QNAP Introduces the Eight-port 2.5GbE Unmanaged Switch for Home-Offices

[btarunr]

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today launched the eight-port 2.5GbE unmanaged switch - the QSW-1108-8T. Featuring eight 2.5GbE ports, plug-and-play set up, automatic loop detection and blocking, and auto-negotiation functions, the QSW-1108-8T is a cost-efficient high speed network upgrade solution for homes and businesses.

"One of the major elements holding back people from upgrading their Ethernet infrastructure is the cost and availability of switches and adapters. QNAP have demonstrated a firm commitment to the 2.5GbE ecosystem, with the new QSW-1108-8T switch representing an affordable way for home and business users to take their Ethernet network to the next level," said Ricky Ho, Product Manager of QNAP.



The QSW-1108-8T features eight 2.5GbE/NBASE-T RJ45 ports that support 2.5G/ 1G/ 100M transfer speeds. With no complex settings required, the QSW-1108-8T supports auto-negotiation that optimizes transfer speeds and performance for each connected device, while its built-in management mechanism ensures smooth transmission of network packets. It also features network loop detection that can automatically lock looped ports to ensure the network environment quickly resumes normal operation.

The QSW-1108-8T features a fanless design for near-silent operation. The unique ventilated construction assists in cooling while maintaining high performance.

The QSW-1108-8T network switch is now available.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[jeremyshaw]

I like this newer direction of QNAP switch design. Hopefully the fanless aspect and the front facing power port are brought over to their managed models, too. My Qnap M2108 is a bit too noisy and the large puck around the plug is somewhat interesting, but it doesn't solve the problem QNAP seems to believe it could.

 

[dogwitch]

they going to keep pushing a nearly no used Ethernet port type.

 

[dyonoctis]

they going to keep pushing a nearly no used Ethernet port type.

you mean 2.5Gb ? ISP are already offering speeds going beyond 1Gb, and 2.5Gb is cheap

 

[Pepamami]

One/or Two SPF+ port please, so I can connect it to Uplink or NAS/Server.
I know they already have it in QSW-M2108R-2C, but I want cheap unmanaged version (with only SFP+ which makes it more cheaper)

they going to keep pushing a nearly no used Ethernet port type.

2.5gbe needs only Cat5e to operate, it comes with new motherboards, and realtek's 2.5gbe NIC costs like 1Gbe one

 

[TheLostSwede]

It retails for US$169 in Taiwan.

One/or Two SPF+ port please, so I can connect it to Uplink or NAS/Server.
I know they already have it in QSW-M2108R-2C, but I want cheap unmanaged version (with only SFP+ which makes it more cheaper)

Like this one? Although it only has four 2.5Gbps ports.

QSW-2104-2S-A | A plug & play switch featuring 10GbE and 2.5GbE connectivity, suited for SOHO and professionals

The QSW-2104-2S-A is an easy-to-use unmanaged switch with 2-port 10GbE SFP+ and 4-port 2.5GbE RJ45, allowing you to upgrade your network environment by connecting a wider range of devices with different bandwidth requirements. With high performance and superb functionality, the QSW-2104-2S-A is...

www.qnap.com

 

[JalleR]

Nice i have been looking for that for a while, but the price is allittle steap for me.

 

[Pepamami]

Like this one? Although it only has four 2.5Gbps ports.

dayum, I was not able to find this one >.>

 

[dogwitch]

you mean 2.5Gb ? ISP are already offering speeds going beyond 1Gb, and 2.5Gb is cheap
View attachment 223479

not in usa thru

 

[Octavean]

I have a QNAP QSW-1105-5T 2.5GbE unmanaged switch. These QNAP offerings are simple and effective. The only thing I don’t like about it is at the time it cost a bit more then I thought it was worth and it isn’t rack mountable (not uncommon for such a small switch). Still I knew all that going in.

A 10GbE switch is probably a better way to go for most but only if it is affordable. I much prefer my 8 port 10GbE managed switch (rack mountable and passively cooled) but there is still a viable use case for such QNAP 2.5GbE switches.

​

 

[Zareek]

The MSRP seems a bit a steep still for a dumb switch.

 

[Octavean]

not in usa thru

Even if that is the case (and I’m not saying that it is) QNAP has been developing their own products and making 2.5GbE the quasi minimum standard. QNAP also has a 5GbE USB Ethernet adapter and a growing number of NAS units with 2.5GbE (dual port too).

QNAP is creating their own demand for 2.5GbE switches by creating network products that can make use of it regardless of what ISP’s may or may not be doing.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

One/or Two SPF+ port please, so I can connect it to Uplink or NAS/Server.
I know they already have it in QSW-M2108R-2C, but I want cheap unmanaged version (with only SFP+ which makes it more cheaper)


2.5gbe needs only Cat5e to operate, it comes with new motherboards, and realtek's 2.5gbe NIC costs like 1Gbe one

They already exist from the likes of netgear.

This is for home users that use copper everywhere.

