Ethernet Shield vs network Switch

Unless there's something very unusual about a Sitecom switch (never heard of them), it should just work. Are you using a known good cable? Is the port you're connecting to also known to work? I also don't honestly know if the shield is 10 Mb only, or if it will connect to 100 Mb Ethernet, but if your switch is a managed switch, the port settings might be set to something incompatible.