Category Archives: Ethernet Switch

Cheap Server Rack for Home—Building Your Own Home Server

The continuous development of IT and communication equipment has made computers or storage devices an entirely new look. Server rack cabinet also has evolved. In the network industry, a set of standards has been published successively in order to provide a criterion of racking and mounting size for users. Today, in data center of server room, there are various types of computing or networking equipment installed in wall mount server rack or ground standing type. But for home use, we need a home server rack to build our own home server. Here we’ll focus on cheap server rack for home.

Why We Need Cheap Server Rack for Home

As we know, server rack is a cost-effective solution and is important to one’s business. Because it provides a space for vital equipment like fiber optic patch panel that is crucial to the survival of your organization. However, for home use, what is the exact reason.

First, with the technology develops, our homes also become smarter, more and more families consider to use a home server rack to build a more secure and storage network for the IoT in the home. Therefore, they can manage the electronic equipment more efficiently.

Second, people like professional gamers, videographers, designers and others who require substantial processing power want a home server rack to set up a home network for information transmission at a higher and safer path.

How to Choose Cheap Server Rack for Home

Here are some suggestions for choosing a cheap server rack for home.

  • Size. Traditional server racks are just with large metal frames like server rack 42U type. That’s fine in a professional environment. Unlike the data center or server room, server rack for home don’t need such large type. Small server rack like 9U—24U is preferred for home use.

  • Price. Price is always an important factor when buying anything. Luckily, due to the small design, home server racks are much cheaper than the ones in a large data center. But for the people who want a small server rack just for studying or hobby but don’t have enough money, then a used server rack is the right one for them.

Where to Buy a Cheap Server Rack for Home

Finding the right home server rack for building a home server, from reliable quality to the right price may be tricky. Here, FS.COM is the reputable source to buy a home server rack. Because not all installation sites at home are enough, so I recommend you a wall mount server rack.

cheap server rack for home

Figure: Home Server Rack

This 9U wall mount network rack lets you mount your equipment of 19 inch to the wall, in a secure enclosure. It supports 4 post mounting and is designed with a vented glass front door. Made of high quality SPCC cold roll steel material with black coated, it can support a total load capacity of up to 60kg. This wall mount rack makes it easy to install your equipment such as 24 port patch panel or a server rack shelf.

Conclusion

I think the above article will help to choose a cheap server rack for home so as to build your own home server. At FS.COM, you can find lots of different types of server racks. If you need help with picking, welcome to contact us via support@fs.com.

Things You Should Know about IP SAN vs FC SAN

Now, data has become the most valuable asset since the Internet and e-commerce are growing at an explosive rate. How to store, protect and manage vital data in an effective way is a big challenge for IT technicians. Here, SAN, storage area network, has been developed to provide a creative model for data storing in the data center. Within its development, two types of IP SAN vs FC SAN has gained enough discussion. Today, we’ll talk about IP SAN vs FC SAN.

SAN

Figure 1: SAN Diagrammatic Drawing

What Is IP SAN

From IP SAN wiki, we know it means internet protocol storage area network. It’s a SAN that uses iSCSI protocol, a transmission standard over TCP/IP, to transfer block data over an Ethernet network. IP SAN allows different servers to access pools of the shared block storage devices by storage protocols. Besides, IP storage network can be extended to Wide Area Network via IP router or Gigabit Ethernet switch, which is good for synchronous applications like remote disk copy.

Advantages:

In addition, IP SAN brings several advantages.

  • Low cost. Ethernet, switches and IP network exist almost everywhere. There’s no need to buy extra equipment for connectivity. You can use the existing network to build a SAN.

  • Easy access. The IP technology makes it easier to achieve remote storage. Also, there’s no distance limitation over LAN/WAN connectivity.

  • Competitive speed. Thanks to the advent of 10G Ethernet and 10gbe switch, the transmission bandwidth has been increased. This leads to an improvement of the overall performance.

What Is FC SAN

FC SAN is a fiber channel network in which the SCSI-FCP protocol runs. Based on fiber channel technology, technicians use fiber switch to connect the storage devices and the servers, so as to build a regional network dedicated to data storage. Within FC SAN, the data will be transferred directly at an extremely high speed.

Advantages:

As an open, high-speed serial interface, FC SAN has some advantages.

  • High transmission bandwidth. Due to the design of fiber channel, it can deliver data at 1Gb/s, 2Gb/s, 4Gb/s, 8Gb/s and more. Also, the fiber channel can provide excellent redundancy.

