Comments for Managed Switches

Comment on MT-ES108 8-Ports 10/100 Fast Ethernet Internet Network Switch by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:24:49 +0000

inexpensive Internet Switch, November 26, 2011

M. M. Mekawi "Pharoh" (Naperville, IL USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: MT-ES108 8-Ports 10/100 Fast Ethernet Internet Network Switch (Electronics)

I was looking around for an inexpensive internet switch for a week or so. I was surprised how unreasonably priced they are even at some well known discount stores. Ordered this product online. Works well. Long term durability still to be determined though!

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Comment on Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player by Mahesh

Mahesh — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:03:30 +0000

923 of 988 people found the following review helpful:

Great device, user experience could be better, August 3, 2011

Mahesh -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player (Electronics)

I've been using Roku 2 XS for a few days now and I must say I like the device, but there are quite a few hiccups. So first the good stuff.

* The Box is tiny and the setup is a breeze. I was up and streaming in under 5 mins.
* Netflix, Huluplus, Amazon and Pandora worked fine
* Streaming in 1080p worked fine without buffering (I use Xfinity) and the quality is superb
* The Ethernet option (available only in XS) is very helpful and the Quality of streaming is far better than wireless

and the not so good stuff:
* The Box does not have adequate memory and needs an external micro-SD card for more capacity
* The device re-booted a few times for me when switching between channels. I was initially very upset with this as the reboot process takes about 3-4 mins. I called support and they asked me to uninstall Angry Birds as it takes up huge amount of space. Did that and then on no re-boots. This sucks as Roku 2 advertises Angry Birds big time and the remote is designed for that, but the device is not capable without additional memory
* It is non-sense that I buy the high end XS version for Ethernet and HD support and I still have to buy HDMI cable and Ethernet cable separately!
* I mainly bought Roku for streaming International Channels and to my horror I found that most of the channels do not work in Roku 2!! Apparently Roku 2's video format is different to that of Roku 1. Roku support says that the Channel provider needs to fix it and the Channel provider's support say that Roku needs to fix it!!! So why advertise them and make me sign up for them then??
* Finally, many channels have sub-channels within them. Switching from One channel is only possible through menus and there are no short-cuts. It takes up to 5 to 6 button press to switch Channels and it obviously sucks.

Verdict:
If Roku is serious of competing with Apple TV and Content is the differentiator, then Roku needs to pay more attention to the content and ensure it works and make the user experience better.

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Comment on Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player by Jim Utkin

Jim Utkin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:39:42 +0000

371 of 379 people found the following review helpful:

The best streamer on the market!, September 12, 2011

Jim Utkin (Normal, IL United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player (Electronics)

First I have to say the negative reviews are puzzling to me, because I dont think those buyers understand what they are buying.

As you know there is 3 versions, I absolutely recommend you spend the money on the XS (99.95) model, the main reason is because it's the only model with a USB port. Which in short term will allow you connect USB HD and play any movies you may of ripped from your DVD's. I have a 4TB array connected with most of my DVD collection, which is close to 1000 movies.

Roku has three type of channels:

Public
Apps
Private

The public channels are the once visible in what is called "Channel Store". Currently there about 300, but channels are added weekly. Looking at fan blogs, there has yet to be a weeks in about 4 months, that at least several channels weren't added.

Now channels can fall into three categories, Pay, Free, and Subscription.

Pay means you pay onetime fee and you get access to the channel, subscriptions are channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, etc... if you already have those subscriptions, you just add them at no additional cost. If you are an amazon prime customer then you will get access to amazon prime streaming collection, about 9000 movies and shows. You can also rent movies from .99 cents to 3.99. Or you can digitally buy movies, which will then be permanently accessible to you through any device that supports the Amazon channel.

I will admit that half the pay channels are bad, so do your homework before laying out money for any channel that requires either a onetime fee or subscription. You have to understand the Roku is a streaming device, they are not a content provider, so they don't have anything to do with setting prices. That said there are 100's of free channels, especially if you are fan of Video Podcasts from companies live Revision 3 or TWiT. They are all there in HD, and free.

