Tag: network switch

What Is PoE and Power Over Ethernet Switch?

Network switches with PoE technology are widely used in business, school districts and healthcare facilities for the big benefits of their IP surveillance networks. So what is PoE, what is power over Ethernet switch, could you explain?

What is PoE?

PoE is short for power over Ethernet, which is a technology that can pass electrical power through an Ethernet cable alongside data. For example, if a digital camera is PoE-enabled, it only requires a network connection since it would receive the electrical power from the power over Ethernet cable. PoE technology actually makes hooking up network devices more convenient in any context. By doing so, the number of cables that must be configured for network installation will be greatly minimized. Therefore, PoE technology makes networking setup much simpler and less expensive.

Power over Ethernet usually starts with a Gigabit PoE switch or power over Ethernet injector, which pumps out the electrical power over the Ethernet ports and passes it to the device end via Ethernet cables. So what is power over Ethernet switch?

What Is PoE Switch?

A power over Ethernet switch is a normal rack-mounted network switch with integrated power over Ethernet functionality. It can automatically recognize the PoE devices like IP surveillance camera or wireless access point that connected to the switch, and pass power to the device accordingly. Network switches deliver power based on some standards. According to IEEE 802.3af, the delivering power can be up to 15.4 Watts on a switch port, while IEEE 802.3at rules that the one port can deliver power up to 30 Watts. To find the switch that is right for you, all you need to do is choose a switch according to your power needs.

In addition, there are managed and unmanaged options of PoE switches on the market. Unmanaged PoE switch is a plug-and-play device, which only provides power and signaling to Ethernet endpoints. On the other hand, managed PoE switch supports many advanced features, including VLANs, SNMP so as to manage and monitor the network. Considering the rapid growth of today’s technology and the future’s upgrade, I think it’s wise to choose a managed PoE switch.

Using Power Over Ethernet Switch to Upgrade Your Network

When connecting to the networking devices, PoE switches are a more cost-effective choice. As the figure below shows, users are able to connect the IP phones, wireless access points and IP cameras directly to the PoE switch. There is no need for additional wiring, power sources. Thus, in this case, it can save time and money for additional wiring, which will result in a relatively lower cost.

what is Poe and power over Ethernet switch

The following table lists some switches produced by FS.COM that I want to recommend to you. They are available in 8, 24 and 48 ports. Look at the product detail, and select one for your need.

FS P/N
Description
8 10/100/1000Base-T RJ45 Ethernet ports, 1 console port, and 2 Gigabit SFP slots
24 10/100/1000Base-T RJ45 Ethernet ports, 1 console port, 2 combo port, and 2 Gigabit SFP slots
48 10/100/1000Base-T RJ45 Ethernet ports, 1 console port, 4 10G SFP+ slots
Power Consumption Per PoE Port
Max.30W
Max.30W
Max.30W
Switching Capacity
20Gbps
52Gbps
180 Gbps
Forwarding Rate
14.88Mpps
38.69Mpps
130.94 Mpps

S1250-8T2F and S1600-24T4F are 1G switches, which are suitable for home and small business application. S1600-48T4S is a 10Gb switch, which is designed for medium business networks.

Conclusion

Power over Ethernet switch is a great choice when you want to set up a cloud phone system or wire a security camera cluster since it can save your time and money and adds flexibility to your IP network. Want to find a good network switch, please visit FS.COM, both copper switch and fiber optic switch could be found here.

Selecting the Best Gigabit Switch for Home Network

As the Internet has become more and more prevalent, today almost all homes have built a home network via a network switch. Network switches keep multiple devices like computers, tablets connected, enabling the networked devices to talk to each other and share files like the family photo album, or back up files to a number of devices at once. But do you know how to select the best Gigabit switch for home network since there are so many types of Gigabit switches on the market?

network switch for home use

Figure 1: A network switch is used for home applications.

Why Do You Need a Gigabit Switch for Home Network?

Implementing a Gigabit switch for home network would ensure your network security. Since a Gigabit Ethernet switch can work at the Data Link Layer of the OSI model, it will recognize what devices are connected to it by learning the device’s MAC address, which aids in keeping data secured by preventing unwanted access. Besides, most network switches support VLAN, so users can set up one VLAN for their houses and one VLAN for the wireless. And users can allow both VLANs to talk to the router but deny the ability to talk to each other. Users could even lock down the wireless VLAN and only allow it to browse the web but nothing else. Thus in these cases, you can use the network switch to manage your network and ensure its safety.

