SMC EZ Switch GS8P: Speed, Power and Smarts : The SMC EZ Switch

By Sean Kerner, published on December 12, 2007
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: , , | Themes: Business, Networking

1. The SMC EZ Switch

Introduction : Speed and Power

The two issues that every networking environment has to deal with are speed and power.

Often, in order to deal with speed and power, you need more than one networking device. In the case of the SMC GS8P-Smart Switch, the answer may well be somewhat simpler.

The SMC GS8P-Smart Switch includes eight auto sensing ports for 10 Mbps, 100 Mps and 1000 Mbps (1 GbE) so a network can handle multiple types of Ethernet speeds. From a power perspective, the switch supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) so the network can provide not only connectivity but power as well.

However, power and speed are only part of the equation for the SMC GS8P-Smart Switch; it’s not called a “smart switch” for no reason. The device is a managed switch, meaning there is a Web interface with which a network administrator can control it. The Web interface also allows the administrator, to some degree, to manage the traffic and the power that flows through the switch.

At A Glance
Product: SMC 8 Power EZ Switch 10/100/1000 with PoE
Pros: Extensive Web Management interface
8 x 10/100/1000 ports
PoE up to 25 W
Integrated Cable Diagnostics
Cons: Size
Statistics and reporting not exportable
Firmware upgrade is not automated.

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Comments


Deleted profile 12/12/2007 9:55 AM
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HP Procurve 1800 is a much better value.
prophet001 12/12/2007 10:36 AM
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prophet001
HP Procurve 1800 is not a POE switch from what I can see.
mjlalt 12/13/2007 4:08 AM
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mjlalt
I had an SMC Managed switch with a "Lifetime Warranty" After about three years the internal Fan died. They would not warranty or support the switch. They told me the product had been discontinued for over a year and Lifetime means the Lifetime of the Product line. So my Lifetime Warranty lasted only about 2 years. LAME!
wpns 12/15/2007 1:55 AM
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wpns
Linksys SRW208P (or SRW208MP) in the same price range has 2GB ports and 8 10/100/PoE ports, nice boxes IME.

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