I imagine as time goes on more pay services will become available as well as free once. To give this device a bad rating because you have to pay for some channels, is just typical spoiled attitude. Remember folks who provide these channels have to pay for servers that store the content, bandwidth that delivers the content, and sometimes licensing of the content.

Roku 2 operates on a modified Linux OS. This gives this device a lot of flexibility. Roku has also given out an API so others are writing applications for the device. There are already some games available, again some free, some pay. If you buy the XS model you get a motion controller, similar to the WII one. It's obviously that it's very early in the devices API development. Even though Roku 1 has been around for years, the API flexibility really didn't open up until Roku 2. There is also SD slot so you can upgrade internal memory so you can store games and apps, which you will likely have use for in the coming months, as more apps come out. For example there is one very useful app for Netflix users, called Instant Watcher, it's a onetime fee of $2.99, and give you a lot more flexibility and power to browse the Netflix Streaming Library, you link you Netflix account through this application, and then it allows you to do everything from managing your queue to browse various lists. I discovered a few movies and shows, I would of probably never found on my own.
Second category is Application, which also includes games. That's where the motion controller that comes with the XS model comes in. XS comes with a full version of angry birds, which actually looks and plays quite well. I don't see using Roku to replace my PS3, PC, or WII as gaming platform. But I can see a few possibilities like network wide scrabble; poker, etc... type games and tournaments. There also application, some free some are pay. For example if you got the XS model you have a USB channel, to enable its use for a HD connection you have download a free application. But there is also a pay application, which will allow you to stream audio and video from your server or PC's in the house. There are few other apps, but nothing of any real value at this time. Since the API relatively new, I would expect we will see a lot more apps coming in the next few months.

The last type of channel and probably one most people will not know unless they are told or stumble on it on the forums are "Private Channels". These channels are not advertised or visible through any Roku channel. There are dozen plus sites that track them. Simply google Roku private channels and you will see quite a few. Again some are free, some require a subscription. Channels range from Adult content to one person operations. Some are quite unique like a live stream of ABC in Australia. Like Public channels, private channels go up all the time, and because many of them are one person operation they also go down just as quick sometimes. Adding private channels is... Read more

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Comment on Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player by Jon Folkers

Jon Folkers — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:16:28 +0000

889 of 907 people found the following review helpful:

Smart little puck, as good as (but different from) Apple TV, July 29, 2011

Jon Folkers (Silver Spring, MD United States) -

This review is from: Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player (Electronics)

This little player, about the size of a hockey puck, is exactly what I was looking for. It's cheap, easy, and fun. I got it to play Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Vimeo, and everything else it does is a pleasant add-on, especially motion-controlled Angry Birds. If you're in the market for a Roku 2, I think you might as well get this high-end model (there are stripped-down versions for less money) since it has a few more capabilities, including a game controller, an ethernet jack, and a USB port for playing external files. The software interface is not slick but everything fast and responsive.

UPDATE: I added a star because this unit has proven itself much more stable than it was at launch, due to frequent software updates. Also, the machine now has the HBO Go app, which allows you to stream from HBO on demand from a huge catalog of movies and TV shows.

How is the Roku 2 different from the Apple TV (which it resembles, and I also considered)? It's physically similar and has some overlapping features, but here are the main differences as I see them:

BOTH have Netflix Streaming and sports channels such as NBA and MLB (subscription required for this stuff). Both have wired and wireless network capabilities. Both are tiny, power-sipping, unobtrusive little devices that could probably be embedded in TV hardware.

AppleTV (not the Roku 2!) has tight iTunes integration, including iTunes movie rentals, streaming from a local PC/Mac with iTunes installed, and YouTube. AirPlay (stream to the box from your iOS device) is supported and works well and adds to the usability of this device if you have an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. At this time, you can only use the "apps" that are included with the box. The AppleTV remote is made of attractive aluminum but relies on line-of-sight infrared signals. AppleTV requires an HDTV to work and displays up to 720p resolutions.

