topic Do unmanaged TP Link switches work well with Nest Wifi Pro? in Nest Wifi

Do unmanaged TP Link switches work well with Nest Wifi Pro?

nibi — Fri, 10 May 2024 08:36:23 GMT

I am planning on adding a 10G switch to my nest wifi pro and based on the discussions online I have realized that I can't just add any unmanaged switch. I was thinking of getting the TP Link TL-SX1008. What should I be looking for in the specs to make sure it'll work? I don't see 802.1d, 802.1w, 802.1s or 802.1q in the supported protocols, does that mean it shouldn't have issues related to Spanning Tree Protocol? Thanks!

Re: Do unmanaged TP Link switches work well with Nest Wifi Pro?

MichaelP — Fri, 10 May 2024 13:40:14 GMT

Hello @nibi

Virtually every unmanaged gigabit switch should work fine. Managed switches usually include loop detection (spanning tree protocol, 802.1d), and that is a problem. I've only seen a handful of unmanaged gigabit switches that included loop detection, typically described as "gaming" switches.

However, as multi-gig switches start to appear (2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, 10Gbps), I'm starting to see a few more pop up that include loop detection. Worse yet, at least one I found didn't list 802.1d on the specifications. But, that one, at least, did include a button to enable/disable loop detection.

All of that said, from what I can tell, the TL-SX1008 switch does not appear to support loop detection, and should work in your system. As another data point, it is recommended by TP Link for use with their own mesh solution (Deco) to support Ethernet backhaul, and that system, like many mesh networks, uses loop detection itself, conflicting with switches that have it enabled. So, I take this as a good sign that switch will work for you.

Re: Do unmanaged TP Link switches work well with Nest Wifi Pro?

nibi — Sat, 11 May 2024 11:22:54 GMT

Oh wow, wasn't expecting such a detailed response. Thanks so much @MichaelP! Love this community.