[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: So I'm looking at one of these - Intel X550-AT2 Based Ethernet Network Interface Card, 10GBase-T Dual-Port, PCIe 3.0 x 4, Compare to Intel X550-T2

So I was on FS.com looking for a replacement for this: https://www.trendnet.com/products/10g-pcie-card/10-gigabit-pcie-network-adapter-TEG-10GECTX-v3 (The Trendnet card mentioned here runs off a Aqauntia chip. I think my computer is allergic to the brand and it most certainly didn't like the drivers Trendnet listed, BSODing until I removed the card entirely.) I replaced that with one of these: https://plugable.com/products/usbc-e2500 This adapter uses a Realtek chip that hasn't BSOD'd once.) My computer is capable of 5 Gigs, but I'm crusing at 2.3 now. I want to push it to the limit. (Got An ASUS AXE16000 router and QNAP QSW-M408-4C switch.)

What do people think of this: https://www.fs.com/products/135977.html?attribute=67772&id=1709874 (I picked this version because I wanted the Ethernet ports vs SFP+)

Does a card like this support 2,5, 10G speeds? (Edit: I found the specs 100/1G/10G) 2-5, really don't get much love, do they?

[Assistant]
Chris313AllNight said:
So I was on FS.com looking for a replacement for this: https://www.trendnet.com/products/10g-pcie-card/10-gigabit-pcie-network-adapter-TEG-10GECTX-v3 (The Trendnet card mentioned here runs off a Aqauntia chip. I think my computer is allergic to the brand and it most certainly didn't like the drivers Trendnet listed, BSODing until I removed the card entirely.) I replaced that with one of these: https://plugable.com/products/usbc-e2500 This adapter uses a Realtek chip that hasn't BSOD'd once.) My computer is capable of 5 Gigs, but I'm crusing at 2.3 now. I want to push it to the limit. (Got An ASUS AXE16000 router and QNAP QSW-M408-4C switch.)

What do people think of this: (I picked this version because I wanted the Ethernet ports vs SFP+)

Does a card like this support 2,5, 10G speeds? (Edit: I found the specs 100/1G/10G) 2-5, really don't get much love, do they?
Click to expand...
TP-Link TX401 Chipset: AQC107. This works good. It has been proved for many years. This works good with Marvell original firmware and driver.
TEG-10GECTX Chipset: Marvell Alaska 88X3310P. Many users are having a horrible issue like BSOD.
ASUS 1XG-C100C: This garbage doesn't work with Marvell original firmware and driver. Unstable.

I have an X550-T2. bought it on a local second hand site. It was Silicom branded so the owner sold it for a low price not being to prove it was genuine. I use it as WAN/LAN card in my pfSense router. Works like a charm. installation was uneventful and never looked back. The advantage of buying an Intel-based NIC.

follower said:
TP-Link TX401 Chipset: AQC107. This works good. It has been proved for many years. This works good with Marvell original firmware and driver.
TEG-10GECTX Chipset: Marvell Alaska 88X3310P. Many users are having a horrible issue like BSOD.
ASUS 1XG-C100C: This garbage doesn't work with Marvell original firmware and driver. Unstable.
I wanted to get the ASUS 1XG-C100C because I'm trying to stick to Asus much as possible my decision anyway why should I care about Marvell tell me the pros about this


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Did I set up my home network correctly?

Hello. I'm a bit of a novice but I set up my home network a few years ago and now that I'm looking to replace my current router (AC Asus model), I want to make sure I have everything optimized. My network is comprised of about 16+ wired connections (poe cameras, desktop, streaming devices, etc), about 10+ 2.4ghz wireless connections (iot, etc), and about 15+ 5ghz wireless connections (phones, laptops, tablets, etc). Current internet connection is 500 mbps down and 100 mbps up.

All of my in wall Cat5e goes to a panel in my garage. I terminated each wire onto a Commercial Electric 12-Port Category 5e Mini Patch Panel. Then I used short patch cables to connect from the patch panel to a gigabit switch. My router and modem are not located here due to it being a poor location for broadcasting wifi. The router and modem are located in a central location of the house connected to a cat5e wall cable.

I think it's correct but it seems weird because my router is running the whole house through one cat5e cable plugged into it from the wall that then runs to the switch in the garage. It seems like I'd want to use more ports on the back of my router so I can use the gaming port for my hardwired Xbox and it seems like using more ports directly on the router may help with speed?

[Assistant]
Where is the ISP demarcation box ?
How does the ISP signal get to the modem ?
Ideally, you want the ISP signal to be on a dedicated cable to the modem, then a dedicated cable(s) to the router. From there , a LAN connection to your distribution switch.
A sketch of your physical layout and cable types (coax, cat5e, fiber ?) would be useful.

degrub said:
Where is the ISP demarcation box ?
How does the ISP signal get to the modem ?
Ideally, you want the ISP signal to be on a dedicated cable to the modem, then a dedicated cable(s) to the router. From there , a LAN connection to your distribution switch.
A sketch of your layout and cable types would be useful.
Just like the cat5e, all of the coaxial cable also goes to the network box in the garage. However I don't currently use any of the coaxial wall jacks in my house except for the one that goes to my modem and my modem is next to my router in the central part of my house. I have that one coax wall outlet directly hooked to the incoming coax feed. So I think that qualifies as dedicated since all of the other coax wall outlets are currently disconnected.

So in the central part of my house, the coax goes into the modem, then a cat5e cable from the modem to the router, and then the router is hooked to the wall via cat5e which then runs to my patch panel and switch in the garage.

Here is a pic of the patch panel. Sorry about the mess but I hope it helps.

ok, that is what i suspected but was not clear. If you want to use more lan ports on the router, one of two ways - move the router to the area of the switch so you can dedicate one in-wall cat5e run to your gaming box and plug that into your router "gaming" lan port or run another cat5e cable either from the patch panel to the router (again dedicating an in-wall cat5e to the gaming machine location) or from the gaming box direct to the router where it is now, whichever is easier.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Intel I225-V and network switches

Hi,

I’m finally installing wired Ethernet in my home and I have a few 2.5 Gbps capable devices so I want to get a switch that can handle that speed.

However two of the computers have an Intel I225-V version 2 chip and I’ve heard of all the problems they seem to have.

So I’m just wondering if anyone have experience with specific switches and these Intel chips? I’ve heard that they work better with some switches than others, but have not really found any models mentioned.

I’m mainly looking for a five or maybe eight port switch.

[Assistant]
do you have a use case that can/will saturate 1 Gbit/s lan between two devices on your lan ?
what is your ISP Down/Up ?
If not save some money and just use an inexpensive 1 Gb/s switch until the prices for 10 Gb/s lan equipment becomes cost effective.

degrub said:
do you have a use case that can/will saturate 1 Gbit/s lan between two devices on your lan ?
what is your ISP Down/Up ?
If not save some money and just use an inexpensive 1 Gb/s switch until the prices for 10 Gb/s lan equipment becomes cost effective.

Yes I do and the goal is to increase the transfer rate on my LAN since my internet connection tops out at 1 Gbps up and down. Of course it's not necessary by any means but while I'm at it I might as well try to at least get the speed up between my computers and NAS a bit.

Around €100 for a switch should be worth it, but I'm trying to avoid having to buy new network cards at the same time.

i would buy only low cost and fully returnable. Unless you can find a thread somewhere that says "this worked for me" with same OS, driver, card, and switch.

You could try a reddit topic under intel lan cards or similar. Did you search on the Intel support forums ?


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Recommended Spec for Residential Coaxial Cable

Hi,

Can anyone recommend the correct coax cable spec for me to use (e.g. RG6, or whatever). I have Xfinity 2000/200, and am looking to replace the cable that comes from my wall jack to my modem.

Thanks for any advice.

Anton

[Assistant]
RG6 is the current standard as I understand it...but it should go all the way from the router to the demarc point that it enters your home, and be properly grounded. just going from the gateway device to the wall isn't doing much.

Yep RG-6 or RG-6 quad shield although a little stiffer to work with. If you have any RG-59 replace it.

tiddlywink said:
I did what heysoundude recommends back when I had cable. Ran a single continuous RG6 line from modem to demarc. Make sure your ISP has properly grounded the demarc; they legally have to do this in USA.

Easy if your in your own home. Not likely possible if renting an Apt ext.. Comcast don't care about grounding. In fact running a separate ground rod can make things much worse. All home grounds must be bonded together so it all stays at on potential. If this does not happen it makes things worse.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Quad i225 2.5G NIC

I have been looking at a quad 2.5G NIC, using the i225 chip. Anyone try this card? For about $76 I am tempted to grab it.

[Assistant]
I would avoid those as the plague, as the i225 chips have some serious bugs. The onboard i225 on my motherboards kept having disconnects from the network at random when I tested it. Luckily I don't use it, as I'm on 10 Gbps, but I wanted to give it a try, but it was a no go.

