Yeah, I wouldn’t buy these. But when prices start to come down I’ll pick up one from a reputable brand. You just never know with these lesser Chinese brands.
Those "other vendors" are a little slower than these Chinese brands, but I'm betting we'll see companies like TP-Link give us 4-port (5-port) and 8-port (9-port) versions as soon as they start incorporating these seemingly super affordable Realtek RTL8373+RTL8224 solutions. I'm hoping that Realtek follows up with some slightly higher-end versions of the RTL8373+RTL8224 solution with some management, ability to do some VLAN tagging, frame size modification, etc, nothing crazy, add some simple management to give us something that many of us would feel more comfortable using in an office or prosumer scenario. As of right now, I would never connect any of these four brands to any device with any sort of sensitive data until I saw an in-depth security audit ensuring that there aren't backdoors or other hidden gems baked into these switches.
Can you *please* start testing how the unmanaged switches handle VLAN-tagged frames? It's undefined for unmanaged switches in general, but some will e.g. strip VLAN tags out, others will pass them on, some could drop them, etc. Knowing how these unmanaged switchs react to being placed in a VLAN-aware environment may enable someone to mix them in even if they're unmanaged.
This is exactly what I've been looking for! So many other switches you guys have been covering have only been 4 or 5 ports. With this you get 8 ports plus the SFP port (which I've also been looking for). Thanks Patrick and the rest of the team for working on this! :D
It should be noted that the maximum power you can pull out of an SFP+ cage is only 3W, and typically a DAC cable pulls under 1W. It's why 10GBaseT in the data centre is bonkers crazy.
@@jonathanbuzzard1376 Yeah, compared to 10GB CAT5 cards which really need a fan to keep them cool. The other thing about SFP+ DAC is super low latency compared to CAT5 for some reason.
@@wayland7150 That's a really good point, the encoding for twisted pair is going to increase latency over a DAC cable. If our latest proposals are approved I will be getting my first servers with 10GBaseT later this year 😞 Plus point is that they will be plugged into a 1Gbps switch, used only for provisioning and will thereafter be using ConnectX-6 cards at 100Gbps with a mix of SR4 and DAC. Can't avoid the 10GBaseT unfortunately.
Better not do any intros, it's refreshing to have the content right away. For other videos, there's stuff like r evanced where you can setup it to skip intros among other things
@@ServeTheHomeVideo You don't need cringe zoomer gimmicks. You're an enthusiast/semi-professional hardware review channel, not a gatcha reaction channel selling gambling games and overpriced plastic to children. You already create evergreen content with an easy stream of new content to cover, there's no reason to make your content embarrasing or actively annoying to watch in a professional setting.
I just had a conversation yesterday with my rep from Juniper Networks about their lack of 2.5 options on their SOHO and SMB devices. Its really time for vendors to make the transition. Especially when dealing with non - modular units
Switching still seems to be the biggest hurdle in multi gig networking. Especially with cable and fiber deployments doing 2.5 to 5Gb on modem/router ports. These with the 10Gb uplink seem to be the best options. Allowing the 2.5Gb WAN connection as well as a few 2.5Gb clients direct on the switch with 10Gb back to your rack machines. Since a lot of Prosumer/older enterprise gear still doesn't behave well with 2.5Gb links. Usually requiring trial and error or finding somebody that has already done with work finding SFP+ to RJ45 transceivers that behave with your gear at 2.5/5Gb.
I don't wanna be "that person" but also I'm hesitant with these switches because of their origin. Was recently having a conversation with a friend who has worked in defense and semiconductor industry and the backdoors built into chinese network boards seems so sketch
@@chess598That's just the current anti-china campaign, don't trust the rumor these guys are under orders to spread. You'd be amazed at the backdoors in US products made in the past 7 years .
@@chess598 Pretty much this, and the fact they've had no market certification is another reason they're cheap as dirt. Without those safety standard checks they can get away with this, and depending on country invalidate your premises insurance!
@@chess598 Oh, I completely get that part. I really just meant this type of device as a simple managed or unmanaged switch from a traditionally in market vendor with proper certifications. There is money to be made if somebody like a Ubiquiti, TP-Link, MikroTek etc would make something like this. Even if around 200-$220. I am already out a SFP+ and about $30-35 a transceiver to properly support a 2.5Gb port in my setup. So a proper non POE just client switch at even $250 I'm saving per port.
Got to be careful saying that NICGIGA switch or you'll offend someone unintentionally. Ha ha. Patrick talks wicked fast so that makes it even harder. Great video Patrick I'm certainly going to be picked up one of these for my lab. I've been waiting for something like this for a while.
I have been using a Horaco version for about a month. I was genuinely surprised when the blurb about power usage was proven to be true. I use the unit fully populated 6x 2.5, 2x 1gbit and the 10G SFP+ to my workstation. No issues at all so far. The only difference in my implementation is that I do not use the included power brick as this was supplied as US with a UK adapter. I just wish there was a larger version as the TP-Link TL-SH1832 is a massive pain to import.
Thanks for making 2.5g vids. There's no way I can rewire my house from Cat5e to Cat6, so I appreciate the in depth reviews of something I can actually use
I see something like this can be a goal for TP-Link and Unify as they would get users into their Eco-system that then also would make them push those into their enterprise business use.
Nice, love a host with energy and passion, makes the media more interesting! And nicgiga is a bit hard to say lol. I have one of their 2.5gbe cards in my nas.
they aren't - it's a dumm uncontrollable switch, while in your network - you wanna route all traffic through vlan to secure your network from wireless hackers, right?
I just got a couple of the Sodala ones so I could utilize the 2.5G ethernet on my new systems in my office and have a fiber uplink to my rack. Pretty much perfect for what I needed.
I bought the Horaco one for 58€ based on the review. I bought it because of the very low energy consumption and the values from this test matches my own measurements. Thank you !
@13:32 - Another reason you would pay more to buy it from a US distributor is that there is also the fact that if you have an issue, trying to get a replacement/doing a return with Aliexpress is going to be a pain in the ass vs Amazon.
