TP-Link JetStream TL-SG2428P network switch 24 × PoE+, 4 × SFP

All 24 RJ-45 ports deliver power as well as data. An access point on the ceiling, a camera on the façade or an IP phone on a desk draws its power over the same Ethernet cable and needs no socket of its own. Installation is faster, there are fewer cables, and any device can be restarted straight from the switch when needed, without climbing a ladder.

The switch supports both PoE standards: 802.3af, the original PoE, and 802.3at, known as PoE+, which gives a device more power. That means older IP phones and cameras and more power-hungry access points can all plug into the same switch. The total PoE budget in watts is not in the supplier data, so check it on the TP-Link datasheet for heavy loads.

Alongside the 24 copper ports there are four SFP slots, for 28 gigabit ports in total. Through an SFP slot the switch connects by fibre to the server room, another building or a distant cabinet that a copper cable cannot reach. Each slot takes a matching SFP module, chosen by cable type and distance. Fibre does not conduct electricity, which also makes it a good choice for links between buildings.

The JetStream smart switch is configured through a web interface in an ordinary browser, with no command line required. You can split the network into VLANs, set priorities and monitor port status, none of which an unmanaged switch offers. A smart switch is a good middle ground for anyone who has outgrown a simple switch but finds full L3 management too complex.

The switch is rackmountable and weighs 2.8 kg, so it fixes into a server or network cabinet next to other networking gear. It has a single power supply, the usual arrangement in small and mid-sized business networks, where backup power, if needed, comes from a UPS in the cabinet.

Businesses and offices where access points, IP cameras and IP phones have to be powered from one switch; integrators who need 24 PoE+ ports together with a fibre uplink; and schools, hotels or warehouses with many devices and too few power sockets. If you need a 10-gigabit backbone, look at the TL-SG3428XMP.