For 2.5 Gbps, Realtek is the only choice when it comes to add-in cards.

TheLostSwede said:
I would avoid those as the plague, as the i225 chips have some serious bugs. The onboard i225 on my motherboards kept having disconnects from the network at random when I tested it. Luckily I don't use it, as I'm on 10 Gbps, but I wanted to give it a try, but it was a no go.

For 2.5 Gbps, Realtek is the only choice when it comes to add-in cards.
I have a dual Realtek 2.5G card sitting to the side right now. I can definitely get your point, but the i225 chipset has had firmware updates and newer drivers that pretty much fix the issues it launched with as I have a couple motherboards including my highend Asus X670e cross hair hero board with integrated Intel i225 that works well now.

The quad i225 would be heading to one of my servers most likely.

None of that truly fixed the issue, I tested this less than six months ago. I have a Gigabyte X670E board.
It's a hardware design flaw, which can't be fixed via firmware or drivers.

Older Realtek 2.5 Gbps hardware also have some issues.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: ..

..

[Assistant]
I went Aquantia/Marvell a long time ago, but the Intel i225 chip on my motherboard is having issues, so I disabled it.
Realtek isn't flawless either, but the latest generation of chips seems to be better than the first gen.
Bought a Realtek USB dongle for my laptop and the first one was having some issues one way, but not the other when transferring files between my laptop and my NAS. Returned that dongle and got a different one that works fine.

As for the quad 2.5 Gbps cards, the same card goes for $55 on Amazon. They might also require bifurcation support to work.
Amazon.com

These quad cards have an ASMedia PCIe bridge which means bifurcation isn't required.
Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Network-Adapter-RTL8125BG-Controller-Ethernet/dp/B0CCXZ8T89/?tag=snbforums-20

That QNAP card might only work in a QNAP NAS, as they tend to have custom firmwares on their add-in cards.

Also, Realtek has a new 5 Gbps chip that's out now, doesn't cost a lot more than the 2.5 Gbps cards.
Here's an example. Not saying to buy that brand though.
Amazon.com
For some reason, the M.2 cards with that chip is a lot cheaper.
Amazon.com

TheLostSwede said:
bifurcation
For a NIC? SMH

Bifurcation is for other stuff like splitting a slot into 4 drives or ....

A NIC isn't smart enough to split lanes based on the slot it just downgrades to slower speeds if the slot doesn't support full bandwidth. And there are dubious cards out there with dual/quad ports that just split the bandwidth and don't offer full speed if more than one port is in use.

I used the QNAP 5G4T for years w/o any issues though and got full speed from all 4 ports. I've since moved on to just using a TB cable to get 1.5GB/s instead between my server / laptop instead.. Cheaper and faster than a 10GE dongle.

Tech Junky said:
For a NIC? SMH

Bifurcation is for other stuff like splitting a slot into 4 drives or ....

A NIC isn't smart enough to split lanes based on the slot it just downgrades to slower speeds if the slot doesn't support full bandwidth. And there are dubious cards out there with dual/quad ports that just split the bandwidth and don't offer full speed if more than one port is in use.

I used the QNAP 5G4T for years w/o any issues though and got full speed from all 4 ports. I've since moved on to just using a TB cable to get 1.5GB/s instead between my server / laptop instead.. Cheaper and faster than a 10GE dongle.
Click to expand...
Clearly you do not understand what bifurcation is.

If the system supports bifurcation, the slot allows multiple PCIe devices (x1 in this instance) to each get allocated one or more lanes worth of PCIe bandwidth, without the need of a bridge chip. This is way to make cheaper add-in cards that can have multiple PCIe devices on them.
It has nothing to do with smarts on the add-in card, quite the opposite if anything.

The issue is that systems that don't support bifurcation (Intel mostly), then you only get the first device showing up and the rest of the devices on the add-in card are non functional.

Add a bridge chip and that handles the PCIe communication with the host CPU, and you can add four or more devices that will work with any system, but it adds quite a bit of cost.

I have no idea what you're talking about downgrading speeds though.

QNAP uses bridge chips.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Marvell AQC 107 Driver 3.1.8.

Public Driver Downloads | QLogic Fibre Channel HBAs and FastLinQ Ethernet adapters and controllers - Marvell
Download Marvell drivers by Platform or Part Number for Marvell QLogic Fibre Channel HBA and Marvell FastLinQ Ethernet adapters and controllers.
www.marvell.com

Extracted.

What the...
I'm pretty sure Marvell website employee is smoking something every day.

[Assistant]
follower said:
Public Driver Downloads | QLogic Fibre Channel HBAs and FastLinQ Ethernet adapters and controllers - Marvell
Download Marvell drivers by Platform or Part Number for Marvell QLogic Fibre Channel HBA and Marvell FastLinQ Ethernet adapters and controllers.
www.marvell.com

Extracted.

What the...
I'm pretty sure Marvell website employee is smoking something every day.
Click to expand...
I just went to download this and found the same problem lol

station-drivers.com has the correct driver under their drivers section.

d5aqoep said:
station-drivers.com has the correct driver under their drivers section.
Yes, station-drivers has it. But Actually, the driver comes from Microsoft Update Catalog with CAB files.
Microsoft Update Catalog
There are only two differences between 3.1.7.0 and 3.1.8.0. They've just added some ASUS XG and Qnap cards info.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: HP V1910 - fan needed in room temperature?

If I would take the fan out of (24 port) V1910 would it overheat in room temperature (under +25°C in summertime)?

[Assistant]
Can you take the case off it and maybe see if you could fit a quieter fan - I'm assuming fan noise is the issue. As this would involve taking the top panel off you could check for dust while you are at it. Unfortunately, the trick of mounting this vertically to provide better airflow probably won't work. It's an old switch though, so if it's not in a rack would there be anything to lose by modifying the case?

microchip said:
Why do you want to do that?

Noise.

If there is a fan as original design forced airflow is needed for this device to operate properly.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Entware TL-SG108PE adopt in Omada OC200 ?

Have someone here try to adopt TL-SG108PE adopt in Omada OC200 ?

[Assistant] This switch is not Omada integrated, can’t adopt it in OC200.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: News Akasa shows off 5 Gbps Network Card at Computex

It looks like the more affordable 5 Gbps network cards are nearly here, as Akasa was showing off a 5 Gbps NIC at Computex this week.
This is based on Realtek's 5 Gbps chips that they were showing at Computex last year.

Source: https://www.techpowerup.com/323315/...sb4-enclosures-power-accessories-cooling-gear

[Assistant]
A speed invented to milk consumers more and more. They should have jumped from 1gbe to 10gbe.

d5aqoep said:
A speed invented to milk consumers more and more. They should have jumped from 1gbe to 10gbe.
No, it has absolutely nothing to do with consumers.
2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps were implemented so older cabling could be used, since 10 Gbps requires Cat 6a for runs longer than 50 meters.
2.5 Gbps runs fine of Cat 5E and 5 Gbps was intended for this as well, but it seems like this was changed to Cat 6 officially, even though it seems to be fine on Cat 5E in most instances.

The standards organisations that develop network standards most likely doesn't give a rats about consumers, instead they're coming up with solutions that are suitable for big corporations. This is also partially why 10 Gbps hasn't "trickled down" to consumer prices yet. Another issue is that all current 10 Gbps Ethernet controllers are costly, big chips that run hot and uses a fair amount of power. This new 5 Gbps Ethernet controller doesn't draw much more power than Realtek's 2.5 Gbps controller and it's barely any bigger and doesn't require a heatsink, unlike the Aquantia/Marvell chips.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: 802.11be the cheap way.... <$40

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805957376726.html - picked them up for $36/ea

Got the cards and tackled the laptop install first since it's easier to mess with while not interrupting the server / router to install the M2.

The cards show up in Windows as wcn7851 which isn't quite the same as what is named for the M2 as QCNCM865 posted all over the net for the QCA BE adapters. When looking at Google it seems as though the drivers are picking up the BGA type chip w/o the PCB? It's weird... Anyway, also if you don't have a wired connection you won't have wifi with any generic Windows drivers as this isn't picked up yet.

Z790 AORUS XTREME X Support | Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global
Lasting Quality from GIGABYTE.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards bring together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer users the absolute ...
www.gigabyte.com

Drivers for download. I use a program though that picked them up when connected to Ethernet and running a scan.

As you can see below BE is indeed on this adapter as advertised. Windows is showing connectivity to the AP I have at 2.4gbps.

Now, the next step is to finagle this M2 into my server setup which I already dread a bit because of the stuff I need to pull out to get to the M2 socket to put this into. But, it is what it is and just need to do it to get things setup and test for 5gbps wifi ability between the two using hostapd.