This is getting there. The price is about right, honestly a max of $100 US would make these sell. But yeah, we need bigger names with (at least on paper) warranty & technical support behind them to sell something like this. I'd drop an extra $20 for a 2nd 10g port. Really though I'd love one with a 10Gb RJ-45 port instead of an SFP port. That media change is a barrier a lot of casual users will balk at. So many videos talk about 2.5Gb as being commonplace on devices, but with switches that require new cabling, it's still a hard sell. If all you have to do is make sure the cable I plug into the 10Gb port is good enough to handle 10Gb, and not deal with SFP ports or optical at all, *then* it's a drop in replacement. That is a *HUGE* factor for a home user or even an enthusiast on a budget. It's something I think a lot of folks that pretty much went to stuff with SFP ports just gave up on and accepted as the price for more speed. It changes what you consider 'affordable' and moves it squarely into "it's a little expensive" given you have to buy more stuff to get the most out of it. All RJ-45 gets them in the game immediately and then if they catch that speed itch, 10Gb costs and SFP seem less pricey.
@@MadLadsAnonymous Not anytime soon. Wireless access points will drive that, and I don't think 10Gb links to WAP's is that common. As faster WiFi actually propagates to mass adoption (a/b/g/n still far outnumbers everything else out there) then it'll become necessary, but right now. 2.5Gb on WAPs seems like where things have settled.
I’ve got a little 8 port unmanaged Mokerlink PoE switch that has been fantastic for what it is. Think it was $35-$45 a couple years ago when I grabbed it.
As a guy who works for a router/switch manufacturer in Europe, all I can say about why the known brands don't have the cheapo switches is: A: Certifications are a bitch and expensive B: Any quality control, where you test more then, hey, the power LED turn on, makes it more expensive by a lot C: Things are built from more quality PCB components so the things last D: Support does not come for free and man do enterprise and big wig companies love that
I have two Horaco 5-port switches in use and I am satisfied. One is downstairs and one is upstairs. The 5 port switches have 4 ports on an IC under the heat sink, the 5th port has its own IC and there is also the SFP+ port. I also tried two fiber SFPs to connect both switches. This works perfectly with 10GBit. For testing, I also got an SFP to 2.5GBit LAN module that works perfectly. The only downside was that the power adapters do not come with European plugs but with US plugs. An adapter is required. The power adapters also work with 240 Volts 50 Hz. With the small price difference, the 8 port only costs 10 to 20 $€£ more than the 5 port. Both also have the SFP+ port.
We did a few in our Ultimate Guide a few weeks ago: ruclips.net/video/brQUwucJLtg/видео.html And are keeping an index of all the 2.5GbE switches that we are doing here: www.servethehome.com/the-ultimate-cheap-2-5gbe-switch-mega-round-up-qnap-netgear-hasivo-mokerlink-trendnet-zyxel-tp-link/
@@ServeTheHomeVideo That’s likely the intent of whoever named it in Shenzhen. You’d think if they were ponying up the extra cash for a 4 color box that they’d check if the brand name was a little borderline.
Ok you convinced me to go buy this immediately after watching this video...Now I just have to buy some machines that actually have 2.5gb NIC's, and a new core switch that has SPF+ for the uplink...My credit card company would like to thank you for your contribution to my escalating debt. lol
Great video, I would love to change to 2.5GbE in my network but imo it is still to expesnive. Only complaint about he video is the transition music was obnoxiously loud imo.
It's great that this category of switches is getting popular, though nothing perfectly meets my needs cheaply. Fanless metal 6-8 port 2.5G and 2 port 10G with both baseT and SFP+ would be perfect. Netgear GS110MX looks decent for 2x10G, but only 1G on other ports.
Fanless with a lot of 10Gbase-T is hard due to the PHYs. We are finishing recording a video this weekend on the $245 8x 10Gbase-T Hasivo managed switch shown in the latest Perfect 1L homelab video. Expact that one soon.
I am waiting for TP-Link to have something like this in their Omada line. I have a managed 1-gig poe switch. I just want to add a couple of 2.5 or 10-gig from my server and one to my workstation.
These reviews on 2.5/10 switches are so valuable. Can you offer a companion vid series on USB4/TB 2.5/10 adapters/dongles. Many of us have recently purchased laptops and desktops that only have 1gb nics, but have USB4/TB high speed ports. As example, I have a Mac Studio which has 10gb nic on-board, but everything else I own (including 14in M1 MBPro) only has 1gb nic. I would love to upgrade my core switch to 2.5/10, but need strategy for other devices to take advantage of. THANK YOU!
I went with an unmanaged 2.5 tplink and a cheap tplink 1gb "smart" poe for now Tplink has a cool 10/5/2.5/1/... Switch but it's non poe and maybe even unmanaged. The switches that are also managed and poe from reputable brands are ridiculously expensive. Will upgrade in a few years when it makes sense.
@@estusflask982 if your endpoint has 10G you don't use a 10G switch, the point is to make sure the uplink has enough bandwith to carry all ports without throttling
No cable retention? No problem. Go to your local hardware store, buy a small pack of R-Type Cable Clamps in 1/8" and double duty the ground screw as the mount point for the clamp.
They'd have to add their packet-sniffing chips which slow down the overall performance... But I'm sure they will soon enough BTW: You should never install Ubiquiti in somebody else's home... unless you convince them to sign the ULA - the Ubiquiti LAN side snooping is not what hi-value clients want in their home networks
@@SuperSpecies / Information Collected By Us. In general, we collect certain information by which someone could personally identify you or individuals that you allow to use or access the Services (" Personally Identifiable Information"), as well as information that someone could not personally identify you or another individual (“Non-Personally Identifiable Information”). If you provide us with a third party’s Personally Identifiable Information, you represent that you have the third party's permission to do so. The information collected by us include: User Provided Information. When using our Services, you may provide certain Personally Identifiable Information, such as names, email addresses, mailing addresses or other contact information or your feedback on the Services, as well as Non-Personally Identifiable Information, such as information relating to your system, network, devices or devices of third parties on your system or network. Usage Data. We may collect certain information about your devices, your network, your system and third party devices connected to your network or system when you use the Services ("Usage Data"), including but not limited to device data, performance data, sensor data, motion data, temperature data, power usage data, device signals, device parameters, device identifiers that may uniquely identify the devices, including mobile devices, web request, Internet Protocol address, location information (including latitude and longitude), browser type, browser language, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform type, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies, web beacons and JavaScript that may uniquely identify your devices or browser. Support Data. We may collect certain support data when you submit a support request, including information about you, your devices, system, network or third party devices connected to your system or network, your software and other information related to your support requirements. We will use this support data to resolve your support incident and for training and product development purposes. Payment Data. We may collect certain payment data you provide when you make a purchase through our Services. This may include your name, billing address, shipping address, other location information, payment instrument number (e.g., credit card), and the security code associated with such instrument. We will only use your payment data to complete your transaction and send you notices about your transactions. Where necessary, we will share your payment data with banks and other third party financial institutions to process your payment transactions, or for fraud prevention.
