A highly cost-effective, entry-level unmanaged hub, the OfficeConnect Hub TP4 provides four 10 Mbps twisted-pair connections and represents the most economical OfficeConnect... more
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A review by matt_fantastic on 3Com OfficeConnect TP4 - hub - 4 ports April 7th, 2006
Author's product rating:
Speed
Slow
Ease of Installation
Excellent - very quick and easy
Ease of use
Very easy
Reliability
Excellent
Value For Money
Excellent
Advantages:
Ebay bargain !
Disadvantages:
Only 10 mbps, Only 4 ports
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
Bought this on Ebay for a bargain £1 to expand my network. I've since replaced it with another 3Com hub (check out my other reviews), but thought I'd still let you know a little about it.
It's an entry-level, 4 port hub, but only 10BASE-T, rather than the faster 100BASE-TX - that's why I upgraded, so you can connect 4 users together.
There's one (manually switched) MDI-MDIX port to provide simple "in" connection from a server, switch, or hub, and three other female RJ-45 ports to send the network signal out to 3 other items.
The hub has an external power supply and a "CoolCurve" self-cooling design eliminating the need for a noisy fan. Its dimensions (height: 3.6cm, width: 23.1cm, depth: 13.6cm) allow it to fit nicely with other 3Com OfficeConnect units - special stacking clips are available.
It's an "unmanaged" hub, so there's no software to install anywhere, it's just a case of connecting it up with standard "straight-through" ethernet cables and you're away ! LED lights on the front signal Power, Activity & Error, and status of each of the 4 ports.
Click the "Product Information" tab for more details, and the "Compare Prices" tab for prices and availability..
Overall, it's a useful item if you need more network connections, and "does exactly what it says on the tin", but if I were you, I'd go straight to a 100BASE-TX hub.
Status Indicators: Port status, link activity, collision status, power, alert, Port status, power, network utilization %, Port status, collision status, power, alert
Voltage Required: AC 100/240 V ± 10% ( 50/60 Hz ), AC 110/220 V ± 10% ( 50/60 Hz ), AC 220 V ± 10% ( 50/60 Hz )
Power Consumption Operational: 4 VA, 11 Watt, 11 VA
Installed Qty: 1 (installed) / 1 (max)
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature: 0 °C
Max Operating Temperature: 40 °C
Humidity Range Operating: 0 - 90%
Manufacturer's product description
A highly cost-effective, entry-level unmanaged hub, the OfficeConnect Hub TP4 provides four 10 Mbps twisted-pair connections and represents the most economical OfficeConnect product for home or small businesses. The TP4 is operational in minutes. Its four RJ-45 10BASE-T connections have built-in diagnostic LEDs that indicate packet receipt, packet collision, and port status. The Alert LED indicates excessive network use or a partitioned 10BASE-T port. The TP4's CoolCurve self-ventilating design eliminates the need for cooling fans, increasing reliability by eliminating a potential point of failure. The external power supply simplifies maintenance in the event of a power supply failure and its compact design saves space and ensures silent operation. Another important design feature are the 'stacking clips' that allow convenient expandability and secure stacking of up to four OfficeConnect units. Plus, an MDI/MDIX switch allows connection to a workstation or another Ethernet hub to the fourth twisted-pair port, supporting the connection of up to four hubs in series.
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