Not directly related to unRAID, but I thought this would be a good place to ask.

 

I have one 5 port network switch daisy-chained, if that's the right phrase, to an 8 port switch, and am running out of ports. (The current setup wastes two ports linking the two switches.) Would it be better to replace the 5 port switch with an 8 port one, or just go for a 16 port switch to replace the current two? Where I am, a 16 port switch is about 25% more than 2 x 8 port switches. Is there any significant speed or other benefit in having one big switch instead of one daisy-chained to another?

 

If it's relevant, the current setup is (in part) Router -> 8 port switch (on another floor) -> 8 port switch -> 5 port-switch

Are you looking to use any VLAN tagging?

 

Are all the devices on the same wall? If I had all the RecRoom devices in the same area I'd rather have a 16 port switch than 2 8 Ports.

 

In my rec-room I have 2 8 ports, first one on the end wall near the entertainment center for all the consoles and streaming devices, second one on the side wall for all the PCs at a desk. I still have spare ports so I have Switch B (Entertainment Center) plugged to Switch A (PCs) and Switch A plugged to communication nexus located elsewhere. The communication nexus is just a central Switch C that connects to the different rooms (Rec Room, Living Room, Bedroom A, B, and C) and the Router which then connects to the Cable modem. 

 

 

Not thinking of VLAN tagging. I only have a vague idea of what it is.

 

All the devices are close enough to connect to a single switch. I do have a bunch of switches in various places all linked in a bit of a mess, but for now I just want to understand if there are any real benefits to having larger switches rather than smaller ones, where possible.

Not an expert by any means but it sounds like any data that needs to traverse from any computer on Switch A to any computer on Switch B has to go through that single cable connection (assuming 1 Gbps). That will limit your transfer rates depending on how much and where data is traveling to.

 

ie, say you have Computers A-E on the 5 port switch and F-M on the 8 port switch. If you are sending from A->F and from B->G at the same time, then they are sharing the bandwidth of that connecting port and cable (presumably 1Gps). Alternately if they all were on the same switch, A->F and B->G would be each be able to utilize their own max bandwidths as long as the switch is fast enough to handle it (which should realistically be the case with modern switches I would imagine)

 

Depends on whether that is worth the extra $$ for you

 

oh yeah, and you don't loose 2 ports for the connecting cable and it tends to be less cluttered if that matters

Edited July 14, 20196 yr by Loch