News Cheap 2.5GbE & 10GbE Switches Come to the U.S., Starting at $130

[Admin]

TP-Link unveils a family of new 2.5GbE & 10GbE switches for homes and offices.

Cheap 2.5GbE & 10GbE Switches Come to the U.S., Starting at $130 : Read more

 

[InvalidError]

Slightly more affordable, sure. Cheap? $100+ is still way too expensive for that. The price needs to be at least proportional with performance before I'd be willing to call them that, so they need to come down another ~50% before I get remotely interested. I doubt I'll have 2.5GbE in more than my next PC for another 5-10 years, plenty of time for prices to trickle down.

 

[Soaptrail]

Slightly more affordable, sure. Cheap? $100+ is still way too expensive for that. The price needs to be at least proportional with performance before I'd be willing to call them that, so they need to come down another ~50% before I get remotely interested. I doubt I'll have 2.5GbE in more than my next PC for another 5-10 years, plenty of time for prices to trickle down.

Agreed, but I am guessing 90% of Tom's readers will "need" this. I have 2 desktops, 2 work laptops, 2 tablets, 2 phones, and 2 UHD TV's I stream movies and shows on but I still do not think I have a use case for this. Even if I got gigabyte internet I bet I could do without this.

 

[InvalidError]

I have 2 desktops, 2 work laptops, 2 tablets, 2 phones, and 2 UHD TV's I stream movies and shows on but I still do not think I have a use case for this. Even if I got gigabyte internet I bet I could do without this.

My sister has 1Gbps FTTH and her home is all-WiFi, nothing plugged into her ONT, not even the STB for her living room TV which is 6" from the ONT. I suspect this is the prevalent setup for non-enthusiasts at least as long as everything is within the modem-router's range. I might be doing wireless myself if my main PC wasn't 3' from the modem and router and I already had plenty of cables.

 

[gggplaya]

If they make switches like this, they should put holes on the sides to make it easy to add rack mount brackets. I mean common.

 

[revjim23]

This must be a joke. 3 weeks ago TP-LINK released far better 10GbE switches for the rest of the world (Anton even wrote about them here).

So the rest of the world can get a 5-port, fanless, 10GbE switch. All five ports are RJ-45, twisted pair, 10GbE for somewhere around £200 GBP. Why does the US get this incrementally awful deal with 2.5GbE?

I can't see how anyone is wasting time and money on 2.5 and 5GbE technologies when the world is obviously heading straight to 10.

 

[InvalidError]

I can't see how anyone is wasting time and money on 2.5 and 5GbE technologies when the world is obviously heading straight to 10.

1GbE didn't become mainstream until it became baseline - you literally couldn't buy a new PC without 1GbE by the time 1GbE routers became prevalent.

2.5GbE and 5GbE were created because most people and companies with in-wall/ceiling wiring don't want to replace wiring for 10GBase-T. It is the same reason why the more complex 1GBase-T ultimately won over the cheaper and more power-efficient 1GBase-TX. First-generation 10GBase-T is practically doomed beyond most people's networking closet and companies' network/server racks.

 

[BogdanH]

I can't see how anyone is wasting time and money on 2.5 and 5GbE technologies when the world is obviously heading straight to 10.

Can be more specific what you mean with "the world"? What part of the world (country) is that?
Yes, 10G exists quite a while, but is mainly used for serious stuff and is still way too expensive for home use.
I say: Finally! Affordable 2.5G/5G for home use. In that sense, kudos to TP-Link. Yeah, $130 is some money, but then, (good) single 2.5G PCIe card also costs $40+. Actually, I would be happier if there would be affordable 2.5G router (1G WAN+4x2.5G LAN) available. But they will come too...
Now, the only thing that would convince me to go into 2.5G infrastructure (at home), is (again) affordable 2.5G NAS-es (2x1G doesn't count for me).

 

[revjim23]

2.5GbE and 5GbE were created because most people and companies with in-wall/ceiling wiring don't want to replace wiring for 10GBase-T.