In addition, if you are a professional gamer or videographer, then you must have lots of computers and network devices to run. Therefore, you need a Gigabit switch to manage and connect your equipment.

How to Select the Best Gigabit Switch for Home Network?

Here are some considerations to help you to choose the best Gigabit switch for home network.

How Many Ports Do I Need?

Network switches come with varying numbers of ports. The more ports the Gigabit switch has, the more devices you can connect to the network. When choosing a switch, you need to consider that whether the interfaces are enough to support the future upgrade. It’s better to have a switch that has more interfaces than the actual need. For home use, a 16 port Gigabit switch or 24 port Gigabit switch is a wise choice.

How Much Speed Will the Switch Provide?

To satisfy different demands, the Gigabit switches support up to 15Mpps, 95Mpps, and 130Mpps forwarding rate. So users can choose one based on the required forwarding speed.

What Level of Technical Support Do I Need?

How easy is it to configure the switch and is there a local support team if I run into any problems? If the switch breaks down, you can contact the local technical support immediately. Thus, have a good understanding of the level of support, you can save hassle and improve uptime.

Best Gigabit Switch for Home Network Recommendation

Considering all the factors, I recommend some 24 port Gigabit switches as follows that are made by FS.COM. FS can provide local support in the USA, UK, Germany, Australia and Singapore.

Type
S3800-24T4S
S3900-24T4S
S1600-24T4F
Description
24-Port 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Stackable Managed Switch with 4 10GE SFP+
Fanless 24-Port 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Stackable Managed Switch with 4 10GE SFP+
PoE+ Managed Switch with 4 SFP
Switching Capacity
128Gbps
128Gbps
52Gbps
Forwarding Rate
95Mpps
95Mpps
38.69Mpps
Price (US Dollars)
$349.00
$280.00
$419.00

If you want a PoE switch, S1600-24T4F is a good choice. If you want a stackable switch, S3800-24T4S and S3900-24T4S both are the ideal products. Note that S3900-24T4F uses the fanless design, which can provide a quiet environment for you. Therefore, with the same switching capacity and forwarding rate, S3900-24T4S is a highly cost-effective choice.

best Gigabit switch for home networkFigure 2: Recommendations for best 24 port Gigabit switch for home use.

Conclusion

Choosing the best Gigabit switch for home network allows users to enjoy smooth gaming and streaming. If you are looking for a home network switch, FS is ready to offer you a wide range of network switches including 10GbE switch, 40G switch and even 100G switch.

How to Convert SFP to Ethernet?

SFP ports and RJ45 ports are the most common interfaces which are used in Gigabit Ethernet applications. And we complete the fiber to Ethernet or Ethernet to fiber conversion via these ports. How much do you know about SFP ports and RJ45 ports? And do you know how to convert SFP to Ethernet? This article will explain these questions.

What Are SFP Ports?

SFP ports are the input and output interfaces that are able to be hot-pluggable. They are seen in network switches or network interface cards. And SFP port is capable of working with the standards of 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-ZX or 1000BASE- BX10-D/U.

At present, network switches are usually designed with two or more SFP ports, which comply with IEEE 802.3ab standard. Note that in all cases, the SFP transceiver module must be inserted then the SFP ports can work. The ports make it possible for Gigabit switches to connect to the fiber and copper cables, converting SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP and completing the switching function.

What Are RJ45 Ports?

RJ45 port, which stands for registered jack 45, is the ubiquitous Ethernet style data port seen on switches, routers and network cards, following the 1000BASE-T Ethernet standard. It only supports RJ45 cables like CAT5e, Cat6 with the transmission speed of 1Gbit/s. By far, the most common use of RJ45 port is with Ethernet data connections from computers network cards, wireless access points, network switches and routers in home and enterprises networks. RJ45 ports on a data switch use the built-in design. Connecting two RJ45 copper switches, we just need a Cat5e or Cat6 copper cables. But if we want to convert Ethernet to SFP, an RJ45 SFP transceiver is required.

FS Solutions to Convert SFP to Ethernet

From the above, we have a good understanding of SFP ports and RJ45 ports. They are the interfaces for converting SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP. But how? Here FS provides two solutions for you.

Solution 1: Using SFP Transceiver Module

As we have mentioned above, the network switches on the market are generally equipped with SFP ports. Thus, under this circumstance, we can use SFP modules to complete the interconnections between switches or servers. Insert the Ethernet SFP module into the network switches, then plug one end of Cat5e or Cat6 cables into the transceivers and the other end is connected with other terminal devices. This figure shows how we can use SFP transceiver for our conversion need.

convert SFP to Ethernet

We can see this is a full solution, covering the following equipment.