File copy as is right now hitting 125MB/s which is consistent with the prior AX411 card though the QCA seems to sustain the speeds better so far. Just initial function testing right now to make sure things are working. Need some time to do in depth testing / stability.

[Assistant]
Of course this changed a bit from back when I was using the AC1200 and how the firmware is loaded in the kernel. Played around with some ways to get the firmware to load but, eventually stumbled upon https://gist.github.com/mtint/fada761a5b8e96b2fc1a131d8773291e

I had already switched kernel versions and assembled similar to the post but excluded everything except ath12k. Since the kvalo repo has the files I want to use listed under ath11k it's a bit counter intuitive and/or having to compile the kernel using the link above to get the adapter recognized is just a n00b security issue unless you're determined to get these things working. I suspect this will cause issues with other people adding them to their system w/o jumping through a couple of hoops to get the card working. Sources said the drivers and everything were added at 6.3 and there was an ath12k folder buried under the modules but, the old /lib/firmware structure doesn't really exist on a new install anymore with kernel modules built in.

Anyway....

Code:
[    5.856610] ath12k_pci 0000:5c:00.0: BAR 0: assigned [mem 0xa1a00000-0xa1bfffff 64bit]
[    5.856632] ath12k_pci 0000:5c:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[    5.856900] ath12k_pci 0000:5c:00.0: Hardware name: wcn7850 hw2.0

5c:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc Device 1107 (rev 01)

Now to figure out how to make the IF appear to configure things and get it working as a client & AP for testing. Not sure why it's now showing up in iwconfig / ifconfig as it should if the FW is loading now. Then again it's probably something silly that needs to be enabled in the UEFI as adding the card didn't mess with my port configuration in linux as it probably should have by adding an additional device to the mix. Even turning on TB ports changed the IF index / naming.

Tech Junky said:
The cards show up in Windows as wcn7851 which isn't quite the same as what is named for the M2 as QCNCM865 posted all over the net for the QCA BE adapters

The QC module is the board itself, it has the 7851 as the actual chipset, and it's ath12k - at present, drivers might be a challenge to find unless someone is violating their NDA.

The module is there as a reference design to get thru FCC and EU-RED, along with other regulatory bodies...

wifi: ath12k: driver for Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 devices [LWN.net]
lwn.net

Doesn't look good....

QCN9274 supports both AP and station; WCN7850 supports only station mode. Monitor mode is not (yet) supported. Only PCI bus devices are supported.
Seems as though there's a gotcha that was a bit unknown before purchase due to not disclosing the chipset. Then again Linux descriptions of devices in outputs sometimes aren't quite right either. I'm not 100% convinced this an issue as the Windows side is working but, still digging for more info on the Linux side due to the ath12k sort of working but not working as a client / ap at this point.

Waiting on a clone of source code to DL for more to play with. At least the card is enabled by firmware at a basic level which means more detective work to get it functioning in at least client mode if the above is true and not allowing AP mode. I doubt this is actually the case until exhausting all options to prove it doesn't. The alternative 9274 cards though are pricy north of $500 and only single bands from the looks of it.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805601112343.html
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805601081696.html


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: switch or not

hey i have a spare QSW-1108-8T laying around
i only have a 3 a 4 lan clients now connected to the routers own lan ports (of which some devices such as philips hue and mediabox are only 100mbps ) is it better to connect them all together using the 2.5Gbps port and the switch or must i leave them connected to its own lan ports on the router to do the switchting/distribute traffic in between and to wan

[Assistant]
Network-wise it'll make no noticeable difference. If the router and cables are visible it could make a massive difference to the home decor critics.

What is most convenient, has them work best without being an eyesore or attracting cable-chewing pets.
My switch is about 0.5m away from the ONT, the router is about 4m away from the ONT. Having the switch means I only have to hide the cables from the ONT to the router and back, and not the other 6 cables (I've a free port, but I'd either need a switch anyway or would have to put a couple more devices on WiFi).

Ripshod said:
Network-wise it'll make no noticeable difference. If the router and cables are visible it could make a massive difference to the home decor critics.
i decided to use the switch
cause my lan 2 to 4 ports have some sort of problem i had in the past who got worse
is ethernet cables lips not latching/staying put with the ethernet port en thus the cable becomes disconnected and yes i should be able to send it in for repair/warranty

but using the 10Gbps lan as wan port to my modem (my package provides me with 1040mbps down ish and 103 mbps ish up)
and now using the 2.5gbps port with my 8 port switch gives me lots of still good working ethernet ports


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: BE200 lack Wifi Direct?

I am upgrading my "TV computer". I use it to host a softhether VPN connection to my apartment in another country and sharing the network over wifi to my smart TV.
In this way I can use the smart apps for my home country.
This is accomplished using Mobile Hotspot of Windows 10 / 11.

Step by step:
https://www.dignited.com/102129/how-to-share-a-vpn-connection-via-hotspot-on-windows-10-11-pc/

I share the VPN virtual network adapter with the WIFI Direct adapter associated with the mobile hotspot (AX210)
(As soon as you enable the mobile hotspot the Wifi Direct adapter pops up)
But now on my BE200 equipped laptop, the WIFI Direct adapter is nowhere to be found. The mobile hotspot still works. But now I have no way to share the VPN connection.

Has annyone experienced the same using a BE200 adapter in Windows? Is there a way to get the WIFI Direct virtual adapter with BE200?
I am using W11 23H2 on two laptops, one with AX210 and one with BE200.

I can downgrade to AX210 on the particular laptop but rather stay on BE200.

[Assistant]
Freddell said:
I can downgrade to AX210 on the particular laptop but rather stay on BE200.

I wouldn't say that's a downgrade - it's putting in something that is much more mature and stable (the AX210)

I switched hed the adapter to the AX210 and the Wifi Direct virtual adapter popped up immedialtely.
It seems BE200/Wifi7 has a more hidden Wifi Direct feature.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: QSW-M2116P-2T2S

I just received my QNAP 20-port PoE++ switch, which will be replacing a GS728TPP.
Most challenging part of installing this switch, will be getting The Family away so the network can be down.

[Assistant]
Clark Griswald said:
I just received my QNAP 20-port PoE++ switch, which will be replacing a GS728TPP.
Most challenging part of installing this switch, will be getting The Family away so the network can be down.

View attachment 58442 View attachment 58443
I like the switch OS. The last time I looked at it, it seemed like it was going out of date. Did they figure out a way to update it?

Can't you put the switch online and move devices over gradually so no one notices?

I hope the switch is cheaper than the Cisco small business switch which has a better OS.

The duds should be all destroyed by now, but be sure to check where they were sourced from first.

Counterfeit Cisco gear ended up in US military bases, used in combat operations
“One of the largest counterfeit-trafficking operations ever.”…
arstechnica.com

L&LD said:
The duds should be all destroyed by now, but be sure to check where they were sourced from first.

Counterfeit Cisco gear ended up in US military bases, used in combat operations
“One of the largest counterfeit-trafficking operations ever.”…
arstechnica.com
Click to expand...
What I read is the CEO of that counterfeit group is going to prison for 7 years.

If you buy from a Cisco partner then Cisco will back it. I buy from a Cisco partner online as I am very low scale. So, I recommend always buy from a Cisco partner.

I don't think the Cisco small business networking equipment was ever counterfeited only high dollar enterprise gear.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: 2.5Gbit to 1Gbit

Has anyone here ran into an issue where a 2.5gbit nic did not properly negotiate to 1gbit connection for legacy switch causing the speed to range from 100~200 instead of 1000?

[Assistant]
L&LD said:
Yes.
Obviously the quickest solution would be to upgrade the switch to a 2.5gbit, but is there another solution?

Upgrade your switch to support newer standards. Just keep your legacy 1Gb switch for the clients that don't like connecting directly to multi-gigabit devices.

SomeWhereOverTheRainBow said:
Has anyone here ran into an issue where a 2.5gbit nic did not properly negotiate to 1gbit connection for legacy switch causing the speed to range from 100~200 instead of 1000?
There have been various hardware/software bugs from both Intel and Realtek, so yes, it's possible.
Neither company has been particularly forthcoming in the matter though. The Intel i225-series was the worst affected.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Unmanaged to managed switch

Currently Fiber comes from the pole to the basement into the ONT. The ONT Ethernet runs from the ONT to an upstairs wireless router. I recently ran cat6a from the basement out to the garage.

Now my ONT is only provisioned for LAN 1 however I can pull several real world IP’s from the ONT. The router that’s upstairs needs to remain there. I had an unmanaged switch laying around so I connected the ONT to the switch, then the router connects to the switch and the Ethernet from the garage connects to the switch. This works fine but the router upstairs and the AP in the garage both gets real works wan ip’s so this created 2 separate networks.

