Looking for New Gigabit Switch 2009 ( Green and fast )

[syncmaster_abx]

I have start to investigate the market for the totally new Gigabit Switch made at 2009 , and looks that very few brands have updated models,
offering Green ( power control) + Jambo frames 9000k and above , plus fresh low pricing ...

The options that I found so far are :

TRENDnet TEG-S50G ( 5 ports ) as the master killer

ASUS GIGAX1105B ( 5 ports ) as second best .. ( all most Green)

And one from Linksys ( that I do not bother to find it )

My problem is that the TRENDnet TEG-S50G has high price in Europe, and small availability , and the opposite happens at the other side of the pond .

The ASUS , its a second best , I can found it locally at good price ,
but now in the August I fall in vacations time , and the availability are narrow.

Suggestions - nags - or what ever you have to say ...

I am a 3Com lover , but currently 3Com , does not follow the race with the modern rhythms ( Fresh & Green & low cost & speedy devices ) .

[CrowdAds]

[fvbounty]

D-Link has a good gigabyte switch!

Newegg.com - D-Link DGS-2205 10/100/1000Mbps 5-Port Green Technology Desktop Switch 5 x RJ45 8K MAC Address Table 112KB per Device Buffer Memory - Switches

[syncmaster_abx]

I start looking about the D-link and fall in an interesting link ..

What's Inside the D-Link DGS-2205 - BarkerJr.Net

In a quick check , looks to be marketed in the US too, the D-Link EU does not have it, on their website.


My next step is to find how technologically advanced it is .

[syncmaster_abx]

Well , found that its a Bit Greener than ASUS , equally Green as TRENDnet TEG-S50G , and technically identical to ASUS in specs.

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=494


The truth are, that all those three, are fresh competitors with identical specs.

Still , TRENDnet leads just by a bit, with the Jumbo frames cache to 12k , when all others are at 9.2k

I had read many other threads in this forum about switches , and read all this small debates , about how useful or not, are the Jumbo frames in praxis.

Well to me its just numbers , but they represent the evidence, about the true performance ability of the hardware it self ..
Its like testing VGA cards at their maximum resolution, just to see how it scores.

The bottom line are that this new generation of competitors at 2009 , are equal in all .
Passive ventilation , and venting holes.. in all .

By looking for deferences ....
The TRENDnet has metal exterior.
The ASUS , has plastic with silverish look , that I do not favor much.
The D-link , are plastic too, but the look of it attracted me , thats the truth.

Still all of them have the same design , that its not that convenient,
If your current 10/100 switch , is hanging flat on the wall , with the activity lights at the top cover , offering you an easy way for optical inspection of the traffic.

So in my case , I need to play a bit by modifying the current wiring , so to make it fit .

I think that I will have to make some local phones, to see about D-link future availability , if they have the same low pricing like ASUS , it will turn as best seller .

The TRENDnet one retails in Greece as 68 USD , it will not have sales at this price , its doomed.

ASUS retails about 40 US , thats the only sweet spot currently,
considering value for money , in Euroland.

[syncmaster_abx]

Ok After some research , finally got the new GigaX1105B by ASUS ..

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

The funny part , are that even if this new products , have not came yet at the streets , ASUS had design a new line , marketed as equally Green as the other competitors ..

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Totally Green with 12k for jumbo packets .

It looks that I was right all a long, about the fresh marketing hypes ..
" Totally Green with 12k for jumbo packets "

Any way , personally I am very happy ,
I will cross the 1000 Mbs land , probably tomorrow.
(collection day )

[syncmaster_abx]

I am flying ... I finally got to the 1 Gbps land ...

I just hooked up my cables , to the new ASUS box , and both my desktops ,
changed their speed to the max .

I did a quick test , looks like 100mb file needs 4 seconds to move around .

The ASUS box runs cooler , than my old switch hub ,
I would say with great deference .
The PSU its small, but it does not look to overheat ,
still it runs just hot, at 25C .
I am using it for about 2 hours , so that about it , about temps ,
in the middle of the hot August.

Great investment , and more good looking than the pictures .

Detailed bandwidth tests , later on.

[syncmaster_abx]

Ok test results ..

Test No1
Game folder - mixed content - compressed + uncompressed
927 Mb 43 seconds 21.55 Mb/sec


Test No2
Mp3 folder with lots sub folders
2.168 files 7.64 GB 5:34 seconds = 334 seconds = 22.87 Mb/sec

Not bad at all

With the old 10/100 switch never have seen more than 7 Mb/sec .