Roku 2 (the product being reviewed! not AppleTV!) has a "channel" installer which you can easily manage via a web app on your computer. This system is a bit less polished, but a lot more open than the AppleTV system. Roku Channel choices include Amazon Prime videos, Amazon rentals, Vimeo, Hulu Plus, Pandora Radio, and bunch of streaming news and movie services. The Wii-like game remote comes with Angry Birds and more 2D casual games are promised. The game controller has built-in accelerometers and game-friendly buttons, and it works well for this game. This layout would be ideal for Super Nintendo style games, too. I like how it doesn't require an IR receiver like the Wii remote does. The tiny Roku 2 box has an IR receiver so you can use a universal remote with it, but the included remote uses RF signals and doesn't need line-of-sight to the box. Roku 2 XS can run on pretty much any TV (it includes composite cables) and can display up to 1080p resolutions.

As you can see, these two machines are similar, but not the same. I chose this machine because it worked with an old SDTV, could play Amazon Prime videos (lots of kids programming on there, thanks Amazon), and offers a nice, standalone alternative to the Apple ecosystem.

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Comments (31)

Comment on OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter by Wole

Wole — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:20:54 +0000

66 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

Great product, February 1, 2011

Wole -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter (Office Product)

I purchased this product a week ago and recently set it up and it works perfectly. It's been running for a total of two days since I last set it up. I will update this review in a few months after its run for a while.

My goal was to get an alternative/replacement to Skype which was my replacement for Vonage -- I no longer use landlines & totally committed to VOIP. I was tired of paying extra costs associated with telephony services thus this option. This has turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

The people at OBi110 have perfected KISS principles, it was so easy to setup Google voice, actually much easier than setting up Google voice settings options in Gmail.

Pros.
- Free VOIP at least when connected to Google Voice for now.
- The installation is very simple my setup is a little different from the manuals recommendation, since this is connected to my power Ethernet adapter due to proximity of my phone but it still worked on the first try.
- Simple admin UI that is easy to use and understand.
- Just works perfectly.
- It's super small.

Con
- Next version should possibly have an automated firmware update check. It is currently a manual process.

This is the perfect alternative for services like Vonage and better, at least for now calling to the US and Canada is free using Google voice. I highly recommend this product.

Thanks.

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Comment on OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter by thamanrp

thamanrp — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:16:49 +0000

96 of 102 people found the following review helpful:

Simple setup with Google Voice, January 29, 2011

thamanrp -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter (Office Product)

I have been looking for a simple solution that would allow us to setup and use Google Voice. Since asterisk 1.8 came out, I have been waiting for DD-WRT or tomatoes to integrate this in the router so I would not need a computer to run 24/7 to set up Google Voice.

Then comes Obi110 which solves this problem. The setup was very simple. If you don't want to store your GV credentials on the Obitalk.com you can set it up by logging on the adapter (just like logging onto the router). I did find it that if you do it this way, when you dial out you still have to dial "**1" (using profile1) then the number you want to reach. Maybe there is a way to get rid of this. But if you setup through Obitalk you can enable the prefix and dial just like in GV. You can also update the FW from Obitalk.

Everything is working as expected. Caller ID shows up correctly when you call someone. When someone calls the ID would show "+" then the number with no dash, something like this: +1234567890. My wife was on the phone for an hour and she said the quality was good. If you are looking into a simple setup (and almost plug and play) I would highly recommend the Obi110.

Update 12/10/11: Caller ID has been showing the correct format for a while now. Also, my unit died a few months ago. I called their tech support, they checked from remote and confirmed that it's dead. They sent out a replacement unit the next day! I just have to send the dead one back. Great customer service. Google voice is still free for 2012 btw.

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Comment on OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter by WadeC

WadeC — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:22:15 +0000

104 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent Product, June 11, 2011

WadeC -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter (Office Product)

I configured the OBi110 to use Google Voice, and it completely replaced my home telephone service. With free long distance within the US, the device will pay for itself in savings in a couple of months.

Configuring the device was easy. The online documentation was decent, and I found a few other blogs with tutorials as well. I recommend using the obitalk web site for ease of configuration. The only problem is that it stores your Gmail username and password, so there's a certain expectation of trust that OBi will not misuse that information. Personally, I created a second Gmail / Google Voice account just for this product. Thanks Google!

