Question Zyxel 12-Port Gigabit UnManaged Multi-Gig Switch. 2 x Copper 2.5G Ports, 2 x 1/10G SFP+ Ports [XGS1010-12-ZZ0101F] @ Amazon - interesting new switch ?

[VirtualLarry]

Amazon.com: Zyxel 12-Port Gigabit UnManaged Multi-Gig Switch. 2 x Copper 2.5G Ports, 2 x 1/10G SFP+ Ports [XGS1010-12-ZZ0101F]: Computers & Accessories

Buy Zyxel 12-Port Gigabit UnManaged Multi-Gig Switch. 2 x Copper 2.5G Ports, 2 x 1/10G SFP+ Ports [XGS1010-12-ZZ0101F]: Switches - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

At first, I thought that perhaps this was an 8-port 2.5GbE-T / 2-port SFP+ 10GbE switch, but alas, it appears to be mostly gigabit ports, but with 2x copper 2.5GbE-T ports, and 2x SFP+ 1/10GbE ports. (According to the description... although I'm using some of those particular IPolex SFP+ 10G modules, that will automagically switch down to 2.5GbE-T, and presumably 5GbE-T too, in my 4-port SPF+ 10GB / 1-port GbE-T Microtik switch. So I wonder if I used the same copper SPF+ modules in this Zyzel switch, if the 10G ports would also switch down, transparently, to 2.5/5GbE-T.)


Still, it's another option, and it's $149. (The all-important under $200 price point.)

I had picked up, initially, a Netgear unmanaged switch with 2x 10GbE-T and 8x 1GbE-T ports, just as a 10GbE "starter switch". I'm still using it, but it would be nicer if it had mostly 2.5GbE-T ports.

I'm still waiting for a decent, small, fanless, cool-running, switch with 8x 2.5GbE-T and 2x 10GbE-T/multi-gig (or 2x SFP+ multi-gig). I came fairly close, picking up a few D-Link switches with 8x 2.5GbE-T and 2x SFP+ 10G ports, at a pretty decent discount, but list price, they are around $500. Which, IMHO, is around $300 too much. Plus, they're fairly huge, as far as consumer-oriented gear goes, and not fanless.

Edit: And in other related news, "Pluggable" has 2.5GbE-T USB3.0 adapters, with Type-C and a Type-A "captive adapter dongle" connected, so you choose whether to plug in a Type-A or Type-C into your host device. They are $39.99, at Amazon/Newegg/Walmart/ebay. (There was a review, with a $10 off coupon, but that was 4 weeks old.) The cheapest USB3.0 2.5GbE-T is still the $30.99 CableCreations dongle @ Amazon.

Edit: Maybe these Zyxel switches aren't so great. I just noticed, the four right-most 1GbE-T ports, the left two are "med priority" and the right two are "high priority".

I never had good luck with physical port-based priority schemes. I own a WD switch with some sort of setup like that, 1GbE-T, and I could almost swear I could feel it slowing down connections for no good reason. Normally, I'm the only person here, and although I have a number of PCs, I don't activately stream video, for example, on more than one at a time. (They download and access the net for various reasons and at various times on their own.)

So this switch may not be ideal. If I have two NAS units on 1GbE-T, and three PCs on 1GbE-T, should I put the PCs, or the NAS units, on the "high priority" ports, if I want the fastest response times or greatest bandwidth from the NAS units?

The thing is, if the switch is lightly loaded, then it shouldn't affect performance at all, if queues aren't full up, should it? Yet, on that WD switch, I could have sworn that it did, by slowing down certain connections, as compared to a "normal" gigabit switch with equal priority per physical port.

Sigh. I guess I'll try a pair of them, it would help me to cut down my network wiring mess and multiple switches. One of which (the Microtik, which is passive, but chews a lot of power for a switch, gets REALLY hot).

Also, when I search the model number, all I get are Euro sites. So I doubt that these have a US warranty attached to them, even though the Amazon listing says "Sold by Zyxel, Shipped by Amazon".

Here's the same switch, without the "priority gige ports", for $212.

