Recently, I was in one of our older data centers and saw a network switch or pair of network switches that I had completely forgotten about. These are the HP V1910-24G models of 1GbE switches, which have been through a lot. Somehow, these switches are still working.
The HP V1910-24G JE008A Switches Keep Going
Just a quick history for those who have not been following STH for a long time. In 2013, we got our first 10U quarter cabinet for hosting STH at Fiberhub in Las Vegas. With only 10U, we managed to fit a lot of components into the rack using the Dell PowerEdge C6100 chassis, which was one of the original 2U 4-node designs that we purchased as off-lease systems. The Dell C6100 allowed us to fit two pfSense nodes and four compute nodes into a single rack along with a cold spare chassis. Here is a quick photo from 2013 where you can see the two HP V1910-24G switches.
When we did a 2014 STH Colocation – May 2014 Update in the quarter cabinet, the two HP switches stayed as the compute nodes changed following a devastating power inrush event. These were meant to only last a short time as they were $225 used per a 2013 forum post. Indeed, it seems by the time we expanded to a half rack in 2015, these had been removed.
In 2015, the two HP V1910-24G switches moved to another facility, as they were used in the original RackStuds Review. RackStuds have a new version but after having the V1 parts snap, we have since moved mostly to Chatsworth Products CPI Clik-Nuts.
Still, when in the data center today, the two HP V1910-24G’s were still installed in the racks with the original RackStuds going strong.
The switches have somehow survived being powered on for more than a decade by STH, and for around 15 years including their previous lives. We do not use them for the most part other than as 1GbE management switches if we are replacing newer switches in the rack. We have used these a few times over the past few years when we upgrade a management switch. Today, we tried them just to test and they are still working.
Final Words
Often we look at new hardware, and there are now plenty of options for affordable 24-port 1GbE switches that also have 10GbE ports. Twelve years ago, these switches at $225 were solid values on the used market. It is amazing to think that they are still operational today. Given the changes in security, we have not used these switches in several years, but it was neat to see them still operational after all this time.
These switches will be removed in the next visit to the data center and have been powered off. Still, given that in 2013-2015 these were the primary switches used for STH hosting, and a decade later they still work, it felt like they needed a quick tribute post.
I miss these types of STH posts
One of the HP lifetime warranty switches
Plenty of universities that still have HP switches from the late 90s. Constant power on for 25 years, no climate control, some even sitting in closets accessible from the outside of the building. Ask me how I know. :(
If you think these are “impressive”, you’d love everyone’s daily experiences in the wild with SMB or SOHO clients (some enterprise too).
Is it impressive they still work after being powered on and used for so long… Yes.
Is it impressively bad that there was no plan to replace switches that have been out of support for the better part of a decade in many cases…. Also yes.
But yeah, many switches are absolute tanks if you don’t care about anything but reliability.
Dude, that’s nothing, I got Bay Networks still running.
Spring chickens. I have a number of Nortel Baystack 450-24T’s plugged in since June of 98′ with no power cycles. 27 years, 100% up time.
Still using a juniper ex4200 48t, also running close to or over 10 years. Sure still only 1GB but it’ll do.
10 years is nothing for a switch, the thing that normally impacts the live of a switch is upgrading for speed or moving buildings.
HP equipment used to be better when I had the lifetime warranty and software without restrictions or you could run ospf and bgp for free…
I do not have the same results with HP switches, especially the 52 ports POE Gigabit with SFP+ from 2016 ! Despite they were expensive and have good reputation, I had 4 units failing miserably after one or two years while Netgear and Dlink were trouble-free for more than ten years.
I know that POE switches MTBF is lower due to the heat dissipation and power involved but I banned definitely HP from my shopping list.
Now, I love to buy second hand DELL 10 GB SFP+ switches with dual supply, they are cheap because no home lab needs a 48 ports SFP+ and sellers have these used switches for nothing from banks and big companies after 3 or 5 years.
good night, switches