FS.com S3150-8T2FP 8-Port Gigabit POE Fanless Switch Review (130W + 2 x 1Gb SFP)

FS, formerly Fiber Store, has quickly grown expanding into producing their own networking hardware including switches, access points and even video conferencing solutions.

The range of switches is particularily impressive with options starting out at £115 for an 8-port POE switch. It is the higher end stuff that is perhaps more noteworthy, the S5860-24XB-U is a 24-port 10GBASE-T POE switch with an additional 4 x 10Gb SFP+ and 4 x 25Gb SFP28 for just £2,551. While my knowledge of enterprise networking gear is limited, I am not aware of any competing product that comes close to that in pricing.

Sadly, I didn’t get to review that one, instead, FS sent me the more SOHO friendly S3150-8T2FP which has 8 POE gigabit ethernet ports plus 2 x gigabit SFP. It is a fanless design so this will work well in any home or office environment where you may live/work in the same room as your hardware

Specification & Features

In the Box & Photos

The switch is physically quite large for a fanless 8 port POE switch being bigger than the Zyxel, Enginius and Netgear I have reviewed recently.

The power supply cable is in the rear along with a grounding cable terminal while the ports are on the front. It comes with rack ears so easily mounted.

Set Up

It is worth noting that this defaults to 192.168.1.1, so if your router is on that you will have some issues. The default username and password is admin/admin which is not ideal but quite common for locally managed devices.

Most of the switching hardware I have reviewed recently has been for cloud-managed devices. This is a little more old fashioned using a web interface. It is possible to monitor FS switches using Zabbix via SNMP so you can get some sort of unified management system if required.

This switch also comes with SSH/Cli, however, but I managed everything via the browser.

Unlike some big brand name switches, you are free to use any transceiver you like on the SFP ports.

Web Interface & Performance

FS has developed their own switch OS, or at least skinned one. It is easy to navigate and has all the features your want for a smart-managed switch.

In my scenario, which I guess will be similar to many home/SOHO and small business environments, is the ability to set up VLANs allowing me to separate certain parts of the network away from each other.

For me, I only use this for my CCTV, with everything being fed back to a Blue Iris server.

In my SOHO environment, the switch has worked well. I have it powering up an access point plus a couple of IP CCTV cameras then attached to some computers. The POE budget is 130W  which is more than enough, the max power consumption of most POE cameras is around 18W and about 20W for a Wi-Fi 6 access point.

I have experienced no problems with throughput or POE connectivity and has been performing well ever since installation.

Price and Alternatives

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Ubiquiti US-8-150W 150 W 8 Port UniFi PoE Switch	No ratings yet		Buy on Amazon
	Zyxel Nebula 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed PoE+...	No ratings yet	£211.31	Buy on Amazon

FS.com lists this switch as £162.00 with shipping from their German warehouse. Shipping is free but you will be on the hook for import fees (assuming you are importing to the UK). I had a couple of items delivered so not sure on the final import feels but VAT would be £32.4 and bring this up to £194.40.

• The Zyxel GS1920-8HPV2 cloud managed switch is around £190
• The Ubiquiti US-8-150W cloud manage switch is £190
• The Ubiquiti ES-8-150W EdgeSwitch is £188
• The DrayTek P2100 VigorSwitch managed switch is £157.50

All the above switches offer the same 2 port SFP and a similar if not better POE power. They are all fanless, too.

So, the FS.com switch is reasonably priced but doesn’t really undercut some of the big brand names. Obviously, the VAT import charges hike things up quite a bit.

Many of the switches FS.com sell are more geared towards business that would invest in the likes of Cisco, Aruba, HP, etc. So, you will likely find significant cost savings in those comparisons.

I suspect most companies looking for 8 port POE switches are not really bothered about big-name enterprise gear.

Looking at the 24 port 10GbE POE switch from before, the closes competitor I can find is the cloud-managed Meraki MS355-24X2 which is close to £9k.

Overall

The FS S3150-8T2FP is a good switch with nothing significant to complain about. It has performed reliably since I installed it and has worked silently, which includes a lack of electrical noise.

Pricing is good, not great. The various import issues we now face in the UK makes importing products from the EU less appealing than it once was. This is obviously not the fault of FS.com. EU buyers will likely find the pricing a bit more attractive.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

Last update on 2024-10-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API