The SmallBizWindows HP Networking PS1810-8G Switch Review

January 7, 2014 John Obeto

The HP Networking PS1810-8G Managed Switch is truly The Little Switch that Could

As part of a review package for the HP Proliant MicroServer Gen8, I received the HP Networking PS1810-8G switch, a conformably-designed companion managed switch to the MicroServer.

Sporting 8 ports, it is immediately apparent that this device is designed for small offices.

Consequently, I reviewed it personally on a subnet here at The Orbiting O’Odua initially, and I put it to use in a company rightly sized for it.

The HP Networking PS1810-8G Switch

The HP Networking PS1810-8G Switch as it sits on a Proliant MicroServer Gen8

Aesthetically, this little switch is just like any other switch you can pick up for mere pennies at any mega-big-box store.

However, by being a managed switch, it offers a whole lot more.

This device offers a high level of default specs, but the ones that matter to me are:

HP Proliant Server Dashboard — enables autodiscovery of HP ProLiant Gen8 servers in the network; provides up-to-date server health status for up to ten monitored servers
Simple web management — allows easy management of device by even nontechnical users with its intuitive Web GUI
Secure web GUI — provides a secure, easy-to-use graphical interface for configuring the module via HTTPS
SNMPv1, v2c — enables devices to be discovered and monitored from an SNMP management station
Dual flash images — provides independent primary and secondary operating system files for backup while upgrading
Port mirroring — enables traffic on a port to be simultaneously sent to a network analyzer for monitoring
IEEE 802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) — advertises and receives management information from adjacent devices on a network, facilitating easy mapping by network management applications
IEEE 802.3af PoE-powered device option — obtains power provided by a standard PoE device connected to Port 1; deploy the switch wherever an Ethernet cable can reach as a power outlet is not needed (8-port model only)
VLAN support and tagging — supports up to 64 port-based VLANs and dynamic configuration of IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging, providing security between workgroups
Jumbo packet support — improves the performance of large data transfers; supports frame size of up to 9220-bytes
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) — encrypts all HTTP traffic, allowing secure access to the browser-based management GUI in the switch
Automatic denial-of-service protection — monitors six types of malicious attacks and protects the network by blocking the attacks
Management password — provides security so that only authorized access to the Web browser interface is allowed

A full list of the specs can be found here.

I connected the PS1810-8G directly to our router using the ready pipe I have installed for just that very purpose

Managed switches differ from unmanaged switches in that some operational parameters can be modified by users in order to customize performance of said switches to the user’s networking environment.

Using the HP Networking PS1810-8G Switch
I connected the PS1810-8G to four of the HP Proliant servers here at the Orbiting O’Odua: a ProLiant MicroServer, a Proliant MicroServer Gen8, a Proliant ML350 G7, and a Proliant ML320e Gen 8. The final port went to primary 24-port managed switch* in use here at the O’Odua.

Autodiscovery of Proliant servers is one of the PS1810 series, and it did its job here.

For the MicroServer Gen8, I used the trunking feature of the switch to combine two ports on the switch, and the two NICs on the MicroServer in order to create greater bandwidth. MicroServer Gen8 is being used here for file services, with 10 TB of hard drive storage provisioned by its embedded HP SmartArray controller.

In order to do so, I directed my browser to the switch’s default IP address of 192.168.2.10, which brought up the simple web management interface.

For a very cost-efficient – read that as “relatively cheap” switch – manageability is one of the reasons why this device seems to be a bargain: Proliant Gen8 server autodiscovery, VLAN support, the use of trunking, are features that can be configured via the web interface.

Next up was the real world test of PS1810-8G.

For this, I selected an attorney friend’s offices in Los Angeles. He has a single lawyer, 2 paralegal practice in the San Fernando Valley.

I set up the device in place of his current cheapo Trendnet 8-port device.

Going into the web interface again, I added his Dell server – he’s a friend, not a client! – to the managed servers list, trunked it, and let them use it.

Conclusions
This is quite a nice device, both for its functionalities and its price.

Light, web-managed, advanced features, and HP Networking reliability, and Proliant autodiscovery make this a very good buy.

It was easy to use, and unobtrusive in operation.

For the price and manageability, we think it is a very good value, and we recommend it.

* We currently use a rival 24-port managed switch here in the Orbiting O’Odua.)

** The SmallBizWindows HP Proliant MicroServer Gen8 Review is here.