"Solid" and "dependable" are the first words that come to mind when I think of the SMC EZ Switch 10/100/1000 (SMCGS8P-Smart), but not necessarily "cheap." The eight-port switch lists for $299.99, which comes to about $37.50 a port. While that's on the high end, it beats 3Com's OfficeConnect Gigabit POE Switch, which lists for $495for ten ports ($49.50 per port). And consider this: With the SMC, you get a smorgasbord of enterprise features, such as Layer-2 management, eight 10/100/1000BASE-T ports, seven of which are PoE- (power over Ethernet) capable ports, and one Gigabit Ethernet port that is shared with an SFP (small-form-factor-pluggable) slot, all packed into one switch. This makes the SMCGS8P-Smart a great candidate for your small business's main backbone switch.

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SMC doesn't throw the word "smart" around often—this is one of only three switches deemed "smart" in SMC's entire product line. In this case, SMC means the SMCGS8P-Smart has the simplicity of an unmanaged switch but includes some key features, such as trunking, quality of service,