  • Flexibility and extensibility. FC SAN has overcome the traditional cable limits that are associated with SCSI. Thus it greatly expands the distance between servers and storage devices, in order to increase the possibility of more connections,

  • Wide application. As the technology matures, FC SAN is widely used in big IT User Base.

IP SAN VS FC SAN

Figure 2: IP SAN and FC SAN

IP SAN vs FC SAN: What Is the Difference?

Here is a table shows the differences of IP SAN vs FC SAN.

IP SAN
  FC SAN
 Network  Gigabit Ethernet network  fiber channel network
 Cost  Low  High
 Transmission speed  Fast  Extremely fast
 Transmission protocol  fiber channel TCP/IP
 Extensibility  More easier to extend  Easy to extend

IP SAN vs FC SAN, IP SAN is generally regarded as the lower cost, simpler to manage than the FC SAN. FC SAN needs special hardware like fiber switches or host bus adapters, while the IP SAN just requires the existing Ethernet networking hardware. Therefore, FC SAN is the ideal storage platform for many business-critical applications. And IP SAN is the suitable choice for those organizations that want a cost-efficient solution.

Conclusion

IP SAN vs FC SAN, it’s important to know their advantages and differences when you decide to build a SAN. Make a suitable choice based on your unique demands and knowledge. Any questions about SAN setup on switches, contact us via sales@fs.com.

VLAN vs LAN: What Is the Difference?

LAN is widely used in the network to allow computers to connect with different computers of one limited area like a school, factory or building. While VLAN is functioned as a tool to improve Ethernet scalability. Yet, with regard to VLAN vs LAN, what’s the relationship between them and is there any differences? Hope you can find the answers in this article.

VLAN vs LAN—Definition

What Is LAN

LAN is short for local area network, which can connect multiple computers in one location for sending data among themselves. It can be comprised of two computers in an office or thousands in a company, sharing a network that is closed to outside use. Today, LAN is defined as a single broadcast domain. This means within this LAN, if one broadcasts message, all the others can receive it. Also, functions like file management, printer sharing and working group scheduling can be realized by LAN, which will help to improve working efficiency.

VLAN vs LAN-LAN example

Figure 1: LAN Example

What Is VLAN

As the name implies, VLAN, or virtual LAN, is a type of LAN which improves the capability of a flat LAN. VLAN is the logical separation of LAN that can create several LAN segments in one bandwidth regardless of devices’ physical locations. Thus, technicians can use a fiber switch to segment a LAN into different broadcast domains (VLANs). Because the separations are logical ones, users on different floors of one building or different buildings now can share the same LAN.

VLAN 图

Figure 2: VLAN Example

VLAN vs LAN—Differences

Basically, the need of implementing VLAN is to segment the network, which determines the differences when VLAN vs LAN. Initially, physical LANs mean that all working computers were connected to the same cable or sets of chained hubs. It’s a typically flat LAN. But with the technology develops, the demand of working computers on the LAN also grows. When one user wants to deliver a packet, he may find that the wire is already occupied by others’ packet. To solve this problem, the LAN should be split to eliminate the congestion and load. Only use Gigabit Ethernet switch or bridge can create VLANs. Since they’re logical separations, they can reduce the packet traffic. With a VLAN, it’s possible that working computers connect together on the same physical LAN but unable to communicate directly. The following table shows clearly the differences between VLAN and LAN.

LAN
VLAN
Technology method
Locally installed
Logically installed
Broadcast control
 All devices can receive the packet.
Specific devices can receive the packet.
Security
Weak
Improved

Segment LAN into VLANs

Knowing the differences between VLAN and LAN, we know how VLAN and LAN work. As switches are available, FS.COM offers 1GbE switch, 10GbE switch, 40GbE switch and 100GbE switch that support VLAN to optimize your network experience. Here is one S3900-24F4S 24-port Gigabit stackable SFP managed switch for your reference.

This is a layer2+ switch that supports 6 switches stack, 20x 1GB SFP, 4x Combo SFP and 4x 10GB SFP+ Ports. The Gigabit Ethernet switch provides a switching capacity of 128Gbps and 4K VLANs. S3900-24F4S switch offers 1+1 redundancy power, smart fans and low power consumption to ensure high network reliability and availability. In addition, the switch has a good compatibility with all SFP transceivers on the market.

S3900-24F4S Switch_

Figure 3: S3900-24F4S 24-Port Gigabit Stackable SFP Managed Switch

Conclusion

As regard to VLAN vs LAN, it’s’ important to know the differences between them. Then we can use network switches to segment LANs into VLANs to optimize our network. Hope FS.COM will be the best choice when you decide to buy network switches.

How Much Do You Know About Gigabit Ethernet Switch?

