Today we are writing our QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review to focus on this product from QNAP.
After years of working with networking products, it is rare to come across a PoE switch and NAS combination. The QGD-1602P is a PoE switch sporting the same case as a 2-bay NAS. It takes two NVMe drives, and you can fully control the product via the QTS operating system.
You can manage it via QTS since a pair of 10GbE connections link the QGD-1602P and NAS.
Read more of our QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review to get more information about the product. Learn about its features, specifications, design, functions, performance, and more.
QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Packaging
To start our QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review, let us check its packaging and contents. The product arrived in a large, thick cardboard container which is adequate to protect the items inside.
It is a flip-open box, and its top cover has a sticker with details related to the product.
Inside, you will find the QGD-1602P tucked securely in place. The product comes with a smaller box that carries all the necessary accessories for the product. These include a power cord, an Ethernet cable, rubber feet, a rack-mount kit, and a quick installation guide.
Additionally, you will find fixing bolts to install the M.2 drives and 2.5-inch disks.
QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review – Design and Functionality
The QGD-1602P includes a NAS. Its four host ports connect directly to its NAS portion. Then, the others go to the primary switch.
There are eight 2.5GbE ports, eight 1GbE ports, and two SFP+ ports. The first few ports can offer up to 90W, while the others can go up to 30W. Its total power output via the PoE ports can reach up to 380W.
The power output makes the QGD-1602P ideal for power-hungry IP cameras or similar network devices.
In front, you will find two reset switches and a button on the right portion. The WTS power button lets the switch function regardless of the QTS state.
Interestingly, the two reset switches make the process of separately resetting the QTS and switch possible. It guarantees the PoE power supply will not be affected when resetting the QTS or vice-versa. So, you can run operating VMs on QTS and reset the switch (QSS).
With the LED indicators available, you can check the status of the QSS/QTS. These can also indicate the state of the PoE, hard drives, and system fans.
Its LCD monitor shows real-time firmware and IP data for the QGD-1602P. Then its control buttons let you restart and set up this information directly. Two 10GbE lines link the NAS & switch for lightning-fast speeds.
You will see three stickers on the QGD-1602P, and the highly essential one shows the cloud key. The latter will help make the initial setup quick and effortless.
Core and Power of the QNAP QGD-1602P Switch
We continued inspecting the product for our QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review. From there, we learned that an 8-core Intel Atom CPU is what makes the product work. And combined with 16GB of RAM, the QGD-1602P can handle anything.
If you think 16GB is not enough, you can expand up to 64GB.
All 16x non-host ports support 802.3 at PoE+ (PoE standard), and four of them can accommodate 802.3bt (PoE++). These can deliver up to 90W of PoE power whenever necessary.
Key Features of the QNAP QGD-1602P Switch
Here is a list of the different features the QGD-1602P offers. What makes it stand out from other switches and NAS devices around? Let us take a look at what makes it worth purchasing.
2.5GbE PoE Switch for WiFi6 APs & Routers
The product breaks through bandwidth restraints of linking wireless and cable networks to improve your access and storage experience. With its 2.5GbE ports, the QGD-1602P can supply up to 90W of PoE per port. Plus, it has a power budget of 380W that can help meet the needs of high-powered WiFi6 apps.
You can also link the QGD-1602P to a QHora WiFi6 router. To do this, use the 5GbE host ports to provide WiFi6 networking in office/home environments.
Since it has diverse high-speed and top-notch network interfaces, the QGD-1602P offers an all-inclusive WiFi6 wireless network infrastructure solution. It is ideal for hotels, small to medium-scale businesses, stores, etc.
Since it couples with the QNAP QuWAN SD-WAN solution, the product boosts wireless LAN efficiency from enhanced WAN bandwidth.
Enhanced Performance for Seamless Virtualisation
Performance for virtualisation is another QGD-1602P feature we will discuss in this QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review. The product offers a complete upgrade of performance, network speeds, and memory.
These do not only enhance the network transmission speed of edge devices. They also boost the capacity to run multiple virtual machines and containers for efficient virtualisation apps.
Sturdy Hardware with Intel QAT for Enhanced Performance
The QGD-1602P uses the Intel Atom C3000 series multi-core 2.2GHz CPUs and has two SATA drive bays. Moreover, the product has two M.2 NVMe SSD slots specific for SSD caching to boost IOPS performance.
Two PCIe Gen3 x4 slots let you install 10GbE network cards and USB 3.2Gen2 cards. It also instals QM2 dual-port M.2 SSD/10GbE cards or Wireless Adapters to enhance core functions. Additionally, the QGD-1602P backs Intel QAT to improve IPsec VPN performance.
The First PoE Switch Series Supporting VMs
The Guardian is the first PoE switch series that can host virtual machines, containers, and other cloud applications. It offers a variety of networking plus storage options and supports the QTS operating system.
