CONCLUSION

   Although your typical modem/router (or even a more advanced model) is more than enough to sit at the center of a standard home LAN a separate network switch is always the way to go for anything more than that. The good news is that for home and office use smart and even managed switches offer very little more compared to an unmanaged model so the LGS124P should be good enough to cover most cases out there. Certainly by using a smart or a managed switch you have control over several features/settings many of which are not available in unmanaged models (not even in auto) but the truth of the matter is that to use most of those you need to be nothing less than an IT professional. We also used a total of 7 POE IP cameras with the LGS124P to check that specific feature (like we always do) and it passed with flying colors (to be honest we didn’t expect it to fail, that’s a somewhat basic function as long as it’s supported). That being said the LGS124P has one single drawback and that’s its noise levels which for an office/SMB oriented model is not really a big deal (for home use with multiple systems we always recommend the completely silent LGS116P model).

   Currently the LGS124P 24-Port Business POE+ Gigabit Switch by Linksys retails for USD267.64 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 253Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so yes much like the LGS318P (and other Business products) it’s not what we’d call very affordable. Still its target audience will probably place money second to performance, quality and features and since the LGS124P scores high on all three it’s well worth of our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Excellent Performance
- 24 RJ45 Gigabit Ports
- 18 PoE+ Ports
- 120W Maximum Power Output (For PoE+)
- Power Consumption
- Lifetime Warranty

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Somewhat Loud Fan (At High Temperatures)