So, before I tell you why you should stay clear of the 1820, a couple of points:
- Yes, it's dirt cheap.
- Yes, I should probably have figured out that it would be a POS.
- But it's a HP switch dammit - the Procurve switches has always been solid for me.
So I was in need of replacing about ten switches. They where older Procurve switches with the dreaded Java GUI and even though I feel fine doing remote confguration and stuff via telnet, my colleagues are not. We needed 24 port switches with two SFP ports so and to be able to handle 5-6 VLANS. Nothing major.
So I order five HPE OfficeConnect 1820 (J9980A if memory serves) as a replacements to get started. It runs Linux as the OS which is fine but what I can't figure out is why this switch has a different GUI compared to the Aruba switches. The GUI in the 1820 is fine. Not spectacular, but fine. No CLI access via either SSH or telnet. That's fine too.
First two switches arrive and I set them up and deploy them without a hitch.
Third switch is connected for configuration and I can't reach the default IP address (192.168.1.1). Tried factory reset, same result. Tried hooking up to a VLAN (1, untagged) with a DHCP server - nothing. It's clearly DOA, even though it will do the switching part on VLAN 1 without a hitch. Fourth and fifth switches work insofar that I can reach the management GUI but it will not save any settings what so ever. I can't even name them and save the settings before it throws an error message saying that an unexpected restart occurred and that I should check the logs, which of course is empty since the file system in these switches most likely are in RO mode.
So I contact our reseller, who tells me to contact HP because HP support has to issue a DOA approval or something to that effect. And this is where this gets "interesting". Today I spent 45 minutes on the phone with HP to get ONE switch replaced. I first talk to a first line support person who takes all my info for the first switch (serial number, things I tried, etc). After 20 minutes, I thought everything was done and ready but then the 1st liner connects me to a "networking expert" to which I have to tell the entire story again. The "networking expert" finally understands that the switch is broken and starts making arrangements for having it replaced with a refurbished model to which I reply that a refurbished model is not acceptable since this switch is brand new with less than 20 minutes of power on in it. -"Oh, it's brand new? I have to check with my manager. I will call you back.". I asked him if he understood what the term "DOA" actually means to which he replied he did not.
After waiting for about 30 minutes the "network expert" called back and told me to send them the invoice information as a proof of purchase and I totally lost it and just told him that this was bullshit as I was being asked by my reseller to call them and they should just straighten it out with my reseller. The "network expert" finally caved and told me to send my HP case number to the reseller and that should be enough.
I haven't heard back from the reseller yet but I told my manager we need to buy new switches as these are probably never going to be replaced since HP is a POS company who hate their customers on a level comparable to Oracle. Manager laughed and gave me the go-ahead to order something else, which I am researching now.
The moral of the story is: Do not buy HPE switches. Aruba may be fine, HPE branded network gear (at last this switch model) clearly is not.
Feel free to tell me what a dumbass I've been for trusting HPE in the first place. :)
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