The integrated App Center provides VMs for running numerous open-source software applications in addition to QuWAN, QVR Pro, HybridMount, etc. It offers SMBs an all-in-one networking solution for IP surveillance, storage expansion, network security, and wireless LAN management.
Moreover, The Guardian also offers an SD-WAN solution for connecting other QNAP devices spread over many sites. It can independently operate the networking administration interfaces and QTS because of the dual-processor Guardian.
To assist SMBs in deploying a flexible and secure network, The Guardian offers QuNetSwitch, a user-friendly web interface.
For uninterrupted operation, QTS and QSS can operate separately and without interference. For instance, while restarting QTS, the VMs on QTS will continue to function. And then, the QSS PoE power supply will not be disrupted.
Deploy a Multi-site VPN with SD-WAN Solutions
QuWAN, a QNAP SD-WAN solution, is now supported by the QGD-1602P and other QNAP products. For addressing enterprise video, VoIP, ERP system data, and file requirements, QuWAN offers a full-mesh IPsec VPN topology. It is between QNAP devices located across various sites.
To get the best network connectivity, QuWAN uses software-defined networking. It also enables cloud-centric management for the deployment of a robust IT infrastructure.
Dual-system of Switch & NAS for Optimum Performance
The dual system design, multi-port capability, and extensible architecture of the QGD-1602P are ideal for the best transmission and flexibility. Its to meet company objectives for performance and application diversification.
Smart PoE Management of up to 90W High-powered Devices
The product has 4-port 90W and 12-port 30W PoE capabilities. It complies with IEEE 802.3bt PoE++ and IEEE 802.3at PoE+ standards.
With a total power budget of 370W, the QGD-1602P can meet the needs of numerous high-power devices. These include 4K IP cameras, wireless APs, IP phones, LED lights, and digital signage.
The QGD-1602P includes Smart PoE management features like scheduling, sequencing power supply, and activating/disabling power. To support an energy-saving PoE network, you can simultaneously configure PDs. Also, you can acquire real-time network connection status and power consumption data for PDs.
Faster Wired/Wireless Transmission
The QGD-1602P can connect various high-speed powered devices thanks to its 8x 2.5GbE connectors and 8x Gigabit PoE ports. You can use two built-in 10GbE SFP+ ports to connect to routers and LAN Fibre switches. Or, it can connect as uplink ports to the internet and core networks.
You can connect several hosts or LAN devices to the extra 5GbE and Gigabit host ports to boost the LAN efficiency. The 96 Gbps switching capacity of the product ensures the use of each port to its full potential.
You can install the 802.11ac WiFi adapter and WirelessAP Station app on the QGD-1602P. It is to function as an access point for numerous edge devices and to provide wireless rates of up to 2533Mbps.
20GbE Internal Bandwidth for Virtualised Applications
Using Virtual Switches, QTS has direct access to and control over the data processed in QSS. The QGD-1602P offers internal 20GbE bandwidth to speed up computation between endpoints and hosts. To deploy multiple virtual machines, link additional hosts to the 5GbE and Gigabit host management ports.
QuNetSwitch – Layer 2 Management and User-friendly Web GUI Combined
The QGD-1602P offers Layer 2 management features for efficient network control via IP grouping and controlling bandwidth. It also provides security functions ideal for easy deployment and networking environments.
Aside from QSS, the QGD-1602P offers the QuNetSwitch via QTS. This user-friendly web interface aids the IT staff in controlling PoE networks and Layer 2 management.
The overview dashboard and area for statistical analysis display all details about the QGD-1602P and PDs at a glance. This feature makes management easy and intuitive.
Guardian Smart Edge PoE Switch that Meets Your Business Needs
The QGD-1602P is a networking solution that offers a versatile power supply. It also has web-based management and innovative applications for solving various networking difficulties.
Smart Hotels with QNAP QGD-1602P Switch
The QGD-1602P has an intuitive access control system beneficial to hotel staff and customers. It allows guests to check in with self-help kiosks while browsing room details and service packages.
It also provides a surveillance system for storing customer data and ensuring security.
Digital Transformation for Businesses with the QNAP QGD-1602P Switch
In small businesses, IT staff often need to set up file servers for employees to store files centrally. Creating networks is also necessary for linking equipment like VoIP phones and printers.
Firewalls are essential in data security for mitigating attacks and threats. VPN connections are vital for secure remote file transfers.
Flexible Storage Expansion Options
Connect a TL SATA, USB JBOD, or TR RAID for an expanded QGD-1602P storage capacity. It is ideal for accommodating more data and business growth.
