Can someone recommend a decent and not too expensive 8+ port managed switch that works well with an OpenWrt router? I am running out of router ports.
Any switch will "work well" but I'd recommend Zyxel's GS1920-series if you want to a decent switch without breaking the bank (GS1900 are supposedly pretty good too). HP's 1820-series aren't a bad choice either but I prefer Zyxel over HP in that price range. I would personally avoid budget brands such as TP-Link and stay away from D-Link and Netgear as they seem to be subpar compared to the ones mentioned earlier. There are some positive reviews about Mikrotik and Ubnt switches but I would be a bit hesitant given their rather "new" experience in the area and steer away from "cloud switches".
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Hah, Zyxels are expensive even used. Not sure if that is not an overkill for a home network where there are multiple devices, but only a small number of them are active at the same time.
Just out of curiosity, the manual for the GS-1900 line suggests that JAVA would be necessary for accessing the webinterface, is that still true?
I doubt that was true even from the beginning, Javascript support is however required.
My (now old) GS1910 says the same in the user manual but it doesn't require Java at all so I'm going to assume it's a cut n paste error. I can also confirm that GS1920v2 does not require Java.
ftp://ftp.zyxel.com/GS1910-24/user_guide/GS1910-24_v1.00_ed2.pdf (2014)
ftp://ftp.zyxel.com/GS1920-48v2/user_guide/GS1920-48v2_V4.60_ed2.pdf (2020)
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cisco sg are comparible to hp, very good switches. ( but i'd probably favour the hp as a recommendation )
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Hmm?
https://geizhals.de/zyxel-gs1920-rackmount-gigabit-smart-switch-gs1920-24v2-eu0101f-a1901008.html
https://www.provantage.com/zyxel-gs1920-24v2~7ZYXS024.htm
..and so on
Zyxel's GS1920-series has a lot of features. Zyxel offers also the GS1200 series (with 5 and 8 ports) with less features.
Depending on the OP's needs the GS1200 may be sufficient. I'm a happy camper with the GS1200 8-port switch (34 € at amazon.de).
The OP should compare the differences between the GS1900 and the GS1200 and make his choice depending on his needs.
Just my 2 cents. 
That is a fair question. I need to do two things: ones basic, and the other one is probably less so.
- Basic: all devices connected to the switch must not see each other; a guest LAN.
- Not so basic: Split the switch into two isolated groups of ports, so that I can use two ports for WAN-tagging (the router's WAN connects to one port and the ISP line connects to the other) and the remaining ports for the guest LAN.
Without knowing your detailed needs I guess you can achieve your goals by defining according vlans and traffic rules on the router side and the corresponding vlans on the switch side.
Fair, I didn't recommend those as I find the UI kinda bad to be honest and they seem to have some quirks (see Zyxels forum).
The judgement of UIs is for me a matter of personal preferences. Some like this, others like that. Discussions about it can be a never ending story.
Check the Netgear GS116Ev2 It can do all ... or the 8 port smaller one. low power consumption no fan.
Promises on paper? I own a pair of their GS108Ev3 - I will never buy anything similar from that vendor.
When I was doing network redesign some time ago and shopping for a main switch, GS1920 was on top of my list, but I ended up buying DGS-1100-24 that was cheaper.
I've had only a single(1) incident with netgear switches(10+) over the last 10 years..
You apparently get as many opinions as people posting here;-)
My experience with Zyxel is with various routers from cheap ones to expensive SOHO and I could only sum it up as "horrible interface but somewhat reliable".
So these are not the worst thing to deal with (you can do much worse i.e. with TP-Link), but I would avoid it if possible...
Regarding switches I have only good experience with D-LINK. Especially bang for buck vise. But even though the brand generally is not my favorite, switches are really good.
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There's quite a bit of difference between consumer and business gear however their older DSL gear is pretty solid for what it is.l
Half expected to used business equipment recommended for this. Not an option? Not a good option?
I've been contemplating running a single cable from the router to our loft and then connecting various wall sockets and wireless access points to a switch in the loft. Hence my interest in the original post.
It's usually not worth it since you wont have any warranty and "enterprise" features aren't usually needed at home not to mention that most generate quite a bit of heat which results in noisy fans and ventilation requirements.
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Be aware that most business switches are meant for rack usage, which means they come with loud fans - they are rarely home compatible.
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