Sequence Number
Product ID
Description
①
Cisco GLC-T Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m
②
3ft (0.9m) Cat6 Snagless Unshielded (UTP) PVC CM Ethernet Network Patch Cable with Transparent Sheath, Blue
③
24 Ports Cat6 Feed-Through Patch Panel, UTP Unshielded, 1U Rack Mount
④
3m (10ft) 6 Plug to 6 Plug Cat6 Unshielded PVC CMR (Blue) Pre-Terminated Copper Trunk
⑤
S5800-48F4S (48*1GE+4*10GE) High Performance Data Center Switch
⑥
Generic Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m

Solution 2: Using Ethernet Media Converters

If your switch doesn’t have SFP ports, then you need an Ethernet media converter. It’s a device used to interconnect fiber and copper cables to facilitate communication between them. This device looks like a small box where fiber and copper cables could be plugged in. Here is the SFP to Ethernet converter from FS.COM. It has one RJ45 port and one SFP port. And the mini converter can support 1000Base-X to 10/100/1000Base-T UTP convention. Designed with compact package size, it’s a reliable plug and play converter. Therefore, just plug the fiber and copper cables into the slots and connect the other ends of cables to the terminal devices, ensuring the whole network works properly. The following video shows you how to use FS fiber optic media converters to convert SFP to Ethernet.

Conclusion

Using SFP transceiver module or Ethernet media converter can help us convert SFP to Ethernet, which can better expand network function. FS.COM offers an extensive choice of full SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP solutions. Choose FS.COM for the right product to meet your conversion project needs.

SFP Fiber Switch Introduction and Cabling Solutions

With the growth of today’s network, the amount of hardware involved has become a barrier to efficient and optimized network operations. In some cases, a fiber switch is the answer. These fiber switches with management functions can reduce the burden on the network backbone, by connecting different edge-level devices and combining them into a single data stream. Today, we’ll focus on SFP fiber switch and its cabling solutions.

SFP Fiber Switch Introduction

As the name implies, an SFP fiber switch is a communication control device with SFP ports. And like a common networking switch, SFP fiber switch is also used to send and receive data transmission, but in fiber channel. These SFP ports are small form-factor hot pluggable interfaces, so the SFP optical transceiver modules can be inserted into the SFP ports. Then the fiber cables can be used to connect the fiber switch to other networking equipment.

Advantages of SFP Fiber Switch

SFP fiber switch can provide a higher reliability and security than the RJ45 port switch. As we know, fiber cables transfer data in light, which is faster than the copper cables’ electronic transmission speed. And due to the special design of fibers, the SFP fiber switch generates less data loss and electromagnetic interference. Therefore, using an SFP fiber switch is better than the RJ45 port copper switch. For example, if the transmitting distance is more than 100 meters, copper cables like Cat5e or Cat6a is unable to reach. So you need the fiber cables which are often used to interconnect switches in multi-building deployments.

FS SFP Fiber Switch Cabling Solution

To meet the market demands, FS.COM has published a set of fiber switches and the corresponding cabling solutions. Here we take S5800-48F4S SFP fiber switch as an example. Before we learn its cabling solutions, let’s have a look at the fiber switch first.

This SFP network switch is a 10GbE switch. It’ s designed with 48 1GbE SFP ports and 4 10GbE SFP+ ports, which allows high performance routing, host and access protocol emulation. With the latency of 2.3us and switching capacity of 176Gbps, this Layer 3 switch is a great option for data centers. Its body is compact and made of sturdy material that complies with ISO9001, ETL, CE, FCC standards. The following video shows the cabling solutions between S5800-48F4S switch and other switches.

As the video shows, a completed cabling solution of a fiber switch includes transceiver and fiber cables. Here S5800-48F4S switch can support 1G SFP, 1GBASE-T and 10G SFP+ transceivers. So we list some supported transceivers as shown in table 1 for your reference.

Transceiver ID
Description
Price (US dollars)
1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m Transceiver Module
$21
1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m DOM Transceiver Module
$6
1000BASE-EX SFP 1310nm 40km DOM Transceiver Module
$14
1000BASE-EX SFP 1550nm 40km DOM Transceiver Module
$24
1000BASE-ZX SFP 1550nm 80km DOM Transceiver Module
$24
10GBASE-SR SFP+ 850nm 300m DOM Transceiver Module
$16
10GBASE-LR SFP+ 1310nm 10km DOM Transceiver Module
$34

Table 1

The following table 2 are the supported cables that can be used for connecting S5800-48F4S switch to other networking equipment.