@@SuperSpecies / Information Collected By Us. In general, we collect certain information by which someone could personally identify you or individuals that you allow to use or access the Services (" Personally Identifiable Information"), as well as information that someone could not personally identify you or another individual (“Non-Personally Identifiable Information”). If you provide us with a third party’s Personally Identifiable Information, you represent that you have the third party's permission to do so. The information collected by us include: User Provided Information. When using our Services, you may provide certain Personally Identifiable Information, such as names, email addresses, mailing addresses or other contact information or your feedback on the Services, as well as Non-Personally Identifiable Information, such as information relating to your system, network, devices or devices of third parties on your system or network. Usage Data. We may collect certain information about your devices, your network, your system and third party devices connected to your network or system when you use the Services ("Usage Data"), including but not limited to device data, performance data, sensor data, motion data, temperature data, power usage data, device signals, device parameters, device identifiers that may uniquely identify the devices, including mobile devices, web request, Internet Protocol address, location information (including latitude and longitude), browser type, browser language, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform type, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies, web beacons and JavaScript that may uniquely identify your devices or browser. Support Data. We may collect certain support data when you submit a support request, including information about you, your devices, system, network or third party devices connected to your system or network, your software and other information related to your support requirements. We will use this support data to resolve your support incident and for training and product development purposes. Payment Data. We may collect certain payment data you provide when you make a purchase through our Services. This may include your name, billing address, shipping address, other location information, payment instrument number (e.g., credit card), and the security code associated with such instrument. We will only use your payment data to complete your transaction and send you notices about your transactions. Where necessary, we will share your payment data with banks and other third party financial institutions to process your payment transactions, or for fraud prevention.
@@SuperSpecies / Here it is in plain English Information Collected By Us. In general, we collect certain information by which someone could personally identify you or individuals that you allow to use or access the Services (" Personally Identifiable Information"), as well as information that someone could not personally identify you or another individual (“Non-Personally Identifiable Information”). If you provide us with a third party’s Personally Identifiable Information, you represent that you have the third party's permission to do so. The information collected by us include: User Provided Information. When using our Services, you may provide certain Personally Identifiable Information, such as names, email addresses, mailing addresses or other contact information or your feedback on the Services, as well as Non-Personally Identifiable Information, such as information relating to your system, network, devices or devices of third parties on your system or network. Usage Data. We may collect certain information about your devices, your network, your system and third party devices connected to your network or system when you use the Services ("Usage Data"), including but not limited to device data, performance data, sensor data, motion data, temperature data, power usage data, device signals, device parameters, device identifiers that may uniquely identify the devices, including mobile devices, web request, Internet Protocol address, location information (including latitude and longitude), browser type, browser language, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform type, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies, web beacons and JavaScript that may uniquely identify your devices or browser. Support Data. We may collect certain support data when you submit a support request, including information about you, your devices, system, network or third party devices connected to your system or network, your software and other information related to your support requirements. We will use this support data to resolve your support incident and for training and product development purposes. Payment Data. We may collect certain payment data you provide when you make a purchase through our Services. This may include your name, billing address, shipping address, other location information, payment instrument number (e.g., credit card), and the security code associated with such instrument. We will only use your payment data to complete your transaction and send you notices about your transactions. Where necessary, we will share your payment data with banks and other third party financial institutions to process your payment transactions, or for fraud prevention.
I went to buy the Sodola from the previous video. While shopping I saw the 8+1SFp version and figured since the Sodola 6 got such raves from ServTheHome I would risk it and go with the 8+1SFp. Thus far (3 days) I have been quite happy with it. Having the SFp to talk at 10GB with our MikroTik and open up a regular port has been a real benefit.
regarding the brand names, i'm guessing it's along the lines of LTT's video on why Amazon has such weird brand names (i should know; i work there 😩... soooo many of those weird freakin' brand names. i feel they name by wheel of fortune spins but for letters)
Thanks for highlighting these devices. I'll admit, I am a unifi guy for switches and APs. The single pane of glass made my life much easier as I learned to administer my own home / home office. I hope this new batch of inexpensive 2.5 and 10GBE switches will light a fire under the competition.
I'm guessing that Realtek chip is mostly for use in home routers that traditionally contain a similar 1Gbps or 100Mbps chip connected to the embedded CPU. If so, I suspect a small CPU could turn it into a managed switch configured entirely over standard SNMP with IPv6 automatic addressing.
Thanks for the review Patrick! I agree, I am waiting for the major switch vendors like Netgear, Qnap, etc to make something like this. I run a Netgear GS series 16 port gigabit and would upgrade immediately if they released 2.5Gbe gear tech..
I've been looking for a small managed switch in this category. The only inexpensive thing I've seen is the Trendnet TEG-3102WS. QNAP has some that are half-rack width, but they start at $450 for 8 ports. All I want is a reasonably managed 16 port 2.5, 2 x SFP+ switch in that
on the power supplies - that CE marking spacing is wrong... that's not the European safety mark its often referred to as the Chinese Export mark. its often used to try and trick the inspectors and consumers it seems...
that's pretty cool. Are there any low-power managed 2.5G switches? I'm currently using mikrotik RB260GSP and I love them for having a powerful management interface and passive POE(because it can be passed through). Even ignoring price I can't find anything that fits those requirements right now.
Pretty good. I couldn't find anything like this when I was looking before. I like HP networking gear but I don't know if they even make "prosumer" stuff any more. Right now I'm using a bunch of cheap RTL 4-port 2.5Gb PCIe cards. It requires a beefy server class machine so although the cards are cheap, the server is not.
Except you need to have something that will interface with the SFP+ which will add quite a bit to the pricing. If you already have the right connectors, you are correct, but if you don't, then your connectors could be more expensive than your actual switch once you add up the costs. Right?
@@reasonsreasonably just stick with SFP+ throughout. If you only have a simple network you can use two port cards in bridge mode and no switch. The copper wires can be a few metres long and only £15. The main reason I use SFP+ is to have a separate PC and server, which are on the same desk, actually two servers and one PC daisy chained together. It works fine and dirt cheap. They also have 1GBe for longer runs, WiFi and Internet access.
