[Discuss] network switch

[adler at stephenadler.com (Stephen Adler)]

On Tue, 2014-07-15 at 14:43 -0400, Daniel Feenberg wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 15 Jul 2014, Bill Bogstad wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 11:51 AM, Stephen Adler <adler at stephenadler.com> wrote:
> >> Guys,
> >>
> >>
> >> anyway, any suggestions on which model switch I should be looking at? I
> >> want to mount it in a standard 19" rack.
> >
> > I don't have any specific recomendations (haven't bought any recently), but
> > I have noticed that managed gigabit switches have really come down in price.
> > The premium over unmanaged switches seems much lower then it used to be.
> > For example this random HP 8 port managed switch:
> >
> > http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/HP-1810-8G-v2-switch-8-ports-managed-desktop-wall-mountable-Smar/3262306.aspx
> >
> 
> From the description on the HP website:
> 
>    http://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c04164471
> 
> I think that is probably a "smart switch" rather than a "managed switch". 
> As far as I can tell, the difference is mostly whether the switch can
> be controlled from the command line or not so it probably won't
> affect you. I expect almost any "smart switch" would support vlans
> nowadays, at least the Netgear and Dlink smart switches I have purchased
> over the last few years have.
> 
> I believe he least expensive actual managed switch is probably the
> Cisco Small Business 200 series which is less than $200 but if finicky 
> about matching duplex settings with non-Cisco switches, so it is
> not a good buy.
> 
> Daniel Feenberg
> 

That's a good subtle distinction I'm learning as I poke around on the
web at "smart or managed" switches. thanks.