Seeking gigabit switch with FCC Class B rating

[HriniakPosterChild]

I want to upgrade my house from 10/100 to gigabit Ethernet, but I am having trouble finding a switch with a FCC Class B rating. I assumed that a bargain-brand TPLink unit I bought from newegg would be a “B”, and it turned out to be an “A.” Newegg is taking it back with no restocking fee because their website didn’t say it was an “A.”
 
I’d like the next switch I buy to be a “B”. I’d prefer a 24-port switch but can live with a 16-port.
 
Does anyone have a switch to recommend?
 

 

[Harry Hooper]

Cheapest 24-port option out there I can see is Intellinet's
 
Newegg for $136
 
Amazon for $137
 
 
I can't give a specific recommendation, though.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Good find. Thanks,

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

The Intellinet switch arrived. I opened the box and looked at the manual, which says it is "FCC Class A". Back to Egghead it goes. 
 
What a waste of time.

 

[AlNipper49]

What is FCC Class B rating mean? I've never heard it referenced wrt to a switch before

 

[SumnerH]

Lower EM emissions (class A is for commercial equipment, class B is residential and slightly stricter standards).  I'm curious why the insistence on Class B; in practice I've never heard of it making a real difference in anything.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Unintentional radiators are designated into two major classes:[1]

• Class A Device marketed for use in business/industrial/commercial environments.
• Class B Device marketed for use in a residential environment, notwithstanding use in industrial or commercial environments

 
 

 

Wikipedia
 
When they test the devices, they always try to get a B. If it fails, they'll sell it as an A. 
 
This is for my home network.

 

[Harry Hooper]

 
The Intellinet switch arrived. I opened the box and looked at the manual, which says it is "FCC Class A". Back to Egghead it goes. 
 
What a waste of time.
 

 
Wow, sorry for the bum steer. Everything at the manufacturer's site reads "Class B Certified" for this model.

 

[crystalline]

Wikipedia[/url]
 
When they test the devices, they always try to get a B. If it fails, they'll sell it as an A. 
 
This is for my home network.

What other devices are you trying to avoid interference with?

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

What other devices are you trying to avoid interference with?

My TVs and radios and my neighbors' TVs and radios.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

 
Wow, sorry for the bum steer. Everything at the manufacturer's site reads "Class B Certified" for this model.

Not your fault. I read the same thing you did.

 

[AlNipper49]

 
Wikipedia
 
When they test the devices, they always try to get a B. If it fails, they'll sell it as an A. 
 
This is for my home network.

This still does not make sense to me. Why don't you just buy a switch that works?

I can push up to 300Mbps through my home switch and I THINK its a Netgear. If that breaks I'll replace it with whatever has 12 ports and is sold by Best Buy.

Business needs are different but for a house just use whatever has 4 stars or whatever on Amazon.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

This still does not make sense to me. Why don't you just buy a switch that works?

I can push up to 300Mbps through my home switch and I THINK its a Netgear. If that breaks I'll replace it with whatever has 12 ports and is sold by Best Buy.

Business needs are different but for a house just use whatever has 4 stars or whatever on Amazon.

What do you mean by "works"?

I am responsible for whatever interference the device I install may cause. If the router were capable of working in a residential environment without interfering with local TV/radio interference, it would have passed Class B tests.

If interference were not an issue, the FCC would not require certification of computers and devices, and they have been doing so for more than 30 years.

 

[AlNipper49]

By works I mean if it says that it's going to do 1Gbps then you will not worry about the switch being the thing that can't push 1Gbps.  

 

[Couperin47]

What do you mean by "works"?

I am responsible for whatever interference the device I install may cause. If the router were capable of working in a residential environment without interfering with local TV/radio interference, it would have passed Class B tests.

If interference were not an issue, the FCC would not require certification of computers and devices, and they have been doing so for more than 30 years.

 
so, just to be clear, you have no evidence whatsoever that these Class A devices are actually causing any meaningful interference of any kind whatsoever to anyone, but have just inferred that they may possibly do so, based on the fact that the makers have failed to go thru the added expense to certify they meet Class B standards...

 

[SumnerH]

What do you mean by "works"?

I am responsible for whatever interference the device I install may cause. If the router were capable of working in a residential environment without interfering with local TV/radio interference, it would have passed Class B tests.
 

