INTRODUCTION

   We live in dangerous times, i am sure that no one can really deny that so it goes without saying that we need to take extra steps to ensure the safety of both our loved ones and everything we own. This is partially as to why I’ve been testing various security devices during the past 5 years including IP cameras and motion sensors (the 2nd is more of a hobby to me). However setting up a security grid made out of several IP cameras around your house and/or your office is a lot more complicated than many seem to think and so today we are going to see how an 8-port 10/100Mbps PoE Switch like the TPE-PS44 by TRENDnet can aid you with that.

   TRENDnet is a global provider of award winning networking solutions to small and medium size business and home users. Building networking solutions since 1990, TRENDnet enables users to share broadband access, multimedia content and networked peripherals for true anywhere connectivity. TRENDnet's diverse product line includes Wireless, Fiber, Switch, Gigabit, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM), Internet Camera, Print Server, Powerline, Bluetooth, Storage Server, Power over Ethernet (PoE), and Multimedia Accessories. Based in Torrance, California, TRENDnet maintains branch offices in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central America, South America, and Asia. TRENDnet’s management system is ISO 9001:2008 certified (click here to view certificate). TRENDnet emphasizes continual improvement as an essential component of its quality management system. This ensures rigorous process standards across the entire organization with respect product development, product quality and all other pertinent enterprise functions. TRENDnet's 250-plus product portfolio is distributed in over 125 countries. The TRENDnet brand is consistently recognized for high quality, exceptional performance and professional support.

   PoE stands for "Power over Ethernet", a standard which was developed mainly for enterprise use roughly 10 years ago. Long story short the PoE standard/protocol allows both electrical power and data to pass through the same CAT5/6 (CAT3/4 are also compatible but support less power) Ethernet cable making it ideal for use in places without a power plug (generally without a power grid). As expected however 10 years ago this technology (much like everything new) was extremely expensive and thus not ment for consumer use but after so long prices have dropped dramatically making both PoE compatible IP Cameras and switches affordable. Of course with the wide use of Gigabit (1000Mbps) compatible network devices currently a 10/100Mbps switch like the TPE-S44 should only be used to power your IP cameras via PoE and that's what this review is pretty much all about.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The TPE-S44 arrived inside a small box with a product image at the front right about its main features.

A detailed features list is placed at the right side of the box.

A unit summary is present at the rear of the box in 7 languages right next to a device connectivity diagram.

The entire bundle is placed inside a formed piece of cardboard.

Aside the TPE-S44 switch inside the box you will also find the quick installation guide, 4 rubber feet and the AC power adapter with the power cord.

THE TPE-S44

Although our sample features a blue color enclosure TRENDnet has switched to a black enclosure just recently. Both devices measure 171mm in width, 98mm in depth and 29mm in height while weighing 430g.

Several activity LEDs placed at the front inform you on everything you need to know about the current status of all the connected devices.

The first 2 LEDs indicate the current on/off status of the device and whether or not it has reached its maximum supported PoE output.

The remaining 20 LEDs inform you about the current connection state of all the attached devices and more specifically the current speed of each device (10/100Mbps), the type state of each device and whether or not PoE is active.

TRENDnet has engraved their logo at the top of the enclosure.

Several exhaust holes are present on each side.

The TPE-S44 PoE switch features 8 10/100Mbps ports.

Only 4 however feature the PoE standard and can be used with IP Cameras.

The model name, serial number, barcode and version are placed on a sticker at the base of the unit. As you can see here with us we have the A2.0R version but right now TRENDnet only sells the A2.1R version which is exactly the same model only with a black exterior.

Since this review is all about the functionality of a PoE switch and not its performance i thought it would be nice if we took a look a bit deeper and see what makes it tick.

The FMQ-608SLF LAN transformer is manufactured by BI-TEK TONYO Technologies and is used for a wide range of tasks (including auto negotiation, isolation etc.).

We also see the HN4802CG 10/100Base-T magnetic module manufactured by MINGTEK Technologies.

TRENDnet has used the Realtek RTL8309SB 10/100Mbps switch controller featuring support for up to 9 ports.

USING THE TPE-S44

Since I’ve been testing IP Cameras for roughly 5 years i have two specific locations i use for that exact purpose, one at the front door of my house and one just over my office/lab. When i first started using these locations i had both power and Ethernet cables routed (since i swap IP cameras all the time i used external power sockets) and so i never actually thought about using a PoE switch. However as you can see from the above images the power adapters along with the power plugs take quite a bit of space and let’s not forget that if the main power grid fails for any reason whatsoever so do your IP cameras. However if you plug your entire system (PC/Surveillance Station/Switch) with a UPS device it will keep running without issue (the how long of course depends on the capacity of your UPS).

You can check the status of both IP Cameras (more specifically if they receive power) from the activity LEDs at the front.

CONCLUSION

   Some of you may wonder as to why i didn't perform any benchmarks with the TPE-S44 and the reason is that the main purpose of such devices is to feed power to your IP cameras via PoE and not to offer the best data transfer performance (that's why we have Gigabit compatible devices). However i did test the TPE-S44 with a total of 4 different IP Cameras all plugged in simultaneously and during all days of testing it didn't even once slow down my network something which is quite important and doesn’t apply for every PoE switch out there.

   The TRENDnet TPE-S44 8-Port PoE 10/100Mbps Switch comes with a very attractive price tag and so it currently retails for USD49.99 inside the USA (TigerDirect) while inside the EU you can find it at around 65Euros. Overall the TPE-S44 is a very good PoE switch since it does exactly as advertised, offers a total of 8 Ethernet 10/100Mbps ports 4 of which are PoE compatible, is quite small and it also comes at a very good price. Of course if just 4 PoE ports are not enough to cover your needs TRENDnet offers a variety of similar devices with up to 24 PoE ports and Gigabit connectivity. The lack of Gigabit connectivity however from cost-effective solutions like the TPE-S44 is the only drawback i can think of (excused however from the low price) and i hope it will be resolved soon. Until then however the TPE-S44 is the ideal solution for people on a tight budget who want to install up to 4 PoE compatible IP Cameras independently from the electrical grid and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Metal Enclosure/Components)
- Size
- 8 x 10/100Mbps Ports
- 4 x 10/100Mbps PoE Compatible Ports
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- None