Yep all of that is understood and agreed. There is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem here where if you have older wiring that can't handle 10GbE you might want to do something midway and go with 2.5 or 5GbE.

But for a small amount more (the prices are coming down quite a bit now on 10GbE gear) you can future-proof and have a 10GbE switch ready for some day replacing wires, or for using on the shorter runs.

Also, we aren't talking about enterprise switches with 192 RJ45 ports where replacing the wiring would cost an exorbitant amount. We are talking about home and small business-sized 5 and 8 port routers. For such cases replacing the wires isn't usually going to be a huge expense. If it is even necessary... people have been installing CAT6 for many years now in both homes and businesses and those wires are all ready for 10GbE (for runs up to 55 meters, I believe).

Can be more specific what you mean with "the world"? What part of the world (country) is that?
Yes, 10G exists quite a while, but is mainly used for serious stuff and is still way too expensive for home use.

I linked the article in my original post about the TP-LINK TL-SX105 being released, I believe in the EU, UK and Japan as of now. Not yet available in the USA but the TP-LINK website says it is "coming soon" (link).

I disagree that 10GbE is only for serious stuff or too expensive for home use. Big data centers are already on or migrating to 100Gb networks, and prices are coming down for home/small biz gear like the TL-SX105.... 200GBP is starting to get into affordable range. Motherboards are already shipping with 10GbE ports and it's only a matter of time before that speed is common.

 

[InvalidError]

But for a small amount more (the prices are coming down quite a bit now on 10GbE gear) you can future-proof and have a 10GbE switch ready for some day replacing wires, or for using on the shorter runs.

The difference may be small now but that is only because 2.5GBase-T is only slightly less of a niche market than 10GBase-T currently is. Mass market will drive the price down to about the same as 1G once it becomes practically standard on all new chipsets and motherboards.

Also, "future-proofing" has very subjective value. If I bought a 10GbE switch today, it will likely cost me more in additional power over the years that I only have it for "future-proofing" than its replacement will cost to buy by the time I may actually need it.

 

[BogdanH]

@revjim23
Thank you for providing link (missed it on your first post).
Checked price for TL-SX105 and is about 224GBP ("coming soon"). Mmm.. that's about 250-260€ (=US$). Yes, is affordable, but not that cheap either (for a switch). On the other hand, if 2.5G/5G switch cost 130$, then 10G sure looks better deal. And we will probably moan about "too expensive" anyway .
As mentioned in my previous post, I hope we will see high speed routers soon too -just to avoid having a lot of devices and cable sallad.

 

[revjim23]

The difference may be small now but that is only because 2.5GBase-T is only slightly less of a niche market than 10GBase-T currently is. Mass market will drive the price down to about the same as 1G once it becomes practically standard on all new chipsets and motherboards.

Also, "future-proofing" has very subjective value. If I bought a 10GbE switch today, it will likely cost me more in additional power over the years that I only have it for "future-proofing" than its replacement will cost to buy by the time I may actually need it.

I see the "mass market driving the price down" as the opposite... 10GbE seems like the obvious value path to go, especially as motherboards proliferate with 10GbE built-in and switches get cheaper. I suspect in the future 10GbE will be just as much of a commodity at 1GbE today.

The market for a 2.5-10G 5 port switch is small business and home enthusiasts... The small businesses who move a lot of data and home enthusiasts are both going to be going all the way to 10GbE on twisted pair CAT6. SFP never really took off with that crowd because the cables are too expensive (even though up until very recently the switches have been cheaper).

But who is cheering for 2.5 and 5 GbE in the middle? People who by random chance bought a computer with a 2.5 or 5 GbE port on the back and wake up one day and decide they want to take advantage of it? Small businesses that move "medium" amounts of data? I don't think that really exists. The regular home user will probably buy a new WiFi router and be happy with it. The small business that moves "medium" data will spend a little extra for future proofing.

