cutting costs by dropping features.

[rastasean]

Haven't ever needed a STP. What's your need for STP in your home?

[DigiGal]

We have network cables running throughout the house and no two electrical outlets of the scattered connected equipment can have the same ground potential.

Thus, aside from reducing EMI/RFI interference which could potentially be an issue there is CMRR which is often overlooked.  It has been suggested that many receivers actually have very poor CMRR and that ground voltage differences can easily be large enough to exceed a receiver's common-mode input voltage limits using unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) network cabling.  By using shielded twisted-pair (STP) network cables grounded at both ends, the ground voltage difference creates a shield current and its resultant magnetic field induces the same voltage over the entire length of the twisted pairs enclosed within.  The polarity of this induced voltage in STP cables helps to reduce common-mode voltage at the receiver. 

If a network switch does not utilize a ground shield for its ports then the CMRR benefits of STP network cables are lost.

YMMV but this is why we ran the STP CAT 6a cabling.  We did run UTP CAT 6 for the video streaming devices to eliminate any potential ground loops that might be introduced into their connected audio systems.  We may try running STP CAT 6a cabling to them at some point and give it a try, their network ports use transformers so they might not introduce a ground loop to the audio systems.

[Gordon]

I have cat 5e (unshielded) running all over the house with multiple computers, video streaming devices, audio streaming devices etc.  I have wires everywhere of every type and zero issues.  ymmv

[DigiGal]

I have cat 5e (unshielded) running all over the house with multiple computers, video streaming devices, audio streaming devices etc.  I have wires everywhere of every type and zero issues.  ymmv

As mentioned often overlooked.    We're applying the laws of physics to optimize our network performance as we upgrade but that's us.  Currently reading the De Capo Science Series biography of Michael Farady written by L. Pearce Williams too 

[Gutbucket]

Currently reading the De Capo Science Series biography of Michael Farady written by L. Pearce Williams too 

That's really digging down to the fundamentals of physical network layer 1!

[rastasean]

Digigal,

Have you attempted to run an STP and UTP the same length to and from the same devices simultaneously to see if there's any performance degradation at all? What types of devices are you plugging into? What kinds of network cards do these devices have?

[DigiGal]

No haven't run STP and UTP side by side but the physics are solid, doesn't necessarily mean that there would be a hugely noticeable problem with UTP.  As we upgraded network cabling we switched over to STP after learning of the CMRR benefits, would be a shame to pick up a switch that would lose the benefit after going through the trouble to run new lines.

We upgraded from an RTS Network (Really Tight String) decades ago and wouldn't go back 

[Gutbucket]

Very low-stretch technical fibers such as Spectra or Vectran dramatically increase performace of RTS networks and can allow for transmission length distance increases of something like an order of magnitude over that of cotton twine.  The diaphram strength of 'paper-cup' line terminations (NIC equivalents) then becomes the system constraint and requires upgrading to 'tin-can' or better quality to fully leverage the fiber gains for optimal Quality of Service.  At that point, operator bicept strength and vocal chord strain rapidly become the primary limitations on long duration cconnections.

[H₂O]

I have a trendnet and it will be fine for anything you use in your home.

QoS only works if everything end to end is running QoS - (i.e. the internet to your house is not running QoS - maybe if your ISP is giving you phone service and digitial cable may have a little QoS for this but you have now means of accessing this - they will strip off your QoS if they are running it so they can ensure you aren't trumping them)

QoS is typically only run in large entriprise or backbone ISP's where voice/data networks are converged.

In your house if you are running GigE or 802.11ac you won't need to worry about it.

I ran UTP Cat6 in my house and have never had issues at 1GE

I can only see a need for STP Cat6+ if your running 10GE over longer distances - my whole office is run with UTP at 1Gbps with no issues and I personally haven't seen STP in the field since the IBM Token Ring days of the mid to early 1990's.

[DigiGal]

Thanks for the QoS info do you know if home dlna/NAS drives/servers utilize QoS?

As mentioned US doesn't typically use STP but my understanding is some other countries STP is the norm and UTP is rare.

[H₂O]

It may be an option on some higher end NAS devices to use QoS but I have never looked into this and would think it's not common - very unlikely on any appliance devices such as DLNA capable wifi receivers for example


For QoS to work you need Configurable QoS switches, end points, and any layer 3 and above device in the middle - note that not all manufacturers use the same QoS markers as each other (I.e. Cisco vs Avaya) so being able to configure the devices is required.