SODOLA 16 Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Runs Silent With Handy Extras

The SODOLA 16 Port Gigabit switch is an unmanaged ethernet networking switch with excellent features for it’s design and price range. Firstly, the unit is constructed of metal, giving it the sturdiness customary of business and prosumer networking equipment. This helps not only with rigidity, but with heat dissipation, as the design is fanless. It comes with the needed brackets and screws to attach it to either a network rack or to wall-mount it. It also comes with the requisite power cable, and instruction manual. I was delighted to see that it includes more screws than are strictly necessary, giving you suitable spares if one of the tiny buggers goes missing. The instructions are sparse, but more than sufficient for the type of device in question. For an unmanaged switch, this unit has some handy features. Firstly, it has loop detection, allowing you to recognize certain types of network misconfiguration. It also has a passive QoS (Quality of Service) feature, which processes the network traffic of devices connected to the first 8 ports on the unit over other ports. The allows you to connect your VoIP phones, PCs, servers, or other time-critical devices to these prioritized ports, leaving the others for less sensitive uses, such as game consoles. The switch also has a VLAN function, allowing you to isolate devices from one another on the first 14 ports. Lastly, the switch features an “extended mode” function. This allows you to sacrifice speed to allow a cable run of much longer than would ordinarily be possible while maintaining stability. The VLAN and Extend functions are easily toggled via a physical switch on the front of the unit. Beyond that, you have the traditional ethernet port arrangement and a single power connector. After several days of use, I can report that the unit is completely silent, and cool to the touch. This is with the switch loaded to 1/2 capacity. Speeds are reliably snappy and at the reported gigabit rates. SODOLA is a new name to me in the networking space, but they’ve designed a switch that offers 16 ports and additional features seldom seen on unmanaged equipment at a price typically reserved for smaller 5 or 8 port switches. This makes it a fantastic value for the price. The only remaining question would be one of longevity, but given the relatively cool running temperatures, I don’t expect any issues. While it would have been nice to have some smaller brackets included specifically for wall-mounting (the included rack-mount brackets are unnecessarily long when wall-mounting, I’m extremely pleased with this device.