3com hubs offer reliability and compatibility

Advantages: Reliable, dual speed compatible, built in management
Disadvantages: Connectors have begun to rust - might cause problems in the future

...Preface = 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...

MikeWhalley 29.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of 3Com SuperStack II Dual Speed Hub 500 24 port - hub - 24 ports

Rub a dub HUB

Advantages: Enough connectivity for a small office
Disadvantages: Pricy

...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...

andycharger 07.03.2002 · Read review
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Review of 3Com SuperStack II 100 TX - hub - 12 ports

3Com OfficeConnect TP4 4 Port Ethernet Hub

Advantages: Ebay bargain !
Disadvantages: Only 10 mbps, Only 4 ports

...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...

matt_fantastic 07.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of 3Com OfficeConnect TP4 - hub - 4 ports

Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch With Built-In Cabling

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...

ilaskey 21.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch with Built-In Cabling - KVM switch - 2 ports

Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch With Audio Support

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

...without recognising this facility if it wasn't the currently selected one when booting up. Conclusion The F1DL102P KVM is a quality unit that works well and provides a great way to save desk space and the cost of a second monitor, keyboard and mouse. The long leads and audio support are useful and despite the niggles with scrolling mice and the lack of manual switch. I'd recommend this unit, especially at this price. The fact that it comes with a 3 year warranty is a further plus point....

ilaskey 26.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch with Audio Support and Built-In Cabling - KVM / audio switch - 2 ports

3Com OfficeConnect Dual Speed Switch 5

Advantages: Simple, dual speed, small size
Disadvantages: Only 5 ports (?)

...Not much to say about this really. I bought this for a pound (!) on Ebay to connect to my router giving me 4 more ethernet ports to connect stuff to my network. That's all it does, gives you more connection; there's no firewall, DCHP, nothing, but then that's all in my router. Its 5 autosensing ports (Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45)automatically detect the speed of the attached device to maximize network performance - with a data transfer rate of up to 100 Mbps. It really was a "plug-and-play" installation with no configuration needed, it connected straight into my network - I didn't even ned to read the manual ! The auto-sensing feature means that you can plug the "in" cable into any socket - another 3Com switch I have has a specific "in" port. It's nice and small (Weight 0.6 kg, Height 4.2 cm, depth 13.5 cm, Width 22...

matt_fantastic 24.03.2006 · Read review
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Review of 3Com OfficeConnect Dual Speed Switch 5 - switch - 5 ports

Port Ahoy! Cracking Belkin USB Hub

Advantages: great design, vertical ports for regular items such as memory sticks, led display
Disadvantages: maybe a bit expensive but comparrison but it is quality

...I bought this hub as an impulse purchase but based my decision on: (a) you can never have enough usb ports (b) belkin are a respected manufacturer (c) I liked the design It cost me £12 when I bought it but I think that was the stores mistake as I have seen it advertised at between £19 and £24. Even at that price though this is a good piece of kit. Bearing in mind you can get USB 2 hubs for about half the piece of this one made by companies you may have never heard of, the design and features on this device make it a very attractive and useful addition to your desktop. It has seven USB ports; five on the back and two placed nattily and very usefully on the top. The top ones are what make this great in my view. They are ideal for things you want to plug in and take out on a regular and irregular basis. I use them for usb...

fightgear 17.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub - hub - 7 ports

Affordable 10/100 Switching

Advantages: So Easy installation, Simple and effective design
Disadvantages: None of which I know

...GENERAL OVERVIEW This 3COM OfficeConnect switch is considered my best. It has simple yet effective design and so easy to use and configure: just plug the cables and it is on. It is very useful for home networks and small business networks, as it can connect up to 5 computers with the 10/100 Mbits per second speed. FEATURES Five autosensing ports automatically detect the speed of the attached device to maximize network performance With plug-and-play installation and no configuration needed, the switch fits easily into your unmanaged network Full-duplex feature supports two-way data transfer, doubling the effective bandwidth of the network Compact, fanless design ensures quiet operation in small office spaces Connectors at rear help reduce cable clutter FCC Class B switch is approved for use in small office and home office...

mraouf101 21.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of 3Com OfficeConnect Switch 5 - switch - 5 ports

Neat Netgear 5 port gigabit switch

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...

sjhill 20.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of NETGEAR GS605 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch - switch - 5 ports

Belkin Powered Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-port Hub

Advantages: Fast USB 2 Hub, Ports well spaced out
Disadvantages: Only for Desktop PC's really, Must have adequate PSU

...It should first be stated that this product is intended for use with a desktop computer and indeed it would only be practical to use it in such a manner. The hub comes with an AC adapter which has a good length cable to reach the mains socket. A USB cable is also included to connect the hub to your computer. The hubs cannot function without the AC power. There is nothing more frustrating than ports or sockets being too close together, meaning that large or bulky adapters or plugs can't fit in next to each other. This problem is avoided by the Belkin 7-port hub as the ports are well spaced out with four on one side and three on the other. There is an indicator light for each port to indicate whether it is working or not (on or off). There is no switch to turn off the hub - this would have to be done by disconnecting it from...

patwanet 20.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub - hub - 7 ports