As for power consumption, TPL lists the power for the 2.5 switch released today at 12 watts, and the 10G TL-SX105 as 21 watts.... a difference of 9 watts, which would cost the average electricity consumer roughly $10 per year (link). The enthusiast and small business will gladly pay that to avoid having to upgrade the switch again later.

@revjim23
Thank you for providing link (missed it on your first post).
Checked price for TL-SX105 and is about 224GBP ("coming soon"). Mmm.. that's about 250-260€ (=US$). Yes, is affordable, but not that cheap either (for a switch). On the other hand, if 2.5G/5G switch cost 130$, then 10G sure looks better deal. And we will probably moan about "too expensive" anyway .
As mentioned in my previous post, I hope we will see high speed routers soon too -just to avoid having a lot of devices and cable sallad.

Yep this is my point exactly... If your choices are:

1G switch = $20
2.5G switch = $130
10G switch = $250

The middle path doesn't make any sense here. If you want to move more data for whatever reason, spend the extra bucks for 10. If you don't, then stick with 1G where everything is dirt cheap.

I'm not saying the TL-SX105 is cheap. Or that everyone should have 10G. I'm just saying it makes more sense than spending "medium" money on 2.5 or 5 upgrades. If you are going to do it, go all the way. Then you won't have to replace it again in a few years when you need 10G.

 

[InvalidError]

1G switch = $20
2.5G switch = $130
10G switch = $250

The middle path doesn't make any sense here.

Anything new starts with a substantial early adopter premium while there is almost no existing install base. 2.5GBase-T has a huge handicap over 10G there but its compatibility with existing wiring will ultimately win the battle by providing corporations with an obvious upgrade path for their office fleet that does not require ripping tons of wiring. 1GBase-T used to be ludicrously expensive too and now you can get 8-ports switches for $30, cheaper than any 100Base-TX switch I have ever bought. Mass manufacturing trumps nearly all else.

Motherboard manufacturers are integrating 2.5GbE in increasingly lower-end boards as the incremental cost over 1GbE goes down, same will happen with switches as demand goes up. Give it a few years and 2.5GbE switches will become dirt-cheap too.

 

[revjim23]

Anything new starts with a substantial early adopter premium while there is almost no existing install base. 2.5GBase-T has a huge handicap over 10G there but its compatibility with existing wiring will ultimately win the battle by providing corporations with an obvious upgrade path for their office fleet that does not require ripping tons of wiring. 1GBase-T used to be ludicrously expensive too and now you can get 8-ports switches for $30, cheaper than any 100Base-TX switch I have ever bought. Mass manufacturing trumps nearly all else.

Motherboard manufacturers are integrating 2.5GbE in increasingly lower-end boards as the incremental cost over 1GbE goes down, same will happen with switches as demand goes up. Give it a few years and 2.5GbE switches will become dirt-cheap too.

The spec for 10GbE over twisted pair copper was published in 2006 (802.3an) and the early adopter premium has been paid for 15 years. We're now entering the cheap phase where the prices come down.

I'm not talking about an "office fleet" that requires ripping tons of wiring. That isn't the market for a 5-port desktop switch. Most people can use their existing wiring but if necessary, ripping and replacing 5 wires ain't so bad. It's only 5 wires.

 

[InvalidError]

The spec for 10GbE over twisted pair copper was published in 2006 (802.3an) and the early adopter premium has been paid for 15 years. We're now entering the cheap phase where the prices come down.

The "early adopter" premium in this context isn't a matter of time, it is a matter of millions of new ports deployed - companies have no incentive to cost-optimize higher speed equipment until volume rises enough to justify the R&D expense. The cost of 1GbE didn't come down much until corporations rolled out GbE in their offices by the millions of ports annually and 2.5GbE offering a plug-and-play upgrade path is in a much better position to be the next standard to achieve that.

