I'm looking for an upgrade switch to replace my JGS524Ev2 24port 1Gb switch and I've had a good offer on an old stock, new M7100-24X (XSM7224) 24port 10Gb Switch (I know that this is not a current model, but that helps with my limited budget). The device currently up for grabs has a single PSU, I have no mission critical IT requirements, so this suites me fine. I now have several devices that will operate at 10Gb so want to start to be able to utilise this speed while transferring and moving files.
I have a few questions that I'm hoping that someone can assist with please?
General Use
My router provides the DHCP for my entire network (thes prrimarity includes 3 No. JGS524Ev2 24port 1Gb switches as the main infrastructure). I'll not use the DHCP in the switches.
I'd be looking to switch one of the above 3 switches for a 10Gb switch.
I currently have both ReadyNAS drives set up with dual LAG connections and atttached to the switch I'd be replacing so would need to recreate this on the new switch.
The new unit is required for high-speed general data transfer between devices on the network (I'm impatient especially when backing up large drives, moving a photos, transfering and working on centrally stored building models, etc).
The traffic on the switch is generally going to be quite low in reality as we are a studio of 4 people not an office of hundreds.
Questions
Can the M7100-24X (XSM7224) provide general network capabilities for general network traffic? or is it a high-level switch that generally deals with linking cabinets together?
As you can no doubt tell from the above lack of terminology, I'm not an IT expert, but have sufficient knowledge to create LAG connections, switch off the DHCP, connect a group of switches to create a network, programme the DHCP and wire patch panels, cables, etc. Is the M7100-24X (XSM7224) easy to set up out of the box or does it require complicated setup? Is setup as easy as just turning off the DHCP and create the LAG connections, plugging everything in and all should run fine at 10Gb? Can I ignore the other settings and leave them as default, or would I need to be more proficient to setup this unit?
If for example I have 2x10Gb devices on the 10Gb switch, but the DHCP is on a separate 1Gb device. Will the 2No. 10Gb devices sat on the 10Gb switch communicate at 10Gb. I am assuming they will just fine (as long as there are no bottle knecks or max speed limitations at either end), but want to make sure?
Is M7100-24X (XSM7224) switch quite or is it quite noisey? I can't see how this unit is cooled, however it appears to have fans in the rear of the device. I need something that is whisper quite and doesn't produce a ton of heat under load (my load would generally be limited to about 2 users utilising 10Gb bandwith for limited periods). Do the fans run at constant speed or change speed to accomdate the heat load.
Does the M7100-24X (XSM7224) have good porwer saving options? How are they comparable to current generation switches (none PoE).
I can find the power rating of the M7100-24X XSM7224 at 200W max. Please can anyone advise approximately how much power this unit draw when it’s pretty much in standby or while passing minimal traffic?
Any advise that you can provide would be apreciated.