 

[Zareek]

It think the market for 2.5GbE is going to explode over the next few years. Even mid-range motherboards are coming equipped with 2.5GbE built in. I just built a B550 machine for my brother, the ASUS TUF Gaming B550 mATX board included the Realtek 2.5GbE controller. This a $150 motherboard we are talking about, not a $300-600 enthusiast board.

 

[Blue4130]

not in usa thru

You do realize that usa is a small portion of the world, right?

 

[newtekie1]

Meh, go 10Gbe or don't waste your money. I think the 2.5Gb standard has set the industry back. We were just starting to see 10Gbe standard start to make its way into home user settings and then 2.5Gbe comes and 10Gbe disappears.

2.5gbe needs only Cat5e to operate

10Gbe will run on Cat5e for runs up to about 150ft. You only need better cabling if you want to go the full 100m.

not in usa thru

Comcast has been offering beyond 1Gbps for a while now.

 

[Pepamami]

It think the market for 2.5GbE is going to explode over the next few years

You already can buy cheap Realtek 2.5gbe NIC, PCI-E or USB3 for ~25$
Or standalone Intel PCI-E NIC on ebay

They already exist from the likes of netgear.

This is for home users that use copper everywhere.

Netgear does not have it, they only have overpriced stuff with pointless "ports of all kind" on one switch.
I need 2.5 Switch with 10Gbe SFP+ uplink that costs bellow 200$.
TP-LINK has it, ye.
And some people dont want to overpay for 10Gbe copper, when other 10Gbe device (Switch, Server/NAS) placed 1-2 meters away, where u can easily use cheaper SFP+ optic.

10Gbe disappears

10Gbe copper is just too expensive right now

 

[mechtech]

Nice to see these becoming available, 15 years later than what should have been.

personally all my big bandwidth items like NAS, main work station, etc. go through my router.

I wish there was a home/home office router with 5-8 ports 5Gb switch speed so it wouldn’t bottle neck the NAS (if it had sata SSDs) even 2.5Gb ports would be a nice increase over 1Gb.

 

[seth1911]

Since i switched to 5GHz Wifi i dont need anything like this

 

[Valantar]

Meh, go 10Gbe or don't waste your money. I think the 2.5Gb standard has set the industry back. We were just starting to see 10Gbe standard start to make its way into home user settings and then 2.5Gbe comes and 10Gbe disappears.

10Gbe will run on Cat5e for runs up to about 150ft. You only need better cabling if you want to go the full 100m.

Sorry, but that is simply not true. We started to see 10GbE NICs at "just" $100 rather than $3-400, which isn't even remotely close to consumer-level pricing. 2.5GbE? Free on most motherboards these days. 10GbE switches? Still $300+, and there was no trend towards lower prices before 2.5GbE started seeing real adoption. Of course there's also the significant power draw of 10GbE controllers to account for, which makes them difficult to fit onto motherboards in addition to the price.

2.5GbE represents a long, long overdue leap forward in realistically attainable home networking speeds. The cost for switches is still 2-3x where it needs to be (and 5-10x GbE), but it's much better than what we used to have.

And the great thing is, for those wanting more, there are already plenty of 10GbE options on the market.

Since i switched to 5GHz Wifi i dont need anything like this

Then you must not do many local network file transfers ...

 

[Deleted member 215115]

This is cool. It's really a shame that I have no use for a switch...

Maybe if I owned a NAS, but I don't really store anything. One of the perks of a gigabit connection, I guess...

 

[Octavean]

Supposedly, from a manufacturing perspective, 2.5GbE isn't much more expensive to implement then 1GbE. It will take some time before manufacturers price 2.5GbE switches (and routers with 2.5GbE support) lower and or roughly equivalent to 1GbE but it is feasible. Apparently 5GbE has higher manufacturing cost more akin to10GbE and USB offerings often doesn't quite perform as well as expected.

You can buy 10GbE SFP+ switches and NICs for surprisingly low prices in some case. Its also possible to use Transceivers to use RJ45 / copper with respect to existing Ethernet cabling. Also the cost of suitable 10GbE Transceivers have seen some noteworthy price drops in the past.

Still, having good minimum standards works for everyone. 1GbE is just been around forever and that's great but its getting a little long in the tooth. If the minimum can be raised from 1GbE to 2.5GbE that's a win win.

 

[Valantar]

Supposedly, from a manufacturing perspective, 2.5GbE isn't much more expensive to implement then 1GbE. It will take some time before manufacturers price 2.5GbE switches (and routers with 2.5GbE support) lower and or roughly equivalent to 1GbE but it is feasible. Apparently 5GbE has higher manufacturing cost more akin to10GbE and USB offerings often doesn't quite perform as well as expected.

Yeah, 2.5GbE hardware is as I understand it very similar to GbE hardware, with 5GbE essentially being scaled-down 10GbE instead. So, bigger chips, more power, more expensive to implement.

You can buy 10GbE SFP+ switches and NICs for surprisingly low prices in some case. Its also possible to use Transceivers to use RJ45 / copper with respect to existing Ethernet cabling. Also the cost of suitable 10GbE Transceivers have seen some noteworthy price drops in the past.