Amazon.com: Zyxel 12-Port Gigabit Smart Managed Multi-Gig Switch. 2 x Copper 2.5G Ports, 2 x 1/10G SFP+ Ports [XGS1210-12]: Industrial & Scientific

Buy Zyxel 12-Port Gigabit Smart Managed Multi-Gig Switch. 2 x Copper 2.5G Ports, 2 x 1/10G SFP+ Ports [XGS1210-12]: Switches - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Edit: My bad, the $200+ model is a "Web Managed", and the $150 model (with the physical port priority) is "Unmanaged". That seems to be the larger difference. The "Web Managed" supports QoS, and LAGG, VLANs, and a few other features, it might be useful.

XGS1010-12 | 12-Port Unmanaged Multi-Gigabit Switch with 2-Port 2.5G and 2-Port 10G SFP+ | Zyxel Networks

The Zyxel XGS1010-12 comes with eight gigabit Ethernet ports, two 2.5 Gigabit ports, and two 10 Gigabit SFP+ uplink ports. Deliver your data swiftly to your client devices from your NAS or other core networking essential with 10 Gigabit SFP+. Connect the latest WiFi 6 access points to the 2.5...

www.zyxel.com

XGS1210-12 | 12-Port Web-Managed Multi-Gigabit Switch with 2-Port 2.5G and 2-Port 10G SFP+ | Zyxel Networks

www.zyxel.com

 

[SamirD]

I would wait unless you truly need them. The 8x 2.5G with 2x10G is definitely the sweet spot I'm even thinking of. And I'm sure if we both have thought of it, so have the engineers--just got to give them some time to market.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I would wait unless you truly need them. The 8x 2.5G with 2x10G is definitely the sweet spot I'm even thinking of. And I'm sure if we both have thought of it, so have the engineers--just got to give them some time to market.

But how long will that take to reach the under $200 price-point? That's my question.

Also, how much would the "Med. Priority" and "High priority" 1GbE-T ports on the $150 Zyxel switch in the OP, affect things, if the switch isn't heavily loaded? The old WD switch I had, with priority ports, had a "low priority" set of ports too, that just felt like when I was using it, that some connections slowed down on, even when the switch wasn't actually loaded.

I am generally opposed to physical port-based priority, but... would it be too bad to have that feature, on "med" and "high" and (unspecified) for the other four 1GbE-T ports on it, if I'm not loading the 1GbE-T ports down heavily? $150 is a Niiice price, although it only has 2x 2.5GbE-T ports, and I would have to test-and-pray that the IPolex 10GbE SFP+ CU adapter will "step down" on that port, to accomodate my 2.5GbE-T link from my NIC, or I'll have to get a 10GbE-T card for my main workstation, and replace the 2.5GbE-T NIC.

Basically, if I got two of these switches, at my current network port capacity, I could replace and re-wire THREE switches on my network / NAS cluster, and TWO switches on my workstation side (an 8x 1GbE-T, and a Microtik with 4x 10GbE SFP+ and 1x 1GbE-T), each with ONE of these Zyxel 12-port switches. It would simplify things a bit, and lower physical space and power requirements, I think, and mostly accommodate my current needs.

My existing setup is way more than I need currently, but it allows room for expansion, say, if I got 5-6 more NAS units with 2.5GbE-T ports, etc. (Not like that's going to happen, anyways.)

I could also sell my D-Link switches, I got them for fairly cheap, due to pricing-bot activity by the seller, but now they're selling for ~$440-450, so I could probably sell them here on FS/FT if I'm quick about them, for a decent price.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Hardware Specifications
Interface
• 8 x RJ-45 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet port with metal shielding
• 2 x RJ-45 100/1000/2500 Mbps Ethernet port with metal shielding
• 2 x SFP+ (Uplink only)
• Hardware reset button

Can someone tell me what "uplink only" means in the context of the 10GbE SFP+ ports on this device (the managed one).

Does that mean that the 10GbE ports are themselves unmanaged, unlike the rest of the switch? Or that the ports are not full-duplex or bi-directional (doesn't make sense).

Or that the 10GbE ports are outside of the management interface, and cannot be assigned to port-based VLANs, etc.? (Wouldn't that mean that the 10GbE ports would be automatic trunk ports?)

 

[SamirD]

But how long will that take to reach the under $200 price-point? That's my question.