By manually adjusting both system NICs buffer at transmit and receive .
I managed to improve the speed .
So the first test finished at 40 seconds , thats 23,17 Mb/sec .


Now that I had manually set the NICs buffer , i found that the INTEL Pro 100/1000 CT of the Asus P4C-800-E, can buffer both ways at 2048 .

The second ASUS P4P-800-E , with the Yukon 88E8001 on it , has smaller buffers,
200 at transmit , 500 at receive ..

Both support Jumbo packets
Intel Max size 16.128K
Yukon Max size 9.014K

After this in depth findings , I finally know why Intel shines most of the times.
Their products are ahead of their time ..


Now , I have a truly well made setup .

Still I am itching my head .... will the CAT6 help in any way ?
My cables are short 5e , like two meters its one.

Nah i do not think so ..

[syncmaster_abx]

More food ..

According to Cisco , the 10M & 100M NICs need only 64 bytes buffers ,
The 1000 Mbps needs minimum 520 bytes...

That makes the Yukon 88E8001 a poor companion, and out of specs ...

As it can do Max 500k as receive buffer.

Thats why I adjusted the Intel at 504 bytes , so to have the best possible results.

Thats it, I had said it all ..

[syncmaster_abx]

I checked locally and found CAT6E cables , 2m long for cheap ..

They are shielded too , aluminum foil , plus RJ45 with metallic top surface .

The main enemy of high speeds, are the local radio interference ,
behind my computer box there is plenty devices and cables that could possibly cause interference .

I will have them soon , and fresh benchmarks too .

[syncmaster_abx]

Just got the fresh CAT6 cables , did tests , and there is no gain at all,
In comparison with the CAT5e .

I was expecting to hit 40Mbytes per second , having as theoretical maximum the 60Mbytes per second .

Any way , I think that the Yukon 88E8001 slowdown the bandwidth of the Intel one .

To be totally honest , the cables looks to helped just a bit , 1Mbyte faster ,
like from 23 to 24 , Its not a great gain in my eyes .

Thats it , I finished talking in the wall , have a nice day .

[fvbounty]

Originally Posted by syncmaster_abx

Just got the fresh CAT6 cables , did tests , and there is no gain at all,
In comparison with the CAT5e .

I was expecting to hit 40Mbytes per second , having as theoretical maximum the 60Mbytes per second .

Any way , I think that the Yukon 88E8001 slowdown the bandwidth of the Intel one .

To be totally honest , the cables looks to helped just a bit , 1Mbyte faster ,
like from 23 to 24 , Its not a great gain in my eyes .

Thats it , I finished talking in the wall , have a nice day .

I never tested from going from cat 5 to cat 6 cables on my system, but they didn't cost much at all, here's the best place on the web for cables....

Cat 6 Network Cable


And Congradulations on your new switch sounds like you did your reserch and found just what you wanted!

[syncmaster_abx]

Well my cables did not cost very expensive , there was just expensive.
Both cost as 5 Euro ..

I have RJ45 plugs - and crimp tool , but I did not had the cable .
In order to buy lots of meters , and then having no use for it ,
my choice was to buy retail cables .

My worries about the P4P800E and the Marvel Yukon card , were true .

When i made one transfer from it to the P4C800-E , the file took longer to copy it self .

Average transfer rate 18 Mbytes per second .

If I found another 1Gbit PCI card NIC on ebay for cheap , I would probably get it ..

[syncmaster_abx]

God loves me, I have to admit it ..

The ASUS P4C800-E haves on-board the Intel® 82547EI Gigabit Ethernet Controller ..
Intel® 82547EI Gigabit Ethernet Controller - Overview

So I did not liked to risk chances ,
and got one Intel® PRO/1000 GT ( PWLA8391GT) ,
half price and New , on the ebay.uk
http://acornshop.gr/downloads/1115445957089233.pdf

Now with all this weaponry I am expecting to see full power.
In a week time ..

[syncmaster_abx]

Intel® 82547EI Gigabit Ethernet Controller - Overview

Intel® 82541PI Gigabit Ethernet Controller - Overview

They are identical tweens ..
Both support 16K jumbo frames ,
the Intel® PRO/1000 GT has 64KB configurable RX and TX packet FIFO
the Intel® 82547EI Gigabit has 40KB configurable RX and TX packet FIFO

both support Programmable host memory receive buffers (256B to 16KB)

Technicalities , but interesting ones .

[fvbounty]

I can say one thing you know way more about gigabyte controllers and switches than I ever wanted to know, good for you! If I ever have a question about it I know where I'm going!