TP-Link TL-SG1016PE | 16 Port Gigabit PoE Switch | Easy Smart Managed | 8 PoE+ Ports @150W | Plug & Play | Sturdy Metal w/ Shielded Ports | QoS, Vlan, IGMP & LAG | 3 Year Manufacturer Warranty

I added another PoE powered AP (a TP-Link EAP615 wall mounted AP) in addition to an existing ceiling mounted TP-Link EAP610, and decided it was time to ditch the PoE injector on the EAP610 and power them both through this PoE switch - a much cleaner implementation in my home network rack than a PoE injector with its "wall wart" power brick and related device. Alternatively I could have gotten a smaller capacity multi-port desktop PoE switch, but that doesn't lend itself well to the limited capacity of my little 6U network rack and its tidy cable management.While this switch is a bit pricy, I like that it integrated with my software based Omada controller (running on a Windows always-on home server). This switch allowed me to easily identify everything connected to my wired and wireless networks (home network and VLAN based IoT network) using the Omada controller software GUI. I was a bit intimidated at first by the Omada controller and whether it would let me use it with my pFsense firewall, but it ended up being pretty quick and intuitive to set up, and everything coexists nicely.I've seen some complaints about fan noise - I have this rack mounted in my unfinished basement - the fans make some noise but nothing terrible, and certainly nothing that can be heard in the rest of the house. I'm not sure if fan noise is a fair criticism here - this is a fairly sophisticated device and not something that should be mounted in a living area IMO. This is really more small to medium sized business oriented, where it is likely to reside in a network closet where noise is a given.Given the excess PoE capacity this switch gives me, I will likely add the Omada OC200 hardware controller, as having the software running on a Windows machine means I'm subject to Windows' inevitable software updates and reboots. I tend to favor hardware implementations rather than software implementations anyway - running stuff on host machines and/or VMs is not ideal IMO.I'm pleased with this device - a nice "level-up" to my increasingly sophisticated home network, and the Omada SDN is an inexpensive alternative to other SDNs.

Use CaseI crawled around and put about 6000ft of Cat5E witing into my old house, but there was one attic that I only ran two lines to. As a temporary measure I put an 8 port switch up there and used a bunch of individual PoE injectors. The purchase of the TL-SG1016PE is meant to replace all of that, and act as a more permanent solution.Build QualityThe TL-SG1016PE is standard fare when it comes to SOHO networking products. It's in a metal housing that seems durable enough. The unit it 1U in height, and includes flanges to mount into a 19" rack. The case has hexagonal perforations for ventilation, along with 40mm fans. Thankfully, the power supply is internal, and the power hookup is a standard C13 jack. A straight C13 cable is included.Setup/PerformanceI bought a cheap 4U 19" bracket to mount to a stud in the attic, but it's one of the shallow wiring type brackets for punchdowns. The TL-SG1016PE's mounting brackets support the switch being mounted vertically (where the flanges are rotated 90 degrees). I mounted the switch in the lowest U position, and a punchdown block will go in the top position. The fit is good, and there were no surprises. I think this is a really good mounting option for newer homes that have structured wiring coming back to a closet (usually a master bedroom closet), as it can significantly reduce the practical space/footprint consumed.The PoE ports of the device work fine, but it's worth noting that the total power budget of the device is 110W. While I will not end up using anywhere near this, it's still good for you to know that the limitation exists. This switch supports 802.3at-2009, which can max out the power budget at 4 devices (even though there are 8 ports). For reference, the 5 cameras that I have on the switch consume about 24W total (and that's at night when the IR consumes more power). When I have the full complement of 8 cameras on the device, I still won't be anywhere near the power budget.There isn't much to the setup of the hardware portion of the switch, but that still leaves the configuration of the "smart" management of the switch. While the TL-SG1016PE is not a full L2/L3 managed switch, it does have some limited extra functions. In order to access the switch, you can use a TP-Link software application to set the IP address of the switch - it's included on CD, but you can use the one you have installed already if you have any other TP-Link switched already. I prefer to assign static addresses, but DHCP is available, too. Once you've assigned the IP, you can access the web management interface. While I was able to log in with Microsoft Edge, I wasn't able to change the device password unless I used Chrome; Edge seemed to work for all other functions.The first thing I did was change the device password. I then created a link aggregation group (LAG) for the two lines that I'd run to the attic, which creates a higher bandwidth connection back to a switch (or computer) on the other end, provided that the other end supports it as well. The last thing I did was to create a VLAN for the cameras, which I think is a smart idea for anyone that has externally mounted cameras. Some of my cameras are mounted high up on the house, but others are low enough that someone could access the ethernet cabling with a stepladder... if they do, the VLAN limits the LAN access that the person would have.The web management includes PoE configuration and usage details. You can set a switch-wide power limit, as well as per-port power policy. I just left everything at auto. The usage details are comprehensive, displaying exactly what the negotiated power level was, along with the instantaneous usage.Something worth noting is that the TL-SG1016PE, like the switch I was using before it, will be operating in environmental conditions that are out of spec for the unit. The switch has an operating temperature limit of 40C, and the attic routinely gets hotter than that. The robust cooling of the unit, along with the relatively low power draw I will have (compared to the 110W max), should give me at least a few good years of operation. I'd consider that to be a great result.ConclusionThere are a few things I would change about the TL-SG1016PE:1. It would be nice if the unit shipped with the current firmware (it doesn't). There are a couple notable differences between the 5/18 firmware and the 5/17 firmware that ships on the device. I recommend loading the new one ASAP2. I would prefer foam filters on the vents. This is not something that most people wouldn't want or need, but I've got my unit in an attic...3. It would be nice if the unit (which uses temp-controlled fans, I think) would have hall-effect RPM monitoring of the 40mm fans, and could notify the admin of fan failure4. It would be nice if there was some syslog or SNMP supportOk, so that's out of the way... none of the items above are absolutely necessary. As it is, the TL-SG1016PE is performing flawlessly. The VLAN and LAG are functioning correctly, and the PoE hasn't had any faults with my cameras. I highly recommend this item.

I recently bought a second one for my bedroom, as I had a great experience with the first one I set up for my living room. As someone who works in IT, this is a great switch for someone who would want to experiment with home networking, but more on that later.For around $100, this is not a switch you use if you need only extra Ethernet ports and you aren't configuring anything. The noise and heat output are not really noticeable, but I also want to note I keep my living room switch in a TV stand with the sliding doors closed. It is also a serviceable size, on par with other managed network switches, if not smaller than some. So in terms of build quality and value, it is a steal.Standalone mode provides tons of functionally and custom port configurations, but where the networking side really shines is with the Omada Cloud Controller. Especially as someone who used this switch in tandem with other TP-Link network products, the Omada controller (which I run it off my PC as it is free; there is a hardware controller but it really is not needed) provides a full end-to-end network management experience. I have a wired VPN router from them and an Access Point (they have routers that provide WiFi as well but I needed them separate because of how my home is laid out) alongside the switch. I would not pass up the opportunity to experiment inside the controller, as it adds a surprising amount of features that can keep up with some of the networking interfaces I utilize in my profession on a daily basis.