That $300 managed switch I bought used off eBay has been a total game changer for my home lab

I spent $300 on a used Cisco 3750X off eBay about 6 months ago and it either saved me a ton of headache or it burned me on learning proper networking. On one hand, getting layer 3 switching and VLANs set up was way easier than messing with a bunch of consumer routers and I can finally segment my IoT devices from my main network. But on the other hand, the fan noise is ridiculous and I had to spend another $40 on a fan mod kit just to keep it quiet enough for my office. Then there's the CLI learning curve - I had to watch like 8 hours of YouTube tutorials just to get basic VLANs working. The GUI was just not an option on this model. So my question is: for someone starting out in commercial networking, is it better to grab older enterprise gear like this on the cheap and figure it out, or are you just setting yourself up for headaches? What did you guys start with?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_ross2712d ago

The real hidden cost nobody talks about with old enterprise gear is the electric bill. I kept my 3750X on for three months before I actually looked at what it was pulling off my UPS - that thing was drawing around 130 watts idle. Compared to a modern little fanless switch that might sip 15-20 watts, over a year you're looking at serious money depending on your power rates. Plus that UPS battery life got cut in half. For someone starting out, the knowledge gained from fighting with that CLI is definitely valuable but you gotta factor in the hidden monthly costs nobody mentions in the eBay listing.

rowan66612d ago

Dave from level1techs forum said old Cisco gear is worth it for the CLI practice alone.