Dual SG 300-10 mounting and cascading

Question

SG 300-10 user manual states to not mount the switch on either side (I'm assuming this means the right or left ends as you face the front) and that they can be mounted either face-up or face down or flat). The specs further say that a 5" space must be "around all sides" of the unit.
Silly question is what does "all sides of the unit' really mean? (of course given you must mount is somewhere). Also, given the little feet supplied with the unit, it is implicit to me the bottom needs to be only about 1/32" from the horizontal surface it is placed on. If this is true, can this unit be mounted face down on a shelf such as the Leviton 47612-UBK (it's allowing the mounted units to have airflow between the unit and the cabinet back) and have a second SG 300-10 mounted in front of the first that is seperated from the first by either the dual feet or use separation spacers that will fill the available shelf space and maximize the distance between the units - all without degrading the inherent reliability of either?
Lastly, The two SG 300-10's are reaching the internet through a LINKSYS E4200 router. Is it better to have each SG 300-10 occupying its own dedicated port on the router OR to cascade one SG 300-10 to the other SG 300-10 then one of the LINKSYS E4200 router? If the answer is each occupying their own dedicated LINKSYS port, then would it be prudent to load one SG 300-10 with the most active ethernet lines to allow the other SG 300's port power management to shut it down?
Would appreciate any help I can get and thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi Robert,
You asked " The specs further say that a 5" space must be "around all sides" of the unit."
We have 11 fanless models within the Small business 300 series, you have two fanless models.  We also have models with fans, that allow air to flow from one side to another, not front to back. 
As you have seen the Quick setup guide  says the following;
There are three ways to physically install the switch:
• Set the switch on a flat surface.
• Mount the switch on a wall (8-port devices only).
• Mount the switch in a standard rack (1 rack unit high).
Do not deploy the device in a location where any of the following conditions exist:
High Ambient Temperature—The ambient temperature must not exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Centigrade).
Reduced Air Flow—Both side panels must be unobstructed to prevent overheating.
Mechanical Overloading—The device should be level, stable, and secure to prevent it from sliding or shifting out of position.
Circuit Overloading—Adding the device to the power outlet must not overload that circuit.
etc..  etc...
The switch should have a minimum of 5 inches (130 mm) of clearance on all sides
I personally see no issue with laying one switch on top of the other, with the rubber feet separating switches,
Robert, the bottom line is with clearance,  the internal temperature of the switches should not exceed 104 DegF or 40 DegC or it could affect the operation of the switch. Also,  you don't want to damage appliance cables or DC power supply on the back or the unit  or CAT5e or CAT6 cables on the front of the unit,   by compressing them too much.
That's pretty logical, hence we have given you some guidelines to follow for instalaltion..
You asked " Is it better to have each SG 300-10 occupying its own dedicated port on the router OR to cascade one SG 300-10 to the other SG 300-10 then one of the LINKSYS E4200 router?
I personally have no experience with this model of  linysys router, only the older WRT54G,  but the 300 series switches was designed to be  a standards based product that should be able to work with linksys or other equipment manufacturer routers.
here is a wee example,  my UC560, it has many Gigabit  LAN expansion ports for connection of the ESW or  300 series  switches. So it behaves a bit like the Linksys router, concentrating LAN ports for connection to the switch infrastructure.
Performance is pretty darn good, so it loads switches on in a STAR like topology.
But I also daisy chain one switch into another, and performance is pretty darn good.
There are benefits to both daisy chain with LAG,   and  direct link into centralized router.
Try it both ways, and you'll quickly get a feel if it matters or not.
regards Dave