Fiber ID
Fiber Connector
Fiber Mode
1M Price (US dollars)
Unshielded
Cat6
$1.7
Unshielded
Cat6
$1.7
LC UPC to LC UPC
OM4 50/125μm
$6.6
LC UPC to LC UPC
OM4 50/125μm
$4.5
LC-LC
OS2 SMF
$11
LC-LC
SMF 9/125μm
$8.4

Table 2

Conclusion

SFP fiber switch can actually improve overall speeds and responsiveness of one’s network. FS carries a full line of Gigabit Ethernet switch, including 8 port SFP fiber switch, 24 or 48 port fiber switch. Contact us via sales@fs.com for a free consultation on your networking needs and choose the suitable fiber switch based on your specific requirement.

10G Network Switch Price Comparison

10G network switches are quite popular on the market since our modern business and home networking applications have become increasingly digital. However, it’s not easy to choose the best network switch for your network need from the abundance of available switches, and the network switch price varies greatly. Here focus on 10G network switch price comparison, to help you select a cheap network switch.

network switch price comparison

10G Network Switch On the Market

Defined by IEEE 802.3ae standard, 10 Gigabit Ethernet has become affordable for most companies, and 10Gb Ethernet switch has become their best choice for easing network pressure. A typical network switch has many ports to connect different devices like PCs, printer, etc. at the same time. And the ports are connected to the host separately. Then transmission medium such as transceiver modules, cables are inserted into the ports. And the network switch uses the ports to transmit data at a quick rate to the Ethernet devices on the other end. According to different connections, here we will discuss two kinds of 48 port switches from different vendors. One kind of network switch requires fiber cable connection, and the other kind needs copper cable connection.

These are two products of 48 port switches which rely on fiber cable connection. Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S switch has 48 SFP+ ports that support up to 10G, and 4 QSFP ports that support up to 40G. FS S5850-48S6Q switch has 48 10GbE SFP+ ports and 6 40GbE QSFP+ ports.

These are two products of 48 port switches which rely on copper cable connection. Netgear XS748T 48 port 10G switch includes 44 10GBase-T ports and 4 10G SFP+ ports. FS S5850-48T4Q switch is designed with 48 10GBase-T ports and 4 40GbE uplink.

10G Network Switch Price Comparison of Different Vendors

The following table 1 summarizes the Cisco and FS network switch price and compares the fiber network switches performance.

Model
Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S
FS S5850-48S6Q
Ports
48 SFP+ and 4 QSFP+ ports
48 SFP+ and 6QSFP+ ports
Switch Class
3
3
Switching Capacity
1280Gpbs
1.44Tbps
Latency
–
612ns
Forwarding Rate
909Mpps
1071.43Mpps
Price(US dollars)
7190.10(Amazon)
3699.00(FS.COM)

Table 1

From the table, we can see clearly that both of them are Layer 3 switches that support SFP+ and QSFP+ ports. Switching capacity of FS S5850-48S6Q switch is much more bigger than that of the Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S switch. However, the price between them varies greatly. Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S network switch price is almost the double of FS S5850-48S6Q network switch. Therefore, FS product is the cost-effective one.

Table 2 compares 48 port switches from Netgear and FS.COM.

Model
Netgear XS748T
FS S5850-48T4Q
Ports
44 10 Gigabit and 4 SFP+ ports
48 10 Gigabit and 4 40 GbE uplink
Switch Class
3
3
Switching Capacity
–
1.28Tbps
Latency
–
–
Forwarding Rate
714.2Mpps
952.32Mpps
Price(US dollars)
3426.35(Amazon)
3800.00(FS.COM)

Table 2

The two Ethernet switches are connected by copper cables. Forwarding rate of FS S5850-48T4Q network switch is bigger, which means it can process more network packets than the other one. Besides, FS S5850-48T4Q switch can support 40GbE uplink. Therefore, although FS S5850-48T4Q network switch price is a little higher than Netgear XS748T switch, I recommend you choose the FS product for its better performance.

Conclusion

From the above, we compare the network switch price from different vendors. FS switches are the highly cost-effective choice. FS.COM covers everything you need to make your network stronger and bigger, including 24 port switch, patch panel, transceiver module and so on. So raise your network with FS networking products.