POE Switch Question

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HomeWPoe

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Aug 17, 2024
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Currently using an 8 ch 10/100mbps POE switch with 2 1000mbps uplink ports. One of the two uplink ports is connected to our router. Looks like we're going to need more channels.

I'm assuming the two 1000mbps uplink ports on this POE switch are paralleled? If so, can we connect the uplink port of a 2nd 8ch POE switch (same make/model we're currently using) to the second (available) uplink port on our current 8ch POE switch to get 16 POE channels?

Any downside (throughput issues?) to the above configuration vs. purchasing a 16ch 10/100mbps POE switch with two 2 1000mbps uplink ports?

Thx!
 
HomeWPoe said:
Currently using an 8 ch 10/100mbps POE switch with 2 1000mbps uplink ports. One of the two uplink ports is connected to our router. Looks like we're going to need more channels.

I'm assuming the two 1000mbps uplink ports on this POE switch are paralleled? If so, can we connect the uplink port of a 2nd 8ch POE switch (same make/model we're currently using) to the second (available) uplink port on our current 8ch POE switch to get 16 POE channels?

Any downside (throughput issues?) to the above configuration vs. purchasing a 16ch 10/100mbps POE switch with two 2 1000mbps uplink ports?

Thx!
Click to expand...
HomeWPoe said:
If so, can we connect the uplink port of a 2nd 8ch POE switch (same make/model we're currently using) to the second (available) uplink port on our current 8ch POE switch to get 16 POE channels?
Click to expand...
No, connect switch #1's uplink port to a standard POE port on switch #2.
HomeWPoe said:
Any downside (throughput issues?) to the above configuration vs. purchasing a 16ch 10/100mbps POE switch with two 2 1000mbps uplink ports?
Click to expand...
None that I'm aware of.
 
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Switch specs vary from manufacturer and model but generally speaking for any decent quality switch there's not normally anything special about uplink ports. They're just extra ports and you can link switches to each other using any of the ports on the switch.

The exception really would be if they were higher speed than the rest of ports which they are in your case as they're GB ports on a 10/100 switch.
So you would want to be using them for linking to other switches to avoid bandwidth issues.

In general daisy chaining switches isn't really a problem unless you're chaining too many of them (remembering that all of the traffic needs to pass through the very first uplink port that plugs into the router), or if you're using managed switches mixed with non managed switches.
 
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HomeWPoe said:
Currently using an 8 ch 10/100mbps POE switch with 2 1000mbps uplink ports. One of the two uplink ports is connected to our router. Looks like we're going to need more channels.

I'm assuming the two 1000mbps uplink ports on this POE switch are paralleled? If so, can we connect the uplink port of a 2nd 8ch POE switch (same make/model we're currently using) to the second (available) uplink port on our current 8ch POE switch to get 16 POE channels?

Any downside (throughput issues?) to the above configuration vs. purchasing a 16ch 10/100mbps POE switch with two 2 1000mbps uplink ports?

Thx!
Click to expand...
Yes, the two 1000mbps uplink ports on most switches are often paralleled, meaning you can use them to daisy chain another switch. You can connect the uplink port of a second 8 channel POE switch to the available uplink port on your current switch to expand your network and effectively get 16 POE channels.

However, keep in mind that both switches will share the 1000mbps uplink port that goes to the router, which could become a bottleneck if you have a lot of traffic.
 
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If the switch with the uplink port is unmanaged I've read that connecting its uplink port to another unmanaged switch's uplink port can cause problems and so uplink should connect to a regular port. I can't swear by this but in case connecting uplink to uplink between unmanaged switches causes a traffic problem you'll know why. :cool:
 
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TonyR said:
If the switch with the uplink port is unmanaged I've read that connecting its uplink port to another unmanaged switch's uplink port can cause problems and so uplink should connect to a regular port. I can't swear by this but in case connecting uplink to uplink between unmanaged switches causes a traffic problem you'll know why. :cool:
Click to expand...
In the olden days maybe. :)

Also in the olden days you needed to use a crossover cable to link two switches, but that hasn't been a requirement for several decades.
 