And a tough question to answer for sure. My guess is that they'll come down as 2.5G becomes as commonplace as 1G. But with nothing needing more than 1G except in limited scenarios, 2.5G is still overkill.

Now, the day manufacturers change to 2.5G as it costs the same to make as 1G, then 2.5G will be everywhere and people will find uses for it. But again, who knows when that will happen.

The only answer I do know is that it will happen inside the next 10 years. Not much help, but it does allow planning.

As far as the 'uplink only', I would download the entire manual and read through it. I'm sure the answer is there.

 

[mxnerd]

Guess those 2 SFP+ 10G uplink only ports mean they can't talk to each other directly? It's sole purpose is just for link to other same type of switches or devices?

Personally in most cases I would not buy any product without a pdf manual that I can read.

==

Well, those uplink only SFP+ ports probably only means you need to connect a normal SFP+ port.

Can switch SFP/SFP+ uplink ports connect to a SFP/SFP+ NIC and how?

What I'm looking for is a solution to connect workstations with RJ-45 Ethernet NICs with a workstation with SFP/SFP+ NIC. I found that many switches have both RJ-45 and SFP/SFP+ ports available, h...

serverfault.com

Uplink Port Vs. Normal Port on Switch

uplink port vs. normal port: In fact, uplink port can serve as normal port. Therefore, there are no big differences between them.

www.fiber-optical-networking.com

 

[mxnerd]

Get a real multigig switch like this Netgear.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Multi-Gigabit-Managed-Uplinks-MS510TXPP/dp/B075Q5T7NH

 

[Fallen Kell]

Well I think the real problem stems from how long it is taking 10g networks to arrive in consumer class switches in the $300 range. Sure 2.5g is better than 1g, but why are we as consumers settling for a non-standard “standard” when 10g has been around for 15 years now and we still do not have switches in the consumer market. The 2.5/5g standards only came out because network companies realized they had to finally put some kind of upgrade in the consumer lineups because there was no reason for people to replace their existing 1g switches. The enterprise world has already moved past 10g and even 40g with most places moving to the newer 25g/100g single/quad network tech (for those that are not familiar with this, there have long been this pairing of network bandwidth, this is how we have SFP and QFP ports (1g/4g), along with SFP+ and QFP+ (10g/40g). The original concept and benefit of the QFP port is that you could use a breakout cable to obtain 4 individual 1g connections, which saved space and power on the switches). We are seeing the beginnings of 100g/400g now at the enterprise level, yet we are still complaining about getting 10g ports in consumer level equipment....

Sure, most people do not realize how far behind the state of the art our home networks are mainly because they don’t also realize how far behind the state of the art our broadband internet connections are (especially in the US). People just don’t complain because most don’t even have access to 1g to the internet...

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well I think the real problem stems from how long it is taking 10g networks to arrive in consumer class switches in the $300 range. Sure 2.5g is better than 1g, but why are we as consumers settling for a non-standard “standard” when 10g has been around for 15 years now and we still do not have switches in the consumer market. The 2.5/5g standards only came out because network companies realized they had to finally put some kind of upgrade in the consumer lineups because there was no reason for people to replace their existing 1g switches.

You're forgetting the cabling argument. 2.5G/5G doesn't require new cables, it can run over Cat5E. 10G requires Cat6A at a minimum, and if your wiring is in the wall (why wouldn't it be?), then you've got a rip-and-replace issue, which is IMHO a far bigger issue than just buying switches.

Also, the 10G network tech that enterprise uses or used, wasn't copper. You seemed to gloss over that too. 10GBASE-T is far more recent.

I think that the 2.5G/5G standards are just fine for now, for users with existing cables. Sure, having 10G / multi-gig ports on mobos, NICs, and NAS units, is preferable, but even if they can start making the RealTek 8125 PCI-E x1 2.5GbE-T chipset ethernet "standard" on mobos (ASRock is doing this, on some of their "Phantom Gaming" boards, not all, sadly), then things will start to take off from there. 2.5G has a lot to offer consumers. Most consumer NAS units often struggle to keep a 1G pipe fed, a 2.5G pipe is better, sure a 10G is way better, but you realistically have to start filling your NAS with SATA SSDs, if you want those kinds of speeds, or use front-line M.2 NVMe SSDs (Like in the Asustor "LockerStor" NAS units), as caching units, to actually realize those types of speeds. Just a simple RAID-5/RAID-6 with a bunch of spinners is largely not going to do that, and 2.5G (or dual 2.5G) would be FINE.

