Today, our lives hardly do without Internet communication. We do shopping, letter writing and business all relying on the Ethernet connections both at home and office. And Gigabit Ethernet switch and splitter are the networking devices that are primarily used for connecting different computers or other networking devices. However, they are quite different. Here focus on Ethernet switch vs splitter.

Ethernet Switch vs Splitter: What Are They?

First, let’s figure out the definitions of the two terms.

An Ethernet switch is a high speed networking device that provides more ports for subnets to connect more computers, printers, cameras and so on in a building or campus. Through the ports, the data switch can receive incoming data packets and redirects the data to their intended destination within a LAN. Usually, an Ethernet switch not only works at the data link layer which is also called layer 2, but also can operate at the network layer (layer 3) or above.

A network splitter acts as the optical power distribution device, like a coaxial cable transmission system. It’s one of the most important passive devices which means it doesn’t need external power except for light. As the name implies that it can split a single Internet connection to create extra connections, as a result the additional or other computers on a network could be connected.

Ethernet Switch vs Splitter: What Are the Differences?

Ethernet switch can be used for networks that include different devices, for example, a computer and a video game console or a printer. In addition, general switch needs a power input so that it can divide an Ethernet signal into various signals, and the signals can operate at the same time. As a result, different devices can be connected by the switch and work simultaneously.

As for Ethernet splitter, there is no need for power input. And splitters need to be used in pairs. It physically splits a single Ethernet connection into two connections. Simply put, if you want to connect two computers in one room and a switch in another room, then you need the splitters. Instead of using two Ethernet cables from one room to another, the splitters can physically split one Ethernet cable into two to connect the computers and the switch. This is the main principle for the issue that how to use Ethernet splitter.

Ethernet Switch vs Splitter: Where to buy?

The following products of Ethernet splitter vs switch are from FS.COM.

This is a 10gb Ethernet switch that has 48×1GbE SFP ports and 4×10GbE SFP+ ports. With a switching capacity of 176Gbps, it supports comprehensive L2 and L3 network management features. The switch offers MLAG, MPLS, IPv4/IPv6, SNMP etc. Designed with the max power draw of 75W and switching capacity of 176Gbps, this switch is ideal for traditional or fully virtualized data center.

Figure 1: S5800-48F4S Switch

Conclusion

As for Ethernet switch vs splitter, we have known how do Ethernet splitters work and how do switch work. Both of them can optimize our network that allow us to work in an efficient and high secure way. Welcome to visit FS.COM to pick your own Ethernet switch and splitter.

The continuous development of IT and communication equipment has made computers or storage devices an entirely new look. Server rack cabinet also has evolved. In the network industry, a set of standards has been published successively in order to provide a criterion of racking and mounting size for users. Today, in data center of server room, there are various types of computing or networking equipment installed in wall mount server rack or ground standing type. But for home use, we need a home server rack to build our own home server. Here we’ll focus on cheap server rack for home.

Why We Need Cheap Server Rack for Home

As we know, server rack is a cost-effective solution and is important to one’s business. Because it provides a space for vital equipment like fiber optic patch panel that is crucial to the survival of your organization. However, for home use, what is the exact reason.

First, with the technology develops, our homes also become smarter, more and more families consider to use a home server rack to build a more secure and storage network for the IoT in the home. Therefore, they can manage the electronic equipment more efficiently.

Second, people like professional gamers, videographers, designers and others who require substantial processing power want a home server rack to set up a home network for information transmission at a higher and safer path.

How to Choose Cheap Server Rack for Home

Here are some suggestions for choosing a cheap server rack for home.

• Size. Traditional server racks are just with large metal frames like server rack 42U type. That’s fine in a professional environment. Unlike the data center or server room, server rack for home don’t need such large type. Small server rack like 9U—24U is preferred for home use.

• Price. Price is always an important factor when buying anything. Luckily, due to the small design, home server racks are much cheaper than the ones in a large data center. But for the people who want a small server rack just for studying or hobby but don’t have enough money, then a used server rack is the right one for them.

