Tag Archives: Ethernet switch

What Is a Computer Switch?

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The computer switch though has long existed in the market, few people can speak on it with great familiarity. As the network expands, the computer switch grows more sophisticated and diversified. This post sheds light on the computer switch from its definition, working principle and types.

What Is a Computer Switch?

A computer switch is an Ethernet switch in nature. It is a small hardware device that links multiple PCs, printers, assess points, phones, lights and servers together within one local area network, wide area network and different network topology. Each device connected to the switch is automatically connected to and can communicate with other connected devices, as the switch is essentially designed for information exchange. So if you hook up your cable modem to a router, then connect the router to a switch, all devices plugged into the switch can access the Internet, send and receive information and approach shared resources in a smooth, highly secure, and transparent manner.

computer switch

How Does a Computer Switch Work?

The computer switch doesn’t exchange information randomly but follow the specific instructions—the MAC addresses of every device. The IP packet arrives at the correct destination with the aid of the frame using MAC addresses of destination and source. It is the computer switch that shoulders the responsibility to complete process as follows.

  • Learning – The switch learns the MAC address of the device on the switch port on which it receives the frame.
  • Forwarding – The switch forwards message in either unicast or broadcast way. That depends on whether the destination MAC is known for sure or unknown.
  • Filtering – The frame will be forwarded through that switch port only for which the switch has already learned the MAC address in its MAC table.

Common Types of Computer Switch

There are different types of computer switches available in the market. Each has different features and functions. Here introduces four common computer switches: unmanaged switch, managed switch, PoE switch and stackable switch.

UNMANAGED COMPUTER SWITCH

Unmanaged switches are typically for basic connectivity. The unmanaged network switch is common to see in our home networks or wherever a few more ports are needed, such as at your desk, in a lab, or in a conference room. It is simply a plug-and-play device that requires no configuration. The gigabit Ethernet switch in your families are mostly the unmanaged switch.

MANAGED COMPUTER SWITCH

Managed switches are more advanced as they give you greater security and more features and flexibility. With this greater control, you can better protect your network and improve the quality of service for those who access the network. These can be achieved by setting a simple network management protocol or SNMP. Faster switches like 10 gigabit switch, 40 gigabit switch, 100 gigabit switch, etc are commonly working as managed switch.

PoE COMPUTER SWITCH

Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch is a network switch that has utilizes Power over Ethernet technology. When connected with other devices, it can support power and data transmission over one network cable at the same time, which greatly simplifies the cabling process. FS offers PoE switches with different port numbers, ranging from 8-port, 24-port to 48-port.

STACKABLE COMPUTER SWITCH

In the large data center, there may be many network applications and also many network switches. It poses great difficulty and triviality to the user to set and maintain each switch. Given this, stackable computer switch rises above the crowd. It enables multiple switches (usually four switches) to work as an individual unit in order to simplify the management, troubleshoot and configuration. This kind of switch can also work standalone switch.

computer switch type: stackable switch

Conclusion

The computer switch is indeed one of the important components of your networking infrastructure. FS offers plenty of fiber switches, PoE switches, or Ethernet-based switches with different port speeds. These switches are great in terms of sales, performance, and quality. To find the right computer switch, turn to our website www.fs.com and consult our expert staff if you have any questions.

FS S3900-24T4S 24 Port Stackable Switch Introduction

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For a wide range of home lab and SMB users, 1/10G Ethernet switch saves budget and plays a big role in network expansion. In this regard we have recommended various gigabit switches with 10GbE uplink, say S3900-24T4S managed 24 port switch with 4 x 10G SFP+ uplinks. Actually, S3900-24T4S also highlights stackable capability. So today let’s dive into S3900-24T4S gigabit 24 port stackable switch.

S3900-24T4S

FS S3900-24T4S  24 Port Stackable Switch Overview

FS S3900-24T4S stackable 24 port switch is one of FS S3900 Series Ethernet switches. It is designed for class-carrier 1GE access and 10G uplink network, and dedicated to covering all kinds of enterprises and operator customers. This gigabit switch comes with 1 x console port, 24 x gigabit ports and 4 x 10G uplinks. Profit from 4 x 10G SFP+ ports, S3900-24T4S 24 port gigabit switches can be stacked together to work as a whole unit for cost-effective 10GE access or aggregation. Besides, it adopts high performance processor to achieve full wired speed forwarding and line-dormant capacity to coordinate with NGGN unified software. Table below lists the detail specifications of S3900-24T4S 24 port switch.

Switch Class Layer 2+ Stacking Capacity Up to 6 Units
Switch Capacity 128Gbps Switch Chip BCM56150
Forwarding Rate 95Mpps VLAN 4K
Power Supply Dual Power Flash Memory 64MB
Power Consumption 21W DDRIII Memory 512MB
Highlights of S3800-24T4S 24 Port Stackable Switch

In addition to the above mentioned information, S3900-24T4S 24 port stackable switch also features other characteristics.

