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    Hardware requirements in this situation…

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
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    • A
      adegans
      last edited by

      @Steve -  No, my switches are unmanaged. Replacing them (3x 24p gbit) would be much more expensive than getting the extra card.

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      • stephenw10S
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
        last edited by

        That would certainly be true but an additional 5 or 8 port managed switch may not be. It's just a suggestion, I would personally not do VLANs unless I have to. Removing complexity usually results in less problems.  ;)

        Steve

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        • A
          asterix
          last edited by

          @adegans:

          @Steve -  No, my switches are unmanaged. Replacing them (3x 24p gbit) would be much more expensive than getting the extra card.

          You can get a Netgear 10-port Smart switch for under $100. Use that for your VLAN backbone and then segregate the subnets with unmanaged switches branching off the Netgear Smart switch. Technically you can have 9 physical VLANs ports on it going to 9 unmanaged switches for each VLAN. It can handle lots of VLANs if you have other managed switches connecting to it.

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          • A
            adegans
            last edited by

            Hmm I see, but as you said yourself, removing complexity is better. :)

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            • D
              Doktor Jones
              last edited by

              @adegans:

              Hmm I see, but as you said yourself, removing complexity is better. :)

              Actually, asterix was proposing the cost-effectiveness of a smart switch:
              @asterix:

              You can get a Netgear 10-port Smart switch for under $100. Use that for your VLAN backbone and then segregate the subnets with unmanaged switches branching off the Netgear Smart switch. Technically you can have 9 physical VLANs ports on it going to 9 unmanaged switches for each VLAN. It can handle lots of VLANs if you have other managed switches connecting to it.

              while stephenw10 was the one positing that less complexity = less problems:
              @stephenw10:

              That would certainly be true but an additional 5 or 8 port managed switch may not be. It's just a suggestion, I would personally not do VLANs unless I have to. Removing complexity usually results in less problems.

              Personally, I'm not having much fun with VLANs at the moment myself, but I also have zero experience with them :P

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              • A
                asterix
                last edited by

                Start with a Netgear GS108Tv2. It's cheap, gigabit, extremely well built and very stable. I learnt all about VLANs playing on this. I have now moved to a 48-port GSM7248v2 managed switch which has the same GUI as the GS108Tv2 but with extra features.

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                • A
                  adegans
                  last edited by

                  Right, but I'm not looking to set up a VLAN kind of setup.

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                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    Just giving you options. There are pros and cons for vlans over additional NICs.

                    Steve

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                    • A
                      asterix
                      last edited by

                      Correction .. the Netgear GS108Tv2 is a 8-port and not a 10-port… still cheaper than adding a multiport NIC. I was in similar situation when I first started using pfSense and adding the Netgear GS108Tv2 was the smart thing to do ;)

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                      • A
                        adegans
                        last edited by

                        I see :) Thanks.

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