A Quieter TEG-30284 Switch Fan Replacment

📅 March 18, 2021
The TRENDnet TEG-30284 has proven to be a reliable 28-port managed switch. It does exactly what is advertised and supports a myriad of features like 10Gbps, SNMP, and VLANs.

However, there is one glaring annoyance that is difficult to ignore no matter how much I try. The TEG-30284 has a fan to keep internals cool, and this fan is NOISY! Even at minimal load, the tiny 40mm fan is audible from across a room.

Sure, rackmount networking hardware has the reputation of running loud and hot, but there has to be a better solution, right?

Indeed there is! I replaced the stock fan with a classic brown Noctua fan, and the result makes a significant difference with quieter acoustics.

The installation is not a simple unplug and replace operation because the Noctua is not plug-and-play compatible. So, here is my adventure in making this work to enjoy improved aural purity.