I currently have an umanaged switch (Linksys LGS108P, no problems whatsoever apart from being unmanaged) which I want to replace with a managed switch.
Can you guide me a bit in this area with recommendations which brand/model to choose?
A clear looking Ui for administration has my preference over raw performance.
I did perform a quick search which came up with following models which might be recommended (?)
2.5 Gbps - Netgear MS108EUP
1.0 Gbps - Netgear GS308EPP
1.0 Gbps - Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
1.0 Gbps - ZyXEL GS1915-8EP
The ZyXEL GS1900-8HP and GS1900-10HP can run OpenWrt, and so can the D-Link DGS-1210-10P or -10MP (be careful, on D-Links not all revisions are supported). I have a GS1900-8HP and a GS1900-10HP flashed with OpenWrt for the benefit of a unified configuration interface - see here for details.
Apart from the switches capable of running OpenWrt, I recommend staying away from the cheapest series - I'm unsure about the PoE-capable ones, but the non-PoE series like the TP-Link TL-SG108E and the equivalent devices from other manufacturers are best avoided.
I git a GS1900-8HP as well, and always intended to convert it to OpenWrt but it entered service still on its original OS; works pretty well, so well in fact that I am less inclined to start the conversion (never change a running network )
I've read often that the ZyXEL firmware is pretty good. To be fair, a switch this size is often a set-and-forget device. I hardly ever reconfigure my small switches (in contrast to my 48-Port main switch).
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