This mini switch packs in the features

by Jim Wells MBA | Sep 13, 2001 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Jim Wells MBA

Takeaway: Think small with GigaFast's EZ500-S 5-Port Mini Switch. Tiny enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it packs in all the features you've come to expect from switch technology with the addition of five uplink ports. Want to know more? Read on.

Space is a rare commodity these days. Your server rooms—or server closets, as the case may be—appear littered with keyboards, patch panels, monitors, servers, and other technologies. It seems there is never enough room for all the necessary networking equipment. That said, often the need to logically link groups of devices together throughout the network poses a challenge. Switches and hubs are favored equipment because they allow many devices to hang off one drop.

So, when a switch comes out that combines all the features of a normal switch with a much smaller footprint, IT pros are bound to take notice. Take note of GigaFast's amazing and tiny EZ500-S 5-Port Mini Switch.

Good things do come in small packages
The EZ500-S Mini Switch is a recent release from GigaFast geared to the SOHO market. With its compact design, a scant .5 inches high by 4 inches wide by 2.5 inches deep, it’s about the size of a tin of Altoids and has been converted to accept network transmissions. With five ports available, there is just enough room for the power outlet in the back. To give you some perspective on just how small this device is, I have included a photo with it stacked on top of a 4-port hub from 3Com (Figure A).


More than just a small footprint
Switches have to be jacks-of-all-trades when it comes to the changing demands of high-speed networks. Plug and Play capability, uplink ports, and buffer memory are some of the more common features of today's switches. Also, with the many different network configurations out there, switches must accept a wide variety of signal speeds. Given its tiny dimensions, I wondered if the EZ500-S would be lacking in features I have grown accustomed to with switch technology. Table A is a reproduction of the list of features and specifications from the GigaFast Web site and should give you a better idea of the EZ500-S’s capabilities.


What else does it do?
Much to my surprise, the EZ500-S Mini Switch came loaded with all the standard features plus the bonus of having all ports equipped with autodetect uplink capability. Each uplink port was able to support any switch or hub configuration I could come up with. With this many uplink ports, you can add networking equipment till your budget runs dry without having to invest in other (more expensive) switching equipment.

Noteworthy among its features is its ability to determine whether the client is using 10- or 100-Mbps connection without having the administrator performing configuration procedures on the switch. Just plug it in, and the switch does the rest. Like most switches today, the EZ500-S comes with "store-and-forward" design built in to improve data transfer by checking packet integrity before sending the packet on. Also, each port is N-Way configured for correct data speed detection.

An important feature of any good switch is stability. A server can go down every once in a while, but a switch is one of those devices you’re not likely to spend a great deal of time troubleshooting. Typically, if a switch goes bad, you just get another one. While I have only had my test version for a couple of weeks, I used it extensively during that time without any degradation in transmission speed. However, if something breaks, the switch is backed by a three-year limited warranty.

While it would have been nice to see more display features on the front of the EZ500-S (i.e., collision alert LED's), I suspect there is just not enough room on the box to support them. However, at the reasonable price of $34.95 on the Outpost Web site, I can put up with a few less lights blinking.

Conclusion
GigaFast offers several SOHO networking solutions with switches ranging from their EZ500-S 5-port Mini Switch to a 24-port VLAN Trunk Switch. I feel the EZ500-S switch could easily integrate into any small-office networking environment. Set up time is negligible, and there is not much to do from an administration standpoint. With the same capabilities as its larger brethren, coupled with its small footprint and additional uplink ports, this switch will definitely make waves in this market. I would strongly recommend this type of switch if you’re on a tight budget and don’t have a lot of office space to spare for networking equipment.