Note: this product does NOT provide access to 911. If this is needed, it is available through several Internet phone service providers. I used CallCentric, which provides enhanced 911 for $1.50 per month. The OBi online wizard provides easy setup for CallCentric and other Internet phone services, and configuring the device to place 911 calls through this service was fairly easy.

Also, the call quality has been excellent. I cannot tell a difference in sound quality between the OBi / Google Voice and my previous PSTN service. I have not had any problems with dropped calls either.

Overall, this is a solid product and a great way to save some money by dropping the telephone company.

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Comment on EPE-5818AF 1-Port Power over Ethernet Injector by Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:04:00 +0000

haxfam, September 29, 2011

Greg -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: EPE-5818AF 1-Port Power over Ethernet Injector (Electronics)

Worked well, time saving install so you will have more time to enjoy surfing the net. It is really easy to use.

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Comment on EPE-5818AF 1-Port Power over Ethernet Injector by Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:18:02 +0000

Works just fine..., October 12, 2011

Gary Ralston "ralstonconsulting.com" (Columbus, OH USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: EPE-5818AF 1-Port Power over Ethernet Injector (Electronics)

Came as-ordered, and well-packaged. I have two units, powering two Engenius EAP9550 Access points. No signs of trouble. Build quality looks fine.

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Comment on EPE-5818AF 1-Port Power over Ethernet Injector by Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:20:19 +0000

Works perfect, December 16, 2011

AZ Goat (Seattle, WA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: EPE-5818AF 1-Port Power over Ethernet Injector (Electronics)

Recieved this in two days, plugged it in and it powered up my wireless AP. No fuss, no muss. Nice and small, even has a grouding screw for those noisy installations where it might be necessary (not needed for my install). Nice and small power supply included. Notice it supports 802.3af, with a maximum power of 15.4W of PoE power. This is sufficient power for almost all uses, but you might want to verify this on the AP, camera, or whatever you are powering. If your device says it needs 802.3at, or more that 15W of PoE power, or PoE+ support, get another device that supports 802.3at. If it DOES NOT specify anything but PoE, you are likely OK.

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Comment on Cisco SG200-50P Switch 48 10/100/1000 Ports, Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, PoE, 2 Combo Mini-GBIC Ports, Warranty, One Year Tech Support – SLM2048PTNA Reviews by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:32:22 +0000

Comment on Cisco SG200-50P Switch 48 10/100/1000 Ports, Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, PoE, 2 Combo Mini-GBIC Ports, Warranty, One Year Tech Support – SLM2048PTNA Reviews by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:39:47 +0000

The manufacturer commented on this review(What's this?)

Posted on Sep 6, 2011 2:28:00 PM PDT

"Cisco Small Business Team" says:

Lyndell L. Brown,

We appreciate your comments! Thank you for the positive feedback. We are glad to hear you are satisfied with the SG200-08 Smart Switch!

Thanks,

Diana
Cisco Small Business Team

Comment on Cisco SG200-50P Switch 48 10/100/1000 Ports, Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, PoE, 2 Combo Mini-GBIC Ports, Warranty, One Year Tech Support – SLM2048PTNA Reviews by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:45:25 +0000

The manufacturer commented on the review belowSee comments

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent Switch - Right out of the box, May 13, 2011

Lyndell L. Brown "LeeBrownUSA" (San Diego, CA USA) -

This review is from: 8PORT Sg 200-08 SLM2008T-NA Gigabit Smart Switch (Personal Computers)

I have tested this switch with an eye to controlling broadcast/multicast storms from a looped cable (our users do this all the time) followed by a power cycling on the switch. Out of the box this small switch handled this with ease. Besides all the features you may or may not use you have the option of using PoE to power this switch. If you do use PoE you won't have the AC power adapter and cord to deal with on or under your desk.
I've test quite a few other manufacturers small switches (NetGear, Dell, etc) and they don't compare. I even had one switch go backwards on features in their Version 2 "improved" version (no longer could be configured to control a broadcast/multicast storm after being power cycled). This switch is a great choice.

