Hardware ReviewsLanMarket 5-Port E-Switch Apparently, LanMarket.com [Update as of 7/01 - LanMarket has shut down] wasn't satisfied with setting the low-price standard in Fast Ethernet switches* with their ALFA AFSO5 that won a homePCnetwork.com "Best Buy" award. That switch sold for $80, although we noted that in May it was on special for $40 + shipping. [*see our glossary for more on "switched networks"] Now, LanMarket has another 5-port switch that sells for the regular price of $45 + shipping. There may be a less expensive 5-port Fast Ethernet switch out there, but we aren't aware of it. LanMarket has again set the low-price standard. Although LanMarket lists this as a MotoTech switch, we couldn't find a similar switch at MotoTech's Web site. Still, the model number at LanMarket matches the number on the model we tested (US4005S) so don't be concerned that you'll get anything other than the switch we've tested below. The name on the front panel and in the 7-page manual is "5-Port E-Switch." Despite the low price, we found the 5-port E-Switch to be a solid performer, with the exception of some trouble under a heavy network load with a three-player LAN game (more details later). We had a few other minor issues with the switch (read on), but we're not sure any of those should dissuade those in the market for an inexpensive switch from giving this model a close look. Overview This E-Switch comes in a box that's shoebox-sized but only half as tall. Inside, you'll find the switch, a power brick (a small black box that plugs into an AC outlet and then to the switch), four rubber feet and a very short, 7-page manual. The manual provides only the most basic information and a very short troubleshooting section. The switch itself is about the size of two CD-ROM cases stacked on top of each other. The plain metal front panel has a single LED on the left to indicate when the power is turned on and a dual row of 5 LEDs (one for each port) on the right. The top row glows to show when that port is linked via a cable with an active network card in a computer. The LED glows yellow to indicate an Ethernet (10Mbps) connection and green to indicate a Fast Ethernet (100Mbps) connection. The lights blink to indicate activity across that port. The bottom row of LEDs light when the connection is full duplex. We would have liked a row of lights to indicate collisions on the ports, but that's a small price to pay for those who want an inexpensive switch. The back of the switch includes five ports. The last one is the uplink port, allowing the switch to be connected to another switch or device, and can not be used at the same time as the regular port 5. Installation As with most switches, installation was a breeze. We plugged in the power brick and connected Category 5 cables from our network computers into the ports on the back of the switch. Keep in mind that you can connect and disconnect cables from a hub or switch while it is powered on, but you should not remove cables from a powered-on computer. Performance As usual, we ran a number of tests to determine the performance of the E-switch. First, we used our standard file copy test to check performance in copying files back and forth across the network. Each of our test computers used a D-Link DFE-530TX+ network card. For this test, we copied a 60 meg file back and forth between the two. [Please note that we've switched from previously using a 30 meg file]. We used two common network protocols, TCP/IP and IPX in turn, making sure to remove the other protocols before each test. In the chart below, we compare the E-Switch to the homePCnetwork Editor's Choice Netgear FS308 switch. Since both test setups used the same computers and network cards, it's clear that the E-Switch holds its on, falling behind the Netgear switch in TCP/IP, but actually edging out the higher priced switched under the IPX protocol. Keep in mind, though, that both tests would probably not result in noticeable differences in "real world" use.
Next, to test the true full-bandwidth performance of the switch, we again used two computers. This time, however, we copied the 60 meg file from our first test computer (we call it T866..the number refers to the CPU speed) to the second (T400) computer and, AT THE SAME TIME, copied a 30 meg file from T400 to T866. Because both computers are reading and writing, this helps test the switch's "full duplex" function. This puts significant stress on the network and the switch. We ran the same test twice and averaged the results, shown below in seconds to complete all file copying. For comparison, we again show results for the Netgear FS308 switch. In this test, the E-Switch appears to fall a bit behind the Netgear, but again it's not clear that this would reveal itself in day-to-day use.
Finally, we ran two subjective tests on the setup. First we played an AVI movie file across the test network. Using the 5-Port E-Switch, the movie's video and sound played smoothly. Second, we played a network game that requires a lot of data thrown back and forth between 3 fast machines in our test set up. Unfortunately, we found that our fast test machine (a Pentium III 866mhz machine) would lock up under intense game play. When we then networked the three machines through the Netgear, and made no other changes to our setup, the same computer did not lock up. We're not sure of the exact cause, but we would have to guess that this intense LAN game play on this very fast computer might have been more than the inexpensive switch could handle. Again, this should only be a concern for those who expect to do significant, multiplayer games on their home LANs. Technical Support There are no support numbers or e-mail addresses listed in the short user's manual that comes with the E-Switch. However, there is a support e-mail address at the MotoTech Web site that may be able to answer basic questions for you. Although this is clearly limited support, the truth is there are not a lot of questions to answer around Fast Ethernet switches. For the most part, they either work or they don't. Summary Overall, the 5-Port E-Switch delivers just about what you would expect from the most inexpensive Fast Ethernet switch we know of on the market. Under normal home networking conditions, the switch holds its on against even some of the most expensive network switches. Then again, it appeared to trip up a bit under some VERY heave networking conditions. If you play intense LAN games over your home network, with fast machines and multiple players, this may not be the right switch for you. If on the other hand, you simply want to share files, printers and Internet connections over your home network AND want to do that for as cheaply as possible, we suggest you give the 5-port switch a good look. Grade = B- Details
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