TP-Link TL-SG1016PE 16-Port Gigabit PoE Swtich, Easy Smart Desktop/Rackmount Network Switch, 8 802.3af/at Ports Up To 30 W For Each Port, 150 W For All Ports, Metal Case

The media could not be loaded. Bought back in March this year after my previous Netgear switch failed suddenly after around 15 years of service.I have a very annoying habit of convincing myself against a purchase based on a minority of reviews highlighting negative points, so I did spend about a week going back and forth through my shortlist consisting of this, another TP-Link model, and a Netgear one while having a mess of smaller switches running my network temporarily.Eventually I settled on this one, the TL-SG1016PE - and glad I did. It has served me well since installing 10 months ago, and think it has pretty much 10 months uptime at this point - never had to restart it for any reason.The PoE+ capability is a plus... Luckily I never needed that extra power before with my previous switch, but since getting this one, a new PoE device I have required PoE+ power, and this switch can run it flawlessly.Currently, the switch is only powering 3 IP phones and an access point, plus the occasional extra device or two while I'm configuring or testing other devices. The 3 phones and AP are reported to total about 12w of power - meaning there is around 90% PoE budget left for remaining 4 PoE ports - so plenty of PoE budget for most homes or small offices across the 8 PoE ports for the usual devices (phones / APs / Cameras etc.).Rack mountable was a must for me, as my network ports all come into a patch panel in a small rack. The switch comes with included rack ears which screw to the switch and mount in the rack in the usual way, however without the rack ears, the switch is no wider than necessary for its ports and indicators - the extra width to fit in the rack is provided by extended ears. If I recall correctly, it came with little rubber feet to stick on the bottom if using in a desktop configuration.Setup is easy - essentially plug and play. You can power it up and connect your devices and be using it immediately, however while not a fully managed switch, it has a web based management interface for configuring basic options and viewing information about the switch. The interface is self explanatory and can configure all the essentials for a small network such as VLAN options, PoE options such as power limits, priorities etc and QoS. It also has loop prevention which while unlikely to be necessary on a small home network, is a useful feature for office networks where users may inadvertently cause a loop.One of the things I was looking in reviews for was feedback on the sound level. It is quite uncommon for a PoE switch with this many ports to be cooled passively, so it was more a question of how loud the fan is going to be on the model I chose. My last switch was far from the loudest I've ever used, but while tolerable it most certainly wasn't quiet, but I've used switches in the past that literally sound like a jumbo jet warming up in the corner of the room during normal operation. Fine for in a server room but not at home. I note some of the reviews on this model do make a point of mentioning the sound level and making this switch sound particularly loud - but as someone who has worked with many switches, this is easily the quietest one I have ever used with active cooling. It is whisper quiet - quieter than even my laptop, so while maybe not suitable for a bedroom if you like to sleep in absolute silence, it is perfectly acceptable in an office, computer room, sitting room etc. as any other noise in the room easily drowns out the noise of the switch in normal use.I have included a video taken early morning from right after installing it in my rack and powering it up. It really is whisper quiet, and you can very clearly hear the birds through the closed window over the minimal noise of the switch. Sitting here writing this review now with it in the rack behind me, I can only hear the fan of my PC, I cannot hear the switch at all - at least not to pick out as being the sound of the switch.I certainly wouldn't hesitate to purchase another one of these if I needed one and budget allowed - so if the specs of this switch meet your need and it is within your budget, then I would say go for it!

This managed switch impressed me from the start. When it arrived I was most pleased with both the weight of the unit, with built in power supply, and the all metal casing. It just oozed quality.This review will be focussed on the POE aspect of the switch, it providing a maximum of a 150w via POE.Please see my photos.The array of lights that are on the front of the switch are useful, they can be disabled within the UI, but are wasted for myself as the switch will be managed remotely.You might need to install the Easy Smart Configuration Utility v1.3.19.0, available from TP-Link, to discover the switch on you LAN, see photo. Or, since it is set to use DHCP at the start, just look for it within your connected network devices.When accessing the UI I noted the hardware revision, 5.2, and I'm using the latest firmware.As mentioned I am using this unit principally for the POE function and have six 4k / HD CCTV IP cameras connected.The fan on the unit seems to run continuously, regardless of load. Sad really, as during light power loading it could have been much quieter if the fans use would have been load related in its use. It is not loud at all, but it is noticeable.There are options to ping your POE attached devices, if they do not respond then the port can be rebooted automatically.The cable length can be measured and extended up to 250m, but at a reduced throughput.Individual power usage across each port can be seen, and overall power usage across them all. Limiting power and setting priorities is possible.The UI is easy to navigate and use. The functions are well presented and easily accessible. I have looked at the VLAN options and they seem well enabled.I have contacted their customer service, TP-Link, with both live chat and email, they responded very quickly and were most helpful with my firmware query.Overall I would very much recommend this product, based on my own POE needs.Two minor quibbles.......The fan, as noted, is not loud but to have it working on load rather than constant would have been nice.Secondly, the cluster of Ethernet ports are very tightly compacted together. Not a major issue, but one where it can be tight to access and plug in your devices.Very happy with the switch and pleased with its functions and cost.Very much recommended.I hope this has been helpful.