CONCLUSION

   Linksys released the LGS326P back in 2015 and although it already counts well over 2 years in the market it still has nothing to be jealous of newer models. Its Gigabit performance is excellent, has enough ports to cover most small to medium sized businesses, build quality is top notch (as we’ve come to expect by Linksys products – no wonder they offer a limited lifetime warranty on their business models) and on top of all that it also offers a vast number of advanced features that even we could never hope to use in our lab (even our IT Pro feels these are way too “extensive”). There’s one downside however just like most other actively cooled switches and that’s its high noise levels (emanating from the two 40mm high speed fans) which render it a not so ideal choice for home use (unless of course you can place it inside a room where noise is of no concern). It would be great if Linksys released a firmware update allowing the end user to change the RPM of the fans (or even disable them altogether) but my guess is they will not purely for safety reasons (noone would like a switch like this to get damaged due to overheating). Unfortunately for unknown reasons Linksys has yet to release a 10GbE Business switch (we'll certainly test it out when they do) but for the vast majority of potential buyers out in the market currently Gigabit connectivity is a one way.

   We all know that business class products are more expensive compared to their “home” oriented counterparts but although Linksys gives a recommended price tag of USD499/499Euros for the LGS326P 26-Port Smart Gigabit PoE+ Switch you can currently get one for “just” USD394.99 inside the EU (Amazon.com) and for 377Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). True this isn’t what we’d call “affordable” and that goes double for home users but at the same time it’s not expensive considering the things you’re getting. At the end of the day you can still opt for a lower-spec model without PoE+ capability (if you don’t plan on using IP cameras and/or other compatible hardware why not save some money) and with fewer available Gigabit ports but if you require/need what the LGS326P offers then it’s a very solid solution which is also why it gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Excellent Performance
- 24 RJ45 & 2 RJ45/SFP Combo Ports
- 24 PoE+ Compatible Ports
- 192W Maximum PoE+ Power Output
- Available Settings / Features
- Power Consumption
- Limited Lifetime Warranty

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Somewhat Loud Fans (Especially At High Temperatures)