Thanks for this video, I was looking to get three 2.5 switches so that all my local network is 2.5 but the prices have been putting me off. Gonna look at these options for sure
I would guess it is HoraCo as in Hora, latin: hour and Co (Company) so with a hard c… BUT I could also be totally wrong. Anyways, I hope there will soon be some cool 10Gbit Base-T switches that are equally as cheap
I have no idea but I'd guess Horaco is pronounced just like it's spelled, i.e. with a hard _C_ like the second syllable of Cisco or Sysco. Probably short for _corp_ or _company._ Regardless, it's a Hora-ble name.
I just upgraded my whole house to 2.5GbE with a few of the Nicgiga a couple of weeks ago, even before seeing this video. It's been running great! I do have a problem getting a M1 Mac Studio Ultra to connect reliably, though.
FYI, thanks for the content. I just purchased two of the Nicgiga switches using your links (just upgraded some Moca 2.5 links and my NAS). Very much appreciated and useful content. Still looking for a good wifi 6e router that supports at least 2.5 on both uplink and LAN.
Why not provide actual throughput numbers on the charts? Are these able to saturate 2.5gb? Running iperf3 between 2 2.5gb ports directly (no switch inline) I see ~280 MB/s sustained throughput - ~2250 gbps
About to buy a nicgiga switch, hopefully it works well. (not the one in this video but one with four 2.5 gig POE ports and two 10 gig SFP+ ports, that one is small enough to fit a 10 inch rack i'm planning on)
Sorry about the transition at 8:37 guys. I edited it. This is why I am usually not allowed to edit our videos.
back to the dungeon you go!
@@TheDillio187 reporting there soon.
@@ServeTheHomeVideo That was a jump scare man
Have you had these inspected by an IT sec professional or a hardware engineer?
@@JuriusDoctor That's what I wanted to ask as well. LTT may be able to do with all the new hiring they've been doing.
Man enunciated "nicgiga" REAL carefully 💀
2.5 and 10Gbps passively cooled for around $100 is a big deal even if you don’t want these. It’ll start to drive down the cost of other vendors.
That is the hope.
Yeah, I wouldn’t buy these. But when prices start to come down I’ll pick up one from a reputable brand. You just never know with these lesser Chinese brands.
Just ordered one on Taobao for 399 RMB which is about 57 USD. Hope it could be even cheaper down the road.
@@ruconscious what brands are you buying from now? what're you working with on the regular? Have a house Im getting ready to wire up.
Those "other vendors" are a little slower than these Chinese brands, but I'm betting we'll see companies like TP-Link give us 4-port (5-port) and 8-port (9-port) versions as soon as they start incorporating these seemingly super affordable Realtek RTL8373+RTL8224 solutions. I'm hoping that Realtek follows up with some slightly higher-end versions of the RTL8373+RTL8224 solution with some management, ability to do some VLAN tagging, frame size modification, etc, nothing crazy, add some simple management to give us something that many of us would feel more comfortable using in an office or prosumer scenario. As of right now, I would never connect any of these four brands to any device with any sort of sensitive data until I saw an in-depth security audit ensuring that there aren't backdoors or other hidden gems baked into these switches.
Can you *please* start testing how the unmanaged switches handle VLAN-tagged frames? It's undefined for unmanaged switches in general, but some will e.g. strip VLAN tags out, others will pass them on, some could drop them, etc. Knowing how these unmanaged switchs react to being placed in a VLAN-aware environment may enable someone to mix them in even if they're unmanaged.
Very good point. I also would love to see this being tested.
This is exactly what I've been looking for! So many other switches you guys have been covering have only been 4 or 5 ports. With this you get 8 ports plus the SFP port (which I've also been looking for). Thanks Patrick and the rest of the team for working on this! :D
Maybe Realtek has made a new switch chip seeing the low power figures. Good to finally see some progress on 2.5G.
We show the diagram of the two Realtek chips used here. They were announced in 2022 so pretty new.
Absolutely, FINALLY!
It should be noted that the maximum power you can pull out of an SFP+ cage is only 3W, and typically a DAC cable pulls under 1W. It's why 10GBaseT in the data centre is bonkers crazy.
@@jonathanbuzzard1376 Yeah, compared to 10GB CAT5 cards which really need a fan to keep them cool. The other thing about SFP+ DAC is super low latency compared to CAT5 for some reason.
@@wayland7150 That's a really good point, the encoding for twisted pair is going to increase latency over a DAC cable. If our latest proposals are approved I will be getting my first servers with 10GBaseT later this year 😞 Plus point is that they will be plugged into a 1Gbps switch, used only for provisioning and will thereafter be using ConnectX-6 cards at 100Gbps with a mix of SR4 and DAC. Can't avoid the 10GBaseT unfortunately.
I appreciate not having the rewind intro on this video
The intro is still a WIP.
I didn't wanna say anything but yea kinda agree.
Better not do any intros, it's refreshing to have the content right away. For other videos, there's stuff like r evanced where you can setup it to skip intros among other things
Personally I like a short intro
@@ServeTheHomeVideo You don't need cringe zoomer gimmicks. You're an enthusiast/semi-professional hardware review channel, not a gatcha reaction channel selling gambling games and overpriced plastic to children. You already create evergreen content with an easy stream of new content to cover, there's no reason to make your content embarrasing or actively annoying to watch in a professional setting.
Realtek announced a bunch of networking ICs last year at CES 2022. I think we are going to see more products using these solutions.
Yes. The chips in this are from that batch.
Glad to see 2.5gbe and 10gbe finally reach consumer prices! This will be the year for major upgrades
it need to be more cheaper
I cannot afford it
I just had a conversation yesterday with my rep from Juniper Networks about their lack of 2.5 options on their SOHO and SMB devices. Its really time for vendors to make the transition. Especially when dealing with non - modular units
Yes I would love to get my SRX 300 upgraded to be more than 1Gb uplink as ISPs are offering more options now.
@@GooseVan sadly most isp in USA are not doing that. Well document about bad isp data on speeds
Good on companies like Sodola for bringing these to market. It's about time. Mikrotik have had suitable products for a while but too few ports.
