On the longevity of SOHO switches

[Robert Loss]

Greetings all, I just wondered if anyone with some longish term 
experience with SOHO networks could comment on the pros and cons of 
cheap SOHO switches. About 4 years I set up my home network using a 
"brand name" 4-port switch, and an 8-port "budget" switch. The budget 
switch lasted about 15 months, and its replacement (another budget 
model) has just died. The 4-port is still going fine. Am I just 
unlucky, or are these "budget" priced switches really only designed 
to last until they are just out of warranty?
Cheers
--
Robert Loss
[EMAIL PROTECTED]