Question about Gigabit switches
 

The only benefits of getting a gigabit switch would be trasnfering files over the network from one computer to another, correct?

would it be better for traffic management for internet speed? like if 50 people using the internet, would traffic be better on the gigabit switch then the 10/100 switch or is this on the router itself?

Also
I was reading around and saw people mentioning about having 2 NICs in the computer to improve data.. would this give you faster internet speed as you have 2 NICs??

Considering I can max out my 50Mbps shaw speed on my single NIC.. no.

so the 10/100 is the best one to get...

These didnt come with a 16port option, only 24.. dont really need 24 ports.. its for SOHO, if someone has a better recommended one, please let me know.. under $300.. cheaper would be better..
how is this
Cisco Sf 300-24 24 Port 10/100 Managed Switch With Gigabit Uplinks
OR
HP Procurve 1810G-24 24 Port Gigabit Managed Switch
My Third Choice, coz its cheaper and Ive had good experience with netgear stuff
Netgear Prosafe GS724T-300NAS 24 Port Gigabit Smart Switch W/ Rack Mount Kit

Which would be good for SOHO

I cant these priced matched via shopbot also..

switch is basically like an expansion port for your router. If you ran out of port then get a switch. However there is simple switch and manageable switch. Manageable switch allow you to control how much bandwidth is going to each port and which port you want to monitor. If traffic congestion is your issue then get a manageable one. If not just get a simple one and have the router QoS do the work. Go with 10/100/1000 seeing how our internet bandwidth is increasing rapidly. Faster the better. As for 16 ports? I found this

D-LINK DGS-1000-16 Port Easysmart Gigabit Switch Desktop or Rackmount (Rackmount Ears Included) - D-Link - DGS-1100-16

Well.. How many ports do you actually need? And you gotta think how many of those connected devices will all be in use at the same time. I'm thinking the bottleneck may start to be your router if you have too many devices.

10/100 should suffice.

Not everybody is demanding HD video streaming and/or using Torrents.

I have a gigabit network at home and at work. I wouldn't consider building a 100 Mb/s network unless I wanted to reuse old gear I already had. The price difference for the faster hardware is not much (~+25%). Every computer made in the last 5 years has Gigabit. I do move downloaded movies (10GB) at home and I work on 3D model over the network at work. If you are looking to improve your internet speed, Gigabit won't help you.

well... since theres not going to be any file transfer with other computers, i dont really need the gigabit switch.. just need to decide on a switch to get.. nothing to expensive and its pretty reliable...

my router is the Netgear WNDR3700 N600 WIRELESS DUAL BAND GIGABIT ROUTER

errrm... im not a DLink guy... bad luck in the past with a few of these...

I consider switches to be appliances. You can't go very wrong because the technolgy is old and everyone knows how to make good switch. You are wanting a 100Mbps switch which is obsolete. Just go ahead and buy one. Stop fussing over it.

I'm assuming you need 16ports at least. Just get a standard one. Dunno why you feel the need to look at $300 ones for a home office with features you don't need.

16 Port 10/100/1000 $157 after rebate
Netgear GS116E-100NAS PROSAFE® Plus 16-PORT 10/100/1000 Gigabit Switch - Netgear - GS116E-100NAS

16 Port 10/100 $49.45 after rebate
Netgear FS116E Prosafe Plus 16 Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch with QoS and Vlan - Netgear - FS116E-100NAS

If you are going to buy today, I'd say just get a gigabit for the heck of it.

A properly wired/setup'd gigabit ethernet is much more efficient. I get over 70MBps with my NAS on my gigE switch. I can hardly imagine ever going back to 10/100 again. You might as well just use 802.11n solution.

As of dual NIC, you could achieve better performance by properly wiring and distribute the load on your NICs.

I have dual NICs on my HTPC/stream server. It was an older 2U server with Tyan mobo. The setup ensured that when I'm maxing out my internet connection with torrent, I can still watch my 1080p rips without any delay and wife watching her JP drama off the the streaming feed of the very same server.

Having a gigabit network at home... I can't imagine going back to 10/100mbps.

its for a small office... about 10 connections at once... its mostly for checking email/web... maybe a few streams of video all at once.. no downloading of big files..

Hehe brought up a good point. Most networking products (switches/routers etc.) are gigabit Ethernet capable so you might as well go that route. The cost different between a piece of equipment between 10/100 and one that is GigE capable should be dismal.

Well, given the usage described, I don't think you'll see any performance increase with Gigabit. So if you can find a Gigabit switch that is about the same price, then by all means get that... but otherwise a 10/100 will be just fine.

Not sure "dismal" is the word you were looking for. :p

Ok, fine. A small difference. :D

but the thing is the cheaper gigE switches dont have all the good features that the 10/100 seems to have.. so that makes the 10/100 still pricey...


so deciding on a pricer 10/100 with feature rich or gigE switch with basic features...

What features do you even need? Do you really need VLANs, fibre uplink, QoS, remote management, etc on your switch? None of those things are needed for a SOHO and defintely don't sound like things you're planning on using, need, or technically inclined to setup.

24 Ports for $140
http://www.ncix.ca/products/index.ph...r&promoid=1141

Be prepared to deal with the noise if it's not in a cabinet or closet. Those 1U fans are so loud.