Overall and Final Verdict
The PDU you need is going to depend a lot on how you plan on using one. For some people a simple power strip like PDU is all that you will need for distributing power in your rack or maybe if you will always be nearby a PDU with manual switches works. If you are checking out the TPI-06 6-Outlet Managed PDU however, there is a good chance that neither of those fit for you. In that case, being able to remotely manage everything is important, or at least some of the features that come alongside that. This isn’t the first PDU that I’ve had in the office, I took a look at the EnGenius ECP106 Switchable Smart PDU last spring. Both the EnGenius ECP106 and the Trendnet TPI-06 are similar in features, they are managed PDUs and have cloud capabilities. Both also have auto reboot capabilities which is the best feature that a managed or smart PDU offers in my opinion. It’s nice to be able to remotely power down a plug from your own network or on the cloud. But that process breaks down when for example a modem needs a hard reboot and you aren’t nearby. Being able to VPN or use the cloud functionality doesn’t work if the PDU is behind a modem that is down. Auto reboot functions that use multiple host pings to detect when things are down can save you a trip out to a job site. Both the ECP106 and the TPI-06 can monitor individual power draw per outlet as well.
But the ECP106 and TPI-06 are also very different, starting with their pricing. Trendnet has the MSRP of the TPI-06 at $249.99 but you can get it for $224.99 on Amazon. The EnGenius ECP106 on the other hand is $599.99. That’s a huge gap between the two. The ECP106 did have recessed mounting options which was an area that I think that the TPI-06 could improve on, even if it is just to leave room for using the front always-on plug. It also has a display screen where you can see wattages and other information without having to log into the web interface. The ECP106 also worked better with its cloud functionality and doesn’t require a yearly service fee. In the end, our TPI-06 wouldn’t connect with Trendnet’s Hive cloud service, but because of the yearly fee, it isn’t something I would use long-term personally. The TPI-06 shines because you have the free web interface and because its pricing is palatable, especially when compared to the ECP106 which shows how much more you could be spending. You get the same outlet monitoring and all of the smart functionality without completely breaking the bank.
Live Pricing: HERE
