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[Jimbob]

My aging 'Pheenet' switch has been in the loft working fine since I got ADSL Many many years ago.

Yesterday, it stopped working, luckily a power cycle sorted it, but as that was the first in 10-15 years im now worried its on borrowed time.

Any recommendations for a basic 8(ish) port switch, given its location needs a decent range of operating temperatures.

[Kevin Wood]

I normally go for a Netgear GS108 from Egay / Amazon. They seem to just work and don't get hot enough to suggest that they're getting through too much leccy.

Was tempted to try the newer GS308 but the Amazon reviews suggesting they tend to lock up untempted me.

[Kevin Wood]

Should have said that one of the main advantages is that it's in a metal box so if anything nasty happens it should be well contained. That said, it comes with a wall wart power supply. I think I've also got a metal cased DLink switch kicking around somewhere. That has an internal power supply and also runs cool, but it's pre-gigabit by a good few years.

[Gaffers]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

[TheBoy]

I use a Netgear GS724 here. Relatively robust (would get 100 out of 100 for reliability if port 2 didn't keep going to sleep).  Has most features you could want in a home, but is a smartswitch as opposed to a proper managed one.

The BIG upside, fully passive cooling, and no stupid wall wart - 240v straight up the arse of it. And metal.

They are about £100 if you shop around (for 24 ports, non POE)

[TheBoy]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

[Gaffers]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

Yeah i am maxed out on the 1000Mb ports between this and my VM router.  I may have to upgrade to a 3100 if i get anymore ambitious with my setup such as sticking a second nic on the odroid to increase openvpn tthroughput.  Currently it does what i want but when my parents move to spain i can see them using it at the same time as me 

[VXL V6]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

Errrrrrr currently the Lab Rack in the man cave contains 1 x C3750G-48PS  2 x C3750v2-24PS, 3 x C2960-24PS, 1 x C2960-48PS, 2 x C2960-8PCL, 1 x C3560-48PS switches. Router wise there's 4 x C1841's and 3 x C2651XM's, 2 x C2621XM's and a C2620, Firewall wise there's 2 x ASA5505, 2 x PIX501, 1 x WG X6000 and 1 x WG X5500e.  Needless to say, Mrs VXL V6 is overjoyed when I do some practise Labs!!!

[TheBoy]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

Errrrrrr currently the Lab Rack in the man cave contains 1 x C3750G-48PS  2 x C3750v2-24PS, 3 x C2960-24PS, 1 x C2960-48PS, 2 x C2960-8PCL, 1 x C3560-48PS switches. Router wise there's 4 x C1841's and 3 x C2651XM's, 2 x C2621XM's and a C2620, Firewall wise there's 2 x ASA5505, 2 x PIX501, 1 x WG X6000 and 1 x WG X5500e.  Needless to say, Mrs VXL V6 is overjoyed when I do some practise Labs!!!

I know where you live

I bet when you fire it up, the streetlights all dim

[VXL V6]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

Errrrrrr currently the Lab Rack in the man cave contains 1 x C3750G-48PS  2 x C3750v2-24PS, 3 x C2960-24PS, 1 x C2960-48PS, 2 x C2960-8PCL, 1 x C3560-48PS switches. Router wise there's 4 x C1841's and 3 x C2651XM's, 2 x C2621XM's and a C2620, Firewall wise there's 2 x ASA5505, 2 x PIX501, 1 x WG X6000 and 1 x WG X5500e.  Needless to say, Mrs VXL V6 is overjoyed when I do some practise Labs!!!

I know where you live

I bet when you fire it up, the streetlights all dim

It has a little bit of a buffer with a UPS to protect the fragile trip switch  I did consider using the streetlight as there's one next door, there must be a few spare amps as they've converted them to LED 

[Shackeng]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

Errrrrrr currently the Lab Rack in the man cave contains 1 x C3750G-48PS  2 x C3750v2-24PS, 3 x C2960-24PS, 1 x C2960-48PS, 2 x C2960-8PCL, 1 x C3560-48PS switches. Router wise there's 4 x C1841's and 3 x C2651XM's, 2 x C2621XM's and a C2620, Firewall wise there's 2 x ASA5505, 2 x PIX501, 1 x WG X6000 and 1 x WG X5500e.  Needless to say, Mrs VXL V6 is overjoyed when I do some practise Labs!!!

