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    Toss Out or Donate Old Switches

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Off-Topic & Non-Support Discussion
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    • andrewphilmorganA
      andrewphilmorgan @coffeecup25
      last edited by

      @coffeecup25 said in Toss Out or Donate Old Switches:

      I recently upgraded my ISP from cable to fiber with another company. It costs less and I am now at 1gb symmetrical. Afterward I still noticed a little slowness that seemed odd so I upgraded a switch to the newest model unmanaged switch from a 10+ year old V 1.0 smart switch.

      The new switch is great. Lag is almost instantaneous. The problem I noticed is gone. Improvements over the past decade must have made the difference.

      Now, what to do with the old switches. I have 5 decade+ old switches to dispose of. Some were replaced. Some were on the shelf and won't be put back into use.

      Toss Out or Donate?

      The old switches work well but would someone who bought from a thrift shop be disappointed with lag time that new tech apparently does not have? TP-Link and Netgear. Most are unmanaged. Port counts ranges from 5 to 24.

      The old models are either end-of-life or many versions old compared to new ones. Amazon is very low priced with new models and they go on sale now and then.

      Suggestions?

      If the old switches are still functional, donating them to schools, community centers, or nonprofits could be a good option, as they may not require the latest tech. However, if they cause noticeable lag, they might not be ideal for high-speed networks. Recycling them responsibly is another option if they are truly outdated.

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      • joshgreyzJ
        joshgreyz @coffeecup25
        last edited by

        @coffeecup25 You could post them on Freecycle or Craigslist as free to a good home.

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