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Comment on Cisco SG200-50P Switch 48 10/100/1000 Ports, Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, PoE, 2 Combo Mini-GBIC Ports, Warranty, One Year Tech Support – SLM2048PTNA Reviews by Jeff Burns

Jeff Burns — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:05:54 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Great and Inexpensive, but feature packed Switch, October 24, 2011

Jeff Burns -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Cisco SG200-26 24 10/100/1000 Ports, Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, 2 Combo Mini-GBIC Ports, Warranty, One Year Tech Support - SLM2024TNA (Personal Computers)

Background: I was needing 802.3ad/LACP to aggregate ethernet ports from my main server and alleviate that bottleneck. After trying different load balancing options (TLB/ALB) on my old Dlink, I decided it wasn't worth the headache and started looking for something that properly did Link Aggregation.

I was looking at a similar Trendnet when I found this one from Cisco, looked at the reviews of both, and got the SG200-26. Had a couple of issues with LACP initially, but flashed the firmware to the latest and everything just works like a charm now. I'm very happy with it, and my main server has a 4Gb link now. I then bought a SG200-8 for an area that didn't get enough network drops, and setup a 2Gb link to it and fixed that bandwidth issue as well. I haven't gotten around to any QoS and VLAN settings yet, as that wasn't what I needed the switch for, but I'll probably use that in the future.

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Comment on Cisco SG200-50P Switch 48 10/100/1000 Ports, Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, PoE, 2 Combo Mini-GBIC Ports, Warranty, One Year Tech Support – SLM2048PTNA Reviews by Stickman

Stickman — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:53:20 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

First network device I ever bought that worked out of the box with no drama!, December 3, 2011

Stickman (Virtually everywhere.) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Sg 200-18 18-PORT Gigabit (Personal Computers)

Maybe it's me (I am no network expert) but it seems every time I do anything with the network it's always a big deal. Things don't work, you have to go thru page after page of the manual, calls to the tech support line to be on hold for an hour and then 3 calls later it's still not working.... You get the idea: Me and networks just don't play together well.

BUT NOT WITH THIS SWITCH! PLUG IT IN AND IT WORKS!

I mean this was as plug and play as it gets. I just pugged in my modem/router (2Wire provided by my ISP) into the ACT/Link port and then started plugging in computers, printers and other devices into the switch. Boom, in a few seconds, the network was done. Everything worked and every computer had internet access instantly and I could print to any printer w/o any issue (had to load printer drivers on a few computers that previously did not have access to one of the printers.) The only issue I had was not really an issue because I anticipated it. The 2wire modem/router uses the default ip of 192.168.1.254 as does this switch. So I went to that IP to see which would come up (if anything). The 2wire came up. I went to the table of IPs on the 2Wire and saw the new IP the 2Wire had assigned to this switch. I went to that IP and up came the Cisco interface. I logged in, changed my username and password and logged out.

I haven't been into ether the 2Wire or Cisco switch since, and it all just keep working. I know these are expensive compared to the normal home router/switch/hub, but the ease of use is so much worth it. :)

Highly recommended and we'll be back to buy more.

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Comment on Cisco Syst. POWER INJECTOR ( AIR-PWRINJ3= ) Reviews by LukasJHU

LukasJHU — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:02:14 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Works like it's supposed to and without a heavy price tag, January 17, 2010

LukasJHU (Clifton, NJ, USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Cisco Syst. POWER INJECTOR ( AIR-PWRINJ3= ) (Personal Computers)

It works great with my new Cisco 1320 AP. Relatively low price tag and allows for the possibility to use the AP without a power supply near by. This unit doesn't come with the power supply, so you'll have to use the one that came with the AP or purchase a new one.

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Comment on Cisco Syst. POWER INJECTOR ( AIR-PWRINJ3= ) Reviews by Brian Reid

Brian Reid — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:51:42 +0000

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

It works, but there's a catch, February 16, 2008

Brian Reid (Palo Alto, California USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Cisco Syst. POWER INJECTOR ( AIR-PWRINJ3= ) (Personal Computers)

The Aironet access points suck power (35watts or so with both radios running). Most POE switches don't deliver that kind of power. These things do. But they don't come with power supplies. Somewhere in the fine print it says to use the power supply that shipped with your Aironet device, but because the Aironets are designed to work with POE they don't come with power supplies; you have to order that as an extra.

