Hi @SiMoore
Thanks for posting in our business forum.
I was once working as the manager of the phone support team. And I know people have similar concerns.
So, unlike the router or EAP, the switch got its hardware version changed every year or two years. On the market, you may purchase an old stock from the retailer which is not something we can control. We don't recall old units and if the batch has been sent to the retailer, then that's it. They'll keep selling it until they run out of stock. This means you are not guaranteed to get the latest version if the product has 5 or more than 10 hardware versions.
However, regarding the hardware version you are concerned, if this product has not been changed too much, based on the datasheet of specs, you don't have to worry too much. Internally, we order parts to assemble the products. Sometimes, the parts may run out of stock from the manufacturer, so we gotta change to a different manufacturer to keep the production. Then it results in the hardware version change.
If there is no big change in the performance, then you can keep it. Even if it has an older hardware version, the quality and the performance would not change much.
But if you are running into a TL-SG2XXX, that may be a different story. Because products manufactured earlier before the Omada was released are not qualified for the Omada SDN. They still keep the same naming format, with slight differences in the naming but the old hardware doesn't support the Omada controller natively. If that's your situation, then return it to the retailer and ask for a newer version.
If you worry about the warranty, first refer to your local official website and check your warranty period. Always buy it from an authorized retailer Always keep a receipt of the order details, take a picture of the S/N on the label, and back it up somewhere. If there is a problem, you can use the receipt to prove the purchase and honor the warranty according to your regional RMA policy.