I need the AP in the garage to be on the same Network. So I replaced the unmanaged switch with a managed switch. I then set the router and the AP to use the new switch as there gateway and staticly set them both. I then disabled dhcp on the router and the AP, so any device on each is getting an IP from the switch and anything on either the router or AP can now talk to each other.

So all good. But I’ve been told doing ONT > Switch > Wireless Router/AP is wrong and it should be ONT > Wireless Router > Switch. This doesn’t make much sense to me, especially for my needs. Even if I didn’t need the router to remain upstairs, doing it that way seems like I’d just be accomplishing the same thing, and I’d be losing WiFi upstairs where it’s needed anyways.

Any thoughts as to why my setup is wrong? Or maybe it’s not I dunno but all works and speeds are great but still I’d like to learn some things and ask questions about it.

Thanks all.

[Assistant]
You probably need to tell us who your ISP is. What you are doing won't work on most ISPs, and may work weirdly in the extreme (and unsafely) on some others!
Have a look at https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/networking/articles/network-switch-vs-router/ it's less than perfect, but not a bad explanation.
The fact that is seems to be working does not make it a good idea!

The ISP is Altafiber (previously Cincinnati Bell)

I don’t know why this wouldn’t work on any ISP. The switch is just pulling the real world wan IP and then everything else is behind the 192.* of the switch. The ONT doesn’t know what’s plugged into it, it’s just giving a 50.* WAN IP to whatever I have plugged into it.

But I still don’t get why this isn’t a correct setup. If I put a router on the ONT then I’d disable WiFi on it, and then connect the wireless router upstairs to it and the AP in the garage to it, and then like now disable dhcp on the upstairs router and garage AP and use the router on the ONT to hand out all IP’s. That’s exactly what I have setup now with the switch to the ONT, I’d just be turning the router into a managed switch instead of just using unmanaged switch.

As @Crimliar said most ISP's only provide one public IP address per customer account. The reason is not so much a technical limitation but a provisioning/account limitation. Trying to pull two or more public IP addresses from the ISP's equipment usually doesn't work or results in the first public IP address being disabled. However, there are some ISP's that do provide more than one public IP address on a single customer account - check your ISP's terms of service.

RLD said:
I don’t know why this wouldn’t work on any ISP. The switch is just pulling the real world wan IP and then everything else is behind the 192.* of the switch. The ONT doesn’t know what’s plugged into it, it’s just giving a 50.* WAN IP to whatever I have plugged into it.
This sounds slightly different. It looks like you're now using a single public IP address (50.x.x.x) and the managed switch is operating as a gateway router and creating a private subnet of 192.168.x.x. That would be a more normal setup, except most people would be using their wireless router as the gateway device rather than a managed switch. Does the managed switch also provide a firewall, DHCP server, DNS server, etc?


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: How to distribute ethernet connections

This can be a stupid question but I do not believe so.

Imagine you have a Router/Gateway (RT-AX82U for example) and you have to connect 3 switches and a wired AP

Various options

Use the FOUR router erhernet ports for teh 3 switches and the wired AP

Use ONE router ethernet port for going to a swich, and everything going to this switch

Use TWO router ethernet por in LINK AGREGATION to a switch, and everything going to this switch

More easy, what is better, using ALL ethernet ports in router or only ONE to a switch and everything behind??????

[Assistant]
Depends on how the network is used.

Usually, using all the router's Ethernet ports is superior, with switches connected to each giving each 'leg' a direct connection to the internet, without interfering with other 'legs' doing internal LAN transfers, for example.

What is connected to each switch (if using more than one)?

I have 3 switches and AP. Noe I have all 4 router ports connected, but I have read ONLY ONE ROUTER ETHERNET PORT HAS BEEN USED for best performance, because a) If you reboot router net does not cut b) Router has not do the switching JOB

Switching, via the router's built-in switch or an external, is minimally taxing on a router (the switching is happening at hardware speeds, not software).

Indicate what devices each switch will host. Do devices need to connect to other devices over LAN (and, over separate switches)?

The specifics matter here.

One thing you don't want to do is nest a switch, inside a switch, inside a switch... But for home use, using all the router's ports with a logical segmentation of the devices (per switch), is (once again) the best overall choice.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Type of fiber adapter needed with this??

Hi

My primary FTTH service from Metronet [w/ static IP] uses a patch cable from the wall outlet [inside] directly to a Nokia G240 ONT commonly used as a triple play unit...however i have just IPTV & Inet..no phone.That cable is yellow w/ a green plastic end as shown below. The first picture.

I have a switch with 4 LAN ports @ 2.5Gbit each as well as 2 SFP fiber ports for either RJ45 or fiber transceivers each with a 10Gbit capacity.

I have the following transceiver for fiber with a 1Gbit capacity and several fiber patch cables....all the same, however not exactly what I need .

What I need to know is what adapter OR cable to order to connect the ONT [the green/yellow connector] to this switch. The switch uses a slightly different connector than the ONT as you can see. The ONT/connection is used bt AT&T, Metronet, and several other providers.

One or two issue at a time for me so I'm starting with the elimination of the provided ONT and VEN.

My overall goal is to use my own hardware all togeather after I find out what IPTV protocol Metronet uses so I can ditch the Technicolor VEN501 which wirelessly transmits the TV signal to 2 STB'S. I will use either my Asus GT router or my Linux box running Zentynal or ClearOS to handle routing, gateway, firewall, and the IPTV via CAT 8 cable.

I'm old school and just don't like using WiFi for anything except for my phone.

Tim

ARS N9NU

[Assistant]
One thing at a time is probably best!
Optical Network Terminals are mostly active devices that decode your data from a multiplexed stream, so they often cannot be removed (unlike Passive Optical Network devices). At least (I believe) the Nokia has a bridge mode, which means you can use your own router, but the switch would need to be downstream from the router not upstream from it.

The little throwaway line that the ONT function is built onto the SFP module - just any SFP module is probably not going to work where you need ONT functionality. Also, I doubt it breaches the ToS doing this!!

As far I know there are 2 types of fiber multi-mode and single mode and then you need to match up the fiber diameter and distance.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Home Network Plan - Where and What

Hey Everyone -

Super excited about my FIRST REAL home purchase, we move in this weekend! BIG house, 5757 sq ft and I have a few questions before I get started on my home networking project. I've tangled with smaller scale stuff before, single router/modem and wireless, but never anything this big. I have done some cabling so I'm not completely in the dark there (see other post) and have most of the equipment to do wiring (crimpers, heads, etc). Here's where I'm at...

Goals:
Reliable and performant home network environment with little maintenance
Gigabit speed support from ISP and Home network (wired).
Complete home wireless coverage with Wifi6 standard (all wired back haul, no mesh)
Wifi support for older IoT devices (including bg standards on 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz bands)
As much wired coverage as necessary to support WFH vid cons/data transfer/etc. Averaging 600 to 800 Gigabytes of up/down data transfer a month.
Support for 2 home offices and eventually a finished basement (finished basement will include lots more digital toys like a home theater)
Rack mount for all devices that starts the network in the basement.
Convinced I need to go with the Ubiquity line of equipment. Fight me.
Budget - roughly 2 to 2.5 k

Plans, pics and map:

What's in the house now:
Cat5e
Coax
Mystery Orange cable?????
Security wiring
I haven't toned out any of the current wiring or to check if any of it is any good, so I may be missing some information. What i have now is accurate, just not complete. There are quite a few cables that are "missing" from my accounting, but what is there will suffice for the questions i have below. From what i can tell, there are 6 bundles of cable for 6 rooms, each bundle has at LEAST 3x coax, 2x RJ45 and 2x orange mystery cable (any help identifying here would be great). This is all at the box. What's weird is that in the rooms i only see min 2x RJ45 and 1x coax so I don't know where the rest of it is going, including bedrooms 2 and 3 in the map (which have no terminations at all). I will dig in more this weekend.

