[rescue] OT: Network Blinkenlights

[Shirker]

Rescuers,

Has anyone else noticed that there's been a disturbing trend recently in
the way the activity LEDs on network equipment work?

Whereas (on Ethernet kit at least) you generally used to have "the LED
flashes on once per frame" so that you could get a decent idea of traffic
just by looking (a few blinks now and then, or does that LED appear to be
continuously lit?), now what there seems to be is a circuit in the way
which says "if there's any traffic at all, from 0 to 100%, then flash the
LED at 1Hz, else don't". My latest switch purchase (Dlink) has this style
of lights and to be honest I find them absolutely infuriating. I've
noticed that the built-into-the-socket LED on recent Dell laptops also
works like this.

My questions:

* is this "new feature" annoying anyone else, or just me?

* what brands of network kit that you've used have the
flash-once-per-frame blinkenlights?

I've found that Netgear 10Mb and 100Mb stuff has the 1-per-frame style
lights - does this also apply to their Gigabit products?

Thanks,

Ed.