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looktall said:
Also in the olden days you needed to use a crossover cable to link two switches, but that hasn't been a requirement for several decades.
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Yes, I know about auto mdi-x negating the need for x-over cables and have posted such info on IPCT in the past. Again, just relating what I read recently that was written in the last 2 years. It's good to know that things like cascading switches are becoming easier and with less caveats.

At 75 I need "easier"......:cool:
 
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TonyR said:
just relating what I read recently that was written in the last 2 years.
Click to expand...
Then i would refer back my opening comment (particularly the part about the quality)....
looktall said:
Switch specs vary from manufacturer and model but generally speaking for any decent quality switch
Click to expand...

I come from a tech background and i mostly browse tech forums, so i was kind of surprised at the number of posts i see on here mentioning random, generic, no name branded switches being used by people, which i assume are the equivalent of all those random, generic, no name branded cameras we see people requesting help for.

Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.
 
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@DsineR, unfortunately, no available ports on the router.

Thanks for the replies @TonyR, @looktall, @NoProblems. Just to play it safe, we ended up ordering a (no-name) 16ch 10/100/1000 POE switch (with dual 2gb uplink ethernet ports and SFP) rather than try to parallel a 2nd 8ch POE switch (uplink to uplink). If we have some time, we may connect the 8ch and 16ch POE switches together (uplink to uplink) tomorrow and see what happens.
 
HomeWPoe said:
@DsineR, unfortunately, no available ports on the router.

Thanks for the replies @TonyR, @looktall, @NoProblems. Just to play it safe, we ended up ordering a (no-name) 16ch 10/100/1000 POE switch (with dual 2gb uplink ethernet ports and SFP) rather than try to parallel a 2nd 8ch POE switch (uplink to uplink). If we have some time, we may connect the 8ch and 16ch POE switches together (uplink to uplink) tomorrow and see what happens.
Click to expand...
Be careful with no name switches, they can cause issues that will haunt you and waste hours of your time. You will not saturate your connections with your current setup. I would also not trust a no name brand of network gear for security reasons.
 
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fenderman said:
Be careful with no name switches, they can cause issues that will haunt you and waste hours of your time. You will not saturate your connections with your current setup. I would also not trust a no name brand of network gear for security reasons.
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Thanks. What entry level, make/model 16ch POE switch would you recommend? Our current setup is using a Mokerlink 8ch unit. I assume this is another no-name?
 
HomeWPoe said:
Thanks. What entry level, make/model 16ch POE switch would you recommend? Our current setup is using a Mokerlink 8ch unit. I assume this is another no-name?
Click to expand...
MokerLink has proven here to be another problem child, causing network issue's and having early failures.

Stick with Netgear Prosafe switches or Tplink switches.

A switch is the heart of your network, and that is the last place you should try to save money.
 
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tigerwillow1 said:
My Cisco switches haven't missed a beat in a lot of years.
Click to expand...
Not exactly cheap though unless you're buying used.
Having said that I have a Cisco switch for my camera network too.
I would replace it with a unifi switch if I could afford one right now to go with my new UCG ultra.
 
+1 on using older switches that have become obsolete for business or government. I have some Alcatel Lucent OS6450s that the county shed for $5 to $10 each. Gigabit ports with 10G uplinks, POE+, stackable so you can add them together and they function as a single switch. These are overkill for my needs, but they were cheap and I enjoy learning about networking with them. I see things like Cisco ws- c3750s going cheap as well, and even if you buy them on eBay, they can be had or $40 or so.

Just remember a lot of the bigger enterprise-grade equipment is made to live in a server closet. They can be loud.
 
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Not always easy to configure either if you're using them as managed switches.

I've never been very good at configuring via CLI. It just doesn't compute well in my brain.
I prefer to use the GUI.
 
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looktall said:
I've never been very good at configuring via CLI. It just doesn't compute well in my brain.
I prefer to use the GUI.
Click to expand...
Not sure about Ciscos, but the Alcatels have a good GUi, though you have to do some digging in the CLI to enable it. I’m not very smart about this stuff, but I found a bunch of good vids on YT to walk through configuration and just did what I was told.
 
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