Managed switch for home use?

[Magnaheim]

Hi, I'm looking to get a Blue Iris machine going soon. I can learn a bit of tech when I need to, but I don't really know anything about networking or servers currently. When browsing eBay for PoE switches, I noticed a ton of very cheap rack mounted/managed switches. They seem to have tons of ports.

Are they difficult to setup?

Would it be worth buying a cheap one for future expansion room, and whatever features? (I would have to learn how to set it up from scratch.)

If so, is there anything specific I should know before picking one?


Thanks in advance!

 

[Flintstone61]

For just starting out, the unmanaged switch is all you need. Why over complicate an already complicated setup. Dumb switches are a smart solution. It eliminates a lot of guess work when your trying to setup new cameras. @looneytunes has had good luck with Netgear Prosafe POE switches. Some guys buy Tp link or other basic network switches with 8-10 ports.
I made a Blue Iris rack for the Condo and put in a Cisco C3560X in it. Switches - Cisco Catalyst 3560-X Series Switches
but I have a bigger electricity budget than a single family home. it's over kill for a single family home. and It's a managed switch. But if you do nothing, it just runs and hands out power to the cams with out a hiccup and sends data without configuration. ( in essence, like a dumb switch) which is how I use it anyway.

 

[Flintstone61]

most fixed cams will run with an 802.3-af POE switch. the PTZ cams require the higher wattage output of POE+ ( 802.3-at)
most switches are capable of POE+ but.....the power budget across the the ports, usually does NOT provide 802.3AT power to all ports. Which is fine ofr a camera system, because
probably 90% of your cams will be 802.3AF needing just 6-9 watts.

amcrest+poe+switch&qid=1642048293&sprefix=amcrest+poe+switch%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&smid=AM1AKWRN957PC&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVTM1WkdXMjNNOUNBJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTMwOTAxMUJGRkgwSzJNWkhIVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODM3MTkxVzBQWlVMSVZFTlE3JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==" data-host="www.amazon.com" data-pending="false">

Amazon.com: Amcrest 8-Port POE+ Power Over Ethernet POE Switch with Metal Housing, 8-Ports POE+ 802.3af/at 96w (AGPS8E8P-AT-96) : Electronics

Buy Amcrest 8-Port POE+ Power Over Ethernet POE Switch with Metal Housing, 8-Ports POE+ 802.3af/at 96w (AGPS8E8P-AT-96): Switches - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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[Flintstone61]

you can get this one cheap....but it has a noisy 1 speed fan. and I'm pretty sure only 24 of the 48 ports are POE. I have a 24 port version similar to this. and only 12 ports have poe 802.3 af. the other ports are just data. which is fine. but I think If i use it at home, i will rip it open and see if I can replace the fan with a NOCTUA quiet fan. With this, you can just plug the Camera's in and the switch will auto-negotiate the power to send to the Camera that gets plugged into it.

Cisco Small Business SF200-48P 48-Port 10/100 PoE Smart Switch w/ Rack Ears | eBay

Default login UN: cisco. Default login PW: cisco.

www.ebay.com

 

[Flintstone61]

I took a Cisco Networking Academy course back in 2000. For about 1 1/2 Semesters. So I know just enough to click my way into a mess.

 

[Magnaheim]

But if you do nothing, it just runs and hands out power to the cams with out a hiccup and sends data without configuration. ( in essence, like a dumb switch) which is how I use it anyway.

So I can run a managed switch the same as a normal home switch, good to know. Also, I was considering the fan thing myself tbh. Thanks for the reply!

 

[tigerwillow1]

I run a Cisco SF300-24P switch in its default configuration. It's not easily accessible, so the POE menus allow me to see which cameras are drawing power and how much power each is drawing. I can also shut off power to a port. All of this helps with debugging a camera problem. The fan noise is a legitimate issue. My switch has 24 10/100 POE ports plus 4 gigabit ports. I use it as my home network switch as well as for 15 cameras and an NVR. I thought 28 ports was overkill but now wish I had a few more.

 

[The Automation Guy]

I'd recommend getting a Brocade ICX switch (like the ICX6450). Here is a thread on ServerTheHome that goes into a TON of detail about these switches. Brocade ICX Series (cheap & powerful 10gbE/40gbE switching).

