Port Gigabit Switch
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US $69.99
Understanding the Difference Between a Switch and a Router
Switches and routers are special devices that enable you to make connections between and among computers, printers, peripherals, networked devices and/or other networks. A switch or a router has at least two ports into which you plug devices’ cables to make the connection, but the similarities more or less end right there. What goes on inside these units is what distinguishes one from another. The terms are often used interchangeably, which is dead wrong, and using the devices incorrectly can result in a network that is just plain dead.
Switches do what simpler devices called “hubs” do, but much more effectively, which is why hubs are decreasing in popularity. A switch will essentially “learn” about the network “traffic” that flows into and through it, and remember what the particular “addresses” represent. For a basic example, a switch will sense traffic from Computer #1 arriving via Port #2, so it knows that any signals that are bound for Computer #1 will have to go out that particular port, as well. Whereas the older, simpler hubs send every signal everywhere, a switch only sends traffic exactly where it needs to go. Busy networks will run dramatically faster with proper switches installed.
Routers big and small
Routers are many orders of magnitude more complex than simple, straightforward switches, and there are many different models in many different form factors from which to choose. Routers can be anything from a small, paperback-book-size, four-port, wireless broadband router to the mammoth and powerful devices that are the traffic cops at the main intersections of the Internet itself. Without these “intelligent appliances,” there would be no World Wide Web as there is today.
Simply put, a router is specialized computer that is programmed for its various important functions. It needs to be aware of the network data, as well as manage and manipulate it in various ways when required, while it also works tirelessly to route data both quickly and correctly. Today’s broadband routers use their special firmware (built-in software) to camouflage or hide computers behind what’s called a firewall. All routers have the ability to configure the handling of the network traffic through some kind of user interface running on the “administrator’s” computer.
Speed and connectivity
You will see a few terms that apply to both of these devices, the most important of which is network speed. Today’s switches and routers are commonly capable of both current and “legacy” (a fancy word for “old”) speeds, and will often be labeled 10/100/1000. These figures refer to the number of megabits, or millions of bits, per second (mbps) the device can handle. You may have or see some older devices labeled with only one speed, which limits its use to devices operating at the same level. However, "gigabit" devices (1000mbps) are the most common now, and as 10/100/1000 devices they handle all speeds well.
A growing number of home and business networks have gone wireless, and the trend is accelerating all the time. The technical term for the wireless router protocols are 802.11b, 802.11g and the newest one, 802.11n. Wireless transceivers in these routers basically add more “virtual ports” to the device. Wireless or wired, routers are standard equipment these days, and falling prices combined with increasing technological sophistication will see to it that they continue to spread.
There are some people who think that switches will eventually disappear as far as home use is concerned, although large businesses and web server companies will need them for a long time to come because of the varied connectivity requirements of their operations. As the so-called digital convergence continues, routers may end up being combined with cable or DSL modems to eliminate multiple pieces of equipment in the standard home or small-business network. If past is prologue in this field, then we can expect both switches and routers to get smaller, better, faster and cheaper all the time.
About the Author
Cisco Kits is a leading provider of CCNA, CCIE and CCNP Cisco training courses and equipment. Visit online for more information on certification or just furthering education.