Where to Buy a Cheap Server Rack for Home

Finding the right home server rack for building a home server, from reliable quality to the right price may be tricky. Here, FS.COM is the reputable source to buy a home server rack. Because not all installation sites at home are enough, so I recommend you a wall mount server rack.

Figure: Home Server Rack

This 9U wall mount network rack lets you mount your equipment of 19 inch to the wall, in a secure enclosure. It supports 4 post mounting and is designed with a vented glass front door. Made of high quality SPCC cold roll steel material with black coated, it can support a total load capacity of up to 60kg. This wall mount rack makes it easy to install your equipment such as 24 port patch panel or a server rack shelf.

Conclusion

I think the above article will help to choose a cheap server rack for home so as to build your own home server. At FS.COM, you can find lots of different types of server racks. If you need help with picking, welcome to contact us via support@fs.com.

This is sometimes annoying that the video stops when we are catching up on the most recent You Tube video, or there’s no signal in the kitchen when we want to watch the cooking video. The poor wireless signal is really a headache since people’s life has relied heavily on WiFi today. How will you fix this? Welcome to the new network solution—mesh router systems. Simply put, it consists of several small routers that communicate with each other to provide a seamless wireless network in your house. This is the reason that encourages you switch from a wireless router to a mesh network. So what is a mesh network?

What Is a Mesh Network

Wiki says a mesh network is a local network topology in which the infrastructure nodes (like data switch or bridges ) connect directly and non-hierarchically, in order to efficiently route data to the end users via the nodes. This network enables the network devices that can provide connectivity capabilities like bluetooth or wifi to form a node one after another. Then a dynamic route is formed between each device and the others, and as a result the data can be delivered within the mesh network. When a node in the network topology fails, other nodes that connect with this one will also fail. But luckily, the whole network will still work, because only one connection point is broken which will not affect the other connections. Thus, we often regard the wireless mesh network as a decentralized information network.

Figure: Example of Mesh Network

Benefits of Using a Mesh Network

What is a mesh network, after figuring out this question, let’s turn to the benefits of a mesh network. Compared with the ordinary Internet which is built on a few centralized access points or Internet Service Providers, mesh network enjoys many benefits.

• Extremely Reliable and Expandable

The most striking feature of a mesh network is the construction. This means users can add the wireless router in the specified places, thus they can build a new broadband access network just by the existing facilities. It’s convenient to add or remove the wifi mesh nodes. In addition to expand the wifi range, the wifi mesh network can help one’s electronic devices connect the strongest wifi signal automatically when you walk around the room.

• Support High Demand

In the above part what is a mesh network, we know each additional device in a mesh network is regarded as a node, the mesh topology can support high amount of network traffic. Thus, interconnected devices can send data smoothly.

• Less Expensive

Traditional networks rely on multiple equipment such as Gigabit Ethernet switch or transceivers to connect users, while mesh network uses the wireless mesh nodes to spread data. Using fewer equipment means it costs less to build a network. A general 10 Gigabit switch will cost you about 2000 dollars, not mention the high-end switches or other network equipment. Also, using a mesh network will help to eliminate the complexity of cables installations.

How to Create a Mesh Network

It’s not enough to learn what is a mesh network and its benefits, we also need to know how to create a mesh network. At present, the main method of wireless access is to set up wifi in the hotspots places. In order to enable wireless access throughout the whole city, technicians have to create network access points as many as possible by numbers of cables or fiber optic cables. Unlike the normal wireless Internet, to form a mesh network, technicians only need to connect one node to a network such as Internet modem or router. Then the connected node will share its Internet connection with the other nodes within its range. Then one after another, more nodes are connected and a bigger mesh network is created.

Conclusion

As for the question what is a mesh network, I believe now you have a clear understanding. A mesh network has a greater range and is much faster and stronger than the normal wifi network. Any question about mesh network, please contact us via our website FS.COM.