QNAP Launches Affordable 16-Port SFP28 Layer 2 Managed Switch

Although most people use WiFi for their network connectivity these days, there are times when a wired connection is needed, say for large file transfer and backups. We’ve finally seen a transition onwards from Gigabit Ethernet on the humble desktop PC, but for some 2.5 Gbps isn’t enough and 10 Gbps has become more and more of a viable option. However, it seems like QNAP has decided that 10 Gbps is getting a bit long in the tooth and as such, the company has introduced a 16-port SFP28 switch, for those that are craving even faster LAN speeds.

The QSW-M5216-1T has a combined switching capacity of 820 Gbps and all of the 25 Gbps SFP28 ports are backwards compatible with 10 Gbps SFP+ based network cards. There’s also a single multi-gig capable RJ45 port that goes from 100 Mps to 10 Gbps, plus a 1 Gbps management port, as well as a serial port around the back for management. The QSW-M5216-1T is also capable of combining four ports into a 100 Gbps capable link, when combined with QNAP’s QXG-100G2SF-E810 100 Gbps capable network card, although it retails for north of US$1,000. A more reasonable alternative would be the US$219 QXG-25G2SF-CX4 dual-port 25 Gbps card, which seems quite reasonably priced for the speeds on offer.

As this is a managed layer 2 switch, it supports features like LACP. VLAN, QoS and ICMP snooping, as well as a range of other features you’d find on this type of switch. Surprisingly, QNAP claims a 35 W max power consumption, so hopefully that also means it won’t sound like a jet engine when in use. Although the QSW-M5216-1T might be intended for business use, since most people aren’t going to install fibre based networks at home, the price point is quite alluring for those that would like to move up to 25 Gbps network speeds. In Taiwan, QNAP lists the QSW-M5216-1T for around US$1,385, which is less than US$87 per port, which compares favourably to similar 10 Gbps switches.