I was looking for a DIN-rail mounted POE Ethernet switch, and came across this one on AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...309367654!sea!UK!0&curPageLogUid=KIFUxY9kkYJs
I then checked UK distributors to see if it was available, but couldn't find it, and therefore suspected if of being a fake, or some unauthorised modification.
A product of exactly the same part number, but with a different coloured case is sold here, but it does not have the DIN-rail mounting hardware and the power connection is via a DC power plug not a terminal block.
I checked with TP Link who told me that the product was indeed genuine, but was only sold on the Chinese domestic market.
Does that seem weird?

 

I was looking for a DIN-rail mounted POE Ethernet switch, and came across this one on AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005496235824.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.13.179fhcJUhcJUro&algo_pvid=2b51545e-1bb2-4a9f-909c-54e75a5a5774&algo_exp_id=2b51545e-1bb2-4a9f-909c-54e75a5a5774-6&pdp_npi=3@dis!GBP!66.27!46.39!!!!!@214528be16882789621526711d076c!12000033309367654!sea!UK!0&curPageLogUid=KIFUxY9kkYJs
I then checked UK distributors to see if it was available, but couldn't find it, and therefore suspected if of being a fake, or some unauthorised modification.
A product of exactly the same part number, but with a different coloured case is sold here, but it does not have the DIN-rail mounting hardware and the power connection is via a DC power plug not a terminal block.
I checked with TP Link who told me that the product was indeed genuine, but was only sold on the Chinese domestic market.
Does that seem weird?

It doesn’t to me. I have often seen product lines adjusted for regional markets. I think it comes from doing analysis on the potential for sales against competitors which varies from market to market, and is particularly distinct for the Chinese domestic market due to spotty penetration.

Maybe their analysis suggested that TP Link’s reputation in the the west would make selling industrially targeted products difficult.

One of my sons owns a Volvo S60 in a lengthened sedan format (think, chauffeur-driven, like the BMW L executive cars). It turns out that only a few were imported to the US, and the model was designed primarily for the Chinese market. This has caused a little trouble in service the car since some parts are harder to source (you can get them, they just aren’t stocked by dealers).

 

My first, admittedly cynical, thought was that it is intended to keep tabs on the domestic Chinese population and they would rather not have outsiders taking too close a look at it.

Probably not the situation, but it not too outlandish to think that might have features that facilitate government censoring/filtering content.

 

My first, admittedly cynical, thought was that it is intended to keep tabs on the domestic Chinese population and they would rather not have outsiders taking too close a look at it.

Probably not the situation, but it not too outlandish to think that might have features that facilitate government censoring/filtering content.

I was wondering on the same lines - but I didn't think unmanaged switches were clever enough to do that.
They said that it was perfectly OK for me to buy the device from AliExpress, but the manual would be only in Chinese!