my home switch was filled up, so i decided to go abit over kill and get a 24port switch so i will never run out...

the model i have is a 3Com 3C16980 SuperStack II 3300 24 Port Switch

i know its a old model but it still kicks the arse of off my 5port hub i had before.

i got it for £10 on ebay including sipping, and the fans on them are way too noisey. so i was planning on replacing the fans in them, the item is only 1U high, so its so short for 80mm fans,

does any one know what size fans it take? and any fans i should look out for, i havnt opened it yet, as i cannot find my screw driver

it feels like the fans are over kill, its been on for a few hours, and the air is cold coming out of it, so the noisey fans dont seem neccessary?

any one performed a fan swap on a 1U switch before?


thanks for any pointers , mark

If the fan exhausts look to be filling the height of one narrow side of the switch, then they're 60mm fans - probably 60*25mm ones if they're noisy (that's what was in my old HP switch).

You should be able to replace them with any 60mm fan you can find, but you'll probably have to splice the wires - all the fans in switches I've seen have had 2 wires, while most 60mm fans are 3-pin.

Best to open it up and make sure first, though. The fans are generally for the power supply in the switch rather than for the switching hardware itself.

1U is 1.75 inches which is about 44mm. So you'll be looking for 40mm fans. There aren't too many quiet 40mm fans out there, but you might try the Scythe Mini Kaze or this Antec 40mm.

But I think super stack 3300 is bigger than 1U. The tech specs here say it's 3 inches high. That's an odd height, not an even multiple of 1.75 inches. 3" = 76mm. If you really have this height, consider youself blessed. You'll have more quiet fan options in 60mm than 40mm.


Absolutely.

Here's some guy's tale of trying to quiet a 3-fan Linksys switch.

ok, ty for replying, i will open it up latter and see if i can fit a 60mm fan init , i need to find me screwdriver set first.

sorry for bad typos, im using a friends laptop and its missing some keys

if a 60mm fan can fit, are there and specific models that you lot would recommend?

I don't have any brand allegiance. I usually just look at the amp rating on the fan hubs. Usually, lower A = slower RPM within a size range. But this sort of examination is really only possible if you're shopping physically. If you're shopping online, you'll have to do some research.

The first thing I would do after opening it is see what the existing fans are rated at.

BTW, I saw an alarming spec in the datasheet I linked above:

Holy smokes! You might need high CFM/RPM/noise fans after all!

i just opened it up, the fans are 2 pin 12v 60mmx25

171w! my server only uses 35 lol

the psu board says its rated for 130w max (writen inside)

im gona stick this thing on my killawatt, i cant see a hub using that much power

edit: the switch is on my killawatt (well the english equivelent) its using 38w right now, i only have 5 things pluged in to it, i tried copying a few gb from my server and the usage stayed pretty static.

No current rating on the label? "12VDC 0.## A"?

60x25 is pretty common. Akasa has one: 12V, 0.06A, 2300 RPM ... not sure how "ultra quiet" it will be. Scan lists it.

How do they connect? Are they hard-wired? If you have to do some cutting to replace them, you might as well try some series resistors first. Similar to what Zalman used to supply with CPU and GPU coolers: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article85-page1.html

there was a current rating but i cant remember it and its been put back together now

they both connect to individual 2pin connectors similar style to 3pin fans on desktop pcs


edit: been looking at these fans http://www.overclock.co.uk/product/Nois ... 26681.html but they only move 24 m³/h which doesnt seem like alot, even if there are 2 of them

the inside of it is pretty clear, so turbulance isnt an issue atal, just these fans wine, think the bearing on them are shot.

i got given the same 3com switch, and its way too noisy for me to use, was wondering if you managed to quieten yours down. which fans did you get, and did they make a noticeable difference.

i havnt got around to it yet, i plan too soon, only problem im having is that any quiet 60mm fans i have found online are priced at £6 each, and as i need 2 of them its pricy considering i only paid £10 for the switch in the first place

i will most likely do it in the next month depending on funds, i will most likely get some Silent Mini Kaze 60mm fans,

thought i would update you lot, i FINALY got around to ordering the fans for the switch i ordered 2 Scythe Mini Kaze 60mm, I will post back results when im done

fans showed up and were installed today, was easy as hell to install.

i had to break the "key" off of the fan header to fit the new fan connector (Was 2 pin, like a gpu fan) to fit, apart from that i didnt have to do any thing unususal.

now i cannot hear it, im gona keep an eye on it to see if it gets hot or anything, but im happy with the result.

rating from old fan: Panaflo FBA06A12H

Voltage: 12v
Current: 0.22A
moves: 19.1CFM


ratings from new fan: scythe mini kaze

Voltage: 12v
Current: 0.07A
moves: 12.3CFM

on the old fans, the motor bit in the middle is big, and there are hardly any blades, they didnt move alot of air. (Acording to a spec sheet i found online they only moved 19.1CFM )

That old Panaflo fan is really good. Fluid bearings, Panaflo makes the best 80mm fans I have ever used. Haven't had any experience with their 60mm fans but I assume they are good as well.
So unless it's worn out, don't throw it away.

Small blade area = high pressure which can be useful in a small tight space with a lot of resistance.

I don't think 3Com put it there by accident. That's an enterprise switch so reliability and adequate cooling is a priority, low noise is not.

thanks for the reply

the case is pretty hollow , there doent need to be alot of presure. the fans are used as an exaust, and if i put my hand near the intake vent on the other side i can feel the air, and the air coming out is very close to room temp, so i think there is enough air being moved, im gona keep an eye the switch to check everything is ok

i dont know about the condition of them, just they were very noisy for the amount of air they moved.

I have kept them im gona run them out of the case, just to check there in good enough condition to sell or use again.

edit: just ran them out of the case, they seem in good nick, they just sound like a fast fan, but it kept me awake