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Belkin / 5 Port Gigabit Switch / E4G0510 $60.61 Belkin - 5 Port Gigabit Switch - E4G0510 |
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Belkin / 8 Port Gigabit Switch / E4G0810 $69.88 Belkin - 8 Port Gigabit Switch - E4G0810 |
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Intellinet / 24 Port gigabit Rckmnt Switch / 524162 $182.59 Intellinet - 24 Port gigabit Rckmnt Switch - 524162 |
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Cisco / SG500X 48 Port Gigabit Switch / SG500X-48-K9-NA $2279.78 Cisco - SG500X 48 Port Gigabit Switch - SG500X-48-K9-NA |
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Cisco / SG100D 5 port Gigabit Switch / SG100D-05-NA $68.51 Cisco - SG100D 5 port Gigabit Switch - SG100D-05-NA |
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Cisco / SG100D 8 port Gigabit Switch / SG100D-08-NA $82.03 Cisco - SG100D 8 port Gigabit Switch - SG100D-08-NA |
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Cisco Unmanaged Gigabit Desktop Switch $131.99 SG100D 5 port Gigabit Switch |
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Cisco SG 100D-08 Unmanaged Gigabit Switch $151.74 SG100D 8 port Gigabit Switch |
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SMC 48-Ports 10/100 + 4-Ports GigaBit Combo Port Managed Switch SMC6152L2 $241.22 SMC 48-Ports 10/100 + 4-Ports GigaBit Combo Port Managed Switch SMC6152L2 |
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LG® 5 Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch. Each $45.67 Manufacturer: LG Electronics. Each. LG-Ericsson unmanaged 5 port Gigabit switch 1.6 Gbps switching fabric capacity 2K MAC address capacity Auto-negotiation, Auto-DMI/MDIX (5) 10/100/1000 Base-TX ports per unit 3.8 Watts max power consumption 100-240 VAC, |
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ProSafe GS116 16 Port Gigabit Desktop Switch - switch - 16 ports - desktop $187.99 NETGEAR ProSafe GS116 16 Port Gigabit Desktop Switch - Switch - 16 x 10/100/1000 - desktop |
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LevelOne - GSW-0506 Gigabit Switch 5 Port $34.77 >Keyfeatures:- 5 Port 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Switch - Entspricht IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab und 802.3x - Auto-MDIX an allen Ports - 10 Gbps Backplane - N-Way Auto-Negotiation - Back-Pressure Flow-Control f�r Halb-Duplex - 802.3X Flow-Control f�r Full-Duplex - Store-and-Forward Switching Architektur - 112KB Ram Buffer - 8K MAC Adressen Speicher - L�fterlos |
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LevelOne - GSW-0806 Gigabit Switch 8 Port $51.55 >Keyfeatures:- 8 Port 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Switch - Entspricht IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab und 802.3x - Auto-MDIX an allen Ports - 16 Gbps Backplane - N-Way Auto-Negotiation - Back-Pressure Flow-Control f�r Halb-Duplex - 802.3X Flow-Control f�r Full-Duplex - Store-and-Forward Switching Architektur - 144KB Ram Buffer - 8K MAC Adressen Speicher - L�fterlos |
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ProSafe GS724TS 24 Port Gigabit Stackable Smart Switch - switch - 24 ports - managed - desktop $448.99 NETGEAR ProSafe GS724TS 24 Port Gigabit Stackable Smart Switch - Switch - managed - 24 x 10/100/1000 + 4 x shared SFP - desktop |
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ProSafe GS748TS 48 Port Gigabit Stackable Smart Switch - switch - 48 ports - managed - desktop $898.99 NETGEAR ProSafe GS748TS 48 Port Gigabit Stackable Smart Switch - Switch - managed - 48 x 10/100/1000 + 4 x shared SFP - desktop |
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Linksys 24-Port 10/100/1000 Gigabit Switch SGE2000 24 Port Switch. Each $760.37 Manufacturer: Linksys. Each. The Linksys Business Series SGE2000 is an infrastructure Gigabit Ethernet switching solution for flexible 10/100/100 Ethernet port expansion in a system. Features fully resilient Stacking, Advanced Security and QoS, Availabili |
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Buffalo 5-Port Gigabit Switch. Each $31.34 Manufacturer: Buffalo Technology, Inc. Each. Buffalo's multi-port Gigabit wired switch offers a quick and easy way to extend your home or small office network with fast Gigabit Ethernet speeds. Plug-and-Play installation requires no additional software or |
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Buffalo 8-Port Gigabit Switch. Each $41.79 Manufacturer: Buffalo Technology, Inc. Each. Buffalo's multi-port Gigabit wired switch offers a quick and easy way to extend your home or small office network with fast gigabit Ethernet speeds. Plug-and-Play installation requires no additional software or |
