Cisco Catalyst 4148 - switch - 48 ports

Advantages: easy setup ( if know what doing )
Disadvantages: easy to break.

...Another entry onto the cisco scene is the catalyst 4948 switch. 48 ports with four G-bic options for either fiber optics or standard RJ45 cables. setting up: this is made quite simple by the console port on the back. Using a program such as hyperterminal willl allow you to access the flash drive, and change the settings ease of setup: quite an easy switch to setup, it has the usual kind of cisco program, with the easy option to upgrade the firmware/ software on it. To setup a Vlan, you use the configuration terminal within. (conft) Breakabiltity: as it says on the box really: fragile. It can stand the usual bumps and scratches with its metal casing, but if dropped will usually break one of the ports. Flashing: using the console port, you can set it up to flash the firmware, and put either an upgrade or downgrade... Read review

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Advantages: Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution
Disadvantages: No manual overide or audio support

...stops autoscanning and lets you use the currently selected PC. The Belkin claims support for scrolling mice but I did find sometimes one PC would start up without recognising this facility if it wasn't the currently selected one when booting up and in extreme cases, wouldn't recognise the keyboard and mouse at all. Previous KVM's I've used send the PC fake 'There's a keyboard and mouse here' messages when not selected and it seems this unit does not, which is a pity. Conclusion The Belkin 2 port KVM is a well built unit that works nicely and provides a great way to save desk space and the cost of a second monitor, keyboard and mouse. The long leads are useful and despite the niggles with scrolling mice and the lack of manual switch. I'd say this unit is worth considering at this price if you can live with those shortcomings... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, reliable, simple to use
Disadvantages: None.

...I liked this switch so much, I bought two of them. Netgear have a reputation for cheap and reliable networking equipment, and this 5 port unmanaged switch is no exception. When I bought my two, they were retailing online for approx £35 each - but these days you should be able to get one for approx £25 (inc VAT.) The switch is more or less the size of my hand (yes, I have big hands). With 5 ports on the back - all are auto-sensing, as is the gigabit standard, so you don't have to worry about crossover cables if you're daisy-chaining switches... The only other port on the back is for power, which is the usual "wall-wart" plug in transformer you get with most home networking equipment. Given the switch is unmanaged, you can just plug desktop computers, laptops, XBOXes, network printers straight into the switch, and not worry... Read review

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