TP-LINK Smart Switches anyone?

jahonix

Every port you don't want to run on VLAN1 (which should be all ports…) needs to have a VLAN > 1.
I don't know the SG108E so I can't tell about a default setting somewhere.

rremingt

@stephenw10:

Well at least that's an answer to the earlier question, there is no web interface on the cheapest model. Disappointing.

Steve

I ran nmap on my Mac laptop against the default IP of 192.168.0.1 and port 80 is open. I tried it and got a login page. After entering admin/admin, I was in and looking at a very usable Web UI!

whosmatt

@rremingt:

@stephenw10:

Well at least that's an answer to the earlier question, there is no web interface on the cheapest model. Disappointing.

Steve

I ran nmap on my Mac laptop against the default IP of 192.168.0.1 and port 80 is open. I tried it and got a login page. After entering admin/admin, I was in and looking at a very usable Web UI!

I have two of the TL-SG108E. The first one I bought, which is V1, does not have a web UI. The second one, V2, does. They are both manageable via the Java app, but only the V2 model is manageable over a browser. Hope this helps someone.

robi

@whosmatt:

I have two of the TL-SG108E. The first one I bought, which is V1, does not have a web UI. The second one, V2, does. They are both manageable via the Java app, but only the V2 model is manageable over a browser.

That's great news!
And it seems to be true also for the smallest model too, which is TL-SG105E! 5 gigabit ports, supports VLANs and does not require any proprietary software! Perfect for multi-LAN setups! Very good price…

garylovesbeer

I actually prefer the java interface.

Found a version that runs on OS X that launches the application without having to launch a vmware Windows session.

dennypage

If anyone is interested, I have a TL-SG2216 and a couple of TL-SG2008 switches that are looking for a good home. Please PM me if interested.

whosmatt

@garylovesbeer:

I actually prefer the java interface.

Found a version that runs on OS X that launches the application without having to launch a vmware Windows session.

Yeah, me too. I really didn't look at the web UI on my V2 until yesterday, just noted that it was there. It's kind of half baked as far as the look and feel (and some of the language). But it's there.

IggyB

Hey fellas, well i posted a new thread about this issue but i'm having no replies on my problem
I thought maybe some of you might know since this is more tp-link switch thread

My TL-SG2210P shuts off power when i plug it into ethernet port on my asus max hero alpha
I tried different cables,ports. same thing shuts off.
Other clients on network have no issues even using same cables.

Beaflag VonRathburg

I've been using two SG2424 switches for years, but have an issue with my setup on one.

pfsense - 2.3.2
SG2424 - Latest Firmware

I don't have a problem configuring LAG interfaces within pfsense; select to create a lag, the ports, and the type. The issue lies when I go into the SG2424 and try to create the LAG group. Ideally, I'd like to create a fail over LAG of three ports to the switch, but it seems that it only supports LACP. If I assign any fail over or round robin as the LAG configuration in pfsense, when I change the interface, the connection drops. If I assign the LAG as LACP, create the the LAG / LACP on the switch (enabled / active), and change the LAN interface to the LAG, it works fine. At some point though, the connection will just cut out and require that I reset the LAN interface to a single port to get the connection back. I've tested this with multiple NICs and motherboard combinations and the behavior appears to be the same. Am I missing something within the switch to get this functionality to work properly? Do the SG24xx line support other forms of LAG other than LACP?

robi

My tip is this (based on what I see in my TL-SG2216):

"FAILOVER" in pfSense corresponds to "Static LAG" in TP-Link
"LOADBALANCE" in pfSense corresponds to "LAG Table" with "SRC IP+DST IP" hash alhorithm in TP-Link
"LACP" in pfSense should correspond to the same on TP-Link

ChefRayB

Howdy Everyone,

( I know this topic hasn't been posted for 90 days but it's an interesting thread that talks about TP Link switches)

Today May 2017, what is the best managed switch to buy for home ?

Criteria:

Running for Home, under TV Cabinet
Fanless, quiet, small, compact and low wattage
Supports VLANs, IGMP Snooping v1,2,3, Inter Vlan Multi broadcasting (DLNA, UPnP)
My project & current setup: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=129671.msg716171#msg716171
undecided about POE, perhaps install ubiquiti AP AC lite ( 24V Passive POE)

Question: Which is a good switch for long term ? shouldn't I just buy a TL-SG2008 and upgrade the day I need PoE since TL-Sg2008 is just $70 and I can always power the devices by plugging them in an electric outlet worst case since I won't have many poe devices?

My gut feeling is saying just buy TL-Sg2008, very compact, low wattage, supports VLAN, support Inter VLAN broadcasting and keep it simple, in a few years there will be better switches and $70 depreciation for a few years is not the end of the world. Moreover TL-SG2008 is a better switch for a beginner compared jumping to Cisco SG300 for the 1st jump to VLAN.

