SFP ports/switch?

[Whoaru99]

While out scrounging today I picked up a couple Cisco switches that have SFP ports. As well, out of the box of "stuff" I grabbed a 2-port fibre channel PCI-E card, not really knowing other than it is a fiber adapter.

If I get a fibre channel SFP that is the same spec as the fiber channel PCI-E card, will that work in the switch so I can link the two for network that way rather than by Ethernet cable?

 

[Whoaru99]

I've come to the opinion the FC card probably won't work as questioned above. Will need to get network-type SFPs, either copper or fiber. Probably will just stick to copper at this point to connect to the NICs, router, etc., I have already with plain old RJ45 ports.

 

[tangent]

Make sure you check the power consumption on an old switch. Some use so much that you'd be better off selling them and buying something else.

 

[crw030]

I spotted a couple 10/100 CISCO Switches for $5 at the Goodwill. ALMOST picked them up (I mean $5 is like what 2 candy bars nowadays) even knowing nothing about CISCO switches that old, but figured not worth the hassle since they weren't POE anyway, I wouldn't want to buy that many POE adapters.

 

[tangent]

I spotted a couple 10/100 CISCO Switches for $5 at the Goodwill. ALMOST picked them up (I mean $5 is like what 2 candy bars nowadays) even knowing nothing about CISCO switches that old, but figured not worth the hassle since they weren't POE anyway, I wouldn't want to buy that many POE adapters.

Not worth it, you might was well plug in a space heater. Though I am a little curious what city you're in, I mostly see VCRs, broken stereos with ipod dock connectors, and 20 year old printers when I visit Goodwill stores in the metro area. Savers consistently had some more interesting electronics but they went out of business.

 

[crw030]

I mostly see VCRs, broken stereos with ipod dock connectors, and 20 year old printers

Yeah that's pretty much how ours is, and gobs of old clothes and out-of-style suitcases and the like. This was the first time I saw network gear that wasn't some super old consumer grade netgear. I probably would have risked it for POE at $5, and then gotten home and realized the awful power draw.

 

[tangent]

Yeah that's pretty much how ours is, and gobs of old clothes and out-of-style suitcases and the like. This was the first time I saw network gear that wasn't some super old consumer grade netgear. I probably would have risked it for POE at $5, and then gotten home and realized the awful power draw.

I should probably make a habit of dropping in thrift stores in the DTC and Bloomfield areas more often. Then again things you can "make offers" for on eBay are way better than anything I've ever seen at thrift store.

 

[Whoaru99]

Make sure you check the power consumption on an old switch. Some use so much that you'd be better off selling them and buying something else.

Yeah that's pretty much how ours is, and gobs of old clothes and out-of-style suitcases and the like. This was the first time I saw network gear that wasn't some super old consumer grade netgear. I probably would have risked it for POE at $5, and then gotten home and realized the awful power draw.

They are 24-port PoE and PoE+ switches. $10 each. One has 10/100 LAN ports with two gig uplink ports, the other has 10/100/1000 LAN ports and four gig uplink ports. I figure for IP camera duty the 10/100 unit will still be just fine, given the gig uplink ports.

They both have 370W PoE power capability. 15W per port or the one with PoE+ can do 30W on up to 12 ports.

Draw is 30W at idle on the PoE and 40W at idle on the PoE+. Of course, that's just sitting here doing nothing other than me presently looking at the nifty web interfaces and trying to navigate Cisco's website and qualifications for downloading high encryption-type software.

Looked at a brand new Ubiquity 24-port PoE. It lists 32W power consumption (not including PoE). These here I just bought for $10 each seem in the same ballpark for power draw. They do have commercial grade fans...so they won't be in the livingroom. But, that was never the place for them to go anyway.

 

[fenderman]

They are 24-port PoE and PoE+ switches. $10 each. One has 10/100 LAN ports with two gig uplink ports, the other has 10/100/1000 LAN ports and four gig uplink ports. I figure for IP camera duty the 10/100 unit will still be just fine, given the gig uplink ports.

They both have 370W PoE power capability. 15W per port or the one with PoE+ can do 30W on up to 12 ports.

Draw is 30W at idle on the PoE and 40W at idle on the PoE+. Of course, that's just sitting here doing nothing other than me presently looking at the nifty web interfaces and trying to navigate Cisco's website and qualifications for downloading high encryption-type software.

