As the newest entry in my “electronics gadgets that died within the newest summer-2024 lightning storm” collection, I current to you v3.22 (the firm’s presently as much as v8) of TP-Hyperlink’s TL-SG1005D five-port GbE change, the diminutive various to the two eight-port switches I tore down final month. Right here’s a field shot to start out, taken from a cool hacking mission on it that I got here throughout (and can shortly additional talk about) throughout my on-line analysis:
WikiDevi says that the TL-GS1005D v3.22 dates from 2009 (right here’s the checklist of all TP-Hyperlink TL-SG collection variants there), which sounds about proper; my e-mail archive signifies that I purchased it from Newegg on December 14, 2010, on sale for $16.99 (together with two $19.99 Xbox Reside 1600 level playing cards, then minus a $10 promo code, a reduction which you’ll be able to allocate among the many three gadgets as you want). Almost 15 years later, I really feel comfy in saying I received my cash’s price out of it!
Right here’s what mine appears like, from numerous views and as-usual accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for measurement comparability functions (the change has approximate dimensions, per my tape measure, of 6.5”x4.25”x1.125”):
I didn’t have to trouble taping over which particular port had gone dangerous this time, as a result of the change was utterly useless!
together with a close-up of the underside label:
Talking of the “Energy Provide” notated on the label, right here it’s:
In distinction, earlier than persevering with, right here’s what the latest-gen TP-Hyperlink TL-SG1005D v8 appears like:
Normally, from my expertise, redesigns like this are prompted by IC-supplier phaseouts that compel PCB redesigns. Clearly, on this case, TP-Hyperlink has tinkered with the case cosmetics, too!
Earlier than diving in, I confirmed {that a} useless wall wart wasn’t the foundation reason behind the machine’s demise (it’s occurred earlier than). Nope, nonetheless appears to be practical:
Granted, whereas its measured output voltage is as anticipated, its output present could also be degraded (that’s additionally occurred earlier than). However I’m sticking with my principle that the change itself is expired.
Time to get inside. Not like different gadgets like this that I’ve dissected up to now, the screws aren’t underneath the 4 rubber “toes” proven within the earlier underside picture. As a substitute, you’ll discover them inside the holes which might be in proximity to the higher two “toes”:
We now have liftoff (snapping a few plastic retaining clips within the course of, however this machine is destined just for the landfill, so no big loss):
Mission (to date, at the very least) completed:
And at this level, the PCB merely lifts away from the top-half the rest of the plastic shell:
No mild guides on this design; the LEDs shine straight on the enclosure’s entrance panel:
Right here’s a PCB bottom closeup of the cluster of passives, presumably location-associated with a processor on the opposite facet of the circuit board:
And turning the PCB round:
I’m guessing I’m proper, and it’s hiding beneath that honkin’ large passive heatsink.
Let’s begin with close-ups of the 2 labels caught to this facet of the PCB:
And right here’s what I assume (as a result of plug proximity, if nothing else) is the ability subsystem:
So, what brought on this change to irrevocably glitch? The brown blobs on the corners of each choke coils had been the very first thing that caught my eye:
however upon additional reflection, I believe they’re simply adhesive, supposed to carry the coils in place.
Subsequent up for demise-source candidacy was the scorch mark atop the 25 MHz crystal oscillator:
Once more, although, I wager this occurred throughout preliminary meeting, not in response to the lightning EMP.
Nothing else apparent caught my eye. Final, however not least, then, was to pry off that heatsink:
It was glued stubbornly in place, however the mixture of a hair dryer, a slotted screwdriver and a few elbow grease (accompanied by colourful commentary) in the end popped it off:
revealing the IC beneath, with loads of marking-obscuring glue nonetheless caught to the highest of it:
You’re going to should take my phrase (to not point out my belated realization that the data was additionally on WikiDevi, which concurred with my magnifying glass-augmented squinting) that it’s a Realtek RTL8366SB (right here’s a datasheet). Notice the lengthy scorch mark on the best edge, towards the underside. Whereas it would possibly have resulted from prolonged publicity to my hair dryer’s warmth, I’m as a substitute betting that it’s smoking-gun (or is that smoking-glue?) proof of the change’s level of failure.
I’ll conclude the teardown evaluation with a number of PCB facet views:
leaving me just a few associated bits of editorial cleanup to sort out earlier than I wrap up. First off, what’s with the “sibling-comparing” bit on this writeup’s title? Whereas doing preparatory analysis, I got here throughout a Reddit dialogue thread that in contrast the TL-SG1005D to a notably cheaper TP-Hyperlink five-port GbE change various, the TL-LS1005G. Extra usually, TP-Hyperlink’s five-port change collection for “house networking” presently encompasses 5 merchandise, all supporting Gigabit Ethernet speeds. What’s the distinction between them?
Two variations are apparent; 4 of the 5 ports within the TL-SG105MPE additionally help power-over-Ethernet (PoE), and each it and the TL-SG605 have steel instances, versus the plastic enclosures of the opposite three gadgets (paying homage to final month’s metal-vs-plastic product differentiation).
However what about these different three? TP-Hyperlink’s web site comparability facility happily got here by way of…sorta. The low-end “LS” variant is, surprisingly, the one one which publicly paperwork its efficiency specs:
- Switching Capability: 10 Gbps
- Packet Forwarding Fee: 7.4 Mpps
- MAC Deal with Desk: 2K
- Packet Buffer Reminiscence: 1.5 Mb
- Jumbo Body: 16KB
This information is lacking for the others, though I belief that in addition they help jumbo body sizes of some kind, for instance (the v3.22 TL-SG1005D jumbo body measurement is apparently 4KB, by the best way). That stated, the LS1005G has practically twice the ability consumption of the TL-SF1005D; 3.7 V vs 1.9 W. And what in regards to the newest v8 model of the TL-SG1005D? Its energy draw—2.4 W—is in-between the opposite two. However it’s the one one of many three that helps (in a documented style, at the very least) 802.1p and DSCP QoS.
The ”help” is a bit misleading, although. Like its siblings, it’s an unmanaged change, versus a higher-end “good” change, so you’ll be able to’t truly configure any of its port-and-protocol prioritization settings. However it should honor and go alongside any QoS packet parameters which might be already in place. And now, returning to my different little bit of cleanup, per the aforementioned hacking mission, it may possibly truly remodel right into a “good” change in its personal proper:
On a hunch, I made a decision to crack open the change and take a look at the internals. Hmm, appeared there was a RTL8366SB GBit change IC in there. I managed to obtain the datasheet of the RTL8366, and whaddayaknow, it truly comprises all of the logic a managed change has too! Vlan, port mirroring, you identify it, and chances are high the little critter can do it. It didn’t have a user-interface although; it’s a must to ship the config to it over I2C, as cryptic hexadecimal register settings…however that’s nothing an AVR can’t repair.
How friggin’ cool is that?
There’s yet one more little bit of cleanup left, truly. In the event you’ve already learn both final month’s teardown or my preliminary publish on this specific collection, you may need observed that I discussed the demise of two five-port GbE switches. The place’s the opposite one? Effectively, once I re-plugged it (a TRENDnet TEG-S50g v4.0R, whose $17.99 acquisition dated again to August 2014) within the different day previous to taking it aside, it fired proper up. I reconnected it to the LAN and it’s working superb. 
I assume not all glitches are irrevocable, eh? That’s all I’ve received for in the present day. Let me know your ideas within the feedback!
—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Imaginative and prescient Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the corporate’s on-line publication.
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