Make sure you get a POE switch. More and more devices (cameras, Wireless APs, small network switches, digital phones, etc) are being powered by POE. You can get a used POE switch on Ebay for less than a couple of POE injectors would cost.

 

[Wildcat_1]

Agree with others above and would just add that if you want to start building an end to end managed infrastructure then also consider Ubiquiti as not bad for prosumer but obviously if you want enterprise then there are other options that I and others could recommend. Either way start small like @Flintstone61 stated and focusing on what you need for now with an eye on the future of your deployment and required supporting infrastructure.

 

[Flintstone61]

I can't help but wonder if this is Fanless or has a fan.
Cisco SG200-50P 50-Port Gigabit PoE Smart Switch 692624619364 | eBay
Cisco 200 Series Switches Data Sheet - Cisco

 

[Flintstone61]

as far as the Noctua solution for the SG200-26P or the SG200-50P, they are the same price as the OEM fan found on ebay. plus, it "appears" as though the Noctua may have 3 speeds of adjustment?
Original Replacement Fan For Cisco SG200-26P SG200-26FP Gigabit PoE Switch | eBay
Amazon.com: Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX, Premium Quiet Fan, 3-Pin (40x20mm, Brown) : Electronics

 

[DG99]

The Noctua will work, but you will get fan error in the log every 10 seconds on the switch, have replaced a few with them, speed sensor does not work with cisco

 

[Flintstone61]

oh crap! Thanks for the heads up, maybe i'll stick with the one thats in there. it's not horrible. Esp. if it's away from where the living sleeping areas are.

 

[Magnaheim]

I can't help but wonder if this is Fanless or has a fan.
Cisco SG200-50P 50-Port Gigabit PoE Smart Switch 692624619364 | eBay
Cisco 200 Series Switches Data Sheet - Cisco

This auction says loud fan, so I'd say it has a fan:

Cisco SG200-50P SLM2048PT 50 Port PoE Gigabit Smart Switch Tested Loud Fan j | eBay

This switch is tested and is working great. At least one of the cooling fans is noisy, but it does not affect the operation of the switch at all.

www.ebay.com

Also, the one you linked says parts only, so caution if you're buying that.

 

[Magnaheim]

So about the noisy server fans: If I can't adjust speed via software, can't I just add a resistor to it to slow the fan down? Not like I'm gonna be heating it up with a load like it would be in a proper server rack.

 

[sdkid]

So about the noisy server fans: If I can't adjust speed via software, can't I just add a resistor to it to slow the fan down? Not like I'm gonna be heating it up with a load like it would be in a proper server rack.

I have one of these switches. I don't have the specs handy-- but they are quieter than the Ciscos and this particular switch wasn't too bad on energy use.
24 ports / 12 have POE. Currently running 7 cams (1 more waiting to be installed), including a beastly 25x PTZ...

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from the management interface... I almost never look at this, but it's some cool nerdy stats....





The POE readout by port. 2 cams not on this switch-- I have an indoor cam on a power supply, and another connected to a little 8-port poe switch...
Port 5 took a surge during a thunderstorm which killed poe on it-- the awesome part about that was damage was CONTAINED to that one port. If it killed the switch, who cares--- for $40 I can buy another.

 

[user8963]

So about the noisy server fans: If I can't adjust speed via software, can't I just add a resistor to it to slow the fan down? Not like I'm gonna be heating it up with a load like it would be in a proper server rack.

the only model which is available with poe and fanless is the cisco 2960-L max. 24port. but has only 195W poe budget

all real enterprise switches like brocade are loud as hell. hp switches tends to be quieter, but mostly they have only a few poe ports. some models even start blowing with 10% load @ 80% fanspeed. you can replace them, yes. but what most people not understand .. its dangerous and you might burn down your house.

also some older models have idle power consumption around 100W.. thats insane.

also some cheap poe switches from HP have only 100mbit ports.. so you can only connect cameras to it and need another switch for your network..

poe + fanless or even silent = almost impossible.

 

[tigerwillow1]

I've seen a couple of fanless 8-port POE switches that use external power bricks, using a lot of surface area to lose the heat. I solved the noise issue by putting the switch in the crawlspace.