·Multiple Port Configuration

S3900-24T4S gigabit 24 port switch provides high port density with 24 x 10/100/1000base-T RJ45 copper ports and 4 x 10G SFP+ uplinks in a compact 1RU form factor (17.3’’ x 11’’ x 1.7’’). The port diversity allows one to directly connect it to a sever, to a 10G switch with uplink port for 10GbE network, or to stack up to six S3900-24T4S gigabit switches together to expand network bandwidth.

·Dual Power Supply

It is noted that FS S3900-24T4S 24 port switch comes with dual power supply. 1+1 redundant power supplies can provide reliability and availability for switch systems. The dual power supply plays a backup role in power failure, thus it is ideal for mission-critical applications.

·Fanless Design 

FS S3900-24T4S 24 port stackable switch is designed with fanless cooling which significantly reduces the power consumption with no noise. For those small businesses or people working at home, such a quiet fanless switch can be very useful.

·Fully Managed Advanced Feature

As fully managed gigabit Ethernet switch, S3900-24T4S 24 port switch can be managed by both CLI command and web user interface. Moreover, for excellent hardware and software, the gigabit switch is perfectly matching applications of small networks. For instance, it supports various advanced functions, including QoS, DHCP, VLAN/VxLAN, BCM56150 Chip and etc.

How to Use S3900-24T4S 24 Port Stackable Switch?

As a  managed gigabit stackable switch, S3900-24T4S 24 port switch can be either used as standalone switch or a part of stacking system. This flexibility enables availability in various physical networks.

For expanding network capacity and simplifying management, stacking switches is very popular in data centers. A single S3900-24T4S stackable 24 port switch can provide 128Gbps switching capacity to your network. However, it will double the capacity to 256Gbps as 2 switches are stacked as a whole. In fact, S3900-24T4S gigabit Ethernet switch supports up to 6 switches stacked together, extending your network to a total switching capacity at 768Gbps. Also, operators can easily control all the stacked switches with the console port and add or remove a gigabit switch without affecting other switches in the stacking system.

To stack up S3900-24T4S 24 port switches with 10G SFP+ ports, you should connect them via SFP+ modules with fiber patch cable or via DAC or AOC directly. Here is a video presentation for S3900 Series 24 port switch stacking.

Conclusion

FS S3900-24T4S managed stackable 24 port gigabit switch with 4 x 10G SFP+ uplinks is an excellent solution to expand your network from 1G to 10G. Furthermore, with physical stacking technology, 6 S3900-24T4S 24 port stackable switches can be stacked as a whole system, which boosts your network to 768Gbps total capacity and simplifies management. Besides S3900-24T4S gigabit Ethernet switch, FS S3900 Series also include S3900-48T4S 48 port gigabit switch and S3900-24F4S fiber SFP gigabit 24 port switch.

Related article: FS S3900-48T4S 48 Port Switch Introduction

24-Port Switch Selection: Which Is the Suitable Choice?

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An Ethernet switch acts as a bridge to connect different parts of a network together. Although many routers also possess the network switching capabilities and multiple Ethernet ports, the Ethernet switch is not the replacement for routers. It is worth emphasizing that Ethernet switches are smarter than routers in that they operate at the data link layer (Layer 2) and the network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI Reference Model and therefore support any packet protocol. Ideally, switches will make better use of bandwidth if you prefer wired to wireless connections but have more devices than available Ethernet ports. On the other hand, an Ethernet switch is a costly way to expend the network in home or small business. So it is very important to invest an Ethernet switch with the appropriate number of ports to fit your needs. In the midst of various Gigabit Ethernet switches, a 24 port switch is considered as the most common Gigabit switch that connect devices in a local area network. Then this article will explore how to select a suitable 24-port switch.

Popular 24 Port Switch in the Market

FS S3900-24F4S 24-Port Switch

FS S3900-24F4S 24-port switch comes with 20x 100/1000BASE SFP, 4x 1GE combo and 4x 10GE SFP+ slots. The flexible port combination form provide a high bandwidth aggregation connectivity for multiple switch in network to enhance network capacity. Moreover, it is a stackable SFP managed switch, which can provide true stacking of up to 6 switches in a stack acting as a single unit with totally 168 ports (144x 1G Ports and 24x 10G ports). The switching capacity is 128Gbps. This 24-port Gigabit managed switch fits for enterprise network operators who need high performance and low power processor to provide full speed forwarding and line-dormant capacity.

