This is a fun one from Computex 2024. Our team there spotted a new switch from QNAP. The QNAP QSW-M3224-24T is a 24-port 10Gbase-T managed switch.
QNAP QSW-M3224-24T at Computex 2024
Here is the 1U rackmount switch atop a second unit. These are 24-port 10Gbase-T switches. We know there are many STH readers who prefer SFP+ for 10GbE networking, but 10Gbase-T switches can use existing wiring. It is funny, in many of our 2.5GbE switch reviews, like the QNAP QSW-2104-2T-A review, we get folks opining that 2.5GbE is useless so they should just go to 10Gbase-T. Here is that switch from QNAP.
If something caught your eye, it is probably the management port stack. From afar, it may look like there is a management network Ethernet port and another RJ45-style serial console port. Instead, in that lower port there is a USB-C console port.
Something else interesting is that the switches are 10Gbase-T only, and do not have SFP28 (25GbE), QSFP+ (40GbE), or QSFP28 (100GbE) uplinks. Still, for a lot of folks, that is going to be OK.
Here are the specs of the switch.
There are not a ton of details other than it is a “L3 Lite Managed Switch” and that it supports things like QSS Pro 4.0.0 and multi-chassis link aggregation.
Final Words
If folks are interested, we can see if we can get one for Rohit to review. We have a few switch reviews and videos in progress going from 2.5GbE to 800GbE switches already, but we can look to review this one when it comes out in a few months. It is interesting to see QNAP expand its networking portfolio since its switches tend to be priced at the lower end of the price range. Affordable 10Gbase-T is something many have wanted for a long time.
Is this 10G only, or does it support multigig?
I’m curious about the price – because this sounds like a good switch for homelab use, but I’m worried about destroying my pocket
Everyone wants slight advancement in a different direction haha.
For me, it’s a fanless switch with two SFP28 or QSFP+ uplinks and SFP+ for the rest of the ports.
Some vendors online have this listed as using a Marvell 98DX4550 switch chip. It lines up with the 24x 10gb ports and if it is using it then it should support 10/5/2.5/1 multi-gig.
Strange thing though is that chip apparently also has 10/25gb uplink and 100gb stacking port support so it would we weird that QNAP isn’t utilizing that.
Guess we will wait and see.
I don’t understand why there aren’t uplink ports. Well, hopefully it’s affordable…
I also would like to know if this is multi-gig capable
I’m a little surprised that they didn’t at least go with one or two ports configured as the old “use either the copper port or the SFP cage; but not both” flexible port arrangement just because 10Gbase-T has comparatively stingy length limits even over cat 6; so not having an optical option significantly limits your wiring flexibility.
It seems a lot more plausible that they wouldn’t have put much effort into either chunkier uplink or stacking; this thing looks like it’s intended to be the core switch for a small environment not an edge or top-of-rack switch in a larger one.
Uplink ports of higher bandwidth are missing, are portchannels implemented?
A few ports as SFP+ modules would have been nice as well.
Nice switch, need to see the price. 2.5GbE may not be useless but it is a ripoff.
They could have included som SPF+ ports for fiber and dac connections. Otherwise intersting.