2-in-1 ADRA NDR Solution and NAS with PoE Switching
Aside from being a NAS/switch, the QGD-1602P can be an exclusive ADRA NDR tool with PoE switching capabilities. With the ADRA NDR software licence, the QGD-1602P keeps your core network and LAN access devices protected. It also employs a hybrid PoE switch/NAS that allows NVR, router, AP controller, containers, and virtual machine functions.
The QGD-1602P comes with different software that meets all SMB networking requirements. It also makes edge devices intelligent to help businesses start their digital transformation.
Rapid-screening ADRA NDR Cybersecurity
The QGD-1602P operates as an NDR (network detection and response) solution. This feature accurately detects malware activities on your local network without affecting the product performance.
The rapid-screening technology employed in the QGD-1602P spots potentially malicious activities and responds based on the defined policies.
Proactive and Effective Detection of Anomalies
The QGD-1602P works for cybersecurity and has deep analysis features that perform in-depth inspections for vulnerability exploits and malware. It can also simulate a threat trap for malware to instigate attacks. Once the malware activates, the product detects hostile behaviours and takes action.
Specifications
We will discuss the product specifications in our QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review. Let us see if it offers elements that make it worth the purchase.
The QGD-1602P is a web-managed product sporting a rack mount form factor. It uses an Intel Atom C3758 8-core 2.2GHz processor and an embedded Linux OS.
Available memory is 16GB which is upgradable to 64GB. Plus, it has 4GB (dual-boot OS protection) of flash memory.
Storage available on the QGD-1602P is 2x 2.5-inch SATA 6GB/s, 3GB/s and 2x NVME. Then for its RAID levels, these are JBOD, Single Disk, and RAID 0/1/5/6/10.
External and Internal Drives, Ports + Dimensions
Its internal file system drive is an EXT4, while the external file system drive includes the following. These are the exFAT (optional purchase), EXT4, EXT3, FAT32, HFS+, and NTFS. The QGD-1602P has 18x ports, 2x 10GbE SFP+, and 8x 2.5GbE (RJ45).
The switch measures 44.2 x 435.2 x 327.7mm (HxWxD) and weighs 4.37kg. It has an internal power supply and consumes a total of 500W.
The QGD-1602P uses 4x 40mm fans (12V, MF0201VX-Q040-S99) and 1x 40mm )12V, FD124015LB). Lastly, it comes with a 2-year warranty from QNAP.
Hands-on with the QNAP QGD-1602P Switch
Since we tried the QGD-1602P for over a week, we are discussing our experience in this QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review. We will share how the product worked during our tests to help you determine if it is something worth buying.
QTS 4.4.1
The software integrates the Linux Kernel 4.14 LTS to increase support for next-generation CPU platforms. It also provides more stability and future-proof operation for the QNAP NAS.
In our review, we will also discuss the features of this QNAP software.
HybridMount – File-based Cloud Storage Gateway
The upgraded and renamed HybridMount (formerly CacheMount) connects NAS devices with popular cloud services. This feature allows local caching to provide low-latency access to cloud data.
You can also take advantage of the flexible QTS features when the cloud storage connects to a NAS. These include file management, editing, and multimedia apps.
Alternatively, you can mount cloud space or remote storage with the HybridMount software. Doing so will gain access to data via File Station when using the remote mount service.
VJBOD Cloud – Block-based Cloud Storage Gateway
The cloud can map cloud object storage to a QNAP NAS as cloud volumes and LUNs. It offers a scalable and secure process to backup local app data.
Mounting the cloud storage with JBOD Cloud caches allows near-LAN access speed to cloud data. Data in the cloud will sync with the NAS storage space to guarantee service continuity during cloud outages.
QuDedup technology to Enhance Backup Time & Storage Capacity
The QuDedup system reduces backup size while saving storage space, bandwidth, and time by removing redundant data from the source. You can restore deduplicated files to their original state by installing the QuDedup Extract Tool on the PC.
To increase extranet data transfer speeds when backing up data to the cloud, HBS additionally supports TCP BBR Congestion Control.
Fibre Channel SAN
QNAP products with Fibre Channel adapters can be part of the SAN environments. It offers high-performance backup and storage solutions for current data-intensive apps. Simultaneously, it allows you to leverage numerous QNAP NAS benefits like snapshot protection, SSD cache, auto-tiering, etc.
QuMagie – Brand-new AI Albums
QuMagie has a streamlined user interface, an integrated timeline scroll, and AI-based photo management. It also has resizable folder covers and an efficient search function for the best photo management and file sharing experience.
Multimedia Console Centralises Multimedia Application Organisation
The feature consolidates every QTS multimedia app into a single application for better multimedia app management. You can choose source files for each multimedia app before placing permission settings.
Flexible Management of Qtier’s SSD RAID Tier
You can easily remove an SSD from one SSD RAID group to add/change SSDs. Or, you can change the SSD RAID or SSD type when necessary to boost storage auto-tiering efficiency.
Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) for Guaranteed Data Security
The SEDs offer integrated encryption features that can remove the need for additional software. It can also provide a system of NAS resources when encrypting data.
System Requirements
The QGD-1602P supports the following operating systems: Apple Mac OS 10.7 or later, UNIX, and Linux. It also works with Windows 7|8|10, and Windows Server 2016, 2012, 2012 R2, 2008 R2, and 2003.
For browsers, the QGD-1602P works with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari 7 or later.
QVR Pro Surveillance
QVR Pro is a surveillance solution for QNAP NAS. With its eight embedded monitoring channels, you can create a surveillance environment for your home.
One of QVR Pro’s benefits is Optimal Bandwidth Management, which allows for designating certain bandwidth for each camera. With that, you can take advantage of NAS system resources for faultless recordings.
When it comes to Camera Management & Support, you can start different surveillance solutions to cater to your environment. At the same time, it gives you a convenient form of camera control.
QVR Pro supports countless camera models and brands.
We used the QVR Pro to see how well its features work. First, we tried the motion detection features with older IP cameras.
Even if our cameras had poor motion detection features, we were surprised that QVR Pro delivered high-quality videos just like what QNAP claimed.
Before the QVR Pro was released, we used the older Surveillance Station. We always wished that it had a faster maximum playback speed. Fortunately, QNAP included this new feature, and we were able to see synchronised playback up to 10 times faster.
Because of the highly-customisable display panel, we were able to adjust each channel’s display ratio. And with its built-in display module, it provided us with all our surveillance needs.
While using QVR Pro, we were able to customise the motion detection settings for each camera. The software gave us settings for specifying areas to detect motion.
With the upgraded ROI (Region of Interest), QVR Pro supports multiple regional images from the same camera. With that, we did a lot of things like enlarging the view in specific areas with no limitations. Plus, we used this feature in both live view and playback mode.
QVR Pro had steadily developed from its buggy, basic version when it was released previously. Now, it’s a stable application that comes with a range of great features. Plus, it recently provides support for a wide selection of smart events.
Overall, the QVR Pro has a straightforward design that makes it easy to use. It ran smoothly and as well as we expected. With compatible devices that meet QVR Pro’s system requirements, you’ll enjoy this software’s features and smooth operation.
Performance of the QNAP QGD-1602P Switch
The QGD-1602P performed flawlessly with multiple clients that required high data volumes. The CPU of the server handled all usage scenarios in our tests. Since we used the two NVMe drives as an SSD cache, the product also showed an impressive storage capacity.
Setting up and configuring the QGD-1602P was incredibly simple thanks to its intuitive interface and setup wizard. QFinder makes it very easy to find any QNAP devices that are on your network, simplifying the setup process even more.
Once setup you have full access to the NAS functions of the product which allows you to install a wide range of software applications. This allows you to easily expand on the functionality of the QGD-1602P to include things such as docker containers, media server, file and cloud storage, system backups, office products, etc.
We were able to very easily manage the switch through the administration panel and it truly gives you complete control over your network.
The QGD-1602P uses five 40mm fans to keep its components cool. Because of that, we did not expect it to be quiet, even with the fans set at the lowest speeds.
At low speed, the noise of the fans were not audible. Increasing the fan speeds did generate a little fan noise, however this should not be an issue for anyone, especially if you are going to store the QGD-1602P in a rack somewhere.
The QGD-1602P delivered an impressive overall performance. During our tests, it showed high capabilities, making it excellent for business environments.
QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review Summary
With its price, there is no doubt that the QGD-1602P is an expensive product. But it has numerous unique features and a user-friendly interface that explain the price. It is innovative and saves space as it simultaneously works as a NAS and a PoE switch.
The QGD-1602P uses a PSU by FSP and can provide up to 380W power to network devices. It is a highly reliable switch that lets you monitor the delivered power via the software.
Additionally, QNAP provides highly intuitive interfaces with surveillance apps for added security. They provide many options while being easy to use, so even newbies will not have a problem with the QGD-1602P.
One of the best things that QNAP has done is the inclusion of two PCIe ports. These allowed for easy storage expansion, and they also work with a lot of PCIe cards.
We loved the QGD-1602P and the idea of combining a NAS and a PoE switch in an innovative one-box solution. This product has a high-quality build and a user-friendly software interface. Plus, it can deliver powerful performance.
While testing for our QNAP QGD-1602P Switch Review, the product handled multiple data-hungry clients simultaneously. It performed seamlessly with low power consumption and acceptable noise levels.
We loved the QGD-1602P and its construction, features, and performance. It is an excellent solution for businesses and large homes that need multiple IP cameras.
To learn more about the QGD-1602P, visit the official product page of QNAP for more details.
