3Com SuperStack II Dual Speed Hub 500 24 port - hub - 24 ports

...pieces of hardware, like the 3com Superstack II hub, that you don't even remember exists. It just sits in the corner of my office, doing its job, and just doesn't stop. That is why I'm writing this opinion. This hub deserves recognition for its reliability - as it's a fine piece of kit.


The 3com SuperStack II Dual-speed hub 500
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The Superstack II is a 24 port Fast ...
...management features included with this 3com hub, I can speak as someone who has upgraded an existing 10 Mbit network.

The hub came well packaged with all no parts missing (although there isn't much to go missing!) I can honestly say that within about 5 minutes I had the hub out of it's box, placed it on a shelf we had made specially for it, and plugged all the older 10 Mbit connectors into the ports. We were able to connect to our ... more

Preface
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When you work so much technology around you, like I do, you begin to learn which technology is more reliable than others - especially when you have to deal with warranties/replacements! Some hardware is appalling, and without mentioning any brand names in this opinion I would say that the monitors that we use are the most unreliable monitors I have every seem. Seriously, we replace one at least every couple of weeks.

But then you get some pieces of hardware, like the 3com Superstack II hub, that you don't even remember exists. It just sits in the corner of my office, doing its job, and just doesn't stop. That is why I'm writing this opinion. This hub deserves recognition for its reliability - as it's a fine piece of kit.

The 3com SuperStack II Dual-speed hub 500
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The Superstack II is a 24 port Fast Ethernet 10/100 Mbit autosensing hub. By this I mean that the hub with autodetect both 10 Mbit and 100 Mbit devices/users that are connected to it concurrently through any of its ports. The hub incorporates a 2-way switch that enables this to be done seamlessly. The hub can easily be stacked with existing SuperStack II PS Hub 40/50s.

Features
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• Easy migration from existing slower 10 Mbit networks to Fast Ethernet (100 Mbit).
• Autosensing 10/100 Mbit (per port) allows compatibility with 10 and 100 Mbit connections concurrently. Cable quality is also automatically sensed, to enable the best connection.
• Optional SNMP/RMON, web-based management.
• Includes a web-based management module which allows management of a complete stack of connected hubs via a browser over the network.
• Optional backup power supplies.
• Allows hot-swappable connection of new hubs/connections.
• Allows up to 8 units to be stacked.
• Includes a lifetime limited warranty.

Specifications
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Dimensions - 1.7 x 17.3 x 12.2 inches / 44 x 440 x 310 mm
Weight - 2.6 Kg
Mounting - Includes brackets for mounting in a standard 19 inch rackmount
Connections/Cables - 24 RJ-45 ports support at least 10BASE-T transmission over Cat 3, 4 or 5 UTP cable, or 100BASE-TX transmission over Cat 5 UTP/STP cable.
Indicators - Power status LED, management usage LED, collision/activity LEDs for both 10 and 100 Mbit segments. Link status LEDs for both 10 and 100 Mbit activity.

Personal experiences using this hub
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Although I haven't used any management features included with this 3com hub, I can speak as someone who has upgraded an existing 10 Mbit network.

The hub came well packaged with all no parts missing (although there isn't much to go missing!) I can honestly say that within about 5 minutes I had the hub out of it's box, placed it on a shelf we had made specially for it, and plugged all the older 10 Mbit connectors into the ports. We were able to connect to our server via a new 100 Mbit cable that we had wired up ready, and found that it all worked first time. The hub hasn't been moved since and we have had no problems with the running of the hub either. It has simply sat in the corner of the office and done its job without a fuss! Since then, we have gradually upgraded most of the NICs in our PCs to 100 Mbit and have had no issues whatsoever.

One thing we have noticed (which hasn't caused any problems, yet) is that the connectors in each of the RJ-45 ports have begun to rust. As I said, it hasn't caused any problems so far, but I will keep this opinion up-to-date with any news if connections do start to fail.

The price of the hub for us at the time of buying was approx. £600. However, the prices of this sort of equipment do fluctuate quite a bit, so I can't give an exact price.

As I have already said, this hub has been extremely reliable. In fact, it's been as reliable as it possibly could, as we have had no faults with it at all! I have had a couple of other models of hubs overheat and die within a couple of years, so the lifetime warranty with comes with this hub should prove helpful even if it does decide to go wrong.

Conclusion
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With plenty of reliability, compatibility, connectivity and I'm sure plenty of other -ity's, I would really recommend using this hub for medium-sized office networks. Easy installation and low maintenance is what most people look for in a new hub - and this has both. Only time will tell whether the rusting connectors cause any issues. But apart from this, the hub cannot be faulted. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has had a chance to use the built in management features of this hub. Then I may investigate it more myself and update this opinion with details regarding management. However, I think I have proven that it isn't really necessary to use the management features in most circumstances, as it works just as fine without! An excellent hub, and in my view it's been well worth the money.

 

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