 

[SamirD]

Agree with the cabling. Back when networks moved from 10base-T to 100base-T, cabling was an issue. And it took many years for 10Mbps to be fully phased out because existing cabling was a deterrent for a long time. There was even a standard that came out that used existing cat3 cabling for 100Mbps, but it never caught on.

Cabling was always the drawback for 10G as there wasn't even a copper standard until the 10Gbase-T standard came about. But that wasn't even an issue as there were (and still are) very few applications that fully saturate a gigabit pipe in the home. We are still at the phase where 2.5/5Gbps would be 'nice' but is not 'needed'. Once 2.5/5G becomes more prevalent, people will find uses for it since it's a waste otherwise, but until those uses become mainstream, there's no pressure to get it out there or to make it cheaper.

 

[mxnerd]

10G for short distance like 45 meters is achievable on CAT 5e

https://www.eetimes.com/10gbase-t-spec-ratified/#

Still worth a try using cat5e running 10G.

MEASUREMENTS: Going 10 Gigabits/s home ethernet (10GbE) on Cat-5e cables. (ASUS XG-C100C cards & Netgear GS110MX switches)

A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.

archimago.blogspot.com

The 10GBASE-T doesn't support Cat5e cabling. It supports a distance of up to 55m... | Hacker News

news.ycombinator.com

 

[Fallen Kell]

In most residential situations, CAT5e will work with 10G. There will be some cases where it might not (such as a situation where someone has the core network switch in the basement, and have the room runs going up to the attic and down into the respective rooms), but for many others with just a 1 floor setup or even 2 floor houses, it will be fine.

But, yes, to be certain that it will work, CAT6 or CAT6a is a better cable for anyone doing new installs (CAT7 is just not worth it at all, most likely same with CAT8, as you are much better off pulling fibre if you are attempting to future proof your install since that is the only thing known to support 40G and 100G asside from very short distances of 10meters).

I personally use copper twinax cables for my 40G connections, but they are all in the same enclosure just a few feet from end to end.

 

[SamirD]

Every time I see the word 'twinax' it takes me back to the day of these cables:

 

[Ranulf]

Anyone pick up one of these? Just noticed the smart version is down to $180 on amazon.

 

[R81Z3N1]

Any one do the qnap switches, with the 2-3-4 sfp+ connectors, they seem to be in same price range.

For those who have 10Gbe, what use case do you use to fill the pipes? I only have 2 desktops that could use 10Gbe, every other case is wifi, and powerline.

I am not a video nut so don't push uhd videos, or other things. I do have a Jellyfin server but that doesn't push 10Gbe. I have so few uhd disc's that I would be hard pressed to have a uhd frendly drive, for Jellyfin.

R81Z3N1

 

[Fallen Kell]

Any one do the qnap switches, with the 2-3-4 sfp+ connectors, they seem to be in same price range.

For those who have 10Gbe, what use case do you use to fill the pipes? I only have 2 desktops that could use 10Gbe, every other case is wifi, and powerline.

I am not a video nut so don't push uhd videos, or other things. I do have a Jellyfin server but that doesn't push 10Gbe. I have so few uhd disc's that I would be hard pressed to have a uhd frendly drive, for Jellyfin.

R81Z3N1

My use case for 10Gbe (and 40Gbe) is for sharing out my fileserver with the other computers on my network, part of which is my HTPC which has DVR functionality. I use hardware that supports the ability to record into formats that are not DRM controlled (i.e. the recordings are not limited for playback to the HTPC itself and/or a media extender directly tied to that PC like a Xbox). As such, having them being able to be saved over the network and accessible by any other device on my network is a real bonus, especially when you factor in that I have several thousand hours worth of recordings (I think the last time I checked it is probably more hours than I will ever have time to watch...) It is just one of those things if I watch a show and seem to think I will like it, I will just set it to record and eventually I will have most of the episodes and can binge them whenever I have time and feel like it. The high speed links allow me to quickly transfer one or more recordings to a laptop/tablet that I can use off my network.