SmallNetBuilder

Trendnet TEG-160WS

Of the three smart switches reviewed, the Trendnet TEG-160WS 16-port 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Web Smart Switch has the most basic feature set. Though its features are a subset of the other switches, it's simple to configure, and as an entry-level smart switch, may be all that you need. It has 16 gigabit Ethernet ports, but lacks slots for fiber optic GBICs found on all other switches reviewed here.

Figure 11: TEG-160WS front

Front Panel

The front panel of the TEG-160WS is fairly simple. There's an LED to indicate power and a system status LED that blinks when the switch is operating normally. For each port, there are three LEDs: Link/Activity, 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps.

Like the D-Link, the reset button is on the rear panel. This was the only switch that had a power switch, also located on the rear panel.

Configuration

Trendnet was the only manufacturer that provided a printed quick start guide. By default, the switch is configured with a static IP address of 192.168.0.1. You can change the IP address through the discovery utility, which, as noted, is identical for all three smart switches. Interestingly, the TEG-160WS does not have a built-in DHCP client. That's probably not a huge issue, since in most environments, switches are configured with a static address.

Like the Netgear switch, the home page of the web management displays the status of the major features of the switch. This includes switch system details (IP address, name, uptime, etc.), and the status of ports, port-based VLANS, trunking and mirroring. The configuration menu runs vertically along the left side of the screen.

Like the D-Link switch, there was no built-in browser-based help. I also found it interesting that the web interface lacked any branding that identified the switch as a Trendnet product. All other switches included product branding on the browser interface.

Check out the slideshow for a detailed admin interface tour of the TEG-160WS.