This thing is almost more trouble than it's worth, because you have to find the right power supply and order it, too. I think I should have just bought a 6-port PowerDsine high-power midspan, which is priced about the same as 3 Cisco power injectors + 3 Cisco power supplies.

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Comments (2)

Comment on TRENDnet 5-Port GREENnet Switch (5 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 Ports) TE100-S50g (Black Metal) by Deoren

Deoren — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:54:44 +0000

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

So far so good, January 8, 2011

Deoren (USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: TRENDnet 8-Port GREENnet Switch (8 x 10/100Mbps Auto-Negotiation RJ-45 ports) TE100-S80g (Black Metal) (Personal Computers)

I was given one of the 5 port models of this switch about eight years ago and even though it already had a few quirks (had to be powered off/on occasionally), it served well for my needs.

I recently replaced it with this model and haven't had any issues. Unbox, connect cables and power on. Not much more to it than that. The casing is tough and pretty small. It sits on a shelf beneath my desk next to my xDSL modem. Would definitely buy again.

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Comment on TRENDnet 5-Port GREENnet Switch (5 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 Ports) TE100-S50g (Black Metal) by d arivas

d arivas — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:24:03 +0000

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

died within 2 weeks, November 6, 2011

d arivas (new york, ny United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: TRENDnet 5-Port GREENnet Switch (5 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 Ports) TE100-S50g (Black Metal) (Personal Computers)

died within two weeks ... support by email only ...you as the user are responsible for the mailing which makes it cheaper to dump the item.
Buy a Netgear instead.

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Comment on TRENDnet 5-Port GREENnet Switch (5 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 Ports) TE100-S50g (Black Metal) by John F. Huesman "QPhysics"

John F. Huesman "QPhysics" — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:43:20 +0000

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

A great switch - truely plug n play, but useless documentation, July 4, 2010

John F. Huesman "QPhysics" (Osgood, Indiana, United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: TRENDnet 8-Port GREENnet Switch (8 x 10/100Mbps Auto-Negotiation RJ-45 ports) TE100-S80g (Black Metal) (Personal Computers)

This switch is great. I've been working with computers and networking since the early 90's (anyone else remember Mosaic?), and I've had to deal with a lot of switches that required manually setting every little thing in order to get it to work - and of course every type of router you were connecting the switch to required different settings.
This switch is absolutely plug-n-play. If your broadband (cable, DSL) router is filled up and you need to add another network device, you cannot go wrong with this switch.

The documentation is horrible, perhaps even a bit misleading. In the troubleshooting section, it says something about the switch not being designed to allow more than one computer to access the internet. Well, that's technically true...you can't just have a switch and really do anything with it...but if you have broadband access, you have a router (technically, that box on your desk is a router plus a 4-port switch) so that is already taken care of.

So...here's the details on how to get all your computers, network printers, network storage, game consoles, blu-ray players, etc. to talk to each other and the internet. Be sure to follow these instructions exactly...

1. Turn off all your computers, printers, etc., and the broadband router.
2. Unplug something (anything, it doesn't matter what, but I usually use port 1) from the broadband router.
3. Run a short ethernet cable between the port on the router you just freed up and ANY port on the switch.
4. Plug the thing you just unplugged and everything new into the switch.
5. Plug the switch AC adapter into the wall and the back of the switch.
6. Turn everything back on.

THAT'S IT! How could it get any easier than that?
I think TRENDnet is really missing a selling point here by not stressing how easy this switch is to add to your existing network!

I don't know, and honestly I'm not going to try and measure, how much energy is actually saved by the graduated power sent to the ports based on cable length, but I think it's a nice feature to shut down power to a port if the device is idle for long periods of time.

So far, I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this switch. When I first pulled it out of the box, I thought it was a bit light (even though it is made out of metal and not cheap-o plastic) to stay on the desk when 8 cables are plugged into it...but then I noticed that they even included a square of velcro to attach to the desk and switch so it wouldn't move around.

Summary: if you need to expand the number of ports in your network, buy this switch.

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