Switching to Mac » Mac vs PC. A number of low-cost Ethernet switches on the market are based on the Realtek RTL8316B and RTL8324 controllers (see the Realtek Web page for data sheets).
One that is easily available in my area is the 16-port model made by Edimax, the Edimax Es3116p. The newer models of this switch are equipped with a RTL8316B chip. This chip can be controlled or reconfigured in software through the Ethernet, and perform a number of useful functions, such as setting port features (duplex/speed), VLAN configuration (tag insertion and removal), port trunking, traffic shaping (not kidding; the RTL8316 can do bandwidth control on each port between 128kbit/s and 8Mbit/s), reading statistic counters, even mirroring.
Important note: the rrcp site mentions that some newer RTL8316B chips have some features disabled. Please look at this page for more info. Switch Monitoring and Management with OpManager. Switches are the backbone of your LAN.
Any problem in your switches affects a large proportion of your LAN users. Implementing a proactive switch monitoring system helps you detect problems early and avoid potential problems. OpManager's switch monitoring functionality automatically discovers switches in your network and places them on a special switch map . All the switch ports are also discovered and intuitively placed on the map.