Current Shopping List:
Cable Modem - Arris Surfboard SB33 DOCSIS 3.1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FMSC5WZ?tag=snbforums-20
Wired Router - Ubiquiti UDM-SE - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QZBBRRS?tag=snbforums-20
APs - 2x - Ubiquiti Wifi6 Pro - see below q's - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RGHTGBB?tag=snbforums-20
APs - 2x -Ubiquiti U6 in Wall - see below q's - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QZBBRRS?tag=snbforums-20
Cable Matters Keystone Patch Panel - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B57RBXVX?tag=snbforums-20
EchoGear Wall Mount Rack - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P25PBSR?tag=snbforums-20
TrippLite Power strip rack mounted - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006B834?tag=snbforums-20
FastCat Cat6 Cable - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J6NTCTM?tag=snbforums-20
Cable Matters Keystones - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004D5PFGW?tag=snbforums-20
Cable Labeler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QXYND6S?tag=snbforums-20
Switch - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0779R9LJ3?tag=snbforums-20

Questions:

Not sure which Rack to get. I've never purchased a rack before and I definitely want to organize that mess at the cable drop. I can do all the terminations myself, but I don't know if i should mount OVER the current metal wire box or beside it, or do floor standing since the basement isn't finished? (on wheels?). Any advice on how to tackle this would be good. I'm thinking i want to mount over the box for ease of creating the keystones to put into the rack but i'm thinking that might be too big? that's over 22U from my last measurements and I think that's kinda over kill for what i want. I envision a smallerish wall mounted deal, maybe 10 to 12 u, but not sure based on size and having to put a small one BESIDE the drop cabinet. Any advice on where to start here would be great. See pics above.
Should I get a rack that is covered/enclosed? I'm in an unfinished basement that won't get finished for probably 1 to 2 years, so worried about dust BUT don't want to hassle with a door that is hard to maneuver around and plug wires into. Ease of use vs dust/dirt collection?
Is the router overkill? The alternative I was thinking of would be the UDR Dream Router (40W). I need PoE for the AP's, so was thinking the SE would be the way to go. The UDR router with only 2 PoE and 4 ports might be enough if I just do 2 AP's instead of 4, but I'm wary of enough wifi coverage so I think i might need the extra PoE out, especially if I add more cameras, etc. The current camera on the map is planned, I don't have it on the list yet to purchase. The benefit of the UDR though is that it would have built in Wifi 6 coverage for the basement so I wouldn't need to add a third separate AP.
Does the UDM-SE require a battery backup device of some sort? The Ubiquiti site makes it look like you need one in their configuration tool, but I see a lot of other people without it?
Having a big debate in my head about the AP's. The wife wants to hide everything, so i'm thinking the inwalls might be better, and easier to install, but I'm worried about coverage and them getting bumped with furniture, kids, etc. I like the idea of the AP's being ceiling mounted, but none of the current wiring goes to the ceiling (that I know of). Curious on thoughts here for wall vs ceiling and the AP's. Note that I have the AP in the closet of the main bedroom, mostly to hide it! Thought that might be good for backyard porch coverage but worried that might also hinder signal strength throughout the house?
Do i have enough AP points planned? Should I go 2? or 4? Or am I just gonna have to get in there and figure that out? most of them have a 1500 sq ft range so I feel like only 2 should do it, one in each corner for each floor...right? or should I centralize more? start on floor 2?
Am I future proofing enough? A buddy was trying to get me to go with the Wifi6 Enterprise AP's but I feel like those are pushing the Wifi6E standard and I don't feel like I'll even get close to that, especially since the majority of my wiring is 5e and my ISP limitations (even if I upgraded) would be 1200 mbps down, just over 1 gig. I'm going with just the 1gig package so I don't think I need to do the Enterprise versions of the U6's...but the other side of this is just slinging media over the current home network through Plex and through file sharing so I do want to have as strong of a backbone as I can, including for work. Should I consider a 2.5 to 5 gigbit backbone for LAN, knowing WAN won't go over 1 gig?
There's a ton of Coax I have no idea what to do with. Most likely I'll figure out how to share TV signal from my ISP over it to each room, but should I put that in my patch panel too? Feels overkill again, but I hate the mess so... maybe? Curious what you all would do with that much coax. Only one that might be nice to have is to the TV in the Family room....maybe one upstairs in the loft...
Orange mystery wires. no idea...help? see pic
VLAN for IoT - new to this, but I want to do it. will be a lot of things that run through this. Any good primer links or "how to's" or explanation vids would be great, as it will be with the ubiquity line of equipment.
Is my switch a piece of junk? Do i really need something fancier? unmanaged and gigabit support seems to be all that i need? Thoughts?
What am I missing? Having never done a project this big before, I'm curious what you all think I might have overlooked.
I'm new to the Ubiquiti line. Any advice to start with? Very familiar with ASUS products.

Whew, big post. Thanks for reading! Appreciate any advice and I'm eager to get started!!!

[Assistant]
I would prefer Cisco small business solution for switches and wireless and Pfsense for a router firewall front end. This is what I use in my home. I have 3 Cisco 150ax wireless access points running and a layer 3 switch.
Cisco has better support and is dependable for prompt firmware updates.

Cisco will be the best solution.

Loads of technical stuff better suited to others but to start off, I can't get a decent zoom on the orange cables but my initial thought given all the other cabling is speaker cable.

On the access points, I'd go for ceiling mount. There's been discussion on here about best mount points etc but the other benefit is when you replace/upgrade it's easier, less dependency on same size/shape, less make-good etc.

WAF is important but I tend to find "do you want it to just work with no issues" wins out over hidden. I'd rather a smoke alarm just worked than was less effective because it was hidden!

koonthul said:
What am I missing?

Perhaps the fact you need professional help on the spot. We can't really help you on a blind in an Internet forum. All equipment suggestions are nice, but will they work for your needs - up to you to find out. Purchased wrong equipment generating unsatisfactory results may be difficult to fix after and lead to extra expenses. I am personally using Netgate firewall with Netgear switches and 4x Ruckus access points in about 6000sqft house North of your border, but this information has little value to you. My equipment transferred to your house may or may not work the same way. In my house it was planned in advance where exactly the access points are going to be, how many cameras with PoE will provide sufficient monitoring, my home automation is all locally controlled and monitored, etc. Despite all the planning adjustments were still needed after.

koonthul said:
Very familiar with ASUS products.

Don't go with consumer products. Your configuration options, expandability, upgradability and support will be limited. They are mostly disposable products.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Netgear GS305EPP Port 4 Untrusted?

I want to plug a TV into Port 4 with ethernet cable on Port 4 and have it be tagged #2 Untrusted IoT (Using Firewalla Gold router/firewall). The problem no matter how configure the PVID the TV is put in #1 Trusted. Is hardware port tagging possible?

[Assistant]
ds5686920 said:
Is hardware port tagging possible?

That switch has 802.1Q-based Level-2 network capabilites.

Yes, the GS305EPP is capable of port tagging. Make sure you have enabled and configured 802.1Q (advanced) VLAN configuration. Follow Netgear instructions. Many youtube videos on the same subject.

Yes, I am using Advanced 802.1Q VLAN. The TV is ethernet cable so it won't be tagged with VLAN tag by an AP. I want the port to tag the device but cannot figure out how to do in the PVID table. VLAN1 is trusted. VLAN2 is untrusted. PVID is 1, 2* for Port #4 and I expect the TV to tagged as VLAN2 but is VLAN1. Any other ideas? Thx

Well, after fiddling with the PVID it now works as expected. I didn't make any value different just selected APPLY on Port 4 PVID and now works. Maybe config file was gummed up. The * denotes default Tag.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Can I repurpose an outdated gaming machine to be a home networking firewall with Linux and pfSense

So I wanted to turn an old computer into firewall hardware. Could I use the input connection on the motherboard to utilize the hardware on the computer and output on a PCIE NIC to my router while running pfSense on Linux? or would it be better to sell my computer and get an open platform device to manage it? I don't use it and the socket isn't upgradable. I would have to replace the whole computer for more modern performance but it still handles r6s on ultrawide monitor and medium high settings 1080p.

AM3+ FX 6 core 3.9ghz 6350
16gb of G.Skill Ribjaws DDR3 memory
120gb SSD for OS and immediate games (currently, might update to NVMe)
Asus GTX 770 2gb
1tb of HDD
750w PSU
Asus Sabertooth 990fx (Realtek RTL8111F 1000 Mbit Support for IPMI: No)

[Assistant]
I have a feeling I can, but I guess I'm asking the networking vets to explain if it would add too much latency on my home network to be worth it, when I could just sell the computer and get a small configurable option that is made specifically for being a firewall. The specs don't seem to be too different compared to the open source and AIO options the have out there and I think it would be cool to use my old computer as a fun and useful appliance to protect my internet. But if it is just better to sell it to someone who wants to use it normally and get my own firewall hardware, then the advice is welcome!

DubberDewski said:
sell my computer and get an open platform device

Sell or recycle this old computer and get a low power x86 appliance. You may burn the same amount of money in electricity only with this monster. Not to mention the size, weight, fan noise and dust accumulation. Most of it inside is not needed for home pfSense gateway/firewall application.