Thoughts ?

Switches:

TP TL-SG2008 (Smart Switch, non-PoE) - Selling $70 USD
http://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-5070_TL-SG2008.html
Size: 8x4x1 (inch)
Electricity : < 7 watts
T2500G-10TS (TL-SG3210) (L2 Managed, non POE) - Selling $120
http://www.tp-link.com/ca/products/details/cat-39_T2500G-10TS.html#specifications
Size: 12x7x2 (inch)
Electricity: < 9 watts
Cisco SG300-10 (non-PoE, L2+L3 Managed) or SG300-10P (PoE + L2+L3 Managed ) - Selling 150-250
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/small-business-smart-switches/data_sheet_c78-610061.html
Size: approx 11x7x2 (inch)
Electricity - non PoE: <11 watts
Electricity - PoE: min 14 - max 82 watts (If I don't use POE, it will run approx 14 watts which is double than TP-SG2008)
PoE: 1 port up to 30watts

pfBasic

Check out the Zyxel GS1900-8HP. I just picked one up to replace a SG108E that was throwing up errors for my Ubiquiti AP.

It costs $30 more, but has PoE over all ports with a 70W budget.

It has what appears to be a solid GUI, and you can enable CLI is you want.

It's fanless and small.

You can check out my thread here if interested. https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=129751.msg717006#msg717006

ChefRayB

Zyxel GS1900-8 (non-POE, Smart Switch, not L2 Managed) - selling $70
https://www.zyxel.com/products_services/8-10-16-24-48-port-GbE-Smart-Managed-Switch-GS1900-Series/specification
size: 10x4x1
Electricity: <7 watt

Zyxel GS1900-8HP( POE, Smart Switch, not L2 Managed ) - selling 100
https://www.zyxel.com/products_services/8-10-16-24-48-port-GbE-Smart-Managed-Switch-GS1900-Series/specification
size: 10x4x1
Electricity: min: 14?? max: 84 watts

Basically if you don't need L2 Managed but want PoE, then Zyxel seems a better choice than TP Link.

So the question is does a home network require a L2 Managed or Smart Switch ? What does the L2 Managed bring to the table that might be useful for Home network ? (If smart switch supports multiple vlan, IGMP snooping v1,2,3 and Inter VLAN multicasting )

jahonix

@ChefRayB:

… what is the best managed switch to buy for home

I surely can't and won't speak for others - for me it is the Cisco SG300-10 (with or without PoE), SG300-20 or SG350-10. We installed dozens of em recently without a single hiccup, use them in the office and I have some at home.

You can compare the non-PoE version with TP-Link TL-SG3210 which I use at home as well. But there is a notable difference. Not so much in standard packet pushing but until it does what it's supposed to do.
I'm glad you didn't mention Netgear, though!

UNtil you have IGMP and inter-VLAN multicast working you will want a CLI for configuration and trouble shooting. That's what those smart switches are missing. And there's a reason for the CLI tax…

pfBasic

Not L2 managed? What is the difference in L2 managed v Smart switch?

Zyxel's support IGMP snooping, VLANs, Port Security, SNTP, EEE, Bandwidth Management, QoS, Storm Control, MAC filtering, Link Aggregation, Spanning Tree, Loop Guard, Mirroring, Scheduled Access, LLDP, 802.1x, Dos, PoE at & af, RADIUS, TACACS+, Syslog, SNMP, HTTP/S GUI Access, Port Test, Ping, Trace, Primary & Backup Partitions for Firmware Updates, IPv6

That's a lot of stuff, what else are you looking for?

You can even enable CLI very easily if you so desire.

ChefRayB

@jahonix:

UNtil you have IGMP and inter-VLAN multicast working you will want a CLI for configuration and trouble shooting. That's what those smart switches are missing. And there's a reason for the CLI tax…

So basically, having a L2 managed switch provides the option to troubleshoot in case something doesn't work well in your network. That option has a higher price point. So for a beginner, L2 Managed is better because I can troubleshoot it in the long term. Thanks !

@pfBasic:

Not L2 managed? What is the difference in L2 managed v Smart switch?

Zyxel's support IGMP snooping, VLANs, Port Security, SNTP, EEE, Bandwidth Management, QoS, Storm Control, MAC filtering, Link Aggregation, Spanning Tree, Loop Guard, Mirroring, Scheduled Access, LLDP, 802.1x, Dos, PoE at & af, RADIUS, TACACS+, Syslog, SNMP, HTTP/S GUI Access, Port Test, Ping, Trace, Primary & Backup Partitions for Firmware Updates, IPv6

That's a lot of stuff, what else are you looking for?

You can even enable CLI very easily if you so desire.