In computer networking, an Ethernet switch connects multiple devices, such as computers, servers, or game systems, to a Local Area Network (LAN). Small business and home offices often use an Ethernet switch to allow more than one device to share a broadband Internet connection. A gigabit Ethernet switch operates in the same way, only differentiating in data rates. Gigabit Ethernet is much greater than standard or Fast Ethernet. People can use these switches to quickly transfer data between devices in a network, or to download from the Internet at very high speeds. Gigabit Ethernet transmits at approximately one gigabit per second. That is at speeds nearly 10 times those of Fast Ethernet, which transfers data at approximately 10 megabits per second. The gigabit Ethernet switch is designed to work at these increased speeds, without signal loss or transfer rate reduction.

Gigabit Ethernet Switch

Gigabit Ethernet Switch: Managed or Unmanaged?

Gigabit Ethernet switches are either managed or unmanaged. Usually an unmanaged switch is referred as a “dumb switch”, which can be easily operated by every noob. It behaves like a “plug and play” device. A basic unmanaged gigabit Ethernet switch has no user configuration. It is placed in the network with the cables plugged in and the unit turned on, and there is nothing else to do. In contrast, a mangaed gigabit switch can be configured, and can be monitored and adjusted at your discretion, such as adjust speeds, combine users in subgroups, monitor traffic and report network activity. Although a managed switch is typically more expensive than an unmanaged switch, it offer much greater flexibility.

Gigabit Ethernet Switch or Ethernet Hub?

Although an Ethernet switch is sometimes called a hub, because a switch performs the same job as a hub, there is a huge difference between a true hub and a gigabit Ethernet switch. An Ethernet hub is a device that connects multiple Ethernet devices to a single network. A hub does not gather information and input in one port results as an output in all ports on the network. While a gigabit switch is considered as a more intelligent hub, because it gathers information about the data packets it receives and forwards it to only the network that it was intended for.

Gigabit Ethernet Switch Recommendations

A gigabit Ethernet switch can be an inexpensive and easy way to expand your network in your home or small business. After probing into some parameters like brand, popularity, reviews and performance, here is a list of network switches including Ethernet switches for home, port gigabit Ethernet switches, cost-effective gigabit switches etc.

FS.COM S1130-8T2F 8-Port Gigabit PoE+ Managed Switch NETGEAR GS116Ev2 16-Port Gigabit Smart Managed Plus Switch Cisco SG 300-20 (SRW2016-K9-NA) 20-Port Switch
Dimensions 11 x 8.3×1.7 in 16.9 x 6.6 x 2.8 in 17.32 x 7.97 x 1.75 in
Ethernet Ports 8 16 20
Switching Capacity 20Gbps 32Gbps 40Gbps
PoE Standard Compliant with IEEE802.3af/at × ×
Enclosure Type Rack mount – 1U Desktop Desktop, Rack-mount – 1U
Power consumption 15.4W 10W 16.26W
Price $159.00 $156.88 $184.95

Conclusion

A gigabit Ethernet switch enables devices like computers and printers to connect directly to the internet instead of relying on Wi-Fi. It can speed up data transfers, resulting in faster response times and better frame rates. Additionally, a gigabit switch expands network capacity via the extra ports. Some Ethernet switches with different ports are recommended for your reference, such as FS.COM 8-port PoE switch, NETGEAR 16-port smart managed switch and Cisco 20-Port Ethernet Switch. If you need any 24 Port gigabit switch and 48 Port gigabit switch, or any equipment related to your network,visit www.fs.com for help.

8 Port PoE Switch Best Buy

With the development of smart home and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), there is a growing number of PoE devices like IP cameras, VoIP phone, wireless access points (WAP), IoT devices being used. Therefore, Ethernet switches are required to be able to support numbers of PoE installations. For SMBs or large enterprises with many network devices, they may consider 24-port PoE managed switch or 48-port managed PoE switch. For small home use, 8 port PoE switch would be enough. This post will recommend some cost-effective 8-port Giagbit PoE switch for your reference.