Switching still seems to be the biggest hurdle in multi gig networking. Especially with cable and fiber deployments doing 2.5 to 5Gb on modem/router ports. These with the 10Gb uplink seem to be the best options. Allowing the 2.5Gb WAN connection as well as a few 2.5Gb clients direct on the switch with 10Gb back to your rack machines. Since a lot of Prosumer/older enterprise gear still doesn't behave well with 2.5Gb links. Usually requiring trial and error or finding somebody that has already done with work finding SFP+ to RJ45 transceivers that behave with your gear at 2.5/5Gb.
I don't wanna be "that person" but also I'm hesitant with these switches because of their origin. Was recently having a conversation with a friend who has worked in defense and semiconductor industry and the backdoors built into chinese network boards seems so sketch
@@chess598That's just the current anti-china campaign, don't trust the rumor these guys are under orders to spread. You'd be amazed at the backdoors in US products made in the past 7 years .
@@chess598 Pretty much this, and the fact they've had no market certification is another reason they're cheap as dirt. Without those safety standard checks they can get away with this, and depending on country invalidate your premises insurance!
@@chess598 Oh, I completely get that part. I really just meant this type of device as a simple managed or unmanaged switch from a traditionally in market vendor with proper certifications. There is money to be made if somebody like a Ubiquiti, TP-Link, MikroTek etc would make something like this. Even if around 200-$220. I am already out a SFP+ and about $30-35 a transceiver to properly support a 2.5Gb port in my setup. So a proper non POE just client switch at even $250 I'm saving per port.
Got to be careful saying that NICGIGA switch or you'll offend someone unintentionally. Ha ha. Patrick talks wicked fast so that makes it even harder.
Great video Patrick I'm certainly going to be picked up one of these for my lab. I've been waiting for something like this for a while.
Chinese naming is wild. I have KZ earphones with SS sized eartips.
Luckily, I don't care if I offend people. I'd buy that brand mainly for the name.
My NICGIGA
I have been using a Horaco version for about a month. I was genuinely surprised when the blurb about power usage was proven to be true. I use the unit fully populated 6x 2.5, 2x 1gbit and the 10G SFP+ to my workstation. No issues at all so far. The only difference in my implementation is that I do not use the included power brick as this was supplied as US with a UK adapter. I just wish there was a larger version as the TP-Link TL-SH1832 is a massive pain to import.
I'd definitely be interested in managed versions of these. That and PoE versions.
Me too. I need SMB multichannel for an outdated NAS that has only 2x1GbE on board.
Make sure to put a load on the switch while checking power consumption
Thanks for making 2.5g vids. There's no way I can rewire my house from Cat5e to Cat6, so I appreciate the in depth reviews of something I can actually use
Luckily I wirted my house directly with cat6a :D
wow you really blew my speakers there at 8:36! Gotta watch those levels on post
That was my fault. :0(
Enjoying your content Patrick!
Thank you Carey
I see something like this can be a goal for TP-Link and Unify as they would get users into their Eco-system that then also would make them push those into their enterprise business use.
@12:53 - Horaco = Horako no ch in the word. Great work.
The NICGIGA and SODOLA are like 70$ now 5 months later. Good Deal!
Nice, love a host with energy and passion, makes the media more interesting! And nicgiga is a bit hard to say lol. I have one of their 2.5gbe cards in my nas.
So you have a nicgiga in your nas.. cool
Its the only bling in the nas
I enjoy fanless for less maintenance. And less noise is kind of a bonus. For me
add poe+ they be perfect for new 2.5g access points.
We covered a few of those in our 2.5GbE Mega-round-up ruclips.net/video/brQUwucJLtg/видео.html
they aren't - it's a dumm uncontrollable switch, while in your network - you wanna route all traffic through vlan to secure your network from wireless hackers, right?
@@s.i.m.c.a You really shouldn't rely on VLANs for security.
I just got a couple of the Sodala ones so I could utilize the 2.5G ethernet on my new systems in my office and have a fiber uplink to my rack. Pretty much perfect for what I needed.
I wish the Ubiquiti USW-Enterprise-8-PoE was in this sort of price. The pricing on these four switches is fantastic.
Yeah, even if it was in the $200-$250 range it'd be an easy buy for me, seems like a great thing for Mikrotik to come out with
Kudos on not botching that Nicgiga name, that could be problematic LOL
*concern*
Glad I'm not the only one who was thinking the same thing
I bought the Horaco one for 58€ based on the review. I bought it because of the very low energy consumption and the values from this test matches my own measurements. Thank you !
I'm currently looking at that exact same switch. How did it work out for you? Everything fine?
4:14 wardrobe continuity error
I think the best way to say Horaco is to say co as in company, something like horako. Great video!
Probably - the first take had like 4 different pronunciations so I tried to cut this down to one. It may have been the wrong one.
Sounds like a Fallout 4 company.
I'm going to say that switch name wrong at some point.
i've been enjoying your content for quite some time now, also you seem like a really nice person 🙂
I totally misread NICGIGA at first glance.
HA! My immature self laughed at the "hard R"-like sound
No one should name a company that starts with Ni and ends with Ga with only one syllable in-between.
But Patrick from STH nailed it like it's any other day 😂
Nicgiga, not Nicgiger! haha
This brand will get many tech youtubers cancelled at some point
@13:32 - Another reason you would pay more to buy it from a US distributor is that there is also the fact that if you have an issue, trying to get a replacement/doing a return with Aliexpress is going to be a pain in the ass vs Amazon.
Great Video Patrick!
Thanks!
This is getting there. The price is about right, honestly a max of $100 US would make these sell. But yeah, we need bigger names with (at least on paper) warranty & technical support behind them to sell something like this. I'd drop an extra $20 for a 2nd 10g port.
Really though I'd love one with a 10Gb RJ-45 port instead of an SFP port.
That media change is a barrier a lot of casual users will balk at. So many videos talk about 2.5Gb as being commonplace on devices, but with switches that require new cabling, it's still a hard sell. If all you have to do is make sure the cable I plug into the 10Gb port is good enough to handle 10Gb, and not deal with SFP ports or optical at all, *then* it's a drop in replacement.
That is a *HUGE* factor for a home user or even an enthusiast on a budget. It's something I think a lot of folks that pretty much went to stuff with SFP ports just gave up on and accepted as the price for more speed. It changes what you consider 'affordable' and moves it squarely into "it's a little expensive" given you have to buy more stuff to get the most out of it.
All RJ-45 gets them in the game immediately and then if they catch that speed itch, 10Gb costs and SFP seem less pricey.
