TP-Link TL-SX3008F 10GE Switch Review
In the video below, we’re going to take a look at TP-Link’s TL-SX3008F 10GE network switch
It’s an 8 port 10G SFP+ switch which is part of their JestStream range
TP-Link TL-SX3008F 8 Port 10G SFP+ switch
Although aimed at small businesses, this is a switch which I feel brings 10G within reach of the retail market
With console ports and GUI management, this Layer 2+ switch is not just a managed switch, it also offers Layer 3 features with the potential for centralised management
One option for configuration is via a console session and although you get a cable for the RJ45 port, you would likely require a USB to Serial adapater like this to be able to use it
UGreen USB to RS232 Converter
Alternatively you could purchase an all in one cable like this
OIKWAN Console Cable,USB to RJ45 Console Cable
The switch also has a micro-USB console port you could use instead, but bear in mind this disables the RJ45 port when used and is only available when the switch is up and running, whereas the RJ45 port will allow console access even as the switch is powering on or rebooting
The best option is to just use the RJ45 port as you can’t use both ports at the same time
One thing to note is that if you’re familiar with Cisco devices, configuration in this console will feel like Deja Vu
The switch can be managed over the network via a web GUI as well as using Telnet and SSH, but for small businesses the GUI is most likely to be used
As these are SFP+ ports, however, you’ll need SFPs to connect anything to the switch
You can use Direct Access Cables (DACs) to save on costs, but you need to make sure these will be compatible at both ends, like this one I used for a Dell Server with Intel NICs for instance
10Gtek 2m 10G SFP DAC Twinax Cable Passive
You can use copper and fibre SFPs to make compatibility easier but the concern with copper is there will be more power draw and more heat generation which can be a problem for switches that don’t have lots of fans to ensure good airflow
As such, I opted for fibre connectivity outside of the rack and used these SFPs
10Gtek 10G SFP+ SR Multimode Fibre Module- 10GBase-SR LC Transceiver
As well as some OM3 cables like these
10Gtek OM3 LC to LC Duplex Fiber Patch Cable 1m
Overall Opinion:
This switch has a lot of features, even ones that I’d only expect service providers to use
Although it doesn’t offer any dynamic routing protocols, that’s not really a problem as the direction of networking is towards basic Layer 2 switching while the real work is done within a virtual environment
In addition, VLANs are better handled by a firewall, making Layer 3 switches less of a requirement these days
It is dissappointing that SSH can only offer security as strong as the now deprecated SHA1, but the expectation is that small businesses would manage this through a GUI anyway
Having said that, there is the option for centralised management using an Omada controller, although from a security perspective I’d opt for a local controller rather than exposing a network to a cloud portal
One appealing thing about Omada is that this isn’t just for managing switches, but also other TP-Link devices like Routers and Access Points
So it would make sense to use this if you have several devices to manage
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