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We have the following requirements for three Ethernet switches that will be connected together:

  1. Allow the switches to connect together to form dynamic, arbitrary topologies, i.e., support for the RSTP is essential.
  2. Allow the physical topology (which ports are connected together) to be gleaned from the switches, e.g., using SNMP traps. This is optional, but would be very useful.
  3. At least 5 ports on each switch, but only 3 will be used for connecting the switches together.
  4. Be as compact as possible.
  5. Ideally be in stock, in the UK.
  6. Only 100Mb/s is required.

(This question is the result of the lack of RSTP support from 3Com NJ225 devices, as described in my previous question.)

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sblair
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  • Product and service recommendations are specifically off topic for ServerFault (see point 4 in the NOT About section of the [FAQ](http://serverfault.com/faq)) – sysadmin1138 Jan 05 '12 at 03:27

2 Answers2

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I have become a fan of the HP ProCurve switches. They even have something called MSTP which is supposed to properly handle VLANs, while STP of course does not, and RSTP misses the boat as well. However, RSTP is supported.

http://www.procurve.com/

And no, I don't own stock or work there.

Michael Graff
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  • +1 for ProCurve, there's also Cisco 2950 switches which support all of that, plus proper PVSTP and a whole bunch of other useful features. – Tom O'Connor Dec 15 '09 at 09:50
  • Thanks. It's quite important that the switch is relatively small, but I can't find any evidence that the 8-port HP options (408, 1400, 1700) support the spanning tree protocol/802.1D (which is essential). – sblair Dec 15 '09 at 13:08
  • You're correct at the lack of 802.1w/RSTP on those models. You'd have to look at least at the 2520 series which increases the price point quite a bit. – David Mar 23 '10 at 00:49
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The Netgear GS108T supports the RSTP, and is sufficiently compact. The Cisco SLM2005 (5-port) or the SLM2008 (8-port) may also be suitable.

Edit: we chose the Netgear GS108T in the end, which meets all the criteria.

sblair
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