Xbox 360 LAN switch advice

[SmackAHobo]

Hi guys,
I'm looking to start up Xbox 360 Lans in my local area for a bit of fun. There are no other console LAN events happening in my area so there is likely to be huge interest if setup correctly. I'm looking for some advice/info on the best switches to use for 360 LAN's and the best way to actually setup the network.

The other day I went down to my local MSY to look at switches. I was intending to buy 2x24 Port 10/100(http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=7617), however after speaking too the staff, they recommended that I instead go with Gigabit Switches(http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=2757) as the 2 10/100 switches won't be able to handle 48 Xbox's.

Considering that people will likely being playing multiple different games at one time and putting pressure on the network, is it worth swapping to Gigabit? What about DHCP, do I require a switch that has this? Also, the switches I'm looking at purchasing, are they good brands or could I do better elsewhere?

Any advice / thoughts are appreciated
Thanks

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I'm pretty sure that Xbox's are 100mbit only. So gigabit switches seem silly. MAYBE you might want to consider gigabit uplink between the switches, but in all actuality, the amount of data being sent between the xboxs for gaming is very minimal.

Think of it this way: If the game can be played through xbox live, it can be played on a LAN easily. Bandwidth isn't the problem. What you may need to worry about is how fast the switch can "switch". Basically how fast is the CPU in the switch, and can it keep up. In all likelihood this won't matter, just get a decent brand 10/100 switch that has enough ports, unless a gigabit switch isn't that much more expensive. A gigabit switch will have higher resale value down the line, however I'm sure you can find used 10/100 switches for very cheap now. Switches last for a long time and have no moving parts, so I'd feel fine about buying a used one and expecting it to last a while.

You might also want to consider what games people will be playing and how many xboxs you will have to link up at once. You might save money by using smaller switches together rather than buying 1 huge switch. Maybe 16 port switches with uplink ports? Link the 16 port switches together using another switch so they can share a net connection for updates and such?

 

[SmackAHobo]

I'm getting 2x24 port switches because that will likely be a minimum once this LAN kicks off and attendees become greater. Is the 10/100 24 port switch above sufficient for these LAN's?

 

[Gillbot]

I've seen decent multi port 10/100 switches in the freebies thread. Why not try FS/FT and get a couple good 24-48 port 10/100 switches to try, and if it DOES take off you can upgrade later.

EDIT: Hell, I picked up some enterprise rated 24 port 10/100 switches from ebay for under $20 shipped. They've handled everything I've thrown at them without a hiccup. I'd be willing to bet they'd handle xbox 360's without a single issue.

 

[SmackAHobo]

Sorry, what is FS/FT?
So the best bet would be to buy 2 x 10/100 Switches and link them via a gigabit switch? Is the TP-Link Switch I posted above any good? Also, what about DHCP, is it required for 360 Lans? If so, what would be the best way to use it?

 

[Gillbot]

Anandtech FS/FT

Edit: I would get a single switch with enough ports unless the 10/100 switches had a gigabit uplink, then you could link them through a gigabit switch, otherwise there would be no gain.