Vimin VM-S250402 Management
This is an unmanaged switch. We could not find a management interface. For a switch in this price range, perhaps that is exactly what folks want. Still, this unit does have the optional VLAN port isolation switch.
Vimin VM-S250402 Performance
In terms of performance, this seems to be a decent, but not top-tier performer.
Again, for a sub $70 switch this is not bad but it is also far from a stellar performer.
Vimin VM-S250402 Power Consumption
Power adapters are always an interesting point. This comes with a few markings but we do not see things like UL markings. The other point is that this is a 12V 1.5A adapter, not the 12V 1A adapter we see on other units.
At idle, we got around 1.6W just like the YuanLey.
With a single 2.5GbE port plugged in, we added 0.7W for 2.3W total.
We used a 10Gbase-T SFP+ pluggable to add a good amount of power consumption in a SFP+ port and we got 3.0W for 1.4W over our baseline also similar to the YuanLey.
As with the other units, we powered this via a PoE splitter. While this costs more to implement and is not built-in, it is another option for those looking to deploy these switches given how low power they are.
Final Words
This was one of the more fun switches to review. It had a not-well-labeled VLAN port isolation switch. It also had issues with DACs due to a design flaw around the SFP+ ports.
On the other hand, this is often the cheapest 4-port 2.5GbE and 2-port SFP+ 10GbE switch on the market. The YuanLey is probably better with that thermal pad between the PCB and the chassis on the bottom, but that sometimes costs more. If you are planning to use cheap optics and get a good price, this can be a good option.
If you are looking for this Vimin switch to have similar documentation and quality to a Cisco or Arista switch, then you are probably thinking about this with the wrong frame of mind. This is one of the switches that is on the race to the bottom on pricing. As an industry, we need that to happen to help 2.5GbE adoption. This is not a perfect switch by any means, but we wanted to include it since we know our readers might see it.
Where to Buy
We purchased our unit on Amazon. Here is the affiliate link for this model.
Ultimate Fanless 2.5GbE Switch Buyer’s Guide
You may have seen that we published the Ultimate Cheap Fanless 2.5GbE Switch Buyer’s Guide. Here is the video for that one where this switch appeared.
We decided to do the round-up first and will be filling in with reviews that we had not published at that point, including this one. We are trying to keep everything in a single resource for folks there.
Bought one of these a few months ago. Had only issues with it..it would reboot my router when it was connected..No other switch ever did that..I tried all ports and all did the same.
A case of “You get what you pay for.” In other words, another “Buyer Beware” product.
No obvious UL approval among the sea of impressive looking labels on the bottom of the case.
And the review points out technical issues in the ‘Final Words’.
Here’s a link to the forum thread where I had my problem with combinining DACs on the SFP with some RJ45’s on the other side:
https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/cheap-interesting-chinese-4×2-5g-2x10g-switch-but-also-problems-with-dacs.40767/
Purchased this unit in late June and it’s stated as 1A on the bottom label, and the AC adapter is some modified USB adapter that outputs 12V (1A) using a barrell plug to usb cable. My unit also has a pad underneath the PCB similiar to other units so not sure if the unit shown in the review applies to all units in the wild.
Also wanted to add.. I’ve been running this unit for the last 2 months with 2x SFP+ DACs and several 2.5G devices without any reboots or failures. My entire lab is running off a UPS and Im not using the included powersupply for the Vimin switch so it might be a factor.
i like how the price shown here is always like 50% less than the real world available price. when you say $100, its actually like $200
I recently purchased another Vimin for about $25 on Amazon after the original I purchased in 2023 died. The current Vimin switch uses the same board revision (v1.1) as the ienRon HG0402XG.
I decided to open my old Vimin and noticed a couple of things. The cause of the failure seems to be that the C9,C27,C39, and C47 capacitors are bulging. I also noticed they had the heatsink covering half of the switch chip.
The capacitors in the current board revision appear to be the same.