Tech9 said:
Sell or recycle this old computer and get a low power x86 appliance. You may burn the same amount of money in electricity only with this monster. Not to mention the size, weight, fan noise and dust accumulation. Most of it inside is not needed for home pfSense gateway/firewall application.
Thank you! Yeah, it does make more sense just to opt for something more energy efficient. I'll probably just go with a Protectli Vault or a Netgate 1100 after selling computer and monitor separately.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: 2 internet providers

Hello all and greetings. I just moved to a house where I am renting a room. The house has already internet from a provider called Quantum Fiber, the thing is this is a 2-story house with 5 bedrooms, and I tell you internet sucks on wifi. So I thought to myself, maybe I can get another internet provider since I have a coaxial outlet in my bedroom)as seen in pics). I talked to the landlord and she said that's fine, as long as there are no interruptions or modding the house. So I went to my local store Spectrum and picked up a router and cable, service was activated at the address, but I got no connection/signal from the coaxial outlet in my room. I went downstairs where the cable connection was and I saw the following. Can anyone help me out on what to do to get it working? Thanks in advance

Edit* OK so I tried this. I connected all the black coaxial cables inside the white box to the grey box you guys see there. They all say out. Like outgoing connection. Now on the other side of the grey box, it says IN like for incoming connection and it had only one black coaxial cable connected to it. I’m guessing it’s the current provider it has right? So how do I get it to where I can connect with my provider? Do I put some kind of 2 way switch connected to that single coaxial cable in out and connect a small coaxial cable to one end of the switch to in and the other one to the grey box on out? Sorry just trying

[Assistant]
That grey box is a satellite amp. Won't work. remove what you plugged in. Was there a large dish on the property somewhere or maybe small dish(s) on the roof ? Ask your landlord if the Dish satellite TV system is still active.

Anyway, you need to find the cable from the demarc box on the outside of the house to the box you took pictures of and with a RG6 barrel connect it to the coax cable going to your room. If you are lucky, that is all that needs to be done.

There should also be a small box outside of the house, likely on the wall somewhere with a coax coming from a nearby pole to the box. It may be underground or an aerial cable. There should also be a grounding metal connection device ( with green or bare copper wire going outside the box ) in the demarc box that that coax cable is connected to. Then another coax will connect to that and into the house, probably into that panel somewhere, but not that satellite amp. Wherever that dish antenna came into the house will have similar. Don't disturb that.

Make sure you know the difference between a power cable from the utility pole and coax cable. It may be aerial drop or underground. Do not open any metal boxes on the side of the house that have thick cables or a power meter connected to them.

If you cannot find all the above and the cable coming in, you will have to call Spectrum and tell them you cannot locate the demarc box and coax into the house. Have them send a tech. You will have to be clear to the tech ( you will have to be there when they arrive) that there can be no physical modification to the building or disturbing of other coax if it is in use.

Otherwise, you will need to persuade the landlord to allow spectrum to install their cables.

Good luck !

degrub said:
That grey box is a satellite amp. Won't work. remove what you plugged in. Was there a large dish on the property somewhere or maybe small dish(s) on the roof ? Ask your landlord if the Dish satellite TV system is still active.

Anyway, you need to find the cable from the demarc box on the outside of the house to the box you took pictures of and with a RG6 barrel connect it to the coax cable going to your room. If you are lucky, that is all that needs to be done.

There should also be a small box outside of the house, likely on the wall somewhere with a coax coming from a nearby pole to the box. It may be underground or an aerial cable. There should also be a grounding metal connection device ( with green or bare copper wire going outside the box ) in the demarc box that that coax cable is connected to. Then another coax will connect to that and into the house, probably into that panel somewhere, but not that satellite amp. Wherever that dish antenna came into the house will have similar. Don't disturb that.

Do not open any metal boxes on the side of the house that have thick cables or a power meter connected to them.

If you cannot find all the above and the cable coming in, you will have to call Spectrum and tell them you cannot locate the demarc box and coax into the house. Have them send a tech. You will have to be clear to the tech ( you will have to be there when they arrive) that there can be no physical modification to the building or disturbing of other coax if it is in use.

Otherwise, you will need to persuade the landlord to allow spectrum to install their cables.

Good luck !
Click to expand...
ok I found the box but don't know what cable to take out or connect or which one one those are inside the panel in the house

It looks like the one with the RS6 blue label on it comes from an aerial drop from a nearby pole ? is that correct ?


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: New camera wiring problem - hope someone can help!

So I've just bought three reolink cameras and have just run cable for the first camera. I've run a cable from my PoE switch to a patch panel and then through my attic (bungalow) to nearby my front door.

My cable tester shows that all eight wires are 'green' and therefore supposedly wired correctly, but when I try to connect the camera, the lights on the camera come on but it fails to connect - also strangely (despite the lights on the camera coming on) the PoE switch's LED that shows it's drawing PoE power doesn't light up and there's no network activity on that LED either.

Connect the camera directly to the PoE switch via a 2m ethernet cable or even a 25m cable and the camera works perfectly and the switch's LEDs light as expected, showing both PoE power draw and network activity. I tested with the 25 m cable because the cable run from my server closet to the front door is about 15m.

I'm baffled ! Any ideas?

Obviously if the cable tester showed a fault then I'd just redo the patch panel and the ethernet plug where the cable ends by the front door - and I might just redo these anyway because all I can come up with at the moment is that the cable tester is faulty. It was pretty cheap, but seems to have been reliable enough previously when I did the ethernet around my home.

[Assistant]
probably too much voltage drop over the distance (resistance or starting volage too low). Maybe the POE output is not matched to the draw spec of the camera ?
You can get a POE injector for cheap (<40) and solve the issue. Just turn off POE on the switch.

Make sure the spec of the injector matches or exceeds the required power of the camera.

As I said I tested that theory by testing the camera with a cable that is 25m long instead of the less than 15m that is the actual length of the run. I've realised since that my PoE switch ( DGS-1210-08P) has a cable testing section. That's reporting faults with the cable that's problematic but reporting everything is OK with a known good cable, so at least that's consistent.

I'm just re-doing the patch panel - I know the wiring was correct, but seating the small wires on this patch panel is a bit tricky so it's the obvious place to start.

Avoid PoE injectors. You clearly have cable issue.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Testing Cat6 in the new home network

I will be pulling Cat6 (Belden 2412) throughout my home in the coming month or so. Can anyone provide me some guidance (or point to references) that outline how it should be tested to identify any performance or install issues before walls are closed up?

If there is any 'affordable' test equipment available, it would be good to hear about that, too.

[Assistant]
A simple cable tester, they come as cheap as 10€ (testing just connectivity) or more € but with more options...

MDM said:
A simple cable tester, they come as cheap as 10€ (testing just connectivity) or more € but with more options...

Thanks. I'm not looking for a simple cable continuity tester that verifies the jack wiring, rather something that tests the condition of the cat6, itself, to verify any installation/nail/manufacturing/bandwidth issues. I see some references to these types of testers being about $1000 10-12 years ago, and am wondering if there is something more affordable available these days that would cover most of that?

Search Amazon for the Noyafa NF-8209. While it doesn't carry the same presige as a Fluke it has proved rather handy, and surprisingly accurate.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: News TEG-S750 (Version v2.0R) 5-Port 10G Switch

10G Switches – 5-Port 10G Switch | TRENDnet - TRENDnet TEG-S750
www.trendnet.com

New version of Trendnet’s venerable TEG-S750 5 port 10Gb switch is coming soon. Max power and MTBF have both gone up, and RAM buffer is now 12 MB. Looks like a more powerful chipset in the new version. Hoping for better 10G performance and less overhead.

Almost bought the v1 version, but will hold out for the newer version.

[Assistant]
Nice...

Remember, this is over copper - so CAT6A wiring is essential to get that 10Gb goodness...

Amazon is still showing $269USD...

Amazon.com

Get it down to $20 a port - it would be very interesting...

sfx2000 said:
Nice...

Remember, this is over copper - so CAT6A wiring is essential to get that 10Gb goodness...

That’s not actually true. You can usually get 10Gb over Cat5e up to 50m, and up to 70m depending on cable quality.

Edit: That Amazon link is to the older v1.0R version. New revision isn’t out yet.

I found a new one. 8x10G, web smart. less than $200.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: FTTP ONT location

Planning to have FTTP installed for the first time. I was thinking of having the ONT located in the Garage where there are enough power points.

Can I then run an Ethernet connection about 10 metres away to my study where the Router will be located?

[Assistant]
Cat5e and Cat 6 should be good up to 100 metres (assuming it's up to spec).

ColinTaylor said:
Cat5e and Cat 6 should be good up to 100 metres (assuming it's up to spec).

Thanks. Any easy way to ensure it up to spec?

wizzard said:
Thanks. Any easy way to ensure it up to spec?
Buy from a reputable network cabling company rather than Amazon, etc.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Aquantia AQC10x firmware update

Aquantia has a new firmware update out for the AQC100, AQC108, AQC107 and AQN100, AQN108, AQN107
https://www.aquantia.com/support/driver-download/

The firmware version is 3.1.81, but there are no release notes for the firmware itself, only the update tool. I updated from 1.5.12, so it was seemingly a huge update in version number if nothing else. There seems to be a firmware file for the AQC111 included as well.
Command line based update for Windows, but very easy to use. It's strange they don't have a Linux updater, as now I have to swap hardware around to update my NAS.