I know where you live

I bet when you fire it up, the streetlights all dim

It has a little bit of a buffer with a UPS to protect the fragile trip switch  I did consider using the streetlight as there's one next door, there must be a few spare amps as they've converted them to LED 

Very briefly many years ago I lived on a caravan site in a rented caravan. It had a coin electric meter. One evening when our shilling (5p to you young 'uns) ran out, I noticed that the steet lamp outside also 'failed'. As soon as I put another shilling in, the street light came back on! This site was owned and operated by the founder of what is now the Findhorn Trust, funded by suckers earnest searchers of truth from all over the world.
Cynical? moi?

[Gaffers]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

Errrrrrr currently the Lab Rack in the man cave contains 1 x C3750G-48PS  2 x C3750v2-24PS, 3 x C2960-24PS, 1 x C2960-48PS, 2 x C2960-8PCL, 1 x C3560-48PS switches. Router wise there's 4 x C1841's and 3 x C2651XM's, 2 x C2621XM's and a C2620, Firewall wise there's 2 x ASA5505, 2 x PIX501, 1 x WG X6000 and 1 x WG X5500e.  Needless to say, Mrs VXL V6 is overjoyed when I do some practise Labs!!!

I know where you live

I bet when you fire it up, the streetlights all dim

It has a little bit of a buffer with a UPS to protect the fragile trip switch  I did consider using the streetlight as there's one next door, there must be a few spare amps as they've converted them to LED 

 

Hmmm, if you ever have to lighten your load

[VXL V6]

I use an old Cisco 2950 which gives me decent throughput and a basic level of security, especially with a little patch panel too.  It also allows me to keep my IOS skills up to date so I dont get rusty.  Not much call for it in my current role but all that could change soon.

It, along with a few PIs and an Odroid produce enough heat in the cupboard to keep the towels and spare sheets warm and dry

I've got a Catalyst 2900 series, just out of arms reach. But its only 100Mb, so never gets used.

Errrrrrr currently the Lab Rack in the man cave contains 1 x C3750G-48PS  2 x C3750v2-24PS, 3 x C2960-24PS, 1 x C2960-48PS, 2 x C2960-8PCL, 1 x C3560-48PS switches. Router wise there's 4 x C1841's and 3 x C2651XM's, 2 x C2621XM's and a C2620, Firewall wise there's 2 x ASA5505, 2 x PIX501, 1 x WG X6000 and 1 x WG X5500e.  Needless to say, Mrs VXL V6 is overjoyed when I do some practise Labs!!!

I know where you live

I bet when you fire it up, the streetlights all dim

It has a little bit of a buffer with a UPS to protect the fragile trip switch  I did consider using the streetlight as there's one next door, there must be a few spare amps as they've converted them to LED 

 

Hmmm, if you ever have to lighten your load

Bugger, I took a load of older kit to the tip a few weeks back.

With the newer universal licenced kit you can't just drop any IOS you like on the hardware so future home hardware labs are going to suffer which is a shame really as i've met so many people with Cisco qualifications who haven't got a clue when it comes to installing kit on site or applying some basic logic to a problem.

Mind you, having just done some Nexus training it looks as though i'll be stacking shelves very soon though. 

[Gaffers]

I need to get som e nexus training in.  I have access to a couple of licenses so i should really take advantage.

[VXL V6]

I need to get som e nexus training in.  I have access to a couple of licenses so i should really take advantage.

The online Nexus labs are crap to be honest.

Well Cisco disposed of nearly 100 CCIE's when they deployed Nexus across all their datacentres.... next on the roadmap is to remove firewall people. No doubt ASA will be the first to go ACI.

Seems to be a lot of Cisco Certified people interested in JunOS and Juniper products now and a few MPLS providers centering their network cores around it, mind you, given Cisco's pricing structures (even with the 'no one pays more than a third of the retail price' mentality that Cisco promotes  ) it's hardly surprising.