NETGEAR GSS108EPP 8-Port Gigabit PoE+ Smart Managed Click Switch

NETGEAR GSS108EPP 8-Port Gigabit PoE+ Smart Managed Click Switch features innovative click mount for vertical, horizontal, flat of perpendicular mounting capabilities. It is a 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch with 4 PoE+ ports (802.3af and 802.3at) providing up to 30w per port with 47w total PoE power budget and 4 non-PoE ports for flexible deployment. It’s greatest highlight is simple installation and silent operation. To install, just mount the bracket onto a wall, desk, table leg/pole or Virtually AnywhereTM, and “Click” the switch into the bracket. The price is about $149.99. Its specification is as followed:

Category Smart Managed Plus
Number of Users 1-50
Target Applications VoIP, Video Surveillance, Wireless, IoT
Copper Ports 8 x 1G
PoE (PoE+) Ports 4 (4)
PoE Budget 47w
VLANs/QoS √
Security Auto DoS prevention
Routing n/a
Form Factor Click Mount

TP-LINK TL-SG1008PE 8-Port Giagbit PoE Switch

TP-LINK TL-SG1008PE is a 8-ports 10/100/1000Base-T gigabit Ethernet switch. It has 8 PoE+ (RJ45) ports, and supports PoE+ IEEE 802.3af/at compliant devices with total power budget of 124w and up to 30w per port. It also supports IEEE 802.3x flow control for full duplex mode and backpressure for half duplex mode, internal power supply. Moreover, with innovative energy-efficient technology, the TL-SG1008PE can save up to 75% of the power consumption. The price is about $149.99. Its specification is as followed:

Interface 8 10/100/1000Mbps RJ45 Ports AUTO Negotiation/AUTO MDI/MDIX
Power Supply 124W
Backbound Bandwidth VoIP, Video Surveillance, Wireless, IoT
Fan Quantity 1
Transfer Method Store-And-Forward
Consumption 9.5 watts (max. no PD connected)
140.1 watts (max. with 124w PD connected)

FS.COM S1130-8T2F 8-Port Gigabit PoE+ Managed Switch

S1130-8T2F managed PoE+ switch comes with 8x 10/100/1000Base-T RJ45 Ethernet ports, 1x console port, and 2x gigabit SFP slots. It can supply power to network equipment such as weather-proof IP cameras with windshield wiper and heater, high-performance AP and IP telephone. This 8-port PoE managed Ethernet switches are highly flexible, the transmission distance of the SFP fiber port can be up to 120km, and with high resistance to electromagnetic interference. It also features superior performance in stability, environmental adaptability and fanless design. The price is about $159.00. Its specification is as followed:

Switch Class Layer2+
Switching Capacity 20Gbps
Forwarding Rate 14.88Mpps
Power Consumption Per PoE Port Max. 30W
VLANs Up to 4K
Max. Power Consumption 130W
Web Management Interface Supported
Power Supply Input 100-240VAC, 50-60Hz

8-Port Gigabit PoE+ Managed Switch

Conclusion

From the above 8 Port Ethernet switch recommendations, we can see the three switches share both similarities and difference. All of them support PoE function and are compliant with IEEE 802.3af/at. All can be used in home and small office applications. But their maximum power consumption are different. FS.COM S1130-8T2F 8-port Giagbit PoE switch has the largest max power consumption. As for which to choose, it largely depends on your specific requirements. If you need to use PoE devices with larger power consumption and a decent price, FS.COM S1130-8T2F 8-port PoE managed switch is a better option.

What Does Combo SFP Port Mean For Your Ethernet Switch?

To many noobs who are unfamiliar with the structure and functionality of Ethernet switches may get confused with Combo SFP ports. Combo SFP ports are often labeled obviously. You may have some questions in your mind like what is Combo port and how should I use with it. Since there are many Gigabit Ethernet ports and SFP slots on switches, you may ask whether I used these ports correctly? Don’t worry, this post aims to explain Combo SFP port for your reference.

SFP Transceiver

What Is Combo SFP Port?

A Gigabit Ethernet Combo port is both a copper port, i.e. a RJ-45 interface and a SFP port (also called Mini-GBIC connector). It supports both copper (RJ-45) connections and optional industry-standard SFP modules. Combo SFP ports share the same switch fabric and port number and allow the user to configure their switch according to their application. But you can’t use both of them at the same time. When either of the ports are enabled, the other port is automatically disabled. It means that you can either have a cable plugged into the copper 10/100/1000 interface, or the cable plugged into the SFP slot. If you have both plugged in Combo ports, only one will work. For example, a switch has 12 x 10/100/1000Base-T ports and 2 Gigabit Ethernet Combo ports, therefore it could be configured to have 14 copper ports or 13 copper ports & 1 SFP port, or 12 copper ports & 2 SFP ports, etc.

A Combo port is a way to provide different types of connectivity without taking up unused switch fabric, giving users the power and flexibility to configure their switch for their unique application requirements.

