🚀 go-pugleaf

sconnell@dipix.com (Shawn Douglas Connelly) wrote:

>I am planing the purchase of a 100base-T switch.

>Hopefully, there exists an Ethernet switch with two 100Base-T ports
>and four 10Base-T ports.
snip
>Problems:  
>* I have only found switches with *one* 100Base-T port, four 10Base-T
>* There are many to choose from....and no reviews to work from.
>* My budget is limited to around $2000.00 CDN

>Here is what I've found (so far), all have only one 100Base-T uplink:
snip
>* SMC EZswitch EZ008Plus ~2100.00 CDN
>  This one includes: five 10Base-T and two 100Base-T but is unmanaged.
>  How important is the ability to manage a small network of under 
>  100 nodes?
snip
>Also, I will need to purchase 10/100Base-T PCI network cards...so far
>this is my short list of good(?) cards.
>* 3Com Etherlink XL 10/100 PCI ~170.00 CDN (auto 10/100)
>* AsanteFast 10/100 PCI ~180.00 CDN (auto 10/100 recognition?)
>* SMC Etherpower 10/100 PCI ~190.00 CDN
>* Kingston EtheRX 10/100 PCI ~110.00 CDN (cheap! but good?) 

>Thank you for your assistance

We're using the SMC etherswitch PLUS (actually about five of them).
They are good value for money but...
1-of the ordered 5 one was a DOA
2-we had some freak problem with half of the network locking up every
now and then which was traced back to a poor connection to the switch
(other port worked just fine).
You could call this the expected 'turbulence' that these
inttroductions of new technology create but still......
For the servers we use the 3Com: no problem as long as you are not
running NW 3.11 (can't handle more than 1 nic.
 Check for PCI-compatiblity, especially on 'old' PCI busses.

Good luck,
Albert Gjaltema