Very cheap switch

Anyone got any idea why this 16 port 10/100 switch is only 26UKP?

http://secure.addonsonline.co.uk/add...?partno=CO3019

Its about 45UKP on aria, which is still cheap for a 16 porter, but is
there something fatally flawed with this hardware? Is it missing basic
features that should be available in a switch?

If not, this looks like a bargain.

Cheers
--
Nick
Finger vw-(E-Mail Removed) for e-mail and instant message details

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 18:54:15 +0000, Nick Hall wrote:

> Anyone got any idea why this 16 port 10/100 switch is only 26UKP?
>
> http://secure.addonsonline.co.uk/add...?partno=CO3019
>
> Its about 45UKP on aria, which is still cheap for a 16 porter, but is
> there something fatally flawed with this hardware? Is it missing basic
> features that should be available in a switch?

The only feature you expect from a cheap switch is the ability to
autonegotiate 10 or 100Mb/s and full/half duplex. A cheap non managed
switch has no means of setting them so autonegotiation is a must for cheap
switches. So this one will do it.

> If not, this looks like a bargain.

It does.

The price reflects the drop in prices of commodity electronics. When I
bought my 16 port switch about 18 months ago it was about 60 quid.
That was very cheap at the time. It has worked flawlessly. Prices have
come down since then. This one is cheap but not excessively so.

If you need a 16 port job buy one, you don't have a lot to lose. It should
work. Of course, if it doesn't you'll get into the problem of trying to
return kit to a bargain basement seller with no coherent returns policy,
but this is normal, it doesn't mean the equipment is bad. The established
mail order companies don't have particularly good reputations in this
respect.

Regards, Ian

Ian Northeast wrote:
> > http://secure.addonsonline.co.uk/add...?partno=CO3019
> >
> > Its about 45UKP on aria, which is still cheap for a 16 porter, but is
> > there something fatally flawed with this hardware? Is it missing basic
> > features that should be available in a switch?
>
> The only feature you expect from a cheap switch is the ability to
> autonegotiate 10 or 100Mb/s and full/half duplex. A cheap non managed
> switch has no means of setting them so autonegotiation is a must for cheap
> switches. So this one will do it.

Yeah, certainly does:
http://www.kobian.com/products.php?productid=100

> > If not, this looks like a bargain.
>
> It does.
>
> The price reflects the drop in prices of commodity electronics. When I
> bought my 16 port switch about 18 months ago it was about 60 quid.
> That was very cheap at the time. It has worked flawlessly. Prices have
> come down since then. This one is cheap but not excessively so.

It is cheap, and I'm going to order it now. Its the cheapest one I've
found, and perfect for what I need (simple LAN, but many network
connected devices). I think networking kit has dropped a lot in price
with a lot more people these days having LANs (hence this newsgroup). I
really hadn't noticed.

> If you need a 16 port job buy one, you don't have a lot to lose. It should
> work. Of course, if it doesn't you'll get into the problem of trying to
> return kit to a bargain basement seller with no coherent returns policy,
> but this is normal, it doesn't mean the equipment is bad. The established
> mail order companies don't have particularly good reputations in this
> respect.

I've ordered from addonsonline before, and had a problem with the order
(item missing IIRC). I mailed them, and they resolved it very quickly,
and with no hassle.
--
Nick
Finger vw-(E-Mail Removed) for e-mail and instant message details