As for changing wiring in a house, ripping walls and patching them up isn't exactly cheap unless you do everything yourself and can avoid re-painting. In some cases, it may also not be possible due to spray/injection-foaming or other reasons.

 

[revjim23]

The "early adopter" premium in this context isn't a matter of time, it is a matter of millions of new ports deployed

In 2004 10G SFP switches were $3000-4000 per port (link). In 2012 switch prices per port were down to $350 for twisted pair (link). And now TP-Link is selling the TL-SX105 for around $50 per port. Premium? I dunno, but I call it reasonably affordable.

Ripping walls for a 5 port desktop switch sounds kind of far-fetched. But yeah I guess that could be a factor for someone.

 

[InvalidError]

And now TP-Link is selling the TL-SX105 for around $50 per port. Premium? I dunno, but I call it reasonably affordable.

More affordable sure. Still nowhere near as cheap as 1GbE which is down to $3 per port and that's where I expect 2.5GbE switches to race down to in relatively short order.

Also don't forget that each 10GbE port you want to use also requires a 10GbE adapter and those still cost $150+ a pop whereas 2.5GbE cards could already be bought for under $40 at launch two years ago, can now be found for as low as $25. Additionally, the incremental cost of 2.5GbE over 1GbE has become low enough that manufacturers are including 2.5GbE across 80% of their newest motherboards based on NewEgg listings for single-LAN Intel 500-series motherboards: 115 boards with 2.5GbE vs 27 boards with only 1GbE.

As far as the consumer space is concerned, 10GBase-T(v1) is about to get BetaMax/HDDVD'd.

 

[revjim23]

Also don't forget that each 10GbE port you want to use also requires a 10GbE adapter and those still cost $150+ a pop whereas 2.5GbE cards could already be bought for under $40 at launch two years ago, can now be found for as low as $25. Additionally, the incremental cost of 2.5GbE over 1GbE has become low enough that manufacturers are including 2.5GbE across 80% of their newest motherboards based on NewEgg listings for single-LAN Intel 500-series motherboards: 115 boards with 2.5GbE vs 27 boards with only 1GbE.

As far as the consumer space is concerned, 10GBase-T(v1) is about to get BetaMax/HDDVD'd.

You are the first person I've met that thinks 2.5 (or 5) is the way of the future. I'll add a reminder to my calendar to check this thread in 5 years to see how things turned out. 😉

There is an additional use for 2.5GbE motherboards that a lot of people don't consider... Suppose you are running a home or small business network with a 5 port desktop switch, a NAS box, and 4 client devices accessing the NAS.

In that case if your switch is 2.5GbE all four client devices are sharing that 2.5Gb of bandwidth connecting to the NAS, so roughly 625k of theoretical bandwidth per client.

If your NAS has 10GbE (those are shipping already) and you buy a 10GbE switch instead of a 2.5GbE switch, all of a sudden each of your client devices can simultaneously access the full 2.5Gb of bandwidth from the NAS. All of that for the measly price of $120 extra dollars spent on your 10GbE switch. No additional adapters required.

 

[InvalidError]

In that case if your switch is 2.5GbE all four client devices are sharing that 2.5Gb of bandwidth connecting to the NAS, so roughly 625k of theoretical bandwidth per client.

That is only true if all five computers attached to the switch are attempting to access something at full speed at the same time. In the real-world, that hardly ever happens. In a consumer setup, it will practically always be just one person dumping or retrieving something at any given time and maybe 100Mbps going off to smart TVs streaming raw BD rips.

 

[revjim23]

That is only true if all five computers attached to the switch are attempting to access something at full speed at the same time. In the real-world, that hardly ever happens. In a consumer setup, it will practically always be just one person dumping or retrieving something at any given time and maybe 100Mbps going off to smart TVs streaming raw BD rips.

Yeah, you are correct for a consumer setup. If a consumer goes that far it's probably for bragging rights.

There's a reasonable use case here for small business.... let's say an office of video editors where they are sharing company video assets.