That is true to a certain extent, but there are several issues involved:
- Most SFP(+) switches have limits on how many RJ45 10G transcievers they can hold due to power and heat issues. Many also don't allow them to be installed in adjacent ports (at least according to people on the TrueNas forums).
- 10G RJ45 transcievers aren't all that common used, and easily cost $80+ new.
- Used SFP+ gear being cheap is mostly a US phenomenon, and also fails to account for significant issues such as the inability to terminate cabling locally.
- Many of the cheap SFP(+) switches are made for server room usage and have hair dryer style cooling.

Still, if you need tons of bandwidth for cheap, live in the US and have somewhere to store coils of excess fiber, this route is definitely not bad.

Still, having good minimum standards works for everyone. 1GbE is just been around forever and that's great but its getting a little long in the tooth. If the minimum can be raised from 1GbE to 2.5GbE that's a win win.

Yep, that's a massive improvement. Going from "middling laptop HDD sequential speed" to "faster than nearly all HDDs on the market" is pretty significant for local file transfers. (And while SSD-like speeds might be nice, the real-world applications for them are few and far between.)

 

[TheLostSwede]

Even if that is the case (and I’m not saying that it is) QNAP has been developing their own products and making 2.5GbE the quasi minimum standard. QNAP also has a 5GbE USB Ethernet adapter and a growing number of NAS units with 2.5GbE (dual port too).

QNAP is creating their own demand for 2.5GbE switches by creating network products that can make use of it regardless of what ISP’s may or may not be doing.

Asustor was actually making 2.5Gbps NAS devices before QNAP and they also sell 2.5Gbps USB dongles.

It think the market for 2.5GbE is going to explode over the next few years. Even mid-range motherboards are coming equipped with 2.5GbE built in. I just built a B550 machine for my brother, the ASUS TUF Gaming B550 mATX board included the Realtek 2.5GbE controller. This a $150 motherboard we are talking about, not a $300-600 enthusiast board.

With a couple of exceptions, as you'll see soon, all Z690 motherboards have 2.5Gbps support.

Nice to see these becoming available, 15 years later than what should have been.

personally all my big bandwidth items like NAS, main work station, etc. go through my router.

I wish there was a home/home office router with 5-8 ports 5Gb switch speed so it wouldn’t bottle neck the NAS (if it had sata SSDs) even 2.5Gb ports would be a nice increase over 1Gb.

There aren't even routers with two 2.5Gbps ports... Although at least one or two are coming soon.
5Gbps is dead though, as no-one is really making products for it. The cost difference vs. 10Gbps is not there, whereas a 2.5Gbps Ethernet chip is not much more expensive than a 1Gbps chip.

 

[Octavean]

Yeah, 2.5GbE hardware is as I understand it very similar to GbE hardware, with 5GbE essentially being scaled-down 10GbE instead. So, bigger chips, more power, more expensive to implement.

That is true to a certain extent, but there are several issues involved:
- Most SFP(+) switches have limits on how many RJ45 10G transcievers they can hold due to power and heat issues. Many also don't allow them to be installed in adjacent ports (at least according to people on the TrueNas forums).
- 10G RJ45 transcievers aren't all that common used, and easily cost $80+ new.
- Used SFP+ gear being cheap is mostly a US phenomenon, and also fails to account for significant issues such as the inability to terminate cabling locally.
- Many of the cheap SFP(+) switches are made for server room usage and have hair dryer style cooling.

Still, if you need tons of bandwidth for cheap, live in the US and have somewhere to store coils of excess fiber, this route is definitely not bad.

Yep, that's a massive improvement. Going from "middling laptop HDD sequential speed" to "faster than nearly all HDDs on the market" is pretty significant for local file transfers. (And while SSD-like speeds might be nice, the real-world applications for them are few and far between.)

FWIW, I've seen 10GbE SFP+ to RJ45 Transceivers for as low as about ~$35 USD. Not super cheap but also not the ~$90 or so USD that used to be a guaranteed price point. Unfortunately prices can fluctuate on many products these days so I wouldn't be too surprised if they have gone up again but the last time I checked they were about ~$40 and I have about ~3 them. Now that I think about it, it would be interesting if there were cheaper 2.5GbE or 5GbE Transceivers but typical 1GbE Transceivers are fairly cheap.

As for the cost of SFP+ switches, Mikrotik has a 5 port (4 SFP+ and 1 1GbE) switch for about ~$135 USD (CRS305-1G-4S+IN). That IMO is really good with respect to price. It also has some PoE features (supposedly). I have a Mikrotik 9 port (8 SFP+ and 1 1GbE) for about ~$230 (CRS309-1G-8S+IN). I use a combo of DAC cables and Transceivers and I don't bother to stagger them. I haven't had any performance and or heat issues yet, although, I am only using about ~5 SFP+ ports currently. The switch is passively cooled too so it makes no sound and I've been running it for years. Thinking about getting another one,.....

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