 
This assumes that the standards are exact for your conditions.  I can say that I know a bunch of people who run class A equipment at home and have never heard of a complaint about them causing any EM interference.

 

[SumnerH]

 
so, just to be clear, you have no evidence whatsoever that these Class A devices are actually causing any meaningful interference of any kind whatsoever to anyone, but have just inferred that they may possibly do so, based on the fact that the makers have failed to go thru the added expense to certify they meet Class B standards...

 
It doesn't cost extra to get Class B certified.  You don't even need to submit to the FCC or a designated TCB; the majority of devices are self-certified (either through self-verification or a document of compliance).  If you do submit to the FCC/TCB, you pay one fee and they first test for Class B compliance, if you fail that they test for Class A.

 

[Couperin47]

 
It doesn't cost extra to get Class B certified.  You don't even need to submit to the FCC or a designated TCB; the majority of devices are self-certified (either through self-verification or a document of compliance).  If you do submit to the FCC/TCB, you pay one fee and they first test for Class B compliance, if you fail that they test for Class A.

 
I was aware almost all devices are self-certified (in fact I believe many current makers of commodity equipment don't test but certify based on using a 'stock' design provided by the chipmaker), was not aware the costs remain the same.

 

[AlNipper49]

It could be Class RFELKJJKHD and HPC will still push as much data through it as his workstation allows.

 

[Manzivino]

Right, but his concern is not whether the switch will actually push 1 Gbps, its the EM emissions. Otherwise he would have stuck with one of the two Class A switches he's already bought and returned.

 

[AlNipper49]

His machines will be the bottleneck and you could stack 10 Class A switches in his basement and it will not make a material difference to anything greater than .08mm away.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Right, but his concern is not whether the switch will actually push 1 Gbps, its the EM emissions. Otherwise he would have stuck with one of the two Class A switches he's already bought and returned.

Thank you.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

 
It doesn't cost extra to get Class B certified.  You don't even need to submit to the FCC or a designated TCB; the majority of devices are self-certified (either through self-verification or a document of compliance).  If you do submit to the FCC/TCB, you pay one fee and they first test for Class B compliance, if you fail that they test for Class A.

Thank you, too. So the question is not whether the switch failed B certification. It is why the manufacturer lied on their published data sheet. And I cannot ask them, since they do not publish any tech support number. ("Contact your dealer." Right.)

 

[Manzivino]

His machines will be the bottleneck and you could stack 10 Class A switches in his basement and it will not make a material difference to anything greater than .08mm away.

 
I agree on both counts, I would just use a Class A switch. The Class B rating is pretty clearly a dealbreaker for HPC though, hence the thread; he is not worried that the switch will be the bottleneck (which it won't).

 

[Couperin47]

Thank you, too. So the question is not whether the switch failed B certification. It is why the manufacturer lied on their published data sheet. And I cannot ask them, since they do not publish any tech support number. ("Contact your dealer." Right.)

 
Hey your dealer can tell you he's completely ignorant about this in comprehensible English. If you could get through to the manufacturer, there's almost no chance their ignorance will be expressed in that manner.

 

[Harry Hooper]

Thank you, too. So the question is not whether the switch failed B certification. It is why the manufacturer lied on their published data sheet. And I cannot ask them, since they do not publish any tech support number. ("Contact your dealer." Right.)

 
 
Yes, the online data sheet and the online manual PDF for this model both stipulate FCC Class B certified. Apparently, you open the box and ...surprise!

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Monoprice support claims that both their 16- and 24-port gigabit switches are Class B. The 24-port switch is out of stock with a 10/6 ETA, but I'm not in a huge hurry. $115 plus shipping. They're good about taking stuff back, so I'm willing to try it and see.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Monoprice support claims that both their 16- and 24-port gigabit switches are Class B. The 24-port switch is out of stock with a 10/6 ETA, but I'm not in a huge hurry. $115 plus shipping. They're good about taking stuff back, so I'm willing to try it and see.

 
 
Several weeks ago, I bought that 24-port Monoprice switch, and it's working pretty well. I had one issue with it.
 
An old Windows desktop would lose network connectivity after a day or so (couldn't ping inbound or outbound). I bought a $13 USB ethernet adapter from Amazon to use instead of the integrated network adapter, and that problem went away.