3Com SuperStack II 100 TX - hub - 12 ports

3com are a market force in all things Network. As I have discussed im my reviews yesterday, they provide everything you could possibly need to set up and maintain a nework of any size.

While your PC's need a network card to allow them to connect to the outside world, they also need a meeting places for all of their cables and a method of communication.

That is where the hub takes over.

I like to think ...
...depending on their requirements. Luckily, 3com provide a solution and hub size for everyone.

When buying and choosing your hub, always allow for expansion. If you only have 4 computers but intend to expand, buying a 8 or 12 port hub might seem the better choice. Remember, each computer needs its own port so this would allow you to connect either 8 or 12 computers.

The hub I am going to review is one we have used here ... more

3com are a market force in all things Network. As I have discussed im my reviews yesterday, they provide everything you could possibly need to set up and maintain a nework of any size.

While your PC's need a network card to allow them to connect to the outside world, they also need a meeting places for all of their cables and a method of communication.

That is where the hub takes over.

I like to think of the hub as the local telephone exchange. It sits there and reroutes all of your calls to their correct destination. Only with the hub, its computer commands instead of telephone calls.

Obviously, some people need a small hub and some need a slightly bigger hub, depending on their requirements. Luckily, 3com provide a solution and hub size for everyone.

When buying and choosing your hub, always allow for expansion. If you only have 4 computers but intend to expand, buying a 8 or 12 port hub might seem the better choice. Remember, each computer needs its own port so this would allow you to connect either 8 or 12 computers.

The hub I am going to review is one we have used here in the office.

It is a 12 port Hub but we actually have 2 of them. Each port is not overloaded and runs about 8 users in each quite happily. We never have a problem with network traffic from the hub as its superior performance is more than capable of handling our daily routines.
I would suggest this is a great hub for people that intend to set up between 4 and 12 computers for either office environments or game play.
It also runs on RJ-45 technology. This means it takes the phone connector type leads from your network card. This is great if you have a modern computer that supports this type of networking. Older technology such as the Coaxial BNC connectors are not catered for.
Buy not supporting the older connections, it allows the hub to run at its full capabilities of 100Mbps. Coaxial is limited to a tenth of this speed so it really does pay to use the modern system.
While the modern card run at 100Mbps, you may have some devices that only operate at the slower speed. Providing they have the RJ 45 type socket, they can be supported, thanks to the internal switch.
The internal switch is operated to smoothly blend slower and faster devices together. A great tool for mixed speed networking.

Size.
Size and weight is not really an issue. It is roughly the size of a large box of chocolates but a little longer. The sockets are all on the front of the hub which makes plugging the cables in much easier. The LED lights tell when the hub is in use and when data is being transferred. This is handy if you need to check that the port is active and sending/recieving data.

Pricing.
It retails at around £150 for one unit. Remember, you need to allow for your cabling costs (which can be quite high) and the prices of your network cards. This can be bought in bundles or pack of 10, 25 or 100 and it is much cheaper to buy them this way.

Overall.
A great hub but there are cheaper ones out there that do a similar job. 

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