Cisco-Linksys EZXS55W EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Switch
by Linksys
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Our Price: $99.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $16.98 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys EZXS55W EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Switch
Customer Review: Easy-to-install switch expands your wired home network
Summary: 4 Stars
In our house's home network, Internet service from Comcast goes to a modem then to a router with four outgoing slots -- one to each of four computers by CAT-5 cables. The wires snake through the house and give us fast Internet service.
After a few months, my family's wired home network was experiencing growing pains -- the kids' X-Box needed an additional feed from the Internet to play an interactive wargame; sometimes my wife would want to switch locations for a computer. So we had been physically switching cables around -- once we made a mistake and disabled the entire setup -- and this cost me a day of phoning Comcast and trying to re-set the modem until I finally realized what had happened. Further, I was worried that the constant switching would break one of the plastic connectors since they're not suitable for constant unplugging.
I was ABOUT to buy a second router which would have been a mistake but I READ THROUGH THESE HELPFUL AMAZON REVIEWS (thank you reviewers!) about routers & switches and I got the general sense that all I needed was this Ethernet switch. The alternative would have been to replace my four-outlet router with a much bigger 8-slot router (more expensive). The manufacturer's descriptions on the Internet about how to rig up a home network were surprisingly sparse -- so I didn't know what would work with what. I had figured I would have had one router feed into another but I do not think this would have worked.
So, I bought this switch. It works. There is little documentation in the box but it is simple to figure out where the wires go. One of the cables from the router leads to the Ethernet switch, and from this switch, cables feed to computers, game equipment, and so forth. The cost was reasonable. Sometimes (and I don't know why) one of the lines is a little slow -- with 10 seconds elapsing before a response from the Internet. But I don't know whether this is the switch's fault or Comcast's. Still, overall, I'm a happy camper.
Thomas W. Sulcer
author of Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism (Amazon/Kindle)
free pdf if requested by email
Customer Review: Excellent way to connect Ethernet devices, but plan for the future
Summary: 5 Stars
I combined this switch with the Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter to extend my wireless network to wired devices located in a room other than the one that contains my router. This switch gives me extra ports to connect my Slingbox, Ooma, Blu-Ray player, and television to my home network/internet. Since the device is so simple, there's very little that can go wrong with it.
Potential buyers should consider how many devices they want to connect, and then add one or two ports for future devices. Six months ago, I never would have expected to need one Ethernet port, let alone four, in my family room; with changes in technology, you may need to upgrade to a larger workgroup switch sooner than you expect. If you are only worried about Blu-Ray and one or two game consoles, then this switch should be adequate both now and in the near future.
Products that can be connected to this switch:
ooma Core VoIP Phone System with No Monthly Phone Service Bills
Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100
PlayStation 3 80GB
Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player
Sony Bravia W-Series KDL-52W4100 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
And many more.
-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Customer Review: Perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
This switch works fine and does what it's supposed to do. The one I received is all black, and there is another listing for it on Amazon.
I don't get the negatives I've read here. Someone said it gets hot. Well, where are you keeping it? It's a simple little digital switch that doesn't create any heat...maybe a slight watmth.
Another said something about it being cheap, plastic junk. It's actually a very good quality piece of equipment at a very good price. I guess if it's not a huge, heavy, expensive thing they perceive it as being cheap.
There was also a complaint about cutomer service. I'll admit I have not had to call Linksys cutomer service for years, but the 2 or 3 times I have, they are the best. Imagine, actually getting a human person on the phone and walking you through everything you need.
Bottom line: Qulity product. Good price. I wish I needed more of these little things...there almost fun to buy and plug all your gadgets in.
And oh yeah, very easy and simple "plug and play" installation.
Ok. For those that insist that nothing is perfect, my only design change would be to eliminate some of the indicator lighting on the front. There are about 15 little lights on there. My "office" area already looked like Christmas at night with all of the LEDs shining off of everything from my computer to the phone to the clock and everything else. Now there are many more colorful lights.
Customer Review: Great Device
Summary: 5 Stars
This Linksys switch is a basic network device that is used in home networks and large companies. It does what it is designed to do, and does it well. There is no configuration, and no set up, just plug and play. I own several of these, and I have never had to touch it after installing it onto my network.
There is a basic switch; there is no port filtering, no protocol filtering, and no interference. Some higher end switches come with those features, but in the end they just end up slowing the network down unless they are higher end. Anyone that requires those features should not consider this switch, or any device in this price range. It will just slow your network down, go with an enterprise solution from HP, Cisco or similar.
For 99% of the home and small business users looking to buy this, I recommend it highly. IT professionals, or network managers I would look at either a gigabit switch, or something more advanced. On larger networks, with 200+ users, if you install ten of these it will increase latency, and decrease the speed of your network. I am an IT manager and these are great for small singular uses, but do not build or manage your networks with these types of devices. You are asking for trouble down the line.
Back to 99% of users, this device is perfect for you. I feel obligated to share my more technical advice for the people in my profession that may purchase this switch.
Customer Review: Good product but not quite as pictured
Summary: 3 Stars
It's hard to get excited about an Ethernet switch because, I suspect, they're all pretty much the same. But every Linksys product I've ever bought has been excellent. Easy to use, quick to install, good quality and a great value. This unit is no different. So let me explain my relatively low rating. First, the picture on this page is not the unit which comes in the box. I also have a Linksys broadband router and I was hoping that this switch would stack nicely on top of or below it. The pictured switch looks like it would do this with no problem but the actual product won't -- it's significantly smaller. Linksys claims that this is an improved "Palm-sized" form factor. While it looks cute, the size is NOT as convenient as you might think. When you have cables connected to the unit, they tend to pull it off of its footing because it's so light. So now I have to find a paperweight to keep the switch flat on the table. This is certainly not a fatal shortcoming, but you would think that Linksys would have experienced this in product testing and given the problem some thought.
Since this is probably the cheapest Ethernet switch you'll find without the hassle of a mail-in rebate, I still recommend it.