Ok, rookie question:
Do you foresee a switch with 10Gb RJ-45 and PoE for a reasonable price?
@@MadLadsAnonymous Not anytime soon. Wireless access points will drive that, and I don't think 10Gb links to WAP's is that common. As faster WiFi actually propagates to mass adoption (a/b/g/n still far outnumbers everything else out there) then it'll become necessary, but right now. 2.5Gb on WAPs seems like where things have settled.
blue LTT-driver?
Creator Edition that Linus and Jake sent me (I have been on LTT a few times.)
I have a couple of Nicgiga PCIe NICs. Certainly a brand name that causes a double take.
These are indeed awesome..! Assuming they are indeed stable.. I mean network stability is key! A switch should just work 24/7.
Personally I would like to have 2x(or more) 5 gb/s, 1x atleast 10gb/s and the remaining 2.5gb/s.
Horacio has similar switches as managed.
But buyer reviews weren't convincing because of the interface. Please test one of these.
9:39 Does that power meter calculate the power factor too? If not you don't get the correct values on a switching power supply.
My Nicgiga!
You're the first person I've seen put a load on the switches and show the throughput they can do.
That's what I want to see.
With cables 5e you can easly do 10Gbit connection for few meters.
I'm doing 10Gb on a Cat5e cable right now. The cable is 50ft+. Works great. The cable was installed 20 years ago.
I’ve got a little 8 port unmanaged Mokerlink PoE switch that has been fantastic for what it is. Think it was $35-$45 a couple years ago when I grabbed it.
Wicked content Patrick, I thinks i might have to grab one !
As a guy who works for a router/switch manufacturer in Europe, all I can say about why the known brands don't have the cheapo switches is:
A: Certifications are a bitch and expensive
B: Any quality control, where you test more then, hey, the power LED turn on, makes it more expensive by a lot
C: Things are built from more quality PCB components so the things last
D: Support does not come for free and man do enterprise and big wig companies love that
That one brand name might get you some very pointed questions from HR.
I have two Horaco 5-port switches in use and I am satisfied. One is downstairs and one is upstairs. The 5 port switches have 4 ports on an IC under the heat sink, the 5th port has its own IC and there is also the SFP+ port.
I also tried two fiber SFPs to connect both switches. This works perfectly with 10GBit.
For testing, I also got an SFP to 2.5GBit LAN module that works perfectly.
The only downside was that the power adapters do not come with European plugs but with US plugs. An adapter is required. The power adapters also work with 240 Volts 50 Hz.
With the small price difference, the 8 port only costs 10 to 20 $€£ more than the 5 port. Both also have the SFP+ port.
Can you do a cheap managed 2.5?
We did a few in our Ultimate Guide a few weeks ago: ruclips.net/video/brQUwucJLtg/видео.html
And are keeping an index of all the 2.5GbE switches that we are doing here: www.servethehome.com/the-ultimate-cheap-2-5gbe-switch-mega-round-up-qnap-netgear-hasivo-mokerlink-trendnet-zyxel-tp-link/
Patrick's career was flashing before his eyes as he said "Nicgiga"
Confused. I think it is a NIC (network interface card) with GIGA (gigabyte/ gigabit) or something like that
@@ServeTheHomeVideo That’s likely the intent of whoever named it in Shenzhen. You’d think if they were ponying up the extra cash for a 4 color box that they’d check if the brand name was a little borderline.
Picked two of the mokerlink units for 75 dollars each! I’m excited to use the SFP+ port for the link between the two as well
Sweet!
Nicgiga treading a fine line with that naming
This excites me more than it should!
Ok you convinced me to go buy this immediately after watching this video...Now I just have to buy some machines that actually have 2.5gb NIC's, and a new core switch that has SPF+ for the uplink...My credit card company would like to thank you for your contribution to my escalating debt. lol
Great video, I would love to change to 2.5GbE in my network but imo it is still to expesnive. Only complaint about he video is the transition music was obnoxiously loud imo.
My fault on that. I did some editing... and that is why they do not let me do editing.
guy, they're less than $150 dollars. you're not buying a $1000 cisco switch.
What I only hear Tinnitus now.. (I'm not joking)
@@RobertoCarlos-tn1iq Yes tey do not cost thousands of dollars but are still expensive. Compared to a gigabit switch they cost 5-6x more.
It's great that this category of switches is getting popular, though nothing perfectly meets my needs cheaply. Fanless metal 6-8 port 2.5G and 2 port 10G with both baseT and SFP+ would be perfect. Netgear GS110MX looks decent for 2x10G, but only 1G on other ports.
Fanless with a lot of 10Gbase-T is hard due to the PHYs. We are finishing recording a video this weekend on the $245 8x 10Gbase-T Hasivo managed switch shown in the latest Perfect 1L homelab video. Expact that one soon.
I am waiting for TP-Link to have something like this in their Omada line. I have a managed 1-gig poe switch. I just want to add a couple of 2.5 or 10-gig from my server and one to my workstation.
We have something like what you mention coming. The team has been working on the review
@@ServeTheHomeVideo GREAT!
@@ServeTheHomeVideo I can't sleep now...!
And... where is it?
These reviews on 2.5/10 switches are so valuable. Can you offer a companion vid series on USB4/TB 2.5/10 adapters/dongles. Many of us have recently purchased laptops and desktops that only have 1gb nics, but have USB4/TB high speed ports. As example, I have a Mac Studio which has 10gb nic on-board, but everything else I own (including 14in M1 MBPro) only has 1gb nic. I would love to upgrade my core switch to 2.5/10, but need strategy for other devices to take advantage of. THANK YOU!
I went with an unmanaged 2.5 tplink and a cheap tplink 1gb "smart" poe for now
Tplink has a cool 10/5/2.5/1/... Switch but it's non poe and maybe even unmanaged.
The switches that are also managed and poe from reputable brands are ridiculously expensive.
Will upgrade in a few years when it makes sense.
If it had 2 sfp+ ports it might have more uses.
We covered a few other options in our Ultimate 2.5GbE switch guide in March
I wouldn't use switches like this for pass-through, they seem great as endpoint switches.
@@returnedinformation1040 What if your endpoint has a 10G device? 10G uplink, then no 10G for the 10G device.
@@estusflask982 if your endpoint has 10G you don't use a 10G switch, the point is to make sure the uplink has enough bandwith to carry all ports without throttling
@@marcogenovesi8570 I'm talking about an endpoint with only one cable.