Looked at a brand new Ubiquity 24-port PoE. It lists 32W power consumption (not including PoE). These here I just bought for $10 each seem in the same ballpark for power draw. They do have commercial grade fans...so they won't be in the livingroom. But, that was never the place for them to go anyway.

Those are crazy high numbers for actuarial draw at idle doing nothing. Depending on where you live you can be paying 30-60 bux a year just to run each of those switches. I doubt the ubiquiti switch actually draws 32w at idle, that is likely maxed out (not counting the poe power)..you are likely better of on two fanless poe switches.

 

[Whoaru99]

Those are crazy high numbers for actuarial draw at idle doing nothing. Depending on where you live you can be paying 30-60 bux a year just to run each of those switches. I doubt the ubiquiti switch actually draws 32w at idle, that is likely maxed out (not counting the poe power)..you are likely better of on two fanless poe switches.

Rounded up, $24/yr for the 30 watts.

 

[fenderman]

About $24/yr for the 30 watts.

you live in a place with cheap rates...regardless, way too high for a switch. Modern desktop pc's idle at 15-20.

 

[Whoaru99]

you live in a place with cheap rates...regardless, way too high for a switch. Modern desktop pc's idle at 15-20.

That may well be the case, but figuring in the cost of buying newer stuff paying the power at rates around here ain't so bad, along with keeping some stuff out of the landfill.

 

[fenderman]

That may well be the case, but figuring in the cost of buying newer stuff paying the power at rates around here ain't so bad, along with keeping some stuff out of the landfill.

You are likely not going to be using all 24 ports poe. So you could get away with cheaper new switches. Also note that you might keep the old stuff out of the landfill but you are burning coal.

 

[Whoaru99]

You are likely not going to be using all 24 ports poe. So you could get away with cheaper new switches. Also note that you might keep the old stuff out of the landfill but you are burning coal.

Yes, there is always some sort of trade off. More up front less over time, less up front more over time. A few different ways to look at it.

I did put the Q6600 and big graphics card on ice though, in favor of a i7-3770 and on-board graphics. Granted, that i7 isn't exactly an Intel Atom in consumption but it is less than the Q6600 rig.

 

[crw030]

Q6600, had one of those in the wife’s desktop for a long time. THAT chip is an Intel space heater!

 

[Whoaru99]

I think I may have one still in use that at least on paper is even worse. i7-920.

That said, it's a back room desktop that gets only occasional use and the power management is set pretty tight. At any given moment it could draw a lot under high load but the duty cycle is so low in the big picture I think it's not a big deal.

 

[Whoaru99]

Back to the switches. Seems Cisco is pretty tight on software and utilities. Two of these three beasts still have hardware warranty/coverage yet, since I don't have a service contract, I'm not entitled to download any software or utilities.

They work, so it's not like I need any of that stuff to go on, but still I presumed (naively, I guess) you'd make an account then would be able to download software/firmware, admin utilities, stuff like that. Nope...

I'm going to enquire about a contract, but I'd bet a beer it's going to be a jaw dropper and impractical for a simple home use IP cam setup.

 

[Whoaru99]

FWIW, I've pled my case to Cisco customer service to see if there is any way for them to make a contract exception for a non-business, old hardware, just-me-in-my-backroom type of situation. I doubt it, but a "No" would leave me in no lesser of a position than it is now, so why not ask.

 

[tangent]

There's probably a torrent somewhere... not that you should trust the integrity of software from such a source.
The main point is that isn't a fairly stupid business position for them that has potential to actually harm their reputation when their products end up hacked.

 

[Whoaru99]

There's probably a torrent somewhere... not that you should trust the integrity of software from such a source.
The main point is that isn't a fairly stupid business position for them that has potential to actually harm their reputation when their products end up hacked.

I'm not going that way. To me it seems more likely something that costs would be more likely subject of illegitimate distribution than that what can be had freely. But, one never knows for sure just what might trip someone's trigger either way.

I think the biggest grind is that there didn't seem to be any mention of contracts up front. It's like, sign up for a Cisco.com account to have access to all this stuff. Access...yeah...I can see it's there, which I could before, but still not get it even after setting up a Cisco.com account.