[Assistant]
Note that there's a new version 3.1.84 posted. This fixed a problem with 3.1.81 bricking my OWC Thunderbolt 3 to 10GbE Adapter.

Is it safe to install this firmware to an ASUS XG-C100C? might it brick the adapter?

TanyaC said:
Is it safe to install this firmware to an ASUS XG-C100C? might it brick the adapter?

Worked fine on my Aquantia made card, can't speak for the Asus hardware, but it should be for all their hardware, so I can't see why it should brick the card.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Default Windows Network/Ethernet Settings

Good day,

I can't recall if I have ever changed any of these, but I'm wondering if anyone knows what the "windows" defaults are or if there is a way to reset to windows defaults?

[Assistant]
Remove the adapter, delete drivers, reinstall - you'll get the defaults for this hardware.

Tech9 said:
Remove the adapter, delete drivers, reinstall - you'll get the defaults for this hardware.
thanks


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: VLAN Config Query using pfSense and Unifi

Hey all,

LAN ip addressing is getting close to capacity, so thought best practice to create new networks for Trusted, Guest & IoT. I have set the rules in pfsense that trusted VLAN (phones, laptops, watches, TVs, etc) has access back and forth to default LAN (reserved for static servers, VMs, printers, etc.). These two networks can see IoT but not in reverse besides allowing access to gateway for internet connectivity.

The network runs as:
Modem in bridge mode -> pfSense -> 2x unmanaged 24 port switches -> Unifi Flex mini -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> flex mini -> ubiquity airmax gigabeam 60ghz PTP -> USW flex switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch. Also coming from the USW flex switch is a nanobeam PTP -> flex mini.

Nestled in there is 6x Unifi LR APs, 1x U6 Lite and an AC Mesh Pro with 5x hikvision NVRs.

I already know the simple answer, but the crux of the question is:
Is there anyway I can have ethernet clients (such as NVRs) move on to the devices VLAN without swapping out the unmanaged switches for more flex minis?
I'm not too worried about isolation of networks, more just housekeeping and room for DHCP allocations.

I am aware VLANs require managed switches as a rule, but…
Is there a way to strip tagging so you could simply give a client a static IP address on the VLAN and it will connect?
Even if I have a managed switch at the location of the NVR, the unmanaged switches upstream will bork because of failed trunking?
How is it that VLAN aware APs with replicated wifi SSIDs work and get assigned an IP from the DHCP pool when they're coming along the same channels?

Wifi devices work fine what ever network they're on but when I tried to assign a VLAN ip address to one of the NVRs, there is no connectivity. I changed the port profile on the flex mini to the IoT VLAN and I could pull it up on screen from default LAN but it would not connect to the Hik Connect servers no matter what I did and it took out all the network downstream until I hard reset and re-adopted the flex.

Thanks for any nuggets of wisdom.

[Assistant]
dmbminaret said:
Hey all,

LAN ip addressing is getting close to capacity, so thought best practice to create new networks for Trusted, Guest & IoT. I have set the rules in pfsense that trusted VLAN (phones, laptops, watches, TVs, etc) has access back and forth to default LAN (reserved for static servers, VMs, printers, etc.). These two networks can see IoT but not in reverse besides allowing access to gateway for internet connectivity.

The network runs as:
Modem in bridge mode -> pfSense -> 2x unmanaged 24 port switches -> Unifi Flex mini -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> flex mini -> ubiquity airmax gigabeam 60ghz PTP -> USW flex switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch -> 5 port unmanaged switch. Also coming from the USW flex switch is a nanobeam PTP -> flex mini.

Nestled in there is 6x Unifi LR APs, 1x U6 Lite and an AC Mesh Pro with 5x hikvision NVRs.

I already know the simple answer, but the crux of the question is:
Is there anyway I can have ethernet clients (such as NVRs) move on to the devices VLAN without swapping out the unmanaged switches for more flex minis?
I'm not too worried about isolation of networks, more just housekeeping and room for DHCP allocations.

I am aware VLANs require managed switches as a rule, but…
Is there a way to strip tagging so you could simply give a client a static IP address on the VLAN and it will connect?
Even if I have a managed switch at the location of the NVR, the unmanaged switches upstream will bork because of failed trunking?
How is it that VLAN aware APs with replicated wifi SSIDs work and get assigned an IP from the DHCP pool when they're coming along the same channels?

Wifi devices work fine what ever network they're on but when I tried to assign a VLAN ip address to one of the NVRs, there is no connectivity. I changed the port profile on the flex mini to the IoT VLAN and I could pull it up on screen from default LAN but it would not connect to the Hik Connect servers no matter what I did and it took out all the network downstream until I hard reset and re-adopted the flex.

Thanks for any nuggets of wisdom.
Click to expand...

It can be done but it is a hack and will not be reliable, and will defeat the purpose of splitting out VLANs, since they would all end up seeing broadcasts from each other. Basically you'd either strip the VLAN tags off the trunk port going to the switch and rely on ARP to hopefully get traffic to the right router interface, or connect multiple untagged ports (one in each VLAN) to your switch again hoping ARP and broadcasts all play nicely. Messy, unreliable, and not proper network design. At that point you might as well just expand your subnet, effectively the same thing.

Smart switches are cheap, sounds like you have a complex enough network that it makes sense to upgrade.

The only alternative I can think of is to have a dedicated access/untagged port off the PFSENSE for each VLAN and hang a switch off each port (and everything connected to that switch would be in that VLAN). But that isn't very flexible.

VLAN aware devices will probably work fine as most (not all) dumb switches, especially ones with jumbo frame support, will pass VLAN tags. So your APs and PFSENSE can communicate via the dumb switch and it is effectively isolated, just using the dumb switches as a transport. Anything with that VLAN tagged will be able to communicate, but you won't be able to add non-tagged devices into that VLAN on the switches.

Ok. Thanks for the reply.
Can you possibly confirm this please?:

If I swap out unmanaged switches to managed across the rest of the network, the trunk lines are already in place (I believe).
Does the trunk/transport need to be coming in to port X and out of port Z on each switch, or it doesn't matter if all ports are default profile.
If all ports are default profile, will the VLANs work via the switches doing their switching (once all smart), or do I need to change the profile on the port for the client on that specific VLAN?

I will need to keep the 48 ports as is but if I come from router to managed switch then one port to daisy chained route and one port to rack switches, I presume would be ok. Just anything on those switches will not be VLAN aware.

Side question, can I have pfsense hand out DHCP for trusted VLAN rather than original LAN by default?

Thanks again.

dmbminaret said:
Ok. Thanks for the reply.
Can you possibly confirm this please?:

If I swap out unmanaged switches to managed across the rest of the network, the trunk lines are already in place (I believe).
Does the trunk/transport need to be coming in to port X and out of port Z on each switch, or it doesn't matter if all ports are default profile.
If all ports are default profile, will the VLANs work via the switches doing their switching (once all smart), or do I need to change the profile on the port for the client on that specific VLAN?

I will need to keep the 48 ports as is but if I come from router to managed switch then one port to daisy chained route and one port to rack switches, I presume would be ok. Just anything on those switches will not be VLAN aware.

Side question, can I have pfsense hand out DHCP for trusted VLAN rather than original LAN by default?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

It can be any port, you go into the GUI of the switch and tell it what ports to have tagged (trunk) or untagged (access) for each VLAN.

Higher end switches support various types of VLAN auto configuration so it will detect your trunk ports and allow the VLANs, but on standard smart switches you'll need to go in and set what VLANs you want on each port, and which ports to tag them on.

Basically just enable all your vlans on the interlinks between the switches, then you can set any switch port on your network to be in any VLAN (or in multiple VLANs with tagging in the case of your APs).

PFSENSE can have a DHCP scope for each VLAN, and once you have VLAN segmentation it will know which VLAN is requesting and assign out of the relevant subnet/scope.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: New Firmware SF/SG 250/350/550 Switches

New Firmware for Cisco Small Business Switches. Release notes: https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/t...5_9/Release-note/b_tesla-release-2_5_9_54.pdf

[Assistant]
I need to dig my Cisco SG 10g uplink port switch out and upgrade it.

It seems annoyingly hard to find release notes on their website, but the current-production CBS250/350 switches also got an update, with some of the same issues fixed. I've been running the new 3.4.0.17 version on my switches for a few hours now without issues.

I just updated my Cisco L3 switch CBS350-8P-2G. It works fine now on firmware 3.4.0.17.

I had to wait for my granddaughter to leave as her room is my old server room where the equipment is.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Will gigabit switch interfere with Asus router QoS settings?