S3900-24F4S Stackable Switch

Figure 1: FS S3900-24F4S 24-Port Gigabit Switch

Cisco SGE2000 24-Port Switch

Cisco SGE2000P comes with 24 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 ports and 4 shared Gigabit SFP slots. This 24 port switch can provide ACL (access control lists), DoS (denial-of-service), VLAN and IEEE 802.1X port authentication. And the enhanced quality of service (QoS) and traffic-management features help ensure clear and reliable voice and video communications. This Gigabit network switch enable you to take advantage of the comprehensive feature set for a better-optimized, more secure network.

Cisco SGE2000 24-Port Gigabit Switch

Figure 2: Cisco SGE2000 24-Port Gigabit Switch (Source: Cisco)

NETGEAR ProSAFE GS724T 24-Port Gigabit Switch

The Netgear ProSafe GS724T is armed with 24 copper 10/100/1000 ports and 2 SFP 100/1000 ports. Each port can transfer data at maximum throughput for a total maximum switching speed of up to 48 Gbps. This 24-port switch is intended for SMB organizations using the switch for applications like VoIP, video conferencing, and system security, etc. And it features a fanless system, allowing the switch to work silently without overheating. This is great for use on homelab, as its quiet operation won’t cause a distraction.

NETGEAR ProSAFE GS724T 24-Port Gigabit Switch

Figure 3: NETGEAR ProSAFE GS724T 24-Port Gigabit Switch (Source: NETGEAR)

TP-Link TL-SG1024 24-Port Switch

The TP-Link TL-SG1024 features 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports and non-blocking switching, which can provide large file transferring and also be compatible with 10Mbps and 100Mbps Ethernet devices. Moreover, this network switch has 48Gbps switching capacity with 8K MAC address table, 10KB Jumbo Frame and 4MB buffer memory. This TP-Link switch is a fanless rack mount design with LED diagnostic lights, so you can easily tell which ports are in use. It can automatically adjust power consumption according to the link status to limit the carbon footprint of your network. The price is $69.99 on Amazon. So this fanless Ethernet switch is good for your wallet both because it is inexpensive to buy and because of its energy-saving technology.

TP-Link TL-SG1024 24-Port Gigabit Switch

Figure 4: TP-Link TL-SG1024 24-Port Gigabit Switch(Source: TP-Link)

Comparison of 24-Port Switch

Gigabit Switch Mode Ethernet ports Gigabit SFP SFP+ Uplink ports Switching Capacity Forwarding Rate Power Consumption Price
FS S3900-24F4S 24 4 combo 4 128Gbps 95Mpps 43W $400
Cisco SGE2000 24 4 / 48Gbps 35.7Mpps 90W $390
NETGEAR ProSAFE GS724T 24 2 / 48Gbps No Information 29W $219.99
TP-Link TL-SG1024 24 / / 48Gbps 35.7Mpps 13.1W $69.99

From the chart we can see, all the Gigabit switches listed above provide 24 port Ethernet RJ45 ports, only FS S3900-24F4S 24 port switch has 4 SFP+ uplink ports. They have some characteristics in common that make them suitable for being used in places like home or small business office. In terms of the power consumption, TP-Link TL-SG1024 and NETGEAR ProSafe GS724T are lower than others, but the huge price spread exists between these two switches because NETGEAR ProSafe GS724T has another two SFP ports for more flexible application. Among these four switches, if you have no limited cost budget, FS S3900-24F4S is a good choice. It has a more flexible port combination and higher switching capacity, that is why it may cost a little more than the other three switches. If you need stronger data transferring capability, FS S3900-24F4S is a better choice considering its forwarding rate. On the contrary, TP-Link TL-SG1024 is the best budget choice. If you want a fanless switch, NETGEAR ProSafe GS724T is an inexpensive and reliable choice, but the install program only works on Windows and the secure management is very difficult to be enabled.

Conclusion

When choosing a Gigabit Ethernet switch, the first factor to consider is how many devices need to be networked together. Purchasing a network switch with too few ports and not enough capacity will prove ineffective, and one that is too large can be a waste of money. Generally, small offices with a few employees should start with a 16-port switch, but a business that is looking to expand its operations soon needs a 24-port switch. So 24-port switch is the most future-proofing and cost-effective choice in small business network. Except for the above mentioned S3900-24F4S, FS.COM also provides other cost-effective 24 port switches for different demands. For instance, S3900-24T4S is a Gigabit stackable managed switch with 24 10/100/1000BASE-T ports and 4 10GE SFP+ uplinks ports.

Related Article: 48-Port 10GE Switch Selection: What Is the Right Choice?

Ethernet Switch: How Much Do You Know It?