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Belkin 8-Port Gigabit Switch $97.99 -4°F (-20°C) to 158°F (70°C) Storage 1.488e+06pps Forwarding Rate For 1000 Mbps Ethernet 1.70" Height x 10.50" Width x 6.40" Depth 10% to 90% Operating 10% to 95% Storage 10/100/1000Base-T 100 V AC to 240 V AC 110 V AC 148800pps Forwarding Rate For 100 Mbps Ethernet 14880pps Forwarding Rate For 10 Mbps Ethernet 16Gbps Throughput 2 220 V AC 32°F (0°C) to 113°F (45°C) Operating 4 K MAC Address - 50 Hz or 60 Hz 8 8-Port Gigabit Switch 8-Port Gigabit Switch Self-adhesive rubber pads for desktop installation AC power cord User Manual Warranty card IEEE 802.3ab IEEE 802.3u IEEE 802.3 IEEE 802.3x IEEE 802.1p FCC Class A CE Class A VCCI A UL (UL 60950) CUL CE C-Tick TUV (EN 60950) Power Link Activity Full Duplex Half Duplex Collision 10Mbps 100Mbps 1000Mbps Eight-port gigabit switch allows you to easily upgrade your network to achieve gigabit transfer speeds. Gigabit switch is ideal for dial-up Internet connections, providing the backbone for sharing e-mail, printers, files, multiplayer games and hard drives. One computer connects to the modem and the gigabit switch to become the Internet access point for all your connected computers. Using Internet Connection Sharing Software, share your dial-up Internet access with up to four additional computers. To expand your network, simply add more gigabit switches through the featured uplink port. Installs quickly and offers convenient backward-compatibility. Auto-senses and adjusts for network speed and cabling type automatically for easy integration into your existing 10/100 Ethernet network. Features compact form factor, durable metal chassis, and fanless design for quiet assimilation into home or small-office environments. Belkin Belkin International, Inc Category 5e UTP Charcoal Gray Ethernet Switch F5D5141-8 IEEE 802.3x (Full-duplex) Lifetime Limited Not Applicable Store-and-forward Yes www.belkin.com |
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LGEricsson USA ES1016G 16 Port Unmanaged Switch Gigabit Ethernet $242.79 Number of Ports: 16. Interfaces/Ports: 16 x RJ416 10/100/1000BaseT Network LAN. Ethernet Port: Yes. Fast Ethernet Port: Yes. Gigabit Ethernet Port: Yes. |
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Tp-Link JetStream TL-SG3216 Gigabit Managed Switch $534.26 16 Port Gig Managed Switch |
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Tp-Link JetStream TL-SG3424 Gigabit Managed Switch $683.94 24 Port Gig Managed Switch |
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TRENDnet TEGS16G 16 Port Gigabit GREENnet Switch $205.34 The 16Port Gigabit GREENnet Switch model TEGS16g provides high bandwidth performance ease of use and reliability all while reducing power consumption by up to 70. GREENnet technology automatically adjusts power voltage as needed resulting in substantial energy savings. Embedded GREENnet technology works right out of the box with no management requirement. Boost office network efficiency and eliminate network congestion with Gigabit speeds and a total switching capacity of 32Gbps with FullDuplex mode. A built in universal power supply reduces cable clutter and diagnostic LEDs help with network troubleshooting. Plug and Play this sturdy metal switch for reliable highspeed network connectivity. 16 x 10/100/1000Mbps AutoMDIX Gigabit Ethernet ports. On / off power switch. Features a 32Gbps forwarding capacity. Internal power supply reduces clutter. GREENnet technology reduces electrical power consumption when:. Ethernet port is not in use. Connected device is turned off. Connected device is in powersaving mode. Based on Ethernet cable length. IEEE 802.3x Flow Control for fullduplex mode. Back pressure Flow Control for halfduplex mode. StoreandForward switching architecture with nonblocking wirespeed performance. Integrated address lookup engine with an 8K MAC address table. 2MBits RAM data buffer. Operates and maximizes packet filtering and forwarding rate. Jumbo Frame support up to 9216Bytes. Rackmount hardware included. Sturdy metal housing. Diagnostic LEDs and Plug Play support. |
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Cisco SG500X-48 Layer 3 Switch $3922.38 SG500X 48 Port Gigabit Switch |
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5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch $17.99 Provides 8 10/100Mbps Auto-Negotiation RJ45 ports. All ports support Auto MDI/MDIX function eliminating the need for crossover cables or Uplink ports. It will boost your netw |
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TrendNet / TRENDnet Switch TEG-S16DG 16 Port Gigabit GREENnet Unmanaged Retail / TEG-S16Dg $130.29 TrendNet - TRENDnet Switch TEG-S16DG 16 Port Gigabit GREENnet Unmanaged Retail - TEG-S16Dg |
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TrendNet / TRENDnet Switch TEG-S24DG 24 Port Gigabit GREENnet Unmanaged Retail / TEG-S24Dg $172.24 TrendNet - TRENDnet Switch TEG-S24DG 24 Port Gigabit GREENnet Unmanaged Retail - TEG-S24Dg |