I have an Asus GT-AX6000 router and have a lot of QoS settings for gaming. I am thinking about incorporating an unmanaged switch (probably something simple like TP-Link TL-SG105). Just wanted to ask if incorporating the switch would alter or have a negative effect on the router’s QoS settings? From my research it should not be an issue but wanted to ask others more knowledgeable. I can still run the devices that would be plugged into the switch wirelessly at 200 up/down but want wired if it will not alter the router’s QoS settings for my PC. Any input is appreciated!

[Assistant]
If you have a 200/200 fibre/cable connection, you probably don't need QoS (if you've some type of xDSL -G.Fast you probably do). If you only have a single gaming device plugged in then one of the LAN ports is supposed to be prioritised for gaming (I think it's std LAN 1). As for the switch, I've a TL-SH1008 (2.5Gbps) plugged into my 2.5Gbps LAN port and XBox cloud gaming on a 2.5Gbps RK3588 SBC manages a latency of just 17ms streaming at 1920x1080p/120.
*on a UK BT 900/100 (1200/150 actual) fibre connection.

My guess is the ASUS QoS only applies to the WAN port or ports and not the LAN ports. You would want something more advanced than ASUS to have QoS on the LAN side. My Cisco L3 switch has QoS on it.

Crimliar said:
If you have a 200/200 fibre/cable connection, you probably don't need QoS (if you've some type of xDSL -G.Fast you probably do). If you only have a single gaming device plugged in then one of the LAN ports is supposed to be prioritised for gaming (I think it's std LAN 1). As for the switch, I've a TL-SH1008 (2.5Gbps) plugged into my 2.5Gbps LAN port and XBox cloud gaming on a 2.5Gbps RK3588 SBC manages a latency of just 17ms streaming at 1920x1080p/120.
*on a UK BT 900/100 (1200/150 actual) fibre connection.
Click to expand...

The connection is 1 gig up and down. I currently only have my PC plugged into the 2.5 gbps port on router and wife’s work PC is plugged into 1 gbps port. I currently run my Xbox series X and Xbox One wirelessly but think I will get an unmanaged switch that I can plug my pc and both Xbox into. I will use the switch in my wife’s office if it alters something's negatively with my gaming set up. Not real familiar with networking so appreciate your input!


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: anyone use TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter for asus mesh on 2.5Gb ports

anyone use TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter for asus mesh on 2.5Gb ports

Thinking about replacing my 1 Gb Cable to my Asus 86s from my Asus 86u

[Assistant]
Have used these - they were unreliable, and also the Ethernet ports on them are only 1Gbps unless there's an updated version! Why would they do that - don't ask me!

I have (bad) experience with these too. Don't bother with PLAs. Slow, laggy, and inconsistent 'performance'.

Everything you don't want on your network.

There is nothing so far that can replace a quality Cat5e or higher Ethernet cable, and maybe, ever.

Crimliar said:
Have used these - they were unreliable, and also the Ethernet ports on them are only 1Gbps unless there's an updated version! Why would they do that - don't ask me!
Yea the one I have states 2000 per port
Maybe ill try it and see
or off to the Cat 6e store


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Cisco NEW Perpetual Licenses for the Catalyst 1200 and 1300 Switches

I just found out this. Too bad I just bought my third Cisco switch. These switches are going to be faster than what I bought.
"
Cisco has refreshed its small business switch range, giving the world the Catalyst 1200 and 1300 series devices.…

Both ranges ship with a dual-core Arm CPU that runs at 1.4GHz and 1GB of DDR memory – twice the speed and four times the memory of the last lot of Catalysts for small businesses"

MSN

[Assistant]
coxhaus said:
Both ranges ship with a dual-core Arm CPU that runs at 1.4GHz and 1GB of DDR memory – twice the speed and four times the memory of the last lot of Catalysts for small businesses"

It's a switch - one would expect all ports to be non-blocking, so any "speed and memory" is just marketeering...

Being dual-corfe ARM @ 1.4GHz, it's not a lot of value add...

sfx2000 said:
It's a switch - one would expect all ports to be non-blocking, so any "speed and memory" is just marketeering...

Being dual-corfe ARM @ 1.4GHz, it's not a lot of value add...
It is if you are doing layer 3 stuff, maybe voice queues in QoS and come into play on larger networks. My guess is they will be snappier in small networks.

coxhaus said:
It is if you are doing layer 3 stuff, maybe voice queues in QoS and come into play on larger networks. My guess is they will be snappier in small networks.

Let us know once you get it installed and running - hear that while linux based, pretty much all of the ios commands are implemented...


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Recommendations for a 2.5G 8 port switch?

Hi folks!

Recently upgraded to a 1.6Gbps connection here in the UK and need some recommendations for a networking switch! I've been watching ServeTheHome and think I've got it down to a few I think are decent?

Zyxel MG-108 (£119.00 GBP)

TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 (£180.00 GBP)

QNAP QSW-1108-8T (£119.00 GBP) (Black Friday)

TRENDnet TEG-S380 (£126.00 GBP)

Of course other recommendations are welcome! Ideally 8 ports (currently 6 in use) or more and under £200 GBP inc shipping.

Thanks!

[Assistant]
I have a TRENDnet TEG-S380 and can't recommend it. It has compatibility issues with much of my Apple gear --- don't recall specifics, but I've seen it cause different sorts of erratic problems with a M2 mac mini, an older Intel-based mini, and a current-generation Apple TV. Another thing to know about it is that it won't pass VLAN-tagged traffic, unlike other unmanaged switches I've dealt with.

I don't have specific experience with the other models you mention. I have a different Zyxel switch (XGS1250-12) about which my only complaint is that the fan is kinda loud if it spins up. I've alleviated that problem by being careful about giving it good airflow.

In fairness, I'm not sure that the troubles I had with the TEG-S380 were entirely its fault. In all three trouble cases I was connecting it to gear with other native port speeds (10G for the M2 mini, 1G for the others). I've also heard dark mutterings to the effect that 2.5G ethernet in general is not as well standardized as 1G has gotten to be. Given all this, I suggest that you might want to be careful about buying an all-2.5G-port switch and assuming that all your existing gear will play nice with it. The place I've ended up in for now is buying switches with mostly 1G ports and a few higher-speed ones. The high-speed ports interconnect the switches and serve clients that can use them, and anything that is 1G-only plugs into a bog-standard 1G port. The XGS1250-12 is like that, and I've also had rock-solid results with Netgear GS110MX switches (2x 1/2.5/10G, 8x 1G ports). Switches designed this way are also cheaper and run cooler than ones with all-high-speed ports.

tgl said:
I have a TRENDnet TEG-S380 and can't recommend it. It has compatibility issues with much of my Apple gear --- don't recall specifics, but I've seen it cause different sorts of erratic problems with a M2 mac mini, an older Intel-based mini, and a current-generation Apple TV. Another thing to know about it is that it won't pass VLAN-tagged traffic, unlike other unmanaged switches I've dealt with.

I don't have specific experience with the other models you mention. I have a different Zyxel switch (XGS1250-12) about which my only complaint is that the fan is kinda loud if it spins up. I've alleviated that problem by being careful about giving it good airflow.

In fairness, I'm not sure that the troubles I had with the TEG-S380 were entirely its fault. In all three trouble cases I was connecting it to gear with other native port speeds (10G for the M2 mini, 1G for the others). I've also heard dark mutterings to the effect that 2.5G ethernet in general is not as well standardized as 1G has gotten to be. Given all this, I suggest that you might want to be careful about buying an all-2.5G-port switch and assuming that all your existing gear will play nice with it. The place I've ended up in for now is buying switches with mostly 1G ports and a few higher-speed ones. The high-speed ports interconnect the switches and serve clients that can use them, and anything that is 1G-only plugs into a bog-standard 1G port. The XGS1250-12 is like that, and I've also had rock-solid results with Netgear GS110MX switches (2x 1/2.5/10G, 8x 1G ports). Switches designed this way are also cheaper and run cooler than ones with all-high-speed ports.
Click to expand...

I have a fair few Apple devices, iPhone, iPad and MacBook (M1 and Intel early 2015).

Fan issue is not an issue for me as it's in the spare room so don't mind that much but hearing a lot recommend either the Zyxel or the TP-Link.

XGS1250-12 looks good although won't use the SFP+ port a bit over my budget (@ £229.15) but could stretch to if it it's worth it

Only my 1 device (Gaming PC) will likely benefit from the 1.6Gbps connection (2.5G NIC) as all other devices have 1G networking cards (or Wi-Fi 5) in so maybe a 1G switch is better anyway if nothing else will benefit and just spending more money for no reason? Minus future-proofing I guess.

Why not consider the Netgear GS110MX? It's a 10-Port Gigabit/10G Ethernet unmanaged switch with 8 x 1G, 2 x 10G/Multi-gig ports. It might be overkill, but it fairly quiet and sustains high transfer rates.