Introduction to FS.COM 24-Port Switch With 4 Combo SFP Ports

There are many switches with combo SFP ports, such as Linksys LGS318 which is a 18-port Smart Gigabit Switch with two combo shared ports and Netgear ProSafe 24-port Gigabit Switch with 2 Gigabit Combo SFP—JGS524F. Today I’m going to recommend FS.COM 24-port switch with 4 Combo SFP—S3900-24F4S.

24 port switch with 4 combo sfp

S3900-24F4S 24-port Gigabit switch is designed to meet the demand of cost-effective Gigabit access or aggregation for enterprise networks and operators customers. The Combo SFP ports—a single interface with dual front ends (an RJ-45 connector and an SFP module connector) on S3900-24F4S 24-port switch facilitate the use of different connectivity, making it more flexible to configure the switch. It has a console port, 4 × 1GE Combo ports, 20 × 100/1000Base SFP ports and 4 × 10GE SFP+ ports. It offers up to 128Gbps switching capacity to simultaneously process traffic on all ports at line rate without any packet loss.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, Combo SFP ports are labeled by vendors. If you can’t tell, here is a way to help you identify. Identifying a combo port is based on the interface identifier on the switch panel. If two ports have the same ID but connect to different transmission media, the two ports are multiplexed as a combo port. Then you can run the display interface command to display the combo port. If you need any 24-port switch or any other Ethernet switch, welcome to consult FS.COM.

Related Article: How Much Do You Know About Gigabit Ethernet Switch?
Using 8-Port PoE Switch for IP Surveillance

How Can We Benefit From 24-Port Managed PoE Switch?

When you search for PoE switches, there are many options popping out, and you’ll be trapped into a dilemma. How should I make a decision between managed switches and unmanaged switches? But most recommendations are managed switches. It seems like managed switches are superior to unmanaged switches. It’s true. Because its security features. They allow administrators visibility and control. But the benefits of managed switches are more than this. The following text will cover what managed switches can do and where 24 port PoE switches are used for your reference.

Why Should Choose Managed Switch Over Unmanaged Switch?

A managed switch can seriously expand the long-range flexibility of your network and it can adapt to changing priorities. As your organization grows, your business needs will continue to evolve. Having a device that can respond to the dynamic shape of your operation is a good investment. There are several reasons why a managed switch is recommended:

  • Managed switches have all the features of an unmanaged switch and additionally have the ability to configure, manage, and monitor your LAN. So this helps you to monitor and decide who should have access to your network and gives you greater control over data flow through your network.
  • If there is an unused port on your managed switch, you can disable that port or even apply MAC address filtering so as not to allow unauthorised users or devices to access the network by just plugging in. So you can secure your network connections and also protect any unused ports on your switch.
  • A major advantage of managed switches is the failover redundancy they add to your network, helping to achieve less network downtime. Managed switches incorporate Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) to provide path redundancy in the network. This provides redundant paths but prevents loops that are created by multiple active paths between switches.

Where Are 24-Port Managed PoE Switches Used?

What are some of the ways a 24 ports PoE managed switch can enhance your organization’s networking capabilities? We need not look any further than the devices these switches connect. Some of the many things a 24-port PoE switch may be used for are:

overview of PoE managed switch

Note: S1400-24T4F managed PoE switch comes with 24x 10/100/1000Base-T RJ45 Ethernet ports, 1x console port, 2x combo port, and 2x gigabit SFP slots.

IP Cameras

To power an IP megapixel camera network, you’ll need a total power per port of 30W. For a 24-Port gigabit PoE managed switch with a power budget of 360W, you can continue to add IP cameras until you reach your budget. If you have 2 SFP ports, you can also connect to multiple switches, as well.

PoE solution

PoE Wireless Access Points (WAPs)

PoE WiFi access points (WAPs) require roughly 30 watts per port for efficient functioning. When you adopt PoE managed switches, installation of controllers and access points is greatly simplified. You won’t need to provide separate power cables or install plugs near wi-fi locations. You’d simply run your Cat5e or Cat6 Cable from your HotSpot to your switch and leave it alone.

Thin Clients

According to wikipedia, thin client is a lightweight computer built to connect to a server from a remote location. It has a barebones design and rely heavily on servers, which allow customers to get access to virtual desktop applications. Furthermore, it help lower costs by about 97%. Since they can access applications, sensitive data and memory from a data center via a managed PoE switch, they have no hard drive.

Conclusion

Since a managed switch has much more advantages over an unmanaged one. It’s necessary for you to have a managed switch in your network. In many cases, future-proofing with a better PoE switch (with more ports) may actually be a much better investment than smaller switches that have fewer ports. Thus, 24 port PoE switch is recommended here.

Related Article: How to Choose a Suitable 48-Port PoE Switch?