Based on the literature, vendor website, specs, forum there is a "unclear" delineation between smart switch and managed switch. I don't know what else I am looking for. This is why I am asking the question in the forum. I don't disagree with Zyxel's features and CLI, but then why on their web site they call it "smart switch" rather than managed switch like other vendors. This is what was confused because I never owned one of these switches. I guess Zyxel is managed switch like cisco SG300-10P but for 1/2 the price ?

pfBasic

From what I can tell,

Smart switches are usually managed switches with only a few essential management features enabled.

Smart switches include a broad spectrum of feature sets, ranging from pretty sparse to highly inclusive.

What seems to be the delineating feature between smart switches and fully managed switches is a CLI.

The zyxel switches don't advertise a CLI because it isn't enabled by default and there is no option in the GUI to enable it. In order to enable it you have to download your config file, edit it in a text editor and add```
ip telnet


[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=0ahUKEwjUi53pn-HTAhWCilQKHf8BCPAQxa8BCBwwAA&usg=AFQjCNF1sHlk2z9QIx28jtvfnGP_UlkifA&sig2=dGpfktC9yC9gf9X6oAuKsg](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=0ahUKEwjUi53pn-HTAhWCilQKHf8BCPAQxa8BCBwwAA&usg=AFQjCNF1sHlk2z9QIx28jtvfnGP_UlkifA&sig2=dGpfktC9yC9gf9X6oAuKsg) 14:25

I've never used a Cisco managed switch but I fully expect it has a better CLI than the Zyxels.

The Zyxel seems to me like the budget buy with a lot of features. I'm assuming Cisco does more and Cisco is also extremely well documented and supported.

But if you don't know of a reason that you need a Cisco then the zyxel is probably worth your consideration. The zyxel is much cheaper.

jahonix

"Smart switch" usually means web managed whereas a managed switch doesn't only have telnet/ssh access but a serial console as well. Very handy if you cannot reach it by IP anymore.
Happens more often than you think, because:

you don't speak CLI 100%
misinterpreted a checkbox in GUI
toying with VLANs
enabled ACLs without thinking twice
trying/testing new stuff
…you get the picture

Even an unmanaged switch will push packets, you can hardly stop that.
The more switch features you need (IGMP, multicast routing, ...) the easier management gets with a good CLI. Be prepared that if you buy cheap now, you'll buy better later on. Been there, done that.

pfBasic

@jahonix:

"Smart switch" usually means web managed whereas a managed switch doesn't only have telnet/ssh access but a serial console as well. Very handy if you cannot reach it by IP anymore.
Happens more often than you think, because:

you don't speak CLI 100%

misinterpreted a checkbox in GUI

toying with VLANs

enabled ACLs without thinking twice

trying/testing new stuff

…you get the picture

Even an unmanaged switch will push packets, you can hardly stop that.
The more switch features you need (IGMP, multicast routing, ...) the easier management gets with a good CLI. Be prepared that if you buy cheap now, you'll buy better later on. Been there, done that.

Ah, good point. I didn't think of that. Per that youtube video the Zyxel GS1900 series actually has headers for a serial port. If you are so inclined you just remove the cover, plug into the headers and pass the cable out the vent. Certainly not a clean solution but I think it's nice that it's even a possibility for such a relatively cheap switch.
It also requires you to not only apply settings but also save them. If you don't save then they won't persist through a shutdown. That's nice if you aply an incorrect setting and shut down your network, just flip the switch for a few seconds, then turn it back on and you're back in business. On the other hand that's a pain in the ass if you set up your switch and forget to save, then after teh first power outage you have to reconfigure your switch completely.

To be clear, I'm not trying to suggest that these are better switches than a cisco. I know nothing about managed switches, just got one like a week ago for the first time. I'm just putting this out here because the zyxels seem like a great budget buy. The youtube video even says the CLI is similar to cisco FWIW, kind of like a training wheels switch if you can't afford a cisco yet.

The comment about buying cheap means yo'll buy more later rings true for me. I almost immediately upgraded from the GS108E to the Zyxel as it kept throwing errors out on my AP. So if you can afford to spend a few hundred bucks now then that's probably your best bet. But I couldn't justify that yet for my needs.

johnpoz

"Then you can use Putty to telnet in to the switches CLI."

Telnet?? Not ssh??

"it kept throwing errors out on my AP. "

To be honest I don't think so - everything I have seen so far after buying one to look into this was its a cosmetic error only.. I have yet to see any issues with tagged or untagged packets.. While the zyxel does seem to have way more features than the tplink, at not much more money..

It really doesn't compare to say a sg300 from cisco.. Which I show on amazon right now for $145 would be L3 fully managed vs L2 "smart" Look at you - didn't even want to spend 10$ more for the unifi ;) So compare a 30$ switch to $60 switch for the zyxel and you get people saying they don't need those features ;)