Contemporary Controls EISK8-GT/H : Skorpion 8-Port Gigabit Diagnostic Switch, Hub-Mode All-Port Flooding for Wireshark, 10/100/1000 Mbps, Jumbo Frames 9216 bytes, UL 508 Industrial Control Equipment, 41mm DIN-Rail, 10-36VDC/24VAC Redundant Power

A standard switch learns the MAC addresses of devices on each port and forwards traffic only to the destination port. This is great for performance but bad for protocol analysis: a sniffer plugged into a spare port sees nothing except broadcasts. The EISK8-GT/H disables MAC address learning entirely, so every frame received on any port is flooded out all other ports. A protocol analyzer (Wireshark, Microsoft Network Monitor, tcpdump, etc.) attached to any port will see all the traffic on the local network — no managed-switch port-mirror configuration required — and at full gigabit speeds.

Both are gigabit Skorpion diagnostic switches with hub-mode flooding for Wireshark / protocol analysis — same gigabit speed, same Jumbo Frame support up to 9216 bytes, same UL 508 listing. The difference is port count and panel footprint: the EISK5-GT/H provides 5 ports in a 26 mm wide enclosure, while the EISK8-GT/H provides 8 ports in a 41 mm wide enclosure. Choose the EISK8-GT/H when more capture ports are useful (multiple analyzers on different ports, additional devices needing simultaneous monitoring, future expansion) or when DIN-rail width isn't constrained.

The EISK8-GT is the production-grade 8-port gigabit switch — it has full MAC address learning and switches traffic intelligently for normal network operation. The EISK8-GT/H is the diagnostic 8-port gigabit version — identical underlying gigabit-plus-Jumbo-Frame capability and identical hardware footprint, but deliberately floods all traffic for protocol analysis. The EISK8-GT/H is not a drop-in production replacement for the EISK8-GT; on busy networks the constant flooding reduces effective throughput. The intended workflow is to install the EISK8-GT/H during commissioning or troubleshooting, then swap to an EISK8-GT for normal operation if desired.

Yes. Per Contemporary Controls' guidance, the Skorpion Diagnostic Switch can either be permanently installed for ongoing diagnostic access or swapped for a regular Skorpion switch after commissioning. Permanent installation lets you tap into network traffic at any time without unplugging anything — useful for troubleshooting intermittent issues. The trade-off is reduced effective throughput on busy networks (because every frame goes to every port), so consider production traffic patterns when deciding.

Use caution. Protocols that rely on cyclic real-time communication (PROFINET RT, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP CIP Sync, time-sensitive networking) may be affected by the additional broadcast traffic that hub-mode flooding introduces, especially on busy networks. The EISK8-GT/H retains store-and-forward operation and per-segment isolation, but every device sees every frame from every other device, which can disrupt timing-sensitive applications. For BACnet/IP, Modbus TCP, and most non-real-time protocols this is generally fine. Test in your specific environment before depending on it for production debugging of real-time protocols.

Yes. The EISK8-GT/H is UL 508 Listed and c-UL Listed for Industrial Control Equipment. UL 508-listed components are directly acceptable for use in UL 508A panels without invalidating the panel listing, as long as the device is supplied from a Class 2 limited-energy source per the panel's circuit requirements.

No. This is an unmanaged switch with no IP address, no web interface, no firmware to set up, and no Layer-2 management features. It does not implement IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging, QoS prioritization, or Spanning Tree Protocol. VLAN-tagged frames will pass through unmodified (because all frames flood to all ports), but the switch itself does not differentiate them. If you need VLAN-aware diagnostic access, a managed switch with port mirroring is the right tool.

Yes. The EISK8-GT/H accepts 24 VAC ±10% on a half-wave rectified low-voltage input, which lets it share a common 24VAC source with other control devices such as actuators, valves, and thermostats. A second power input accepts 10-36 VDC for either redundant power or DC-only installations. The two inputs are independent — you can mix sources (for example 24 VAC primary with a 24 VDC battery backup).

Every port has two LEDs. The "H" (high-speed) LED glows green for an established 1000 Mbps gigabit link, or yellow for a 100 Mbps link, and flashes when data is being transmitted or received. The "L" (low-speed) LED glows yellow only when the link is operating at 10 Mbps, and flashes during data transmission. Together they indicate negotiated speed at a glance: green H = gigabit, yellow H = 100 Mbps, yellow L = 10 Mbps, both off = no link. A separate green Power LED confirms supply status.