It sells for ¥399 in China, about $54.
That is part of my point on why these are so expensive elsewhere
for something like that fanless is great, i might actually buy one
No cable retention? No problem. Go to your local hardware store, buy a small pack of R-Type Cable Clamps in 1/8" and double duty the ground screw as the mount point for the clamp.
Honestly, where are you guys putting these to make that an actual concern? I'd expect most switches sold just sit on, in, or behind a shelf somewhere
@@Max24871 Until you have your spouse decide to dust that shelf and picks it up to dust it and under it and snags the cable :)
I wish Ubiquiti would create a switch like this. Even if not managed.
They'd have to add their packet-sniffing chips which slow down the overall performance... But I'm sure they will soon enough
BTW: You should never install Ubiquiti in somebody else's home... unless you convince them to sign the ULA - the Ubiquiti LAN side snooping is not what hi-value clients want in their home networks
@@Andrew_M_Ward what does it sniff for?
@@SuperSpecies / Information Collected By Us. In general, we collect certain information by which someone could personally identify you or individuals that you allow to use or access the Services (" Personally Identifiable Information"), as well as information that someone could not personally identify you or another individual (“Non-Personally Identifiable Information”). If you provide us with a third party’s Personally Identifiable Information, you represent that you have the third party's permission to do so. The information collected by us include:
User Provided Information. When using our Services, you may provide certain Personally Identifiable Information, such as names, email addresses, mailing addresses or other contact information or your feedback on the Services, as well as Non-Personally Identifiable Information, such as information relating to your system, network, devices or devices of third parties on your system or network.
Usage Data. We may collect certain information about your devices, your network, your system and third party devices connected to your network or system when you use the Services ("Usage Data"), including but not limited to device data, performance data, sensor data, motion data, temperature data, power usage data, device signals, device parameters, device identifiers that may uniquely identify the devices, including mobile devices, web request, Internet Protocol address, location information (including latitude and longitude), browser type, browser language, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform type, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies, web beacons and JavaScript that may uniquely identify your devices or browser.
Support Data. We may collect certain support data when you submit a support request, including information about you, your devices, system, network or third party devices connected to your system or network, your software and other information related to your support requirements. We will use this support data to resolve your support incident and for training and product development purposes.
Payment Data. We may collect certain payment data you provide when you make a purchase through our Services. This may include your name, billing address, shipping address, other location information, payment instrument number (e.g., credit card), and the security code associated with such instrument. We will only use your payment data to complete your transaction and send you notices about your transactions. Where necessary, we will share your payment data with banks and other third party financial institutions to process your payment transactions, or for fraud prevention.
@@SuperSpecies / Information Collected By Us. In general, we collect certain information by which someone could personally identify you or individuals that you allow to use or access the Services (" Personally Identifiable Information"), as well as information that someone could not personally identify you or another individual (“Non-Personally Identifiable Information”). If you provide us with a third party’s Personally Identifiable Information, you represent that you have the third party's permission to do so. The information collected by us include:
User Provided Information. When using our Services, you may provide certain Personally Identifiable Information, such as names, email addresses, mailing addresses or other contact information or your feedback on the Services, as well as Non-Personally Identifiable Information, such as information relating to your system, network, devices or devices of third parties on your system or network.
Usage Data. We may collect certain information about your devices, your network, your system and third party devices connected to your network or system when you use the Services ("Usage Data"), including but not limited to device data, performance data, sensor data, motion data, temperature data, power usage data, device signals, device parameters, device identifiers that may uniquely identify the devices, including mobile devices, web request, Internet Protocol address, location information (including latitude and longitude), browser type, browser language, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform type, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies, web beacons and JavaScript that may uniquely identify your devices or browser.
Support Data. We may collect certain support data when you submit a support request, including information about you, your devices, system, network or third party devices connected to your system or network, your software and other information related to your support requirements. We will use this support data to resolve your support incident and for training and product development purposes.
Payment Data. We may collect certain payment data you provide when you make a purchase through our Services. This may include your name, billing address, shipping address, other location information, payment instrument number (e.g., credit card), and the security code associated with such instrument. We will only use your payment data to complete your transaction and send you notices about your transactions. Where necessary, we will share your payment data with banks and other third party financial institutions to process your payment transactions, or for fraud prevention.
@@SuperSpecies / Here it is in plain English
Information Collected By Us. In general, we collect certain information by which someone could personally identify you or individuals that you allow to use or access the Services (" Personally Identifiable Information"), as well as information that someone could not personally identify you or another individual (“Non-Personally Identifiable Information”). If you provide us with a third party’s Personally Identifiable Information, you represent that you have the third party's permission to do so. The information collected by us include:
User Provided Information. When using our Services, you may provide certain Personally Identifiable Information, such as names, email addresses, mailing addresses or other contact information or your feedback on the Services, as well as Non-Personally Identifiable Information, such as information relating to your system, network, devices or devices of third parties on your system or network.
Usage Data. We may collect certain information about your devices, your network, your system and third party devices connected to your network or system when you use the Services ("Usage Data"), including but not limited to device data, performance data, sensor data, motion data, temperature data, power usage data, device signals, device parameters, device identifiers that may uniquely identify the devices, including mobile devices, web request, Internet Protocol address, location information (including latitude and longitude), browser type, browser language, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform type, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies, web beacons and JavaScript that may uniquely identify your devices or browser.
Support Data. We may collect certain support data when you submit a support request, including information about you, your devices, system, network or third party devices connected to your system or network, your software and other information related to your support requirements. We will use this support data to resolve your support incident and for training and product development purposes.
Payment Data. We may collect certain payment data you provide when you make a purchase through our Services. This may include your name, billing address, shipping address, other location information, payment instrument number (e.g., credit card), and the security code associated with such instrument. We will only use your payment data to complete your transaction and send you notices about your transactions. Where necessary, we will share your payment data with banks and other third party financial institutions to process your payment transactions, or for fraud prevention.
I went to buy the Sodola from the previous video. While shopping I saw the 8+1SFp version and figured since the Sodola 6 got such raves from ServTheHome I would risk it and go with the 8+1SFp. Thus far (3 days) I have been quite happy with it. Having the SFp to talk at 10GB with our MikroTik and open up a regular port has been a real benefit.
regarding the brand names, i'm guessing it's along the lines of LTT's video on why Amazon has such weird brand names (i should know; i work there 😩... soooo many of those weird freakin' brand names. i feel they name by wheel of fortune spins but for letters)
I would be happy to see a port config like this from mikrotik. Basically just an update to the CSS610 to use 2.5G instead of 1G.