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Today, all plants are virtually networked via Ethernet. High requirements are placed on the network infrastructure and network components. Ethernet switch is the integral piece of IT infrastructure, capable of receiving, processing and transmitting data between two devices connected by a physical layer. Due to the increasing application of big data analytics and cloud-based services in various end-user segments, data centers are envisaged to fuel the adoption of Ethernet switch. The augmented global demand for data centers is the key driver for the growth of Ethernet switch market. To satisfy the large and ever-increasing market for Ethernet switch, there are many varieties of switches offered different purposes. This article will help you get a deep understanding of the different types of Ethernet switch.

What is an Ethernet Switch?

A Ethernet switch is a tool for connections between the systems and equipment to forward data selectively to one or more connected devices on the same network. These connections are generally created through the use of structured cabling that links both the station side and the device that you are trying to share data with, such as a server or another computer. In this way, Ethernet switch can control the flow of traffic passing through a network, maximizing the network’s efficiency and security. More advanced Ethernet switch, called managed switch, are also capable of providing additional functions, such as network load balancing, address translation or data encryption and decryption.

FS Ethernet switch

How Dose an Ethernet Switch Work?

Ethernet switch links Ethernet devices together by relaying Ethernet frames between the devices connected to the switches. By moving Ethernet frames between the switch ports, a switch links the traffic carried by the individual network connections into a larger Ethernet network. Ethernet switches perform their linking function by bridging Ethernet frames between Ethernet segments. To do this, they copy Ethernet frames from one switch port to another, based on the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses in the Ethernet frames. Ethernet bridging was initially defined in the 802.1D IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Media Access Control (MAC) Bridges. The standardization of bridging operations in switches makes it possible to buy switches from different vendors that will work together when combined in a network design. That’s the result of lots of hard work on the part of the standards engineers to define a set of standards that vendors could agree upon and implement in their switch designs.

diagram of Ethernet switches connections

Different Types of Ethernet Switch

Ethernet switch are broadly categorized into two main categories – modular switches and fixed switches. Modular switches allow you to add expansion modules into the switches as needed, thereby delivering the best flexibility to address changing networks. Fixed switches are switches with a fixed number of ports and are typically not expandable. This category can be broken down even further into unmanaged, lightly managed, and fully managed.

Unmanaged Switch

An unmanaged switch is mostly used in home networks and small companies or businesses, as it is the most cost effective for deployment scenarios that require only basic layer 2 switching and connectivity. The unmanaged switch is not configurable and have all of their programming built in. It is ready to work straight out of the box. And it is the easiest and simplest installation, because of its small cable connections. An unmanaged switch is perfect in this situation since it requires the least amount of investment with regards to both expense and time.

Smart Switch / Lightly Managed Switch

A smart switch is the middle ground between the unmanaged and fully managed switches. These smart switches offer limited customization, but do possess the granular control abilities that a fully managed switch has. In addition, smart switches offer certain levels of management, quality-of-service (QoS), security, but they are lighter in capabilities and less scalable than the managed switches. Smart switches tend to have a management interface that is more simplified than what managed switches offer. They also offer the capability to set up options like Quality of Service (QoS) and VLANs, which can be helpful if your organization has VoIP phones, or if you want to segment your network into work groups. Therefore, smart switches are the cost-effective alternative to managed switches. They are still valid choices for the regular consumer, as they are generally easy to use and you can glean a bit more information off of them on how your network is configured compared to unmanaged switches.

Fully Managed Switch / Enterprise Managed Switch

Managed Layer 2 Switch: A modern managed switch provides all the functionality of an unmanaged switch. In addition, it can control and configure the behavior of the device. This typically introduces the ability to support virtual LANs (VLANs), which is why almost all organizations deploy managed switches versus their cheaper alternatives.

Managed Layer 3 Switch (Multilayer Switch): This type of switch provides a mix of functionality between that of a managed Layer 2 switch and a router. The amount of router function overlap is highly dependent on the switch model. At the highest level, a multilayer switch provides better performance for LAN routing than almost any standard router on the market, because these switches are designed to offload a lot of this functionality to hardware.

data-center-network-architecture

Managed switches are designed to deliver the most comprehensive set of features to provide the best application experience, the highest levels of security, the most precise control and management of the network, and offer the greatest scalability in the fixed configuration category of switches. As a result, they are usually deployed as aggregation/access switches in very large networks or as core switches in relatively smaller networks. Managed switches should support both L2 switching and L3 IP routing, though you’ll find some with only L2 switching support.

Conclusion

The Ethernet switch plays an integral role in most modern Ethernet local area networks (LANs). Mid-to-large sized LANs contain a number of linked managed switches. Small office/home office (SOHO) applications typically use a single unmanaged switch. This article has introduced different types of switches. Depending on the number of devices you have and the number of people using the network, you have to choose the right kind of switch that fits your space. FS.COM has provided a comprehensive set of Ethernet switches. If you have any requirements, welcome to visit our website for more detailed information.