Yes
Yes with all that Mikrotik switching and routing smartness.
Total newbie here. I want to get this product for a NAS setup, will I also need to get a router to go along with it?
Would like to see some 5-ports version with the same power efficiency of the new Realtek chips.
Thanks for highlighting these devices. I'll admit, I am a unifi guy for switches and APs. The single pane of glass made my life much easier as I learned to administer my own home / home office. I hope this new batch of inexpensive 2.5 and 10GBE switches will light a fire under the competition.
oh with the lack of certifications they are going to light on fire allright, not necessarily under the competition
@@marcogenovesi8570 lol well… Probabaly not, but probably really isn’t good enough in this case 😅
Exactly, Unifi has nothing like these switches.
I'm guessing that Realtek chip is mostly for use in home routers that traditionally contain a similar 1Gbps or 100Mbps chip connected to the embedded CPU. If so, I suspect a small CPU could turn it into a managed switch configured entirely over standard SNMP with IPv6 automatic addressing.
Thanks for the review Patrick! I agree, I am waiting for the major switch vendors like Netgear, Qnap, etc to make something like this. I run a Netgear GS series 16 port gigabit and would upgrade immediately if they released 2.5Gbe gear tech..
Great video Patrick, Thank you and my mokerlink and Mikrotik switches work great for my labs.
Super!!
Thank you for amazing review
Thank you for supporting STH so we can do this kind of review!
You can probably use a more efficient GaN PSU as well.
Thank you for all the information!
Our pleasure!
I've been looking for a small managed switch in this category. The only inexpensive thing I've seen is the Trendnet TEG-3102WS. QNAP has some that are half-rack width, but they start at $450 for 8 ports. All I want is a reasonably managed 16 port 2.5, 2 x SFP+ switch in that
And preferably fanless )
@@BoraHorzaGobuchul I can hear the fans on the switch for my house network from here. Fanless would indeed be nice.
I need a basic managed switch with a few mgig ports and some gig ports with a 10g uplink. First vendor to make that gets my money lol
What about ZYXEL XGS1210-12 or XGS1250-12 ?
I would assume that "Horaco" is pronounced with a soft "H" and would be said "Aura Co"
Good idea.
this guy rocking a blue top LTT screwdriver... i want!
Thanks to Jake and Linus for that :-)
on the power supplies - that CE marking spacing is wrong... that's not the European safety mark its often referred to as the Chinese Export mark. its often used to try and trick the inspectors and consumers it seems...
that's pretty cool. Are there any low-power managed 2.5G switches? I'm currently using mikrotik RB260GSP and I love them for having a powerful management interface and passive POE(because it can be passed through). Even ignoring price I can't find anything that fits those requirements right now.
I just want a compact 16 port 2.5G switch.
And yes! Why almost nothing from Netgear?
No idea
have to ask, do these auto negotiate backwards. I've ran across a few that couldn't/wouldn't?
We try all of these linking at 1G as well, but the standard we are using is 2.5GbE since that is the speed we are focused on.
Pretty good. I couldn't find anything like this when I was looking before. I like HP networking gear but I don't know if they even make "prosumer" stuff any more. Right now I'm using a bunch of cheap RTL 4-port 2.5Gb PCIe cards. It requires a beefy server class machine so although the cards are cheap, the server is not.
As long as you don't mind SFP+ (which you shouldn't) cheap 10GBe switches have been around for years. Just look at MikroTik's lineup
SFP+ is good for everything under your desk but CAT6 cable is easier to wire through your building.
Except you need to have something that will interface with the SFP+ which will add quite a bit to the pricing. If you already have the right connectors, you are correct, but if you don't, then your connectors could be more expensive than your actual switch once you add up the costs. Right?
@@reasonsreasonably just stick with SFP+ throughout. If you only have a simple network you can use two port cards in bridge mode and no switch. The copper wires can be a few metres long and only £15. The main reason I use SFP+ is to have a separate PC and server, which are on the same desk, actually two servers and one PC daisy chained together. It works fine and dirt cheap. They also have 1GBe for longer runs, WiFi and Internet access.
Nice, finally we have them at decent prices.
Whats the best 2.5GbE manged switch? Maybe even with SFP
What I want is a switch with 4x 2.5, and 1x 10gSFP+ uplink that runs UI. That would be the perfect desktop switch for my home/office desk.
Can the SFP+ do 2.5G as well or only 10&1G?
Port sfp is auto negociate is 2.5 Gbps ? Or negociate only 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps?
@@MarceloSilva-yh2ni mine works fine with 2.5G modules.
Got mine ~$60 directly from china a week ago
Thanks for this video, I was looking to get three 2.5 switches so that all my local network is 2.5 but the prices have been putting me off. Gonna look at these options for sure
Segment transition music is booming
I would guess it is HoraCo as in Hora, latin: hour and Co (Company) so with a hard c… BUT I could also be totally wrong.
Anyways, I hope there will soon be some cool 10Gbit Base-T switches that are equally as cheap
I have no idea but I'd guess Horaco is pronounced just like it's spelled, i.e. with a hard _C_ like the second syllable of Cisco or Sysco. Probably short for _corp_ or _company._ Regardless, it's a Hora-ble name.
I just upgraded my whole house to 2.5GbE with a few of the Nicgiga a couple of weeks ago, even before seeing this video. It's been running great! I do have a problem getting a M1 Mac Studio Ultra to connect reliably, though.
FYI, thanks for the content. I just purchased two of the Nicgiga switches using your links (just upgraded some Moca 2.5 links and my NAS). Very much appreciated and useful content. Still looking for a good wifi 6e router that supports at least 2.5 on both uplink and LAN.
Why not provide actual throughput numbers on the charts?
Are these able to saturate 2.5gb?
Running iperf3 between 2 2.5gb ports directly (no switch inline) I see ~280 MB/s sustained throughput - ~2250 gbps
About to buy a nicgiga switch, hopefully it works well.
(not the one in this video but one with four 2.5 gig POE ports and two 10 gig